In Hume's mind, Majewski is pressing too much.

The company line is that he's been too wound up trying to justify the controversial trade that brought him to Cincinnati.

Put another way, Hume feels that the newcomer is simply trying too hard. The coach believes that Majewski needs to throttle things down a bit and just relax.

But this reporter doesn't buy into that lame excuse.

Quite to the contrary, it could be forcefully argued that perhaps Majewski isn't trying hard enough.

It's difficult to imagine anyone getting such pathetic results like Majewski has if they were really giving it their all.

When you're grinding it out, plus genuinely bearing down and concentrating, it's almost impossible to fail time and again. Sheer effort and desire will normally insure some degree of success.

So if Majewski is truly putting every ounce of effort into it and still coming up empty, then he's the rare exception to the rule.

Yet, as mentioned above, that possibility seems a stretch.

How about just facing the fact that the 6-1, 215-pound right-hander has been awful!

Since coming over from Washington in a much ballyhooed deal, Majewski has given up runs in seven of the 11 games in which he has appeared. His ERA as a Red is a stratospheric 12.54.

Not since the unlamented Danny Graves left the scene have the Reds had a reliever raked over the coals in such a brutal fashion.

Thought to be a possible savior when he arrived, Majewski has cost his team games, blown leads and added tack-on runs by the bushel.

The word terrible doesn't even begin to describe Majewski's performance to date. Abysmal and pitiful are much more accurate. 

In fact, it might be a good idea for the struggling reliever to contemplate a name change that's more in keeping with his current efforts.  

How about Gory for Gary and Malousy for Majewski?

Yeah, Gory Malousy. That has a really nice ring to it. Plus, it's apropos!

Malousy's er Majewski's latest implosion and act of sabotage came on Sunday when he turned a probable victory into a stinging defeat.

Staked to a 4-2 lead, the hurler's malaise continued unabated as he coughed up four eighth-inning runs to the Braves.

The loss was particularly depressing because Cincy was poised to sweep Atlanta and minimize the damage done by a five-game losing streak that immediately preceded the Braves' series.

Instead, Majewski virtually handed Atlanta a win and sent the Reds into their pivotal showdown with the Cardinals on a decided downer as opposed to being on somewhat of a high.

So, in addition to his other shortcomings, Majewski has now shown himself to be an accomplished momentum killer.

If going bad was a virtue, then Majewski would be vying for sainthood!

The question is how much longer can you continue to trust the laboring 26-year-old? At this stage of the season when the importance of each game is magnified, giving away wins is an absolute no-no. Frittering away victories must be avoided at all costs.

So even though the Reds have plenty invested in Majewski, if his woes should continue, they must relegate him to a less prominent role.

Or else manager Jerry Narron must keep the rightie on a shorter leash than one would have for a pit bull. At the first sign of trouble or the minute Majewski starts to scuffle, Narron must be ready with a quick hook.

The time for letting Majewski try to pitch his way out of this prolonged slump is over. And you can't worry about undermining the guy's confidence. If he can't get the job done, then Narron must turn to someone else who can.

Now armed with a much deeper bullpen thanks to the moves of wheeler dealer Wayne Krivsky, Narron has no more excuses for staying with a losing hand. The manager has been given more than enough options that will allow him to bypass an undependable reliever.

For Majewski, the time has come to either step up or stand down. But based upon recent history, it looks like he'll be doing more sitting and less pitching. That way he'll be less a danger to both his team and himself.

But writing him off completely would seem a trifle premature and shortsighted given Majewski's solid '05 campaign ( 2.93 ERA in 79 games). At least there's somewhat of a track record there.

That being said, Majewski has a lot to prove and plenty of sins to atone for if he is to ever earn the respect and admiration of the Cincinnati faithful.

He's already botched his chance to make a favorable first impression. To date, he's been a major disappointment bordering on being a total bust.

Now it comes down to can he overcome such an atrocious start and turn things around to the point where he can become a solid contributor to the Reds' cause?

The next two months should provide the answer as to which direction Majewski is headed.

Thus far, Majewski has gone from bad to worse. Yet, it's hard to imagine that things could degenerate any further. At least, that's what the Reds hope.

Management and others in the organization still believe that he'll soon right himself and become a real asset. They're counting on that eventuality.