An assessment and accounting are definitely in order.

So here are some opinions, observations and naturally a few criticisms about the current version of professional baseball's most venerable franchise.

On June 8th, the Reds were riding high with a 34-20 record and were one of the true feel-good stories in the game.

But after a horrendous 9-20 run to finish off the season's first-half, Cincy has become an also-ran, a mediocre club struggling for its' very survival.

During this recent stretch of bad road, the Reds were so inept they would have made the '61 Mets look good by comparison. Cincinnati has been playing like a bumbling expansion team.

Very few clubs go through an extended slump of that degree and are able to regroup sufficiently to make the post season. That 29-game journey into darkness could prove to be the ruination of the Reds' campaign.

Over their last four starts combined, Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang have failed to notch a win. The ace and his able wingman have come up empty.

It that trend continues, if only for a short while, the Reds are dead meat. They'll be as good as done!

Though Austin Kearns has been relatively solid, one gets the sense that the Reds were expecting more out of their  26-year-old outfielder.

Thought by many insiders to have more upside than Adam Dunn, Kearns has put up decent numbers but nothing to really engender any genuine excitement.

Kearns will need to club with much greater effect if he's to live up to the promise predicted of him a couple of years ago. Nothing short of a .285 average, 30 homers and 90 ribbies will earn him notice.

If the Reds continue to send out Joe Mays as a starter, then they deserve everything they get. In a word, Mays has been brutal.

Whenever the Kansas City castoff pitches, it's literally like throwing a game away. The Reds would be be better off forfeiting.

Though Mays wears the number 46, a letter should be on his uniform instead. With the way he's going, a bold L (for loser) across his back would be much more fitting.

Until Brandon Claussen returns from the DL, the Reds should summon a starter from Louisville as a stopgap. There's no way a Justin Germano or a Chris Michalak could fare any worse than what Mays has done.

It's now obvious for all to see that the Reds will have to acquire another solid starter if they're ever to a power broker in the NL's Central Division.

Bringing another solid arm onboard will be priority number one for G.M. Wayne Krivsky from now until the start of spring training.

Isn't it about time the organization started putting flamethrower Homer Bailey on the fast track to the major leagues? He's been lights-out at Double-A and the young Texan is really creating quite a stir with his heater.

The Reds' management is forever offering the lame excuse they don't want to rush him. But if Bailey's stuff is as good as advertised, the club shouldn't stifle his rise because of their overblown fear he might not be ready.

Plenty of precocious hurlers have learned on the job at the big-league level and went on to become standouts. Sure, most of them took some lumps but in the long run, it hastened their development and steeled them for the future.

So let Bailey's results on the mound dictate when he arrives in the Queen City. Not some silly arbitrary time line.

Here's a quick thought. The Reds should try to reacquire Sean Casey right now. Can you imagine the emotional lift the team would get if the "Mayor" was brought back?

Moreover, Casey would provide some needed leadership in the locker room that's been sorely missing since his departure.

Since he's eligible for free agency after 2006, it shouldn't cost much to pry him loose from the Pirates. And though Pittsburgh is his hometown, given the current state of the Bucs, Casey might welcome a change of scenery.

Though we admire and like Scott Hatteberg, getting Casey back would make the Reds infinitely better. Come on Krivsky, get on the "Case."

Though he still isn't justifying his salary, Eric Milton is having a bit of a renaissance this year. He's given the Reds plenty of quality starts and seems much more confident in his attitude and approach.

A big outing against the Rockies tonight could signal the fact that Milton is nearly all the way back to the form he showed for the Phillies in '04.

It's too bad that Chris Hammonds' return to Cincy didn't work out. It would have made for great copy if the 40-year-old could have been a meaningful contributor to the team that gave him his start.

But in truth, the team and player were an ill fitting match. Because Hammonds basically throws junk and has such a miniscule margin for error, having him pitch at GABP was just courting disaster.

If you'll note, Hammonds was most effective when he pitched for Oakland, New York and the Padres. All of whom happen to play in vast ballparks considered to favor the pitcher.

In Cincinnati, Hammonds was throwing in a launching pad. Realistically, this reunion was doomed from the start. Too bad.

It's hard to envision either David Weathers and Kent Mercker being back with Cincy come next April.

Each is long in the tooth and their repeated failures must have the team looking for younger alternatives in the future.

Only stellar second-halves by these ancient ones can keep the Reds from turning them out to pasture at season's end.

Yes, Edwin Encarnacion's fielding foibles are exasperating and try one's patience but sitting him doesn't seem to be the right approach.

The Reds must be willing to live with his errors until he grows out of his defensive malaise.

And he will. This reporter thinks that will happen relatively soon. The kid simply has too much going for him to let this temporary difficulty derail his career.

Besides, the Reds need his bat. Cincy seems much more imposing offensively when Edwin is in the lineup. So please, just quit the mind games and play the guy.

Finally, the Reds erred when they extended Jerry Narron's contract. He didn't deserve it then and he certainly doesn't deserve it now.

Has Narron given any indication that he has the makings of being something special? On the contrary, based on his performance to date, Narron's managerial skills seem quite average and far from awe-inspiring.

From his questionable handling of the pitching staff, to his noticeable inability to motivate the team, to the passive presence he brings to the dugout, Narron seems subpar in a lot of key areas.

There's nothing in his time with the Reds or in his short stint with the Rangers that seems to say this is a skipper who's top notch.

The Reds would have been vastly better off letting the season play out and then making a determination as to Narron's fate. At that point, management would have had a lot more to go on and could have made a much more informed decision.

Instead, they jumped the gun and are on the hook to pay Narron through '07 with an option for '08. Right now, that doesn't appear to be money well spent.