Particularly, manager Jerry Narron. And if he hasn't, the Cincy skipper might wish to have his eyes examined.

Isn't it time that the Reds finally get out from under the overcast, gloomy and depressing conditions that erratic reliever David Weathers is creating.

This team is in desperate need of some clearing skies and a few rays of hope. Cincinnati can no longer withstand the foul weather that Weathers keeps dousing on them. A change in the immediate forecast is not only desirable, it's almost imperative.

And a brighter horizon only seems possible if the Reds do something that this site advocated weeks ago.

In a nutshell, Weathers must be moved out of the closer's role.

He's used up all his capital with three successive blown save chances. His continued failures are growing predictable and tiresome.

Even more disturbing is that Weathers' meltdowns are ruining superb individual performances by his teammates. Single-handedly, he's recently negated  magnificent efforts by Bronson Arroyo and Ken Griffey. Flushed them right down the toilet with his ineptitude.

The kind of heartbreaking losses and missed opportunities spawned by Weathers are the kind that can eat at a team. The type that can affect its spirit and cause deep-seeded frustration to sink in.

If Weathers continues on his current path, he could become a one-man wrecking crew. A Reds' season that once looked so promising could go right up in smoke. And if it does, Weathers will have been one of the prime igniters.

There's no disputing that the big right-hander is in the throes of a significant slump. How bad is it?

Well, Weathers is flubbing more save opportunities than a nearsighted goaltender.

And forget about closing something. At the rate he's going, the veteran hurler couldn't even close a door or window let alone a big game.

The question that remains is how much longer will the Reds continue to play this risky hand. How much more rope will they give a struggling pitcher who's merely a stopgap and hardly a long-term answer.

The Reds can no longer ignore the obvious. Weathers is ill-suited to be a closer. He's not a true strikeout pitcher and his stuff is far from overpowering. He also coughs up the long ball in the most critical situations, an absolute cardinal sin for one entrusted with sealing the deal.

In arguably two of the most important games this year, Weathers came unglued and yielded ninth-inning bombs to the Cards' Albert Pujols and the Tigers' Curtis Granderson. Two sure wins literally thrown away. Gut-wrenching losses that in no way can be excused.

Which brings us to another point about Weathers. One that irritates many and leads some to give him no sympathy or cut him any slack.

Revealingly, he doesn't give the impression of being a stand up guy. Whenever he blows up and doesn't get the job done, he's always got a explanation or excuse. He's a great talker when it comes to rationalizing his gaffes. Too bad he doesn't do more of his talking on the field where it counts.

Fans and the media admire and respect a guy who's willing to admit he messed up and take the hit for a bad outing. It's called accountability. Sadly, Weathers doesn't appear to have much of that commodity.

At this stage, it would be in everyone's best interests if  Weathers were moved to middle-relief. There he would have more margin for error. The pressure would be less intense and his possible breakdowns wouldn't be nearly as dramatic.

In fact, when used in that capacity this season, the results were satisfactory. Weathers is more of a set-up type than a finisher. That should be his niche.

Trusting him to nail down games has become dicey to say the least. It's hard to imagine that anyone, including Narron, hasn't developed doubts and misgivings about Weathers' dependability. Confidence in him must certainly be shaky.

So why not make the move now to someone who offers more firepower, more pizzazz and certainly more promise. A pitcher who's on the come and has been lights out thus far in '06. A flame thrower currently carrying a microscopic 0.70 ERA.

It's time for the Reds to turn to their red-haired stud in the making. They need to get a new brew percolating. The organization needs to heat up Todd Coffey. And fast. Make him your go-to guy in the clutch. Time's a wasting and games are being frittered away.

If not and you stick with stormy "Weathers", you'll never be sure of what kind of conditions you'll encounter. Sure it might be fair but it's just as likely to be threatening with a possible thunderstorm.