Blame Walt Jocketty Reds Fans

May 19, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder Skip Schumaker (25) leaps to try to catch Washington Nationals first baseman Greg Dobbs (not pictured) fly ball during the fourth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone is always looking for someone to blame. We are a country that loves to point the finger at someone else. Cincinnati Reds fans are no different, but you have collectively have been pointing your fingers at the wrong people. General Manager Walt Jocketty is who you need to be pointing at.

Forget about Bryan Price, the awful bullpen and the lackluster offense. Price is managing the team he was given, at the end of the day Jocketty signs the players not Price. The General Manager is in charge of making the team better, he has failed to do that. The players are doing their best, and in some cases their best is not great. Their best may only be good enough to be a life long minor leaguer.

Jocketty has failed the fans. He failed to put a better team on the field than last season. In 2013 the Reds struggled on offense, their bullpen struggled at times. In 2014 those two struggles have been exploited even more.

The offense in 2013 scored runs, there is no doubting that but at the same time they would go into droughts that left everyone scratching their heads. In 2014 they have the same droughts but everyone knows why now, it is no longer shocking. Losing Shin Soo Choo has hurt this team immensely, losing quality bench players has also hurt.

Neftali Soto is not a suitable backup to Joey Votto, not this season, not in this lifetime. Zach Cozart is not a starting short stop in the majors, but he is for the Reds. Ramon Santiago is another middle to below the road player, yet Jocketty signed him. He also took a chance on Skip Schumaker, granted Skip is a solid player but they could have had signed Grady Sizemore.

Jocketty makes signings that baffle everyone, he sticks with players that don’t perform. Everything about Jocketty boggles the mind, granted he did fire Dusty Baker, something many of us didn’t think he had the balls to do.

All this season I have seen nothing but Reds fans attacking players and the team on twitter. Now some of them deserve it, JJ Hoover doesn’t stink up a game because of Walt, his own lack of talent does that. Now it is Walt’s fault for keeping Hoover around.

What the Reds need is a leader. Their manager has not been a leader yet, they really don’t have a clubhouse leader, at least not a visible one. Walt needs to be a leader from the the clubhouse. He needs to make decisions that will improve this team, not just fill roster sports with mediocre washed up players.

So Reds fans, point the finger at the real problem. You can still complain about the team, lord knows I will.