After the Cincinnati Reds' poor start resulted in the release of second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez and closer Danny Graves and then the dismissal of manager Dave Miley and pitching coach Don Gullett, the Reds set their sights on making the best of a bad situation in 2005.
Playing pressure-free ball under interim manager Jerry Narron in the second half, the results were encouraging. Narron got the Cincinnati Reds focused on the fundamentals of the game, the pitching staff improved dramatically and the offense continued to put up its usual barrage of runs.
In the end, '05 was the Cincinnati Reds' fifth consecutive losing season, and the team saw the playoff hopes that come with a boosted payroll go by the wayside. But the emergence of youngsters such as shortstop Felipe Lopez, third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and pitchers Aaron Harang and Brandon Claussen gives the Cincinnati Reds hope that a winning season just might be around the corner.