In Cincinnati, baseball has always been less a sport than a kind of psychosis. It is to the natives what bullfighting is to the citizens of Madrid, and is approached with the same passionate enthusiasm and subjected to the same universally expert consideration. There is, I feel sure, a larger percentage of true baseball aficionados in Cincinnati than in any other city in the country.

-- Shine Ball

James A. Maxwell

Sunday, October 10, 2010

No Magic Post-Season Switch, but the Start of Something Magical (?) and a Magic 2010!



Pic From the One and Only: Jaime of BOR fame: http://ramsey.mlblogs.com

Well folks the Magic switch the Reds needed to finally beat a contending club never transpired!

Many fans told me we would be OK this postseason(especially our pitching, which except for Volquez's game 1 meltdown wasnt bad!), and after Bruces magical clinching shot, I started to believe in something magical: maybe ;) What was never proven was our ability to beat contenders, something we didn't do all year.

Heck we were in this postseason thing right? Anything can happen, (My littlle bro predicted a Yankees/Reds WS and I wouldnt dare jinx it, in my gut though: I never saw it) even I started wearing the rose colored glasses, yes me, the hated realist and THE biggest Reds fan on this side of the Columbian River, thats right, only us fans that live and die with this team can say that. Am I just happy we made the playoffs: yes: because my expectations were a .500 season. Why? We fielded basically the same team as 2009, (+Cabrera/Chapman/Gomes) with no clear cut #1 starter(Harang's shaky 2009 should have been a clear signal, and Arroyo is not a Champions #1) so my expectiations were low, and i was rewarded with a wonderful year!

Folks kept predicting Reds success in the postseason, and I answered: Well, there would have to be a Return of the early season magic of: Leake/Wood/Gomes/Rolen etc etc....One huge piece of magic continued all year: Vottos MVP run, something still to be celebrated(hopefully) Unfortunately magic doesnt beat World Champion caliber teams like the Philles: Pitching and Defense normally dominate in short Postseason series. 7 Errors in three games will lose a short series everytime. (Unless you have the hitting of the 75 Reds, maybe and Foster/Bench/Perez were not walking through that clubhouse).

The three things that win in the PostSeason, escaped us, or beat us:

1. Pitching
2. Defense
3. Clutch Hitting

Game 1: Beat by Halladays Historic Pitching of the NoNo
Game 2: Beat by 4 Reds errors
Game 3: Beat by More Philllies pitching in the form of Hamels

But alas, we have much to build on: The Cuban Missile, Chapman our new #1? The young sticks of Bruce/Stubbs/Heisey. The Vets of Rolen/Phillips, and of course our MVP the Canadian Masher and probable 2010 MVP: Mr Joey Votto.

2011 should be special, and The Progressive Reds Machine will be there to set you straight with the Realist perspective!

Thank you 2010 Reds, you've excited a city left dead for 10 years: your back and so are we!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

First No Sticks Now no Gloves (with some good acting and lights thrown in) Game 3?

                                                        The Enquirer/Gary Landers


Why we lost game 1:
- The best Hitting team in the NL with no Hits? Credit to Halladay, but we can hit anyone: can you say young team overwhelmed by playoff atmosphere? (Another Reason to get Homefield advantage by beating contending clubs in the Reg Season, 2011 ya listening?)

Why we lost game 2:
- The Team that had the least errors in the NL (Tied with Pads) committed a record 4

Game 3? It all comes together right:: against Cole Hamels? It is at our heralded GAS(mall)Park(oops sorry GABP) with Homefield advantage, there is no time for further excuses. Reds prove to us we belong: Beat a contender on the big stage today!

On Philly Vs Reds fans passion: I just read an Cincy Enq article about longtime suffering Phils fans being more passionate about their sports. With that passion comes ultimate rudeness it seems, if you disagree then you dont follow national sports and see/hear the excerpts from Philly. I guarantee you our hometown suffering Cincy fans will bring a politer, but just as supportive vibe to Cincy if/when we are rewarded*. And when we voice our frustration. or opinions please FB and Twitter fans. stop berating others who voice frustration, its their right to do so.

Rewarded* with what you ask: Strong fundamental baseball. Thats all we ask, for a well played game, and that wasn't accomplished in game 2. Reds, can we at least get that in game 3? After the game, I listened to a lighthearted Phillips(same vibe from him after being no hit in game 1) brushing off his errors, like it was nothing but a thing. Yes his game setting HR and hits were sweet, but for the millionth time: Pitching and D wins in the "every pitch-microscopic-post-season". You can win a posteseason game with 1 run and great D, fundamentally we fell apart Fri night. 4 Errors and 3 HBP (one with good acting)?  I'm sorry but that doesnt play to well with this passionate fan. I'm not mad at the Reds or BP/Bruce/Rolen for making hustling mistakes, but dont stand there and smile it off in the cameras in the post game int's. Do we want you gripping and squeezing the ash out of the bats, no, but a more focused, intensity may have helped with all your errors in the field: Hitting is one half, in the post season: Fielding is a greater half!

Win or lose Sunday, may we please have a well played game, mistakes are fine, they will happen, but 7 in one game: Not championship caliber, learn form this Reds. I just hope its remembered, learned from, and this postseason accomplishment is relived in 2011!

The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger

Friday, October 8, 2010

Game 2 is here! Are the Reds sticks?

David Kohl/AP "Hey Gomesy, if you hit it it will fly!"



First congrats to Halladay, for the game this Reds fan will spend the rest of his life brain dumping. Next I call out to my Reds: Umm hello sorry to wake you, but...ahem(clearing my throat)  THE PLAYOFFS ARE HERE!

Have your bats arrived yet? You know the ones that smoked the league(well except for contending teams, read my blog it was addressed there) I wrote a few times within the last month how great pitching always beats great hitting, so I'm not gonna dwell on that, what I will say is there's a lot to prove over the weekend for my Reds:

#1 That we belong
#2 That we are the vaunted hitting machine that won the leagues Team Triple crown: BA/HR/RBI
#3 That we can hit anyone

But since all blame goes to the leader: I will put the burden of proof on Dusty for now, for he has much to prove, never winning it it all with good clubs in SF or Chi :

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/sports/baseball/07rhoden.html?_r=2.

It is easy for us all to play armchair quarterback and second guess the young, loosygoosy Volquez going in game one. Something tells me a more focused intensity is needed, one that a Mr Wood exhumed as he shut out the Phils after his entry. Even with a great game, Wood would have been hard to match Doc over THAT 9 innings, but hmmm....didnt he do just that in Philly in July? Lets see what happens in Game 4, is there is one!

Dusty has a young squad one without a true #1. and As Hallady/Limsecom/Lee and Sabathia have all won their starts(3 of the 4 at home another reason to beat contenders, next year Reds for homefield!) this proves the need for a dominant starter in game 1. Mr Cuban Missile are you game for next year?

We can hit anyone: right MR MVP Votto? Right Captain Rolen(my man hit the Viagra/Cialis/Geritol anything to recapture that power swing! Jay are you ready to show us September wasn't a farce: Lets finally beat a great club! Prove to us you can, we Cincinnatian's are waiting to go crazy for you!

Monday, October 4, 2010

The HR that made Older Dudes jump for Joy in the Stands of GABP :)

Marty Brennaman's call with Video of Bruce's Clinching HR will Live in #Reds Baseball History Forever: http://bit.ly/d3yty3 Ill never tire of watching it!