Before the 2010 Major League Baseball season started, who’d you think would be the best team in the National League? The Phillies for a third straight season? How about Colorado with their upstart rotation and hot bats? Was this going to be the year the Dodgers or Mets got it together? I mean, the Cardinals would definitely be there at the end of the season, right? Try the Cinci-freaking-nnati Reds!
After going a combined 152-172 in his first two seasons in the Nati, Dusty Baker has his breakout pitching staff and crafty veteran-based lineup 7 games up in the N.L. Central with just a month left in the season. You had to figure if Dusty was the sane guy that managed the Giants to the World Series, and was good enough to take on the misery that is the Cubs, there had to have been a special opportunity with the Reds…and in season three we’re finding out just how special they are.
Look at this lineup for one; Scott Rolen, Laynce Nix, Johnny Gomes, Jim Edmonds, Orlando Cabrera, Ramon Hernandez, Miguel Cairo! Guys either way past their prime or career role players that are bonding together with stars like Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto (leading the NL in batting average and RBI and is tied for third in home runs, yes he’s THAT serious), and up-and-comers like Jay Bruce, Paul Jannish and Drew Stubbs. They don’t have the flair that the Rays had back in 2008, but this is quite a compilation of ball players, and not to mention a well-managed clubhouse that’s hungry to win some games.
These are guys who have never won anything, aside from O-Dog at least, yet their manager has more wins than all but four active managers in the game today, they want to win together and they want to win now. All-star second baseman Brandon Phillips in the midst of an August series against St. Louis, told the media how sick of his division rivals he was. Phillips was confronted by Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina at his next plate appearance, this confrontation incited a bench-clearing brawl in a game that the Reds went on to lose. Since that August 10th brawl, the Reds have gone 13-5, the Cardinals 6-12. Phillips, the leader of the team for the last 5 seasons, brought his team together and it seems they’re really hitting stride at an important part of the season.
And it’s not just that the Reds have hit stride, it’s that they seem to be getting better as scary of a thought as this is. With a solid rotation consisting of veterans like Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang, and yes he’s a veteran now Johnny Cueto, youngsters Travis Wood, Mike Leake and Homer Bailey have held their own and really provided the Reds with a spark. Nick Masset and Daniel Ray Herrera have been solid, and Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero have been the glue for the youngsters around them in the bullpen.
And this might be too soon, but last night the Reds brought up rookie Cuban import Aroldis Chapman and if Stephen Strasburg didn’t debut the way he did, Chapman would be the most impressive debut we’ve seen in 2010. Chapman pitched an eight-pitch eighth, with six of his eight pitches being clocked at over 98 miles per hour, four of them over 100. The knock on Chapman has been his control, but last night he looked flat out filthy. We're talking 2007 Joba Chamberlain times 5.
This is a team that may not win a World Series this year, but barring a Mets-like collapse (had to get it in there), they’re looking like a playoff team, and possibly one with home-field advantage through the playoffs. So why aren’t they getting more attention? Why do I hear about the Yankees-Rays, White Sox-Manny-Ozzie, Roger Clemens, I even hear more about the Cardinals still than I’m hearing about the Reds.
They’re tied for the best record in baseball, they have a very legitimate Triple Crown candidate (and MVP for that matter), and they haven’t shown any signs of slowing down! Come on, who doesn’t like Dusty and who isn’t sick of seeing the Cardinals win the Central every season? The parity is great for baseball, and it’s nice to see a team as unique as the Reds have the success they’re having. Best of luck Cincinnati, that is unless you end up in New York.
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