By Jules Cantor ’11, Sports Section Editor
The last time the Cincinnati Reds made the playoffs, I couldn’t tie my shoes or write my name, and Jay Bruce was in third grade. 15 years have passed since the Reds have reached the postseason, and Cincinnati baseball fans, hungry for a winner, are ecstatic about the Reds’ current success.
The first step in the Reds’ winning ways began last July when they swapped third basemen with the Toronto Blue Jays, sending Edwin Encarnacion north in exchange for veteran leader Scott Rolen. Rolen, as of September 19th, is hitting .290 with 19 home runs and 80 runs batted in. However, his stats make up the least of what Rolen adds to the ballclub. Rolen has ample playoff experience with the Phillies and Cardinals, and brings a winning mentality to the team that fans love.
Next is the emergence of Joey Votto as a bona-fide superstar in Major League Baseball. Not since Ken Griffey Jr. arrived in Cincinnati have fans been as enthusiastic about the performance of an individual player as they are about the Reds’ young first baseman. Recently, I attended a game in which the Reds were tied in the bottom of the tenth inning, and Votto led off. The stadium was buzzing with anticipation as the Reds’ best hitter, number 19, stepped up to bat. Almost on cue, Votto sent a long fly ball over the left field fence, ending the game and sending the crowd into a frenzy of excitement. The fans began to shout “MVP, MVP, MVP!” It was truly a moment to behold.
I’ve been watching Reds’ baseball for a very long time. In fact, I can recall the first game I ever went to: Reds vs. Padres in 1998. In such, I’ve seen some really bad pitching over the years. I’ve seen the Eric Miltons and the Matt Belisles and the David Weathers who have made devoted fans crazy with their sub-par performances. Because of this, the Reds’ young, hard throwing, and effective pitching staff of 2010 has been unbelievably refreshing. From the beginning, the staff consisting of Jonny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo, Mike Leake, Aaron Harang, Travis Wood, Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, Arthur Rhodes, and Francisco Cordero has been efficient and has kept the Reds’ in the game a majority of the time. However, the Reds lacked a stopper: a truly electrifying pitcher who commanded attention every time he took the hill. Enter Aroldis Chapman. The call up of the Cuban fireballer whose fastball has touched speeds as high as 103 miles per hour is the biggest story since Pete Rose’s banishment from baseball in the city of Cincinnati. One can see hundreds of flashbulbs going off at Great American Ballpark every time Chapman reaches back and fires his blazing fastball or filthy slider. His appearances alone have raised attendance at Great American, and have garnered the club a host of unprecedented national media coverage.
Speaking of increased attendance, Great American Ballpark is the place to be in Cincinnati right now. Tickets are becoming increasingly harder to come by, and large crowds are only adding to the momentum of the surging ballclub. I can remember games where my dad and I could literally go down and sit in the first row behind the dugout, because there was simply no one there. Now, it’s hard to find a good seat at a reasonable price, no matter who the Reds are playing against. Everyone wants a piece of a winner. And you may ask, “Why is this happening, why do people care all of a sudden?” Well, put plain and simply, Cincinnati is a baseball town. I don’t care how good UC football has been, or how entertaining Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens are, I truly believe that nothing excites this city like a winning baseball club. There is something going on that we haven’t seen in almost two decades. An energy, an optimism, a reason to get up and go to work or school in the morning. In my lifetime, I cannot remember following the Reds into September, because after all, what’s the point of watching baseball that means nothing. This is just about the point where we would say, “There’s always next year.” Well, hear what I have to say; maybe there’s this year, and next year, and the year after, and the one after that. With the rabid energy of Jonny Gomes, with the leadership of Rolen and Orlando Cabrera, with the power of Votto and Bruce, and with the swagger of Brandon Philips, this team should be a consistent source of pride and excitement for the present and the future.
Photo by Ilana Habib ’11
