(I may be coming around on the whole baseball cheerleaders idea.)With the first spring training game less than 10 days away the CintuckyZone has decided to put together our first look at this season's Reds team. Throughout the next week, Greg and myself will break down the team position by position giving our thoughts on the possible starters, our expectations, and predictions.
Since we haven't covered the Reds very much in this blog yet due to the time that it was started I'm going to attempt to explain my relationship with this team. As it's been stated, I grew up in Northern Kentucky less than 15 minutes from Riverfront (ahhh feels good to remember that place) stadium. I can honestly say without exaggeration that I watched at least 150 baseball games at Riverfront Stadium before it was demolished on December 29, 2002.
I first fell in love with the Reds during their 1990 World Series Championship run. I was 5. Yes, I remember it. Chris Sabo's "Rec Specs," The Nasty Boys, Eric Davis, Paul O'Neal, Joe Oliver, and of course my 2nd favorite player of all time (behind Ken Griffey Jr.) Barry "Larry Barkin" Larkin. Credit for that extremely witty nickname goes to my dad, Bruce Reinhart, without whom my fascination with this team wouldn't be borderline sick.
I remember the 1995 playoff run where the Reds swept the Los Angeles Dodgers. I was in attendance at the 2000 one game playoff that the Reds lost to the Mets when Al "Mother F*cking" Leiter threw a complete game 2 hit shutout. I still see his delivery in my nightmares sometimes. I was at the last game at Riverfront Stadium (I will always REFUSE to call it Cinergy Field) when the Reds brought back the all time greats for a softball game. I have the autographed Pete Rose bobble head doll/program from that night to prove it.
To say I love the Reds is a gross understatement. My obsession with UK basketball has crossed the line into scary, and we've all seen what the Bengals do to my heart and mind, but my first and longest love has and always will be the Cincinnati Reds.
Unfortunately for all Reds fans, the last even arguable "successful" season was that 2000 season. Since then it has been a revolving door of cheap owners, incompetent general managers, underachieving managers, and under performing players.
The franchise is FINALLY beginning to show that they want to live up to their great history. With the off season acquisition of the number 1 pitching free agent, the progression of young guns Bailey, Queto, Bruce, and Votto, a healthy return for Volquez, and a rotation anchored by veterans Arroyo and Harang, fans really have something to look forward to. I find myself getting excited just typing that long, possibly a run-on sentence.
Stay tuned all week as we bring you up to speed with everything you need to know about the Cincinnati Reds heading into the 2010 season. A tentative schedule will be as follows:
Thursday: Infielders
Friday: Starting Pitchers
Sunday: Outfielders
Monday: Relief Pitchers
... so be sure to stop by often and get ready for your 2010 Cincinnati Reds Season!!!!!!!!!!
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