Reds Clinch NL Central

This has been a moment I have been waiting for my entire life, to see the Cincinnati Reds in the playoffs. It has been a long 15 years since the Reds last visited the postseason, I was four years old at the time, but the wait is over. The Cincinnati Reds are National League Central Division Champs and are going to the playoffs.

Going into the season no one, outside the city of Cincinnati, gave the Reds any chance of making the postseason. No one thought they could over take the St. Louis Cardinals in the division and everyone had them missing the playoffs. No one thought they had the pitching, the hitters, the veterans, or the skills needed to win the division. Well, the Reds went out and proved all the critics wrong. This is hands down, the best Reds team I have ever seen, and when the season is over, they might just might be one of the best Reds teams ever.

There were many points throughout the season, that people started to give up on the Reds. I will admit, I thought they were done when they started the season 7-11. Everyone was waiting for the Reds to fold and the Cardinals to run away with the division. But that never happened. The Reds stayed neck and neck with the Cards the whole summer. With the turning point in the season happening against those very Cardinals.

In my opinion, the defining moment of the season was the game against the Cardinals in August, yeah that one. The game in which the benches cleared and their was a brawl on the field for almost ten minutes. I was fortunate enough to go to that game and even though the Reds lost, it was one of the best Reds games I have ever been to. That game showed me, and I think the rest of Cincinnati, that the Reds were not afraid of the Cardinals. The defended each other and fought back against a team that everyone thought was better than them, everyone except the Reds.

After the Reds were swept by the Cards in August, most thought this was when the Cardinals would finally pull away and it was all but over for the Reds. Instead, the Cards had a cold streak that ended up costing them their season. The Reds meanwhile, dusted themselves off from the fight and ran away with the division crown.

This Reds team has surprised a lot of people with their play this season from being the best defensive team in baseball, just look at what Drew Stubbs did last night. The best hitting team in the NL and they have a very underrated pitching staff that doesn't get the credit they deserve. People think the Reds don't have the stars like A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Joe Mauer, Josh Hamilton, David Price, Roy Halladay, or the payroll to compete. Instead, they have young stars in the making like, Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood, Mike Leake, Edinson Volquez, Aroldis Chapman, Homer Bailey and MVP Joey Votto. 

The country has no idea who these guys are except for maybe Chapman and Votto, but no one knew who they were before this season. They have veterans like, Orlando Cabrera, Scott Rolen, and Arthur Rhodes that most teams thought were washed up, but they have carried this team through their experience and leadership. A mix of guys nobody wanted, to guys no one has ever heard of, make up the 2010 Cincinnati Reds...pretty damn remarkable. It just proves you don't need to have the highest payroll or the best players to win, you just need some young talented players, some solid veterans and good coaching. The Reds have all three.

I said earlier this the season that I thought this Reds team was a newer version of the Big Red Machine from the 1970's. Well, 40 years ago in 1970, the Reds won the NL Pennant and the Big Red Machine was born. So far, 40 years later, the New Big Red Machine has followed in their footsteps by winning the division. People always say that history has a tendency to repeat itself and I sure hope it continues this season.

For me, seeing the Reds in the playoffs is a dream come true and it's been a fantasy of mine for a long time. The great thing about a fantasy is the possibility that it might come true. Well, my ultimate fantasy is to see the Reds win the World Series and that is a distinct possibility this year. No matter how the rest of the season turns out, this has been the greatest season of Reds baseball I have seen. And I think that the best is yet to come.