The Reds are back so...where are the fans?

First appeared on July 20th, 2010
in The Lebanon Reporter

So the National League finally did it. For the first time since 1996 they beat the American League All Star team. Perhaps more astonishing to the casual fan than the game’s outcome was the fact that four of the victorious All Stars came from Cincinnati.


Before you ask me to repeat it, the Reds themselves must view their All Stars as proof they quietly put together a solid first half. After all they went into the All Star break leading the Central Division, and no, we don’t have time to discuss how weak the Central is this year because we’re too busy celebrating Cincinnati’s success.

It’s to the point now that some Reds fans are daring to utter a phrase that group swore off long ago. “Playoffs”? Looking back at the past 15 years, the dreams of any Cincinnati team contending for anything were gone about as fast as an I-Phone 4G can drop a call.

Cincinnati has long been the place where professional athletes went to die. Stranded in a desert starved of contenders, for some time now Cincy has been an ugly wasteland dotted with bungled opportunities and the occasional lost chance. The Reds franchise itself was a fruitless plantain tree struggling to stand in a rainforest of losses.

Unless you count 1999’s one game playoff with the Mets, the Reds have not seen the postseason since 1995. In fact, since the year 2000 the best finish the Reds could muster in the National League’s Central Division was 3rd.

But there’s a new set of roustabouts on deck in the Queen city now and having four representatives on this year’s All Star team is enough for us to believe fifteen years of bad memories have been boxed up and barged down the Ohio.

While as a staff the Reds have not had outstanding pitching, starters Bronsen Arroyo and Johnny Cueto have been solid. Arroyo leads the team with 10 wins and Cueto has amassed 79 strike outs. Perhaps most amazing is journeyman reliever Arthur Rhodes who, in 43 appearances, has a sparkling 1.43 ERA.

Cincinnati’s offense helps to balance a less than dominant rotation. All Star Joey Votto leads the team in homers and slugging percentage while, as a team, the Reds are 5th in runs scored, 4th in homers and 3rd in slugging percentage. Of course all this begs the question: Where are you Reds fans?

Given their resurgence, one would think the Great American Ball Park would see more faces than empty seats. Unfortunately attendance is the second lowest they’ve had in five years.

It’s no secret, despite making the playoffs last season, the Bengals have long been a source of consternation. While opposing defenses were laboring to lock up Chad Johnson on the field, many other Bengals were simply getting locked up off it.

But now Cincinnati has a division leader without a rap sheet and where are the fans? Nationally many are waiting for this team to go away. As if the Reds to a man will wake up one day and begin playing like a team capable of being swept by the Bad News Bears. I think the cool kids call it a “collapse”.

Well if they’re planning to choke away the position they’ve put themselves in, this week may be a good time to start. The Reds will get their chance to climb Mt. Strasburg Wednesday night as they battle the Nationals on ESPN. And while ESPN will be busy nominating Strasburg to Cooperstown, Cincinnati will be simply be looking for the one thing that has eluded them all season. Respect.