Playoff hopes in Cincinnati
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by Rcarr19
As a big Cincinnati fan, I can't help but feel excited over their 5 game win streak, and their rally towards a possible playoff spot. Cincinnati, has had strings of bad luck in the past, with plenty of up and coming prospects that never went anywhere, a horrid bullpen, and a few bites from the injury bug. But I believe that the reds have turned over a new leaf.
The Reds have unearth a few very solid ballplayers this season, who look to have a great future.
Brandon Phillips
This kid looks great. He is one of the best clutch hitters in the big leagues, and has golden glove fielding ability. With a very decent .282 batting average, 75 RBIs, great speed with 25 stolen bases, unbelievable defense, and the ability to hit the long ball every so often, I can't wait to see what is in store for him in the future. I see shades of the great Barry Larkin in him.
Jeff Keppinger
In the past 10 games, Jeff has an unbelievable batting average of .429. Some may say he's just on a hot streak, but I think he's found his break. He has been contributing so much to the Reds recent play. With a .446 OBP and 16 runs in the past 10 games, he has the solid stats to insure his stay here in the Major Leagues.
Josh Hamilton
This guy's been through a lot, including drug and substance abuse suspensions and rehab. He got through that rough patch in his life, and is now a great contributer to the Reds organization. He's hitting .292 this season with 17 home runs and 40 RBI's. He'll only get better in the future, and I know only good things can come from him.
Pitching
The Reds have always been known for their inconsistent pitching, and bullpen struggles. Now, although not fully reconstructed, there is a glimmer of hope, and a solid starter to build off of in Aaron Harang. With a 13-3 record 166 strike outs, and a respectable 3.68 ERA, he has become the Reds ace pitcher and the future looks great for him.
Bronson Arroyo has had some struggles this season, with solid pitching, but no batting or bullpen to back him up. I know that he'll get through this rough patch and come out as the reds reliable number 2 this season and the next.
The red's Achilles heal this season and seasons in the past has had to be their bullpen, but things can certainly get better. Closer David Weathers has 28 saves this season, 7 coming from the past 10 games. He has the ability to come out as a solid closer, and I can only hope for the best. This area seems to be the place where the Reds need the most improvement. They could possibly trade, or call up a minor leaguer and hope for the best, or continue with what they have, and pray for some pitching improvement. Overall, I'm tired of seeing blown saves and win opportunities, and if this would have been settled earlier, we would be looking at a whole different Cincinnati Reds.
Veteran Reds
Ken Griffey Jr. has been hit with injuries more times than I can count in his career as a Red. It is very disappointing to see this, because I believed he could be up their with Bonds in home runs, and be considered even more as one of the all time greats in baseball. But this season, Griffey wore his bug spray and avoided the injury bug, producing a very solid season so far. He's 9 away from 600 and just think of the number if he wasn't held back with nagging injuries. So far this season he has a .281 average with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs, not to mention very solid defensive play, like always. Adam Dunn, also known as the Strike Out King, is having a very respectable season. He's hitting .262 with 36 home runs and 90 RBIs. Sure his 144 strikeouts is a very high number, but his hitting is up also, and this is only going to keep going up, and the strikeout will go down.
Big things are happening in Cincinnati. Some may say its just a hot streak and they'll cool down. Some may say its just pure luck. Although this may be so, Cincinnati will continue to improve until they reach the post-season and from there on. I wasn't alive during the Big Red Machine, but I can only dream that one day, the Machine will be back. Hell, once you reach bottom, the only place you can go is up.
