Kuzul

Once upon a time in fantasy baseball, second base was shallower than Paris Hilton at a Larry the Cable Guy event. It was as epic as Mariah Carey’s movie, “Glitter.”

Now, the position has morphed into so much more. It has drama, glitz, and glamor. It’s a regular Oscar contender. I’ll call it “The Good, The Bad and The Uggla.”

As in Dan Uggla? The guy that everyone overlooks on draft day, yet continues to put up some of the most under-appreciated stats in the sport? Yeah, that guy.

1. Robinson Cano, NYY. We’ll get to Uggla in a moment. Cano broke out in a big way last season. He had 29 homers, 109 RBI, and hit .319. He bats in one of the most feared lineups in baseball. The only thing Cano doesn’t do is steal bases. You learn fast at this position that different second basemen give you different things. First base is typically a power position, shortstop, a speed position; second base has both, and Cano’s patience at the plate is something very valuable in a league filled with guys who spend more time swinging for the fences on every pitch instead of patiently waiting for some fresh meat.

2. Chase Utley, PHI. Man, I remember when ranking this guy high at the second base position was much easier. Now, I waffled numerous time between him and any of the next several guys on the list. Utley has tons of potential. He can hit for power. He can steal bases. But he’s also had four consecutive seasons of declining batting average. His homers and steals and batting average were all similar to Brandon Phillips’ last year. Except, look closer at the numbers and realize that Utley had 200 less at-bats than Phillips. And Utley plays for a much better team. The whole Phillies offense is due to rebound.

3. Dan Uggla, ATL. Here he is. The guy who will be drafted much lower than here in most leagues, but will again produce stats that buoy him to the top of the second base pool. Few second basemen have hit 30 homers in a season or two. Uggla had his fourth-consecutive 30-plus home run season in 2010. His batting average was concerning, but he improved his plate discipline to the tune of .287 in 2010. He had 105 RBI and 100 runs scored for the Florida Marlins last year. That’s like a guy who can build a Ford Mustang at a golf cart factory. The kicker? Uggla now plays for the Atlanta Braves and their retooled offensive lineup. Don’t miss the boat.

4. Brandon Phillips, CIN. Not as high of ceiling for Phillips as there is for Ian Kinsler, who is coming next, but Philips’ consistency is definitely worth something. He hits double digit homers, has double-digit steals for the past five seasons. He has hit around .270 for quite some time now. If you can get him at the right spot in drafts this year, as others grab more flashy options, than you’ll do just fine with Phillips.

Check out the rest of my fantasy baseball 2011 early second base rankings here.

Also, be sure to catch my other early 2011 fantasy baseball rankings: C | 1B

And, our current Top 10 overall fantasy baseball players per ADP.

For all your hard-hitting fantasy baseball and football content, go to www.chinstrapninjas.com

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Shortly after former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke didn’t get traded to the Washington Nationals on Sunday, I wrote a story about the Denny McLain trade back in 1970 and suggested that had Greinke come to Washington, things would have turned out just as bad for the Nationals as it did for the Senators some 40 years earlier.

But reader “Mike K” left a comment on that story yesterday and reminded me that the trade-that-almost-was was less like the Denny Mclain for everyone-good-on-the-Senators-roster and more like a trade from the dark days of the Nationals’ former persona.

Back when they were still the Montreal Expos.

Now, I know that some of you will say that this trade occurred because Bud Selig and Major League Baseball—then the owners of the team—told General Manager Omar Minaya to begin the process of contracting the team. The Expos were to just fade away into baseball history along with the Minnesota Twins.

While that is certainly true, the fact is that the Expos were actually in a pennant race in the summer of 2002 and traded three prospects and a major leaguer to the Cleveland Indians for Bartolo Colon. At the time, Colon was 29 and had averaged 15 wins per season since the late ’90s. Halfway through the 2002 season, Colon was 10-4 with a 2.55 ERA and seemed headed for the Cy Young Award.

But he never got the chance. He was traded in late June to Montreal for first baseman Lee Stevens, second baseman Brandon Phillips, outfielder Grady Sizemore and pitcher Cliff Lee.

Yeah.

Though Stevens had averaged 21 homers and 75 RBI over the previous seven seasons, he was 34 and was batting just .190 at the time of the trade. he retired after the 2002 season.

It’s the other three that make you shake your head.

Brandon Phillips was just 21 when he was traded to Cleveland. He had averaged .286-9-62 with 28 stolen bases in three minor league seasons. He was traded to the Reds in 2006 and has since averaged .275-23-87, won two Gold Gloves and was an All Star last season.

Grady Sizemore was even younger, just 19 when the trade occurred. In three seasons, Sizemore averaged .284-5-60 with a .383 on-base percentage in the Expos farm system. He became a major league regular in 2005 and has since then averaged .276-28-85 with 28 steals and a .368 on-base percent. Like Phillips, Sizemore has won two Gold Gloves and has gone to the All Star game.

Cliff Lee averaged 6-4, 3.89 in two seasons in the Expos minor league system. He averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings and looked like a future All Star. He joined Cleveland in 2004 and has since averaged 16-9, 3.88 for the Indians, Phillies, Mariners and Rangers, is an All Star and won the Cy Young Award in 2008.

In his half-season with Montreal, Colon went 10-4 with a 3.31 ERA. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox that winter for Rocky Biddle, Jeff Liefer and Orlando Hernandez.

Over the next three seasons, he continued to pitch well, averaging 18-11, 4.09 for the White Sox and Angels. By 2006, injuries took their toll and Colon has won just 14 games over his last four years.

There may have been more lopsided trades in major league history, but I sure can’t think of them at the moment. For a total of 10 major league wins, the Expos gave up four Gold Gloves, a Cy Young Award and five All-Star appearances.

So replace Cliff Lee with Jordan Zimmermann. Remove Brandon Phillips and insert Danny Espinosa. Forget Grady Sizemore; now it’s Drew Storen. In three or four years, Zack Greinke will be on the downside of his career and those three current Nationals will be solid major league players.

Will they be as good as those three prospects traded by the Expos? It’s hard to tell, but certainly each has the potential to be very bit as good. But really, that’s not the point. Why trade away so much talent for so much uncertainty?

With Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore, this first chapter of Washington Nationals’ history would have been far different.

Let’s make sure that the second chapter isn’t just a rewrite of the first. Keep the kids, Mike. Keep the kids.

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On Wednesday, Bronson Arroyo, Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen took home Gold Glove awards, as it was the first time since 1977 that the Reds had multiple winners in the same season.

For Cincinnati, great glove work was a big reason in it capturing it’s first NL Central title in 15 years, as team records were set for fielding percentage (.988) and fewest errors in a season (72).

Unfortunately, shoddy fielding was a big part of their undoing in the NLDS against the Phillies, but that doesn’t take away from their overall reputation.

With the exception of Jonny Gomes, everyone who played on a regular basis was an average or an above average fielder.

For Rolen, who is light years better at third base than Edwin Encarnacion ever was, this is nothing new for him, as this is his eighth one.

The 35-year-old had declining production at the plate as the season advanced, but those struggles at the dish never affected his work in the field.

Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals deserves an honorable mention, and as Rolen gets older, will certainly have his opportunities as well.

At second base, Brandon Phillips is a stud, simply put. 

He ate up a lot of ground balls that were seemingly destined to end up in right field, as this is his second Gold Glove.

The third recipient, Bronson Arroyo, is a tall, lanky athlete who fields his position well, and at 33 years old, is a first-time recipient.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, all three of these individuals should be in the running again next year, and Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce are improving fielders that will also get future consideration.

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On a few different fronts, it’s as easy as “1-2-3” for the Philadelphia Phillies this postseason. 

Last night, of course, the Phillies dispensed the upstart Cincinnati Reds 1-2-3 in the NLDS. The series sweep was of historic significance as it was the first ever in the postseason for the 127-year old organization— at least on the winning end. 

And the Phillies plan for the 2010 postseason revolves around the rock solid 1-2-3 foundation provided by “The Big Three” trio of ace starters. Cole Hamels fulfilled his part of the plan almost to perfection (a term that cannot be used gratuitously with Roy Halladay on the staff) by tossing a low-stress, high-gloss five-hit shutout in last evening’s clincher. 

Although Phillies players engaged in the customary series-clinching champagne celebration, they did so in a manner that suggested they had been there before, and still have places to go. 

Wrapping up the division series was but step one in their 1-2-3 postseason formula. Next on the agenda is achieving a similar outcome in the NLCS and then the World Series. 

From the outset of last night’s game until the final 95-mph heater that set Scott Rolen down swinging to end the game, Hamels displayed his unwavering determination to execute on those plans. 

In contrast to last season’s postseason, “Hollywood” brought a Halladay-like focus to wrap up the series last evening. When asked about his performance, Hamels made it abundantly clear that the NLDS victory was but one step towards the team’s goal of bringing another World Series Championship to Philly. 

That type of attitude and pitching performance has to be unnerving to the rest of the postseason field. 

After Shane Victorino made a terrific running catch of a Brandon Phillips liner in the first, Hamels never seemed to break a sweat as he suffocated the Reds’ high-powered offense. 

When Phillips started the home ninth with a base hit to awaken the Great American Ballpark crowd and provide a sense of hope, Hollywood coolly induced soon-to-be-MVP Joey Votto to ground into a tailor-made double play. 

Suddenly, it was as if a huge wet blanket had been dropped from the gaudy orange “Conan” blimp hovering above the stadium. 

Hamels’ mid-90’s fastball, low-90’s cutter, nose-diving change-up, and occasional hook had Reds hitters flailing and guessing all night. Never did he allow a free pass or more than one baserunner in an inning, while racking up nine strikeouts.

The Phillies offense remained somewhat in hibernation as it managed but two runs of support for their ace lefty. One run was again donated by the unexpectedly generous Reds defense, and the other came by virtue of a Chase Utley bomb into the right-center field bleachers. 

Besides the superior pitching of Halladay, Hamels, and the bullpen, the Phillies’ edge in postseason experience proved to be a large difference in this series. Not to take anything away from an excellent Phillies team, but the Reds were perhaps a little tight. 

Similar to the Phillies in 2007, Cincinnati got a taste of the postseason and appears to have a very bright future. They have a young core of talent that should provide strong offense, defense and pitching over the next few seasons—much like this now-seasoned Philly team. 

In this series, though, the Phillies took care of business 1-2-3 to accomplish step one of their postseason plan. 

With the champagne cobwebs mostly cleared from their heads today, it’s now time for the Phillies to focus on step two. 

They will take the wise course of one step at a time, but the big celebration will wait until the postseason plan becomes a matter of 1-2-3.  

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In a sport where style points (luckily) don’t count, the Phillies played a little “prettier” than the Reds in claiming a 7-4 victory and a 2-0 lead in their best of five NLDS.

In Game One, Roy Halladay was the clear star; in Game Two, the Phils mostly benefited from the largesse of their visitors.

One knew that tonight’s script would be different when it took all of four pitches for starter Roy Oswalt to lose his shutout bid. Leadoff hitter Brandon Phillips, deposited a lackluster Oswalt change-up deep into the leftfield seats.

The Reds scored again in the second inning, primarily because of Chase Utley‘s errant arm.  Laynce (correct spelling) Nix got to first base after Utley made a fine grab ranging to his glove side, but pulled Ryan Howard off the bag with his throw. Nix would score on a Ryan Hannigan grounder to Rollins who threw to Utley for the force. 

Trying to complete the 6-4-3 double play, Utley’s throw—affected by a hard-sliding Drew Stubbs—bounced by Howard.

The Reds’ unearned run—set up by Utley’s two errors—would be a harbinger for the wild things to come.

The Reds’ third run was clean: a monster, second-deck home-run by Jay Bruce to lead off the fourth. And the Reds would score another single run in the fifth highlighted by a Phillips double and a Joey Votto sacrifice fly.

Oswalt would be pulled after a very short (by his standards) five innings of work, snapping a string of gems that he has authored at Citizens Bank Park. 

To his credit, he did kept the game close, and the second half of the game would be all Phillies—helped immeasurably by the Reds’ uncharacteristic putrid play.

The Fightins got to starter Bronson Arroyo, sort of, in the bottom of the fifth. It was a two-out rally ignited by a fielding error from the normally sure-handed  Phillips and a bad throw by rocket-armed third baseman Scott Rolen. With the bases jammed, Utley made them pay with a two-run single to right.

After JC Romero and Chad Durbin combined to keep the Reds off the board in the sixth, the Phils would get one more back when Shane Victorino drew a bases loaded walk. 

How did the Phillies load the bases?  A Jayson Werth leadoff walk, and two hit batsmen: Carlos Ruiz was nailed on his left knee, and Ben Francisco, in  a scary moment, was beaned in the helmet.

But if you thought the bottom of the sixth was ugly, it was Spalding Guide-pretty compared to the bottom of the seventh.

With the heralded, fireballing rookie Aroldis Chapman on the hill, it did not seem that the Phils would be able to touch the phenom.  Chapman immediately got two strikes on Utley, but then came inside on Chase, who immediately ran to first base with the apparent hit-by-pitch. Was it a Derek Jeter-esque bluff?

Whatever the case, with Utley on first, Chapman blew away Howard on three straight pitches before inducing Werth to hit a one-hopper to Rolen. Rolen fielded it cleanly and threw to second to try to get the force out on Utley.  Utley was ruled safe on the bang-bang play

Things were just getting really interesting.

Jimmy Rollins then hit a sinking liner to right that Bruce turned into a two-base error when he seemed to lose the “can of corn” in the lights. The ball rolled past him, and Utley scored the tying run.

Werth also scored on the bizarre play when Phillips dropped the relay throw. Two errors on the play, four errors for the game, and the Phillies found themselves with a 6-4 lead.

Riding a super bullpen effort—two hits and no runs in three innings of work—the two-time defending NL champs tacked on a seventh run more conventionally. Werth singled in Utley who had singled and stolen second. Actually, the stolen base could’ve been ruled a wild pitch, but Utley was credited with the pilfered bag as he wasrunning on the play.

All of this craziness set the stage for closer Brad Lidge to enter the ninth with a three-run cushion. It appeared that he might need all of those runs when he walked leadoff man Bruce. But this was not the Reds night, and Lidge retired the next three batters to save the game for winning pitcher Jose Contreras and give the Phils a 2-0 lead in the series.

On a night when Roy wasn’t Halladay and was also a poor version of Oswalt, the Phillies won an ugly game that neither team really deserved to win. 

But with a 2-0 series lead, and Hamels on the hill in Game Three (with the Reds needing to beat him and Halladay at some point if they’re going to win this series), the Phils will look back on this as a thing of beauty. 

GOLD NOTES

Any resemblance between tonight’s Reds and the Reds team that tied the Padres for fewest errors in the league—with only 72—was purely accidental. And the Cincy players who were guilty of errors were: second baseman Brandon Phillips (two), third baseman Scott Rolen, (a throwing error and a poor choice to throw to second on the Werth bouncer) and right fielder Jay Bruce (losing the ball in the lights was the key play of the game) are among the best in the league at their positions.

The game featured six errors (four by second basemen), two wild pitches and three hit batsmen. Only two of the Phils’ seven runs were earned.

Reds starter Bronson Arroyo has the most innings pitched in the NL since 2006, his first year in the league. Thanks, TBS, for that stat.

Brandon Phillips’ leadoff home run was the Reds’ first postseason hit since Slow Eddie Taubensee did so in 1995. No, these have not been the Reds of Rose, Bench and Morgan the last 15 years—or tonight, for that matter.

The starters for Game Three—a tentative 7:07 p.m. Sunday start at Cincinnati—will be Cole Hamels against Johnny Cueto.  7-oh-7?

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The season is almost over, bones and hearts have been broken, while arms and dreams have been restored.  We have come a long way since April, but for Cincinnati, the fun is only beginning. 

This 2010 edition of the Reds was picked by most to finish fourth or worse in the NL Central this year.  Not enough offense, not enough pitching, not enough experience, and on and on and on.

The Reds didn’t get the memo.

This team played spoiler all year long.  The Reds, who weren’t quite ready, showed early on they were here to stay.  Joey Votto had the best year of his young career and very well could end up with the NL MVP award.  He threatened for a triple crown and somehow, SOMEHOW, almost missed being an All-Star. (Charlie Manuel better hope Votto doesn’t hold a grudge.)

Rolen, Cabrera, Rhodes, Cairo, the Reds were too old, and wouldn’t be able to stay healthy.  Sorry wrong again.  Rolen and Rhodes were All-Stars, Cairo was clutch all year and Cabrera added stability at SS, which had been a revolving door of failed experiments since 11 left town.  These guys were winners, and the funny thing is, winners win. 

Phillips took heat for starting the Cardinal Clash by saying what we all were thinking, but he continued flashing that gold leather again all year.  He hit lead-off, hit second, hit fourth, Brandon did whatever Dusty needed.  Reds fans want to trade Phillips for his Ocho Cinco-ness, but ask the Reds’ starting rotation if they appreciate him being up the middle. Psst….I bet the say yes!

Hanigan, Ramon and Fu Manchu himself, Corky Miller were more than any of us could have hoped for behind the plate.  They all brought their big bats and were big behind the plate.  Those three guys have done wonders for this pitching staff all year. 

The outfield wowed us with their bats before the All-Star break.  Gomes was unstoppable, Stubbs ran on everyone, and no one ran on Jay Bruce.  Jay was under the gun.  Many said this was his put up or shut up year, very unfairly by my accounts, but Bruuuuuce put up in a big way.

You mean you didn’t hear?  Bruce crushed a walk-off home run to clinch the NL Central for Cincinnati.  I saw grown men do things I couldn’t have imagined.  They hugged, they cried, they rolled around on the beer stained, peanut littered concourse at Great American, all because Jay saved the day.

The pitching was great all year, Leake was too cool for the minors and pitched great.  Our favorite hamburger jingle writer, Arroyo won 17 games.  Travis Wood stood toe to toe with Roy Halladay.  The list goes on and on.

We have to give some credit to Dusty too.  The guy who couldn’t win with young players, the guy who burned up young arms.  He flipped the right switches all year and did something not one other Reds manager had done since 1995: make the playoffs.  So Dusty, even though we scratched our heads sometimes, here’s to you.

All that is nice, but will it matter?  Can Cincinnati make it a Reds October?  I believe in these guys, and I know they believe in each other.  I’m going to keep my Gomes-esque ski goggles ready for when these Cincinnati Reds crash the postseason party.

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The Cincinnati Reds are the 2010 NL Central division champions.
 
I’ll repeat: The Cincinnati Reds are the 2010 NL Central division champions.
 
Who in their right mind could have predicted this back in March? The Reds’ goal was to play over .500. Progress was the key.
 
Well, the team that never quits sped up the progress tenfold.
 
The offense led the NL in the most important categories for the vast majority of he season. The pitching staff is overloaded with above-average starters. The bullpen was up-and-down, but never let the team down in an important game.
 
GM Walt Jocketty has done an excellent job of blending young studs with wily veterans. Nobody liked the Scott Rolen trade at the time, but now it looks brilliant. His wisdom and leadership really lit a fuse under the losing mentality that had plagued the franchise for 15 years.
 
Since the trade, the Reds are 97-63 when Rolen starts.
 
The biggest reason for success is the leading candidate for the National League’s Most Valuable Player, Joey Votto, who has gone above and beyond all expectations placed on him this year.
 
He ranks second in the NL with a .325 batting average, third in home runs with 37, and third in RBI at 111. He has been a force in the middle of a potent lineup. He has played an excellent first base, possibly worthy of a Gold Glove.
 
Speaking of Gold Gloves, Brandon Phillips is in line for his second. He made his first All-Star team and has drank the hustle Kool-Aid. His numbers have fallen since hurting his wrist, but don’t be mistaken—he had a career year.
 
Johnny Gomes didn’t have a contract offer from any team until the day before spring training began. He lead the NL in RBI at one point in late May.
 
Miguel Cairo, Arthur Rhodes, and Orlando Cabrera were considered washed up, and now all three of them will play pivotal roles in October.
 
For the sixth time in seven years, and with five different teams, Cabrera will be going to the postseason. His ability to stabilize the shortstop position offensively has been a huge asset.
 
With the Reds’ rotation getting younger with Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood, Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, and Mike Leake, it was Bronson Arroyo who was old reliable.
 
Arroyo was a steady veteran presence that could be counted on to deliver every fifth day. He set a career high with 16 wins, and has pitched at least 200 innings every year as a Red. He is the No. 1 starter.
 
Mike Leake may have been shut down for the rest of this season, but his eight wins are nothing to sneeze at. He was the Reds’ best starter in the month of May.
 
Travis Wood almost threw a no-hitter against the defending NL champs in his third major league start. Incredible!
 
It’s hard to believe that Aaron Harang was the opening day starter back in the beginning of April. Sad to think that he won’t even make the 25-man playoff roster, but that’s another testament to how spectacular the pitching has been.
 
The beauty of the Reds is in their bench. Cabrera got hurt, Paul Janish stepped up, and the team didn’t miss a beat. Ditto with Chris Heisey.
 
The two-headed RH combo at catcher has kept both players fresh. Ramon Hernandez has hovered around .300 all season while playing stellar defense. When Hernandez gets hurt or Bronson Arroyo is starting, Ryan Hannigan steps in and puts up similar numbers.
 
Then there is the $30 million phenom.
 
Aroldis Chapman exploded onto the scene in September and will be a Red for at least the next five seasons. He may not have contributed a whole lot to the ’10 club, but Chapman will be a vital component for the playoffs and beyond. He is spoiled with winning already.
 
Then there’s Dusty Baker, one of only two managers to win a division title for three different National League teams; he seemingly pulled all the right strings for his club. He stuck with youngsters Jay Bruce, Nick Massett, and Drew Stubbs. He never called out a player or had a blowup caught on camera.
 
Don’t forget owner Bob Castellini. He famously said, “We are here to bring winning baseball back to Cincinnati” back when he took over in 2006. It may have taken a few years, but he made good on his promise.
 
The lost decade is over.  Nine straight losing seasons is history. The Reds are legit once again and are relevant to the rest of the nation. Cincinnati really is a “baseball town,” and record setting attendance in August proves it.
 
The entire 2010 Cincinnati Reds organization deserves credit.
 
It took a total team effort by everybody from the front office brass to the ball boy: The long-term vision from the top, the guts of the manger, the focus and superb talent of the players. Put it all together and you have one scrappy bunch of winners.
 
Congrats Reds, you did it.

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Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips complimented the Cardinals before our last series, saying they were a fun team, akin to playing with your female dog. He was wrong.

The St. Louis Cardinals are sissies.

Before I get started, this is in no way a jab at fans of the Cardinals. Cincinnati and St. Louis are sort of kindred spirits when it comes to their fandom. Both team’s fanbases are mostly Midwesterners who are by nature respectful and polite.

I have friends who are Cardinal fans. Unlike Reds fans, you people simply had the misfortune of being raised in a geographic location closer to a team full of sissies.

I feel your pain, and do sincerely feel sorry for Cardinal fans.

Take your manager, Tony LaRussa, for example. His zealous envy of Dusty Baker is pitiful to the point that he felt the need to alter his rotation so the Reds will face the same three pitchers they saw in the last series. 

In doing so, Jeff Suppan pitched the final game of the Houston series and you people saw your team get swept by the lowly Astros.

A man less mature than myself may say, “Suppan throws like a girl.”

Congrats, Tony, for making the Labor Day series taste like a PBJ on store-brand white bread.

Cards catcher Yadier Molina is a sissy. Why? In our last series together, Phillips tapped Molina’s shin guard. That’s the baseball way of saying, “Have a nice day, friend.”

Instead of smiling and exhibiting an appropriate greeting, Molina jumped to his feet, pulled his mask up, and started barking face-to-face with a dumbfounded Phillips—a serious violation of social protocol.

Molina had to be restrained.

Once cooler heads prevailed, starting pitcher Chris Carpenter flitted to the field in a crying sissy fit. After his paranoid temper tantrum, he hilariously stated that Johnny Cueto was out to harm him in a physical fashion. 

I usually watch and enjoy every Reds game. Since this weekends outcome is predetermined (a three-game sweep in favor of the Reds), I’ll just stare outside and count pigeons.

Thanks a lot, sissies.

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Are the Cincinnati Reds the best team in baseball?

Valid arguments could be made against it, but they are the hottest. Since the All-Star break they are 29-14, going 21-8 through the month of August, the best record in MLB.

They never give up, winning 19 games in their last at-bat. Don’t turn the TV off until the fat lady sings.

They are the youngest team with playoff aspirations, with an average age of younger than 28.

The Reds boast arguably the best player in the National League this year in first-baseman Joey Votto. In only his third full season in the majors Votto is among the top in virtually all offensive categories.

He is currently second to Carlos Gonzalez in BA at .325. He is third in HR with 32, and leads the league in RBI with 97. He is third in runs scored, first in OBP, second in SLG and first in OPS.

He has a legitimate shot at the Triple Crown, along with St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols and Gonzalez.

The bench has probably been the strongest point for the Reds this season. When players have gone down with injuries or needed a day off, their subs have done a tremendous job.

Miguel Cairo has filled in at every infield position this season and the team did not miss a beat.  The same holds true for shortstop Paul Janish. Orlando Cabrera was stuck on the DL and Janish filled in as though he belonged at the big league level.

Rookies Chris Heisey and Chris Valaika have played important parts in backup roles as well.

They have played 10 rookies so far this season, and most have been sensational. Mike Leake began the season and pitched good enough to be under consideration for Rookie-of-the-Year.

Southpaw rookie Travis Wood flirted with a perfect game until the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sam LeCure pitched so well during his first call-up that he is now the long man in the bullpen.

They have a very solid rotation, in Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood, Homer Bailey and now Aaron Harang (if they don’t re-assign him to the pen).

Arroyo has been the workhorse of MLB the last few years, pitching over 200 innings five seasons consecutively. He now has 181 and is well on his way to the sixth season of 200 IP.

They have one of the best infields in all of baseball. Votto, Phillips, Cabrera and Scott Rolen have made plays all season that would fill a highlight reel.

The outfield is good but not great. Jonny Gomes is lacking in defensive skills but has power and is a good clutch hitter. Drew Stubbs is the fastest man on the team and an excellent defensive center fielder. He has power and should develop into a 30-30 player in a couple of years.

Jay Bruce is finally playing to the potential he possesses. He is arguably the best defensive right fielder in the National League, if not the entire MLB. He has awesome power and when he matures completely, I believe he can be a 40 home run man.

Ryan Hanigan and Ramon Hernandez have shared the catching duties all year. They both have done exceptionally well. Hernandez is batting close to .300 and is playing some of the best ball of his career.

Hanigan just won a game last night with a three-run shot in the upper deck.

The relief corps of the Reds has been bent a few times but refuses to be broken. Arthur Rhodes, 40, and Nick Masset have done a fabulous job in the setup role and Cordero has settled in and is now doing what he is paid to do – save games.

And last but not least, they possess the Cuban Missile. Rookie Aroldis Chapman has garnered so much attention in the baseball community due to the heat that he brings to the mound.

In this first appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers he pitched a perfect inning, with one strikeout and one pitch clocked at 103 mph. Of the eight pitches he threw, seven were strikes and at least three of them were arriving in triple digits.

So, are they the best team in baseball? I say yes.

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For someone with children eager to learn about the complexities of baseball, this Reds team is a dream come true.  My five-year-old son, who can rake by the way, constantly says, “Tell me more about baseball!” each time we watch a game whether it be on television or at Great American Ball Park.  Like most kids, he loves home runs, but is also interested in the intricacies of the game.

I have discovered his eagerness to learn is because of two main reasons.  The first, obviously, is because he loves the game and wants to play like the big-leaguers.  The other is his desire to find every possible edge when we engage in a titanic struggle of MLB10 The Show.

The 2010 Reds have provided me with many opportunities to teach my kids the proper way to play baseball.  Joey Votto is one of the best players in all of baseball and is having the season of his life.  It is a true privilege to watch the way he approaches every at-bat.  The way he spoils borderline pitches while waiting for one he can drive is absolutely incredible.

Brandon Phillips should definitely win another Gold Glove at second base.  His instincts and athletic ability allow him to make plays on balls that most infielders wouldn’t even get to.  However, I love to watch him make the routine plays.  It is absolutely textbook.  Phillips fields the routine grounders with two hands, and brings it right to his chest.  You can see the top of his hat as he looks the ball all the way into his glove.

Yesterday, Drew Stubbs started the bottom of the first inning with a double to left.  Chris Valaika sacrificed him to third.  Stubbs scored when Votto grounded out to first.  The next batter, Scott Rolen, lined out to center.  If Valaika doesn’t get the bunt down, the Reds don’t score.

Chris Heisey played a big part in yesterday’s win.  In the second, his hustle and speed turned a single into a double.  Ramon Hernandez singled, scoring Heisey.  The next two batters were retired. 

The Reds have made a point of going first to third on base hits.  With one out, Stubbs turned on the jets when Votto singled to center.  Rolen produced a sacrifice fly, scoring Stubbs.  The next batter grounded out, meaning Stubbs would have been left at third base had he not gone first-to-third.

In the eighth, it was Heisey’s turn again.  His attempt to go first-to-third on another hit be Hernandez caused an errant throw by Kosuke Fukudome, allowing Heisey to score the go-ahead run.

Read more at Reds Country.

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