Kuzul

Speed kills.

Ask the Yankees circa 2004 when a stolen base by Dave Roberts in the bottom of the ninth kept the Red Sox—down 3-0 in the American League Championship Series and 4-3 in Game 4—alive and propelled them forward to the greatest comeback in baseball history.

Or maybe you could just look at the 1982 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers.

That season the Brewers lead all teams with 216 home runs, 30 more than next closest team. Last in the league that season were the Brewers’ World Series opponents, who hit just 67 home runs, 149 fewer home runs than the Brewers!

However, the Cardinals did steal 200 bases that season, second in the league to the Rickey Henderson-led Oakland Athletics and 35 more than the team with the third-most stolen bases.

In the seven game World Series between the two teams, the Cardinals stole seven bases compared to the Brewers one on their way to a World Series title.

With the importance of speed writ large in the history of Major League Baseball’s playoffs, let’s take a look at the 10 fastest players in this year’s postseason.

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With the MLB playoffs just hours away, many fans are inevitably experiencing their own version of postseason baseball butterflies.

But it isn’t just the fans that are trying to quell their nervousness; it’s also a handful of players who are playing for more than just a shot at the Fall Classic.

No pressure, really.

Lurking in the dugouts of the eight remaining teams are a collection of various players who are not only trying to help their respective teams advance in the playoffs but are also trying to prove their free-agency worth.

And what better stage than the postseason, right?

But we’re not just talking about your average, random player without a contract per say; we’re talking about some guys who already have some quality value as MLB players, whether it be as a pitcher or hitter.

Let’s take a look at who I want to highlight, and what exactly these guys are really playing for.

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In a perfect world, according to my most favorable teams they divisions would annually end something like this:

American League East: Baltimore Tampa Toronto Boston and New York

American League Central Minnesota Kansas City Detroit Chicago White Sox, Cleveland

American League West: Texas Oakland Los Angeles, Seattle

National League East: Florida, Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and Atlanta

National League Central: Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Chicago, Houston, St. Louis

National League West: San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, San Francisco, LA Dodgers

As you can easily tell, I am a fan of small market clubs.

I as happy as I am to see Cincinnati make the playoffs after a 15 year drought (1995) and Texas after an 11 year span (1999) it was just as equally disappointing to see San Diego miss, especially at the expense of the boring, overrated Atlanta Braves who have wasted a playoff spot in every one of their last 15 appearances save for the 1995 miracle vs. almost as equally pathetic Cleveland in what I like to call the World Series from Hell.

Besides, its not like they are going to do anything anyway, so why not give San Diego a chance, we all know they could have used the extra cash from the playoff revenue.

Growing up Cincinnatti was good (1990) along with the Oakland A’s (I’d like to see a replay of that World Series with the Reds playing their role and my Minnesota Twins playing that of the A’s even if their 2010 payroll-top ten is significantly higher. Can you imagine Commissioner Selig’s face having to go to those small, cold markets? Can you imagine the complaining corporate America would be doing if their precious Yankee$ do not make it, in addition to the Phillie$ getting bounced early? This is what I am hoping for.

ALDS ESPN Yankee$ at lowly Minnesota Twins

My heart wants to say Minnesota in who cares-3, 4, 5, but the fact remains the Yankee$ are the Yankee$ and something about October just brings out the best in some people: Luis Polonia, Scott Brosius, Shane Spencer, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, not to mention Mo Rivera, Jeter, Pettite etc.

Reasons the Yankee$ will win: They have the history, they have the experience, they are the defending champions and as much as I hate them, they are who we thought they were. October is their time to shine. Last year they won the World Series their first year in their new building, somethng I am hoping the Twins can copy-if they took good notes.

Swept the Twins last year (7-0) and 3-0 in playoffs. Karma is on their side. Until they get beat, even if Twins somehow take first game or two that’s gone good enough until these spoiled elitists are gone.

Reasons they’ll lose: Wonder how long it will be before we find out A-ROID juiced in 2009? Someone’s gonna talk a decade or two from now, is my guess. He was too good to be true last year. Look how they treated (as I predicted) 2009 hero’s Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui who were both given their walking papers despite Matsui (MVP) and Damon .381 BA. Granderson is all or nothing. Pettite’s coming back from long injury, Burnett’s already out. Jeter’s having his worst year. They gotta slow down some time right? Buster Olney (Yankee homer) calls this the “most wide open American League I’ve ever seen” (yesterday’s SportsCenter). Keep telling yourself that, Yankee lover.

Reasons the Twins will win: Went 2-4 against New York this year. While that’s not much its light years ahead of last year. Also, the last time they played, the Twins won (in NY) so they have some momentum and that in the back of their minds. Also, Jason Kubel emerged as a legit Yankee$ killer having hit a Grand Slam off Rivera in the game. Also, the last time the Twins played them at home, they too won so this first game is huge.

The bad luck, jinxes, (14-46) in their past 60 head to head have to end sometime right? Why not take a page from the NBA’s Suns who had similar woes against the cow-town Spurs before finally beating them. A good friend of mine, Yankee fan, admits “this isn’t our year” and “the Yankees aren’t going to do anything, they’re hurt”. I’d like to believe him but until the Twins prove me wrong, they get what they deserve.

Yankee-cowards Morneau, Perkins, and Nathan who I bashed last year relentlessly won’t play this year giving me hope. The same hope that newcomers Hudson, Thome, Capps, and Fuentes don’t carry that putrid Yankee$ stink with them like the latter three did. Good riddance. Thank god they moved on from crybaby Morneau. Get over it already and come back next year.

Reasons they’ll lose (see reasons Yankees will win) also, I dont like the Twins hosting. Granted the last time they hosted a series they won (2002) but nothing since. These aint the A’s. Also, when you are a road team you are hoping for a 1:1 split. Yankee$ should at least do that, we all know Twins won’t win 1st two or ESPN will hype-rventilate. I really wish the Twins were going to the Bronx 1st. Less pressure since you aren’t defending home field trying to take at least one.

In the end I expect a SOBathia gem 2-0 shutout of the Twins at home in game 1, followed by the usual 3-1 heart-breaker that we saw last year setting the stage for a Yankee$ $weep in New York as always. Petitte is automatic in game 2. Yankee fans want us to think they are the underdogs (0-3 all time as a Wild Card) but there is a reason SOBathia is their ace and Phil Hughes went 18-8. I ain’t buying it until I see it. Too many years of expections so why have any?

Yankee$ in three.

Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Reasons Texas will win: At first I gave them no chance due to their lack of playoff experience. Still Lee’s good for at least a win right? Bobby Valentine already picked them in 4 and Chris Singleton thinks they can come out of the AL although he’s the only one that crazy so far although I could live with it if and when my Twins lose. They’ve got the hitting we know that.

Reasons they’ll lose: Read a stat that Texas is 0-12 against the rest of the AL competition. Also, only one of the American League teams (Atlanta in the NL) to have a losing road record. You get the feeling like the Reds of the NL, they are simply happy to finally be here after years being out, never mind the fact they’ve never won a playoff series in their history. The only active team to say that. Lots  of reasons to not like them, still its good to see them back, can’t say that enough. Rusty Greer, Roger Pavlik, Mickey Tettleton, Johnny Oates, Dean Palmer, guys I grew up watching the last time they made the playoffs would all be proud.

Reasons Tampa will win: Forget their bandwagon home crowd full of converted Red Sox fans who just plain hate New York, or the transplants, or the fake fans who only started following the team in 2008. The team makes Tropi-crapa field their home and use it to their advantage. Honestly the atmosphere is great there. I’ve been there as a pseudo Rays “fan” (until Baltimore gets back). They have the experience. Many see this as a final run with Rafael Soriano, Carl Crawford, and Carlos Pena although I think only Crawford will depart. The Rays if they lose are still going to be a threat in 2011.

Reasons they’ll lose: Overconfidence. Underestimating their competition. James Shields and his crap 5.18 ERA, Jeff Neimann fading down the stretch (largely due to injury)Matt Garza can’t possibly duplicate 2008 can he? They won’t be able to sneak up on anyone this time. 27th in hitting (BA) has to come into play at some point, right? Pressure to keep Crawford around a bit longer.

Rays in 4 (although nothing would surprise me and if the Twins actually win (hell freezes over) I want to play Texas, so Go Rangers, conditional o the Twins winning, otherwise, go Rays! Easily the x-factor series of the 1st round (best one). Could see several games going into extra innings.

NLDS Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants

You know the saying “If you don’t have anything nice to say….” That’s how I feel about the Braves who I still don’t forgive them for wasting all those oppotunities in the ’90s and denying other teams Pittsburgh chances to do something which may have created parity.

Forget the fact Atlanta is either one big ghetto (depending on where you are) or a cosmopolitan city full of snobbish transplants and “old money” and there are a lot of reasons to hate Atlanta as I do. Overrated Bobby Cox, the damn annoying “chop” that still rings in my ears having to suffer many an October with that droning. Won’t matter though, they won’t be staying long.

Reasons Atlanta will win: Annoying rallying around Bobby Cox and his impending retirement, same for Chipper Jones.  They can’t choke every time they are in. New faces immune to 1990s failures.

Reasons Atlanta will lose: Typical loser franchise come October. Seriously, 14 division titles should have got the Yankee$ of the NL at least 3-4 rings. They went 1/5 in the Fall Classic with my Twins starting them out in the right foot. In 2006 28,000 fans showed up for game 1 of the NLDS. It was explained that “In Atlanta you expect to make it past the first round”.

Tickets were going for $6 on StubHub for this team of fickle followers. I know-I checked. If there is an excuse in the book for failure, this team, this city, and their blind-loyal announce teams will find it. 0/4 in NLDS since 2001. I can’t wait until they go away. Remember the Padres should be the Giants rally cry!

Reasons the Giants will win: (see reasons Atlanta will lose, above!) Seriously, just by playing this annual disappointment, they got the luck of the draw. Can throw Tiny Tim (Lincecum) twice if they actually have to). Have momentum now.

Reasons they’ll lose: Tim can’t do it all. New generation of Braves fans, yet to be disillusioned could bring a new 1991-like excitement. Braves have to snap jinx sometime right? Honestly, this is the least intriguing series by far of the first round and I really don’t care for either team so I’m done.

Giants in 5 (Braves always make ’em interesting)

Cincinnati Reds vs. Philidelphia Phillies

In 2008 when the Phillies made the playoffs it was cool. When they won the World Series that year, while I wanted the Rays, I felt good for the city. Now its just getting old. Like Boston fans of 2004 and 2007 they act like its their birthright. Phily fans are lame in general but it was fun when they were just happy to be in the playoffs (2007) or 1993 which I have fond memories of.

Reasons the Phillies will win: ESPN wants them to. Seriously, get ready to hear the Halladay-Oswalt-Hamels love fest ESPN Bias. Playoff experience. Embarrassing whiffle ball park that benefits the home team. Just remember Phillies fans, I know when you sucked. Do you?

Reasons they’ll lose: Maybe the Reds have a 2008 small-market mentality like the Rays did. Maybe the Reds will sneak up on them and steal an early game or two swinging the series. Too many stars and too much expectations? Seriously, that’s all I got until the Reds show me something.

Reasons the Reds will win: At the risk of repeating, maybe they can sneak up on someone seeing how they should have no pressure having no experience. Chapman could be this year’s David Price x-factor, rookie phenom. Still seems like a team just happy to be there, despite the fact I picked them as a pre-season Wild Card.

Reasons they’ll lose: Just repeating the same things, so I’ll refain, Prove me wrong, Reds, I want to play you in the Series!

Phillies in THREE (see 2008 Brewers) Just happy to be there.

Stay tuned for next round picks when it gets closer.

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For the first time in seven years, postseason baseball has found its way to AT&T Park. In the National League Divisional Series, the newly crowned NL West champion San Francisco Giants (92-70) will meet the Atlanta Braves (91-71), who also squeaked by on the final day of the season.  The winner of the five-game series will move on to face either Philadelphia (97-65) or Cincinnati (91-71).

No doubt Giants general manager Brian Sabean is spearheading an extended powwow with manager Bruce Bochy and his staff, as the rules call for the 40-man active roster to be trimmed down to 25 by Thursday’s opener in China Basin.

Although substitutions can be made in each round of the playoffs, it will be interesting to find out the composition of the final list for the NLDS, as it will undoubtedly give clues on how they intend to attack the Braves and advance to their first National League Championship Series since 2002.

All year long, the Giants’ outstanding pitching has defied belief, especially during the final month of the season. San Francisco hurlers held opposing batters to a .182 average in September and conceded three runs or less in 24 out of 26 games, a feat that has occurred only once since 1920.

However, the team’s bats haven’t fared as well, with their own dubious streak defining their offense. In the last 29 games to close the year, Giants hitters scored more than four runs only eight times.

With that said, smallball will the be order of the day in San Francisco, and the signs were evident in last Sunday’s division-clinching win over San Diego. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Giants in desperate need of adding an insurance run to a slim 2-0 lead, Eugenio Velez laid down a sacrifice bunt to move 245-pound Pablo Sandoval from first base.

However, the portly former All-Star’s lack of speed was blatantly clear when he was gunned down at second with three strides to spare in what became a waste of an out.

The Giants’ formidable rotation and bullpen have compensated for the toothless offense for most of 2010. Since this pattern will likely continue into the playoffs, the necessity of manufacturing runs will be at a premium in close games, where each win gets the team one step closer to the World Series.

According to the way Sabean and Bochy have handled the season to date, I have broken down the current 40-man roster and given my projections for the final 25 who will take the field for the NLDS. Starters are in bold, cuts will have lines through their names, and shaky picks up for debate will be in italics, with key stats for each player included.

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Philadelphia Phillies prospect and Lakewood BlueClaws center fielder Jiwan James was kind enough to answer a few questions for Bleacher Report correspondent Jim Sheridan.

JS: Thanks for taking the time Jiwan, congratulations on winning both halves and the championship with Lakewood this season. Before we get to baseball, I have to ask you how do the beaches in New Jersey compare to the ones in your home state of Florida?

JJ: Thanks. Honestly I never even went down to the beaches. On our days off I pretty much laid in bed all day and just sat at the house.

JS: Has your transition from pitcher to everyday player helped you at the plate?

JJ: Not at all, pitching and hitting are two totally different worlds. From a hitter’s standpoint I’m up there looking fastball every pitch and just trying to react to the off speed stuff. I can’t read the pitcher’s mind, so I’m not going to go up there guessing curve or slider or anything and then get blown away by a fastball. Maybe later on in my career when the scouting reports are pretty much perfect then I’ll be able to sit on something other than a fastball, but for now I’m sitting dead red.

JS: July was an incredible month for you, hitting .361 with a 24-game hitting streak mixed in. You cooled off in August and September. Did playing in 133 games this season catch up to you?

JJ: As much as I hate to make excuses for anything, I’m going to have to say yes. This was my first full season and I’ve never played that many games before. I talked to Domonic Brown about it, and he told me that’s just part of being in your first full season, and that August and September will get easier for me every year.

JS: Having guys like Domonic Brown to let you know what to expect is huge. You had a .990 fielding percentage in center field this season, and BlueClaw manager Mark Parent said that you were outstanding in the field. Has your speed and conditioning changed since you became an everyday player?

JJ: Yes, having Domonic Brown and my buddy from home Esix Snead, who helped me get through the first two months of the season when I was struggling helps out a lot. I think I’ve gotten faster since the switch. As a position player you always want to come back faster the next season than you were before, so the offseason training comes to play there. My conditioning has changed. I went from running 15-20 minutes a day to sprints and agility stuff.

JS: At what age did you become a switch hitter? Would you recommend it to youngsters just getting started?

JJ: I’ve been able to hit from both sides of the plate since I was about seven. But it was nothing I ever took serious. It was more of me being a showoff to my friends playing sandlot baseball when we were younger. Lefty became pretty much my dominant side as I got older but I’d always jump on the right side every now and then through out middle school and high school just to see that I still could do it. Now that it’s something I need, I’m trying to play catch up from the right side.

JS: Last one Jiwan, are you bulking up at all? What are you weighing in at?

JJ: I just weighed in like two days ago down here at 195. When I reported to spring training early in February I was at just over 200. So I lost a few pounds throughout the course of the season. My plan is to bulk up more and get bigger and stronger. It’s the only way your going to survive in this game. I’m looking to come back at 205 or better, so we’ll see how that goes.

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The Philadelphia Phillies are the favorite to win the 2010 World Series.   

Oddsmakers in Las Vegas have called for a rematch of the 2009 World Series since the beginning of the season.   

Bodog.com has the Philadelphia Phillies as 21/10 favorites.  The New York Yankees are 7/2 and the Tampa Bay Rays are not far behind at 9/2.     

Let me preface this article by saying that I DO believe that the Phillies will win the World Series.  

Philadelphia is not only the best team in baseball, but also the hottest team.  

No team wants to play in Citizens Bank Park.   

No team wants to pitch to Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jayson Werth.  Not to mention Carlos Ruiz, a .302 number EIGHT hitter.   

No team wants to start a series by facing Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels.  

Charlie Manuel’s team should win their second championship in the last three years.  

However, it is possible that the Philadelphia Phillies will not win the World Series.  

Any one of or a combination of these five reasons will be a fine explanation of what went wrong.  

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Sorry Blanton. You have really helped the Philadelphia Phillies out the past few years when we needed you. But Joe, we just don’t need you this year.

In their 127-year history, this is the most dominant top end of the rotation for the Phillies. If you doubt that, just ask yourself if there has ever been a Phillies team that you have been more confident in.

Just so you can understand how much better these three pitchers are than any other one-two-three in the league, I’ll throw out some stats for you.

All three of Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt have pitched over 30 starts and over 200 innings. Combined, they have six shutouts, 12 complete games, and one perfect game. They total more complete games than any other team in the league.

Roy Oswalt has the least strikeouts out of the three of them with 192. Cole Hamels has the worst WHIP, at 1.19 (Halladay’s is 1.04 and Oswalt’s is 1.02). That is an extremely high floor for those three starters.

Halladay is the front-runner to win the NL Cy Young award with a 2.44 ERA. Oswalt follows him in the rotation with a 2.73 ERA, finished by Hamels, who has a 3.09 ERA. That’s right, the Phillies have a number three starter who has an ERA just a tad over 3. To put into perspective how good that is, the Yankees‘ number three starter, Phil Hughes, has an ERA of 4.21, and the Braves’ number three starter, Derek Lowe, has an ERA of 4.

The Phillies selected that they would like to play the NLDS in eight days, which allows the Big Three to start every game on normal rest. It’s the NLCS and World Series in which the Phillies have a big decision to make. 

Assuming that they get to the NLCS, there is about .01% chance that the Phillies give Kyle Kendrick the game four start, barring injury. It’s not a secret that the Phillies have no trust in Kendrick and his 4.73 ERA, even sending him down to the minors for a short stretch earlier in the season. This is also Kendrick’s first full year in the majors, after stretches in the previous three years.

So the big decision is to whether start Blanton for game four and have Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels on normal rest for the rest of the series, or to have “H2O” also start games four, five, six, and seven on short rest.

This year Blanton has had one of the worst years in his career. His 4.74 ERA is a good 1.65 more than his teammate one spot up in the rotation. This is one of the biggest drop-offs between a 3 and 4 starter in the league.

Besides the horrid ERA, Blanton has a 1.40 WHIP, 134 strikeouts, no complete games, and no shutouts. He has 28 starts this year, so there is no blaming the injury which put him out all of April for bloating his stats.

Even his postseason stats aren’t as good as most people think they are, with a 3.89 ERA in 34.2 total innings pitched. And even if he had great playoff stats, why should the 34.2 playoff innings he has thrown in the past few years make up for these horrible 174.2 innings he has thrown most recently this year.

So what would ever make me want to start him in important playoff games when we have other great options?

The only reason that there is a possibility of starting Blanton is that H2O might not handle three games rest very well. But there is no reason that they can’t. Each of the big three has pitched over 200 innings, which shows that they can handle the workload. All of them like to work deep into games, and by the results they have showed this season, nothing really throws them off.

There is no way we should risk throwing Blanton when we have pitchers head and shoulders better than him, even if they only have three days rest. Phillies fans are probably familiar with the 2009 Yankees, who only had three good starters on their team, and it worked out just fine for them on three days’ rest.

There is no guarantee that any series will go seven games, which means that there could be only one or two of the Phillies’ starters going on three days rest.

H2O can get lots of rest in the off-season, so the Phillies need to maximize their usage while they are available, in the NLCS and World Series.

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Part 4 of 7 Phillies Championship Advantages

As they say, timing is everything. After a highly challenging 2010 season wrought with unending obstacles, that little bit of wisdom might particularly ring true for the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The primary hurdles related to the non-stop stream of injuries that proliferated throughout the season. Perhaps the others involved a sense of confidence that spilled over to become a lack of urgency. 

As the season edged toward late July, to say the Phillies were a disappointment is putting it mildly. Losing six out of seven games after the All-Star break left the team just two games over .500 with a 48-46 record. 

The Phils found themselves staring up at both the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, a full seven games off the pace. Additionally, they had four teams ahead of them in the wild-card race. 

The next day, Cole Hamels locked into a pitcher’s duel with Adam Wainwright in an attempt to avert a four-game sweep at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies finally broke through to score a pair of runs in the 11th inning to secure a gut-check victory. 

Something seemed to kick in on that day. Or perhaps it was the next day. 

Upon returning to Philly, the club announced a changing of the guard in its coaching staff. Hitting coach Milt Thompson was out, Triple-A instructor Greg Gross was back in. 

With all due respect to his abilities, surely Gross didn’t immediately bring pearls of wisdom that caused the club’s dormant bats to awake, but in fact they did. 

The Phillies proceeded to sweep the seven-game home stand against the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks to draw back into contention. 

The impact could be felt in both the clubhouse and the front office. Any notions that maybe this just wasn’t the Phillies year quickly evaporated in favor of a renewed conviction to succeed. 

General manager Ruben Amaro and the organization responded by taking a couple risks. First, they summoned prized prospect Domonic Brown to the big leagues to replace disabled Shane Victorino. 

And, then on July 29th with the trade deadline looming, Amaro pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal to land Houston Astros ace hurler Roy Oswalt. The Phillies now had matching “Roys” to wrap around a resurgent Hamels. 

Surprise that the second-year GM was able to land yet another premier starter was exceeded only by the Phillies ownership’s willingness to take on another big salary. 

Like the uncharacteristic in-season coaching change, the move signaled that the front office was “all in” for 2010. The preseason aspirations of attaining another championship were still clearly in their sights. 

After a somewhat disoriented Oswalt struggled in his Phillies debut and a Brad Lidge meltdown led to a pair of losses in the nation’s capital, the team quickly shook off any disappointment. 

A stretch run to remember resumed. 

The Phillies needed just 66 games to double up their 48-win total. A 48-46 record was followed up with their current 48-18 run. 

Doing the math, that’s a 216-point jump in winning percentage to a spectacular .727 mark. 

As they say, the Phillies truly are peaking at the right time. 

Beyond the empirical evidence, lie the more subjective assessments that further support this to be true. 

The overall team is currently healthier than it has been all season, particularly the starting eight and the back-end of the bullpen. Additionally, each of the “Big Three” has a history of pitching their best when the stakes are the highest. 

In the case of Halladay, his “big-game” reputation has been built with superior work down the stretch in pursuit of a playoff spot. He is 28-11 with a 2.47 ERA over his career in September and October.

Oswalt has done the same. The other Roy sports a 32-9 lifetime record with a 2.59 ERA in those two months—plus a 4-0 postseason record. 

Hamels simply has a pair of 2008 postseason MVP trophies as a testimonial.  

All in all, the timing appears right for the Phillies’ best work of the season just as the fall tourney begins. Yes, timing really can be everything. 

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In a Bleacher Report Community effort, the top Featured Columnists for MLB’s top teams have come together to give the fans a thorough understanding of what to expect when your ace succumbs to playoff pressure, putting a close game in the hands of your bullpen.

Each Bleacher Report Featured Columnist has been a fan of their team, as have you, for as long as possible.

In speaking with these writers, they understand the history as well as the current state and future prospects for their bullpen.

This has been a learning experience in putting these analyses together and may this be a guidebook to you fans who need to know what your opposition is going to be throwing at you late into a game.

Two last things:

1) In finding the videos for this slideshow I found it comical that every closer either enters the game to Metallica’s, “Enter Sandman,” or at least has a youtube tribute to him set to that song.

2) Make sure to check out Mariano Rivera’s video on how he dominates attached to the first Yankees slide.  It’s a must-see.

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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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