Just one year after the Cincinnati Reds shocked the National League by winning the Central Division and making the playoffs, it seems as if they are back in the same position that they have been in for the previous fourteen years.
While Yankees and Phillies fans at Ohio University pompously flaunt their A-Rod and Roy Halladay jerseys this fall, the Ohio baseball fan is reminded that neither the Indians nor the Reds are up to par yet. But at least Cincinnati took a step in the right direction during the 2011 campaign.
It was no secret coming into this season that last year’s NL MVP, Joey Votto, was expected to have a big year, and he delivered. After posting a .324 batting average last year during his MVP season, he returned this year and posted a .318 average. He’s showing the league that he is the type of superstar that forces Kenny Powers to the minors and keeps guys like Bronson Arroyo employed.
Even though his batting average is down a little from last year, keep in mind that pitchers are now aware of his presence more than ever. That’s why he has been walked 16 more times this year — and there are still six games left until he gets to watch the playoffs from the familiar confines of his couch.
The next layer of foundation for the Reds comes from two main components: Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce. As for Phillips, aka @DatDudeBP, he made most of his headlines off the field instead of on the field this season, but in a good way. Phillips had trivia contests on his Twitter account for his fans, and the first follower to answer correctly would get a prize. One fan was flown out to a Reds road game and got to spend an afternoon with Phillips. Phillips also went to some of his younger followers’ little league games and put forth an honest effort to show that he cared about his fans.
He also put forth an effort on the field this year. His batting average has increased 19 points from last year, and he has also knocked in 22 more runs this year than last. Phillips not only proved that he was a “good guy” this season, but he also matured more as a solid second baseman. He became a ficture on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays of the day.
Bruce, on the other hand, was not quite as consistent. He started off the season with a hot hand, leading the NL in homers through the first part of the season. But in typical Reds fashion, he dropped off the face of the earth and could not hit a beach ball. His home run total was not the only art of his game that suffered. All of his offensive numbers were down. His batting average dropped significantly. He had 48 more at-bats this season with only one more run and hit than last year.
Even though his numbers took a dive, Bruce proved that he is still a significant piece to the Reds’ puzzle. The threat of his hitting a late-game winning home run, like he did Sept. 15th against the Cubs, makes him a real threat to complement Votto in the future.
The Redlegs were a team that seemed to be learning to play together for most of the year. With some younger faces making appearances throughout the year, the Reds didn’t find an identity that they could really stick with. The emergence of Zack Cozart and Todd Frazier gave the Reds a spark at times during the season. Cozart, 26, played phenomenally at shortstop in the few games he had time for this season due to an injured left elbow. The young shortstop gives the Reds a legitimate replacement for the position in the future and should instill some optimism for the team this offseason.
Frazier, 25, was used as a utility man this year. His major role for the team was at third base, but he also spent time playing in the outfield and elsewhere in the infield. This flexibility, along with the aging of Scott Rolen, gives Frazier a legitimate chance to improve next year and position himself in the starting lineup for 2012.
The pitching staff, as always, was predictably unpredictable for Cincinnati this year. Johnny Cueto looks to have wrapped up the best ERA on the team at 2.31. Arroyo, on the other hand, managed to go 9-12 this year, and have an ERA of 5.09. The only time he has had a worse ERA was his rookie year in Pittsburgh.
Dontrelle Willis was added into the mix late in the season. He didn’t amaze anyone with his pitching like he did in 2003 when he helped lead the Marlins to a World Series title. He did, however, look as if he got some of his “stuff” back, provided some great batting and was even used as a pinch hitter.
The Reds’ pitching still has many questions to answer this offseason. Besides debating how to handle Willis and Arroyo, there is the possibility that the “Cuban Missile,” Aroldis Chapman, may make the move from a shutdown closer to a starting ace, which could be very dangerous. They also need to decide on what to do with Edinson Volquez. In 2011, he was often caught floating between the minors and big leagues, while having Waka Flocka Flame Dreads or shaved completely bald. The man needs some consistency in his life, even if that means leaving Cincinnati.
The 2011 Reds had high expectations this year, especially when they started out 5-0. But with most sports in Cincinnati, the true fan has learned to wait until it is all over. You never know what will happen. The Reds may not have proven to be a team that could win a series over the Yankees, or compete realistically with the Phillies this year, but they showed that they have potential, and as the famous saying in the Cincinnati sports world goes, “There’s always next year."
