Clearing the first hurdle - LucianoJJ's Blog

LucianoJJ's Blog

Clearing the first hurdle

Posted on September 14, 2010 at 09:48 AM.

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Ending a ten-season streak of losing in Cincinnati is a big accomplishment. While the Reds never sank to the bottom, repeated rebuilding efforts kept them in the range of 65-75 wins for a decade. Injuries to Griffey, overmatched managers, poor pitching, and futile player development all doomed the Reds. Until this season.

Credit goes to Walt Jocketty and Dusty Baker for fulfilling owner Bob Castellini's mandate. In the words of Al Davis, "just win, baby." With a high leg kick, a mixture of off-speed and breaking stuff, and determination, Bronson Arroyo has emerged as a winner. By no means is he the prototypical staff ace, or stopper. He takes his turn in the rotation. He competes. Maybe two out of three trips to the bump result in quality starts. Three consecutive seasons he has been a 15-game winner. Winning twenty used to be the standard, but that stat, like ten-man pitching staffs, is history.

The Reds now get a bit of a breather. They took two of three, as they should, from the Pittsburgh Pirates. They took the series opener from the young and struggling Arizona Diamondbacks, once one of the most successful clubs of the decade. If Homer Bailey and Edinson Volquez can pitch as well in the playoffs as they did over the weekend against Pittsburgh, the Reds chances improve dramatically. For now, the drama is supplied whenever Joey Votto steps to the plate, or Dusty Baker goes to his bullpen.