So the National League Division Series is scheduled to begin this weekend. Did you notice that the Reds qualified for the NLDS? Obviously, we don’t know who they’ll be playing; those dominoes will fall this week.
Time for another one of my rambling posts. I don’t know about you, but the excitement over this playoff appearance is beginning to bubble over. The editors are discussing potential playoff preview posts (alliteration, for the win!), and I went back and looked at what we did to preview the 2010 NLDS. It’s exciting, and I can’t wait for it to start, no matter who the Reds will be playing.
You know, Redleg Nation began during spring training in 2005. The Reds had suffered through some awful years before then, and they have suffered through some terrible ones since. Still, every day, we plugged away here, talking about our favorite team. Yes, that’s the definition of insanity.
That’s also why the 2012 season has been so special. Now, 2010 was special in a different kind of way. It was the club’s first post-season appearance in fifteen years, and it came out of nowhere, in a sense. Despite the fact that Cincinnati was embarrassed in three quick games, I was a happy guy…and I liked being a happy baseball fan. It was a revelation to me, after all those frustrating seasons filled with the Jimmy Andersons and Corey Pattersons of the world. Who knew we were allowed to enjoy baseball that much?
After the 2010 season, I resolved that I was going to try as hard as I could just to enjoy the game and the Reds. After all, it’s baseball, my favorite sport. It’s supposed to be fun, isn’t it? That wasn’t an easy resolution to keep in 2011, but once the Reds started winning games in 2012, I perked up.
Sure, there have been reasons to get frustrated this year. The lineups have been mostly miserable, the offense has struggled more often than not, etc. We’ve heard all the complaints lodged by the FARR DUSTY! brigade. We’ve discussed all those things here at RN, in as rational a manner as we could, I hope. But I never let that stuff get me down. The Reds were winning games, and I’m happy when the Reds win games. I wanted to enjoy the winning while it was happening, because I’ve spent a lot of years watching the Reds play terrible baseball.
Yes, I will be disappointed if the Reds don’t win at least one series this time around. Heck, after the brilliant season we’ve just experienced, I’ll be a little disappointed if they don’t make the World Series. Either way, however, this season has been fun. I just want it to keep being fun for as long as possible.
I’ll never tell any of you how to root for the Reds. If you want to complain all the time, be my guest. If you want to be the quintessential “negative” fan, it’s none of my business (those of you who came over here from the Reds listserv know that I have done more than my fair share of complaining over the years). If you love the Reds, you have a home here to discuss this club. Pull for the team however you like.
One thing is true, however: I’ve been much happier since I quit getting so frustrated over the daily lineup and the fact that guys like Valdez and Cairo are on the roster, for example. I’m not particularly happy about these things, but there’s not a single thing I can do to change them, so I just comment on them and move on. I’m not telling you to do that; again, I couldn’t care less how you choose to pull for the Redlegs.
I mention this only to explain the subject line above. I’m happy. I’m happier as a Reds fan than I’ve been in years. This organization has a chance to make the World Series this year, and a chance to be competitive for the foreseeable future. Baseball is supposed to be fun, right? Well, it’s fun for me right now. I hope you guys are as happy as I am.