{"id":913,"date":"2010-10-05T08:41:13","date_gmt":"2010-10-05T12:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=913"},"modified":"2010-10-05T08:53:44","modified_gmt":"2010-10-05T12:53:44","slug":"2010-mlb-playoffs-the-cincinnati-reds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=913","title":{"rendered":"2010 MLB Playoffs: The Cincinnati Reds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>1995 was the first year of the Wild Card Era in baseball, and I remember watching some of the first ever &#8220;Division Series&#8221;\u00a0on a restaurant\/bar TV\u00a0in South Bend, Indiana, where I was on a trip to see a Notre Dame football game.\u00a0 The Reds were a part of that post-season, and with a team led by Barry Larkin, Reggie Sanders, and Ron Gant, they were attempting to rekindle some of the magic that had led them to\u00a0a World Championship five years earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 255px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"baker\" src=\"http:\/\/i.usatoday.net\/sports\/_photos\/2008\/02\/21\/bakerx.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"245\" height=\"286\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dusty Baker leads a third franchise to the post-season<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But the\u00a0Nasty Boys\u00a0these weren&#8217;t.\u00a0 They did sweep the Dodgers in that LDS, but were then swept themselves\u00a0by the eventual champion Braves in the NLCS.\u00a0 Fifteen years later, the Reds are\u00a0finally back in the playoffs.\u00a0 On Wednesday, the NL Central champions will come to Citizens Bank\u00a0Park to stare down Roy Halladay and the 2-time defending NL Champs.\u00a0 The Phils were 5-2 against the Reds this year, including a 4-game\u00a0sweep at the Bank in July.<\/p>\n<p>In this post we&#8217;ll\u00a0examine this Reds team player-by-player.\u00a0\u00a0Like we did with the Phils yesterday, we&#8217;ll\u00a0use the Momentum Meter to guage what Reds are coming into the series hot or cold or\u00a0somewhere in between.\u00a0 We won&#8217;t, however, go through\u00a0every player on the roster, just the 8 starting position players, the three starting pitchers, and the key arms in the bullpen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Starting Line-Up\u00a0 <\/strong>(Best guess at what the line-up will look like on Wednesday): This Reds offense led the NL in runs scored.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1.<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Drew Stubbs<\/strong>&#8211; <em>CF:\u00a0 <\/em>.255\/.329\/.444, 22 HR, 30 SB.\u00a0 The 25-year-old Texan had a breakout season.\u00a0 Certainly not a prototypical leadoff hitter, with 168 strike outs and\u00a0low-ish OBP, but he does have plenty of speed.\u00a0 A fairly average defensive CF, but probably the best arm in the\u00a0Cincy outfield.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>: 5.\u00a0 .311 with 7 HR in September.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2. Orlando Cabrera<\/strong><em>&#8211;<\/em><strong> <\/strong><em>SS<\/em>:\u00a0 .263\/.303\/.354, 4 HR, 11 SB.\u00a0 Wily veteran out of Colombia.\u00a0 He&#8217;s a winner:\u00a0in post-season for 6th time in last 7 years, despite playing for 5 different teams in that span.\u00a0 At 35, pretty well past his prime, both with the bat and in the field.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>:\u00a0 3<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"votto\" src=\"http:\/\/thecincinnatiman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/joey_votto.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"248\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Votto is the MVP<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>3. Joey Votto<\/strong><em>&#8211; 1B<\/em>:\u00a0\u00a0.324\/.424\/.600, 37 HR, 113 RBI.\u00a0\u00a0Will almost certainly take home the NL MVP Award.\u00a0 Led the league in OBP and SLG.\u00a0 A Canadian who missed time with depression following the death of his father last year.\u00a0 The burly first baseman is also a\u00a0base stealing threat, with 16 swipes on the year.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>:\u00a0 4.\u00a0 He&#8217;s been very good lately, but he&#8217;s\u00a0been very good\u00a0ALL YEAR.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>4. Scott Rolen<\/strong><em>&#8211; 3B:\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>.285\/.358\/.497, 20 HR, 83 RBI.\u00a0 Well, well, look who it is.\u00a0 I was at the Vet for his first game back after he was traded and, yes, I did boo along with the other 40,000 or so fans in attendance.\u00a0 He had a couple hits that night, and he&#8217;s hit the Phils well ever since.\u00a0 He had his best season since he was a member of the &#8217;06 Cardinal championship team.\u00a0 Still getting it done in the field, as well.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Big drop-off in production over the last couple of months.\u00a0 His power has all but disappeared (3 HR\u00a0since July 1st).\u00a0 Maybe the old back is barking again?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>5. Jonny Gomes<\/strong><em>&#8211; LF:<\/em>\u00a0.266\/.327\/.431, 18 HR, 86 RBI.\u00a0 Been a\u00a0slightly under-rated hitter throughout his career (though a total liability in the field), and he&#8217;s been rejuvenated in Cincy after an abysmal &#8217;08 season with Tampa.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Momentum Meter:\u00a0 3.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>6. Jay Bruce<\/strong><em>&#8211; RF:<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0.281\/.353\/.493, 25 HR, 70 RBI.\u00a0 Another\u00a0young Texan, Bruce made a big splash when he first reached the majors in &#8217;08, but then regressed for a while.\u00a0 Came back with a strong season\u00a0this year and has been the Reds best\u00a0hitter over the last couple months.\u00a0 He&#8217;s played\u00a0center in the past, so he has good range for a right fielder.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>:\u00a0 5.\u00a0 .338, 15 HR since August 1st, 3 homers in the last two games of the season.\u00a0 He will be dangerous in this series.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>7. Brandon Phillips<\/strong><em>&#8211; 2B:<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0.275\/.332\/.430, 18 HR, 16 SB.\u00a0 The fact that he&#8217;ll likely hit 7th shows\u00a0how good this line-up is.\u00a0 He&#8217;s been consistenly solid for a number of years now, at the plate and in the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>:\u00a02. Had a brutal September, but started to get his swing back over the last week of the season.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>8. Ramon Hernandez<\/strong><em>&#8211; C:<\/em><strong> <\/strong>\u00a0.297\/.364\/.428, 7 HR, 313 AB.\u00a0 You hear about the Reds being young, but they have plenty of\u00a0experienced veterans, and Hernandez is another one.\u00a0 Like Rolen, he posted his best season since &#8217;06.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>: 2.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Starting\u00a0Rotation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"volquez\" src=\"http:\/\/hardballtalk.nbcsports.com\/assets_c\/2010\/04\/Edinson%20Volquez%20headshot-thumb-90x135-9895.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"90\" height=\"135\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Reds gamble on Volquez<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Edinson Volquez<\/strong>:\u00a0 4-3,\u00a04.31 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 62 IP.\u00a0 He&#8217;s coming off Tommy John\u00a0surgery and made\u00a0just 12 starts on the year.\u00a0 He&#8217;s got great stuff, but has had control problems.\u00a0 It&#8217;s definitely a high risk\/high reward choice by\u00a0Reds\u00a0manager Dusty Baker.\u00a0 The Phils will have to be patient and make him throw strikes.\u00a0 He features a mid-90&#8217;s fastball, with an excellent curve, and a change-up.\u00a0 This is somewhat remiscent of Yovani Gallardo starting Game 1 of the LDS against the Phils in &#8217;08: a young phenom coming off an injury making his first post-season start.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>: \u00a04.\u00a0 A 1.95 ERA in four September starts, but\u00a0hasn&#8217;t had\u00a0truly sustained success since the injury.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Bronson Arroyo<\/strong>:\u00a0 17-10, 3.88 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 215 IP.\u00a0 A steady veteran who returns to the post-season for the first time since he left Boston after the &#8217;05\u00a0season.\u00a0 Threw over 200 innings for the 6th straight year, and\u00a0had double-digit wins for the 6th time in the last 7\u00a0seaons.\u00a0 Has a top-shelf curveball, and also throws a lot of change-ups and a slider.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter:\u00a0 <\/em>4. Take away the 7 runs he gave up at Coors Field on September 8th, and his recent numbers are excellent.\u00a0 Has allowed 2 runs or less in all four starts since that Coors field start.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Johnny Cueto: <\/strong>12-7, 3.64 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 185 IP.\u00a0 The 24-year-old Dominican really started to harness his talent this year, his 3rd in the big leagues.\u00a0 He&#8217;s a fastball\/slider guy for the most part.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter:\u00a0 <\/em>2.\u00a0 Inconsistent over the last couple of months.\u00a0 7 innings, 1 earned run in his last start; 1.1 innings, 8 earned runs in the start before that is a reflection of that inconsistency.\u00a0 The Reds will have to hope that Johnny Be Good in Game 3 in Cincy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Bullpen:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Francisco Cordero<\/strong><em>&#8211; Closer:\u00a0 <\/em>3.84 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 40 SV, 72 IP.\u00a0 Not a great season from the veteran closer.\u00a0 He did save 40 for the third time in his career, but he blew 8 saves and gave up a lot of walks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter: <\/em>2.\u00a0 A 6.75 September ERA, though he did have 5 straight scoreless outings to end the regular season.\u00a0 He&#8217;s definitely vulnerable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 192px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Chapman\" src=\"http:\/\/hardballtalk.nbcsports.com\/assets_c\/2010\/09\/aroldis%20chapman%20reds%20debut-thumb-autox272-19445.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"182\" height=\"272\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Cuban Fire-Baller<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Aroldis Chapman<\/strong><em>&#8211; LH:\u00a0 <\/em>2.03 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 13 IP.\u00a0 Maybe the most buzzed about player in baseball over the last couple of months thanks to his 105 MPH fastball, the fastest ever recorded.\u00a0 The 22-year-old defected from Cuba last year.\u00a0 The only question mark for him has been his control, but he&#8217;s had that reasonably in check since coming to the majors, with 5 walks issued in his 13.1 innings.\u00a0 You know Utley and Howard will be getting some looks at this freakish lefty.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nick Masset<\/strong><em>&#8211; RH:<\/em>\u00a03.40 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 76 IP.\u00a0 Bit of a journeyman who&#8217;s put together back-to-back\u00a0solid seasons\u00a0out of\u00a0the Cincy pen.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Momentum Meter<\/em>:\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Take away\u00a0the 4 runs he gave up to Pittsburgh on Sept. 11th, and he&#8217;s been virtually unhittable since mid-June.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Arthur Rhodes<\/strong><em>&#8211; LH:<\/em>\u00a02.29 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 55 IP.\u00a0 Your classic lefty who&#8217;s played for a hundred teams (including the Phils), and will be able to find a\u00a0job in\u00a0the big leagues virtually\u00a0until his arm falls off.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Momentum Meter:\u00a0 3.\u00a0\u00a0Another nice lefty for them to throw at\u00a0our lefties.\u00a0 The good news:\u00a0the Phils scored 5 runs on him in 2\u00a0innings (over 5 appearances) this season.\u00a0 That&#8217;s more than a third\u00a0of the runs he gave up all season.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Logan\u00a0Ondrusek<\/strong><em>&#8211; RH:<\/em>\u00a0Yet another\u00a0young Texan on this team, this one a rookie.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Momentum Meter: 5.\u00a0 Just one run allowed in his last 14 outings.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1995 was the first year of the Wild Card Era in baseball, and I remember watching some of the first ever &#8220;Division Series&#8221;\u00a0on a restaurant\/bar TV\u00a0in South Bend, Indiana, where I was on a trip to see a Notre Dame &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=913\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1068,13],"tags":[1075,1079,1076,1078,1074,1073,1077,16,695,82],"class_list":["post-913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2010-mlb-playoffs","category-mlb","tag-aroldis-chapman","tag-bronson-arroyo","tag-edinson-volquez","tag-francisco-cordero","tag-jay-bruce","tag-joey-votto","tag-johnny-cueto","tag-phillies","tag-reds","tag-scott-rolen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=913"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":922,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913\/revisions\/922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}