First of all, I know my title isn't original, but considering this is a post mainly about the Cincinnati Reds and them having a legitimate World Series chance this year...it's appropriate.
To start off, I did a little beer hunting tonight. I guess it's good I finally mention the chase considering that is part of our URL here. I saw some Schlafly Pumpkin Ale last week, but because I'm trying to curb my beer spending I passed. Well, fast forward to tonight, I wanted to get some before it was gone. Went to 4 bottle shops til I found it, and then the 4th store had plenty....ridiculous. Also, one of the stores had bottles of Stone 13th, 14th, and 15th Anniversary IPA's on shelf....needless to say, I reported that to Stone.
Now, on to the real topic, baseball and the Cincinnati Reds. If you haven't noticed from my most recent post, I'm a Reds fan, and they happen to be having their best year in quite a while. The offense is scraping by despite Dusty trying to defy all logic in constructing the lineup. Joey Votto is back and would be contending in the MVP race if it weren't for the time missed while injured. Jay Bruce is starting one of his patented hot streaks. And to top it all off, the Cardinals are a whopping 8.5 games back.
Really, I just wanted to bring up the fact that I love baseball and I'm a Reds fan. Baseball is one of those things you are either raised with or you aren't. Growing up, most of my summer was spent on a baseball field until high school, then it just switched to high school ball and American Legion Baseball in the summer months. People who don't like baseball likely site the speed of the game as their frustration with it, but to put it succinctly, baseball is poetry in motion. Now that my playing days are behind me, all I have left is being a fan. But that's fine by me. I miss the old days as a small kid staying up late listening to Marty and the Old Lefthander (Joe Nuxhall for those of you who don't know) on the radio and just trying to stay awake until the end. There is no better way to take in a game than through radio, and those 2 embodied the game for me for many years. In the words of Ron Oester, "You meet him and you feel like he's been a friend all your life. I remember when I was a kid I imagined myself playing and Joe making the call. Every kid does something like that, but for me it was always Joe making the call."
I'll stop my random rambling and wrap this up, but I have a few plugs and last comments here. First off, if you ever need a great charity to donate to in the Cincinnati area, I suggest his charity fund here. Also, if you want actual, good sports writing about the Reds, check out Redlegnation. As I type, the Reds are mounting a comeback against the Pirates. It's Votto's birthday, let's send him home with a win boys.
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| Joe then.... |
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| and a few years ago. |
I'll end with the words I heard so many nights from Joe as I was falling asleep....
"This is the Old Lefthander, rounding third and heading for home, goodnight everyone."
-Chris
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