October Comes Early for Reds

The playoffs start now.  Sure the calendar says it's still September and the schedule says there's 9 games left in the regular season, but it might as well be October for the Reds.

Cincinnati enters the weekend two games out of first in the NL Central and just a game back of Pittsburgh for second.  The Pirates currently hold the second NL Wild Card spot, meaning if the season ended today, they'd host the 1-game NL Wild Card round versus the Reds.

But Friday marks the first of 6 games between the Reds and Pirates.  So if Cincinnati is going to make a run at the division or even the first NL Wild Card, they might as well pretend it's October and play like there's no tomorrow.

For all the griping and moaning some Reds fans have done over the course of this season, the team is almost assured of being in the postseason for the second straight year--barring a collapse of historical proportions.  They're also getting healthy. Ryan Ludwick has been back for almost a month and this week finally saw the return of Johnny Cueto and Sean Marshall.  Just how productive the trio can be come the playoffs is debatable, but it's better than going into the postseason without them as the team has had to do for a majority of the season.  Had all three been able to play, perhaps the Reds would be in first place.

But after sweeping the lowly Houston Astros, it's time for the Reds to show they're ready to make a deep run in October.  They can't afford to lose two of three in any of the upcoming final three series of the season.  Pittsburgh is reeling a bit and the Reds need to run them down and serve notice to the Pirates that to go anywhere in the playoffs they'll have to go through them and do so by taking a trip down the Ohio River to Great American Ball Park.

As most Reds fans know, the Great 8 -- the everyday lineup of the Big Red Machine -- were recently honored as part of "Joe Morgan Weekend."  During a Saturday news conference they talked about what drove them toward winning the 1975 & '76 World Series titles.  Pete Rose said it was because they played like there was no tomorrow.  Johnny Bench concurred, adding that when they saw a runner in scoring position, it was their job to drive him in.  When they didn't succeed, the next guy to the plate said they'd pick-up their teammate.  More times than not, they did.

Now I know today's players may have a different mindset.  Perhaps driven by forces other than championships.  But as the stage is set for the first of six with the Pirates, this group of Reds would be wise to take heed of the Great 8's mentality.  There is no tomorrow.  Play every game as if it were your last.  Pick up your teammates.  The Reds might as well turn the page on the calendar because October starts now.