Spotlight--Time to Shine

As memorable and as thrilling as the Reds 2010 season was, you had this feeling that they were still not ready for prime time. It showed in their record against winning teams last year and the Phillies proved it by summarily dismissing Cincinnati in three-straight games in the NLDS. So while it's only April, this weekend marks the Reds first chance to show they are ready for the spotlight.

Any series against the Cardinals is big no matter what the calendar says, but all three of this weekend's games in St. Louis will be televised nationally (Friday on MLB Network, Saturday on FOX, and the Sunday night game on ESPN). Not only is it an opportunity put a little breathing room between themselves and the Cards, but it would also signify to the rest of the baseball world that 2010 was not a fluke. Granted this six-game swing through St. Louis and Milwaukee is no picnic. The Reds are still missing two-thirds of its starting rotation (Cueto and Bailey), and they still have to prove they can beat top notch pitching. They'll get a chance Saturday versus the Cardinals Chris Carpenter, who has owned the Reds to the tune of 12-3 with 2.02 ERA in his career. You can cite Carpenter's 2011 season stats all you want. Right now he's the second coming of Roy Oswalt when it comes to Reds hitters.

No one on the Reds will tell you it's a make or break road trip, and it's not. There's still five more months to go. However, anything similar to the 2-5 home stand they just finished and the Reds will have the beginnings of a nice hole to climb out of in the standings.

End of the Week Random Thoughts...

Don't be surprised if Commissioner Bud Selig forces Frank McCourt to sell the Dodgers. An anonymous source told the Associated Press as much Thursday in the wake of MLB taking over the team. One would think it wouldn't be difficult to find a buyer for an iconic franchise in the country's number two media market but that might depend on how much debt a potential buyer might have to incur. Not an easy sell in these still difficult economic times.

Love, love, love the New Era Hat commercial featuring Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock and John Krasinski of The Office. While I'm sick of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry being crammed down my throat (particularly by the four-letter network), the ad is great. It's absolutely hysterical and yet conveys the passion every fan should feel for their team. As much as I enjoyed Evan Longoria's last year, this one is even better and didn't need a chase scene either.

Finally, the CincyKid blog may not be updated as frequently over Easter weekend. So enjoy this entry, keep those comments coming (keep it cordial) and I'll post when I can.