Quote:
Originally Posted by Ace-king
My FIRST post. I'm a Cards' fan - with great respect for the Reds. You deserved to win the Division two years ago and again this year. And, it won't be the last - with all your top players signed for years to come.
Nevertheless, with all due respect (and understanding that this is a Reds Forum), I'm surprised by some of the trashing of the St. L. Cardinals. Yes, they finished 9 games behind the Reds, and Yes, without the 2nd WC, they wouldn't even be in the Playoffs. But, it's not THEIR fault (Cards') that MLB instituted the 2nd WC - and they won it fair and square - beating Atlanta in Atlanta. Now beating the team with the best W-L record in baseball - and again doing it - in Washington.
I'm not talking with two tongues - you (Reds) won the Division handily, and deserved it. But, don't take the Cards so lightly. They beat you in the season series 8-7, including the last two series. Look at your line-up and the Cards: I don't think most baseball experts would see more than three Reds cracking the Cards' starting line-up. And starting pitching was nearly the same team ERA. Your big edge was the bull-pen. There's no argument there.
Last word. Cards were "lucky" to get in - using the 2nd WC ticket. But, now that they're in, I don't think any team in baseball - including the Reds - would really LIKE to face them. Cards are dangerous, and everyone knows it.
I'll probably get blasted by some/many of you - too bad. Sports is competition - and between rivals, there ought to be some mutual respect. Certainly there is between PLAYERS on the two teams...
Good luck to the Reds next year and the future.
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I am in my mid 40s and have been a Reds fan my whole life. The interesting thing is for most of it, I had absolutely no opinion on the Cardinals. Really for most of my life they have been largely irrelevant. They won the WS in 82 but that as it as far a championships go so it was never like they were some dislikable dynasty. They were never in the same division as the Reds growing up. They never had a playoff series with Cardinals and until recently there was nothing between the teams at all.
When Tony LaRussa became the manager of the Cardinals, I started rooting against them. Not because I had any issue with the Cardinals, but because Tony LaRussa is a liar and a cheat. I despised him in Oakland and his whole "I had no idea guys on my team were doing steroids." just reinforced my opinion of him being a dirtbag.
So Tony LaRussa is gone, outside of Chris Carpenter there are not a lot of dislikable guys on the roster and the funny thing is I now despise them. And the reason is this message board.
Reds had a really chippy nasty series with the Pirates this year with guys getting plunked and all kinds of nonsense going on. No Pirate fans hopped on the Reds message board to spout off.
Tight playoff series with the Giants this year, there was only 1 Giant fan who hopped on the board and he was very complimentary and a decent guy.
Two years ago, we played the Phillies, home of the most self absorbed obnoxious fans on the planet and again, 1 guy. In fairness he was dope, but what do you expect from Philly. Point being, 1 guy.
So the Reds are out of the playoffs, they did not have a series with the Cardinals and yet this message board is teaming with Cardinal fans popping off about them winning.
Look the Cardinals are a good team and have played well but they have caught a lot of breaks. Cardinal fans want to focus on the fact they have played well, ignoring they have gotten breaks. Reds fans want to focus on the breaks ignoring they have played well.
It would seem to be a push except for the fact it is a Reds message board, and Reds fans really don't care what Cardinal fans opinions of the Cardinals are.
To folks like Magdal, who are Cardinal fans but have been long time solid citizens on this board I am not referring to you so I apologize up front if you think I am.