The 2010 Central Division Champions...

[HeatherC1212]

I've been told that the players, or at least some of them, made their way to Fountain Square last night and into the bar Mynt that's right there. We had already left the square so not sure how many people were left out and about when they were there...

I may have still been half asleep this morning when I saw it but I could have sworn Channel 5 showed some of the players hanging out with the fans at Fountain Square last night during their coverage today. I plan on watching the news again when I get home from work because I'm really not sure if that actually happened or I saw what I wanted to see, LOL (BTW-Mike Leake did tweet last night that the guys were going to go party at the Mynt if they won the game so it wouldn't surprise me if they really were down there. Wish I had gone down there to find out! : )

Still on cloud nine but I'm not entirely awake today after going to bed around 2:30 AM. Definitely a Mt. Dew day for me!

[reds44]

This guy called it!

YouTube - The Shot Heard Round the NATI -

Awesome. I could watch these all day.

[OnBaseMachine]

If I had sit down yesterday and pictured the way I wanted the Reds to win the NL Central, that would have been it. Aroldis Chapman picking up the win after a dominant 1-2-3 9th inning and Jay Bruce ending the game with a walk-off HR to center field. Hollywood couldn't have scripted it any better.

[Rounding Third]

Been trying to find some good photos to use as my MacBook's Wallpaper. I ended up making a photo montage stacking up photo's.

ALL CREDIT for this pictures goes to Brian Baker of Lacking Focus Photography. I just grabbed all the images from CNati and compiled them into one file. All credit goes to him who did a great job with the pictures. If I shouldn't be posting this just let me know and I'll take it right down.

Original photos:
http://cnati.com/photo-gallery/clinc...tros-2-002219/


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ionMontage.jpg

[VR]

That's OC.

What was Gomes doing when Bruce threw his helmet? It looks like he was deked by Bruce.

That's funny...he looked like the little engine that could

[westofyou]

Been a while since the Reds were in the playoffs, so long ago that these bands were billboards top 5 bands of the year.

1 - TLC
2 - Boyz II Men
3 - Hootie & The Blowfish
4 - Real McCoy
5 - Bon Jovi

[Johnny Footstool]

My dad raised a legitimate question this morning- Why does everything have to be an excuse to drink; couldn't they celebrate with Coke just as easily. I mean seriously.

320

I don't need an excuse to drink. I need an excuse *not* to.

[membengal]

I keep starting the "y" next to the Reds' place in the standings.

It's lovely.

[Brutus]

I can't get over how much of a shot Bruce's hit was. That thing was plastered out there into center.

[BRM]

I don't need an excuse to drink. I need an excuse *not* to.

I hear that.

[coachw513]

I have debated now for 15 hours whether or not to post...a bit of guilt having turned into a faithfully devoted lurker...but are you kidding??...

I have a slightly unique perspective...I've had to live my life as a Reds fan living in Florida...good in the spring (formerly) but frustrating during the season before the advent of the internet and Direct TV...

My first distinct memory of professional sports was my mother telling me Johnny Bench would hit a HR in the bottom of the 9th in Game 5 of the '72 playoffs (mom, what about those lotto numbers...)...in the prime of being a kid totally into sports I got to live the Big Red Machine...I read every book I could ever find about Johnny Bench...

I was (and still am) such a nerd...I found out that on clear nights in the Orlando area, around 10 PM you could sometimes catch enough of a signal of WLW that I'd hover around my transistor and listen to Reds games...I heard Bench's 389, Browning's perfecto and Seaver's No-No...it's funny, I always lacked some amount of appreciation for Joe because his voiced blended in too much with the static...but to this day, I can hear a call of Marty's thru the fuzzy static of AM radio...

1990 was exciting but as a college grad, employed and recently married the Reds were less of a daily ritual...but I have wonderful memories of enjoying my honeymoon in New Orleans (hey now!!) while pouring over the box scores in the USA Today during the 1st week of the delayed 1990 season...I take full credit for the undefeated start to the season...and of course, the internet had yet to take real hold so I basically remember Charlton's crushing of Mike Scoscia (ESPN game), the playoffs and world series...my mom gave me no choice on the date of Game 1 of the World Series..."we are celebrating your grandmother's birthday at ..." ...but I'd have the last laugh, sitting at the seat allowing me access to a TV where I about screamed out loud when Eric Davis crushed Dave Stewart's 1st inning pitch in game 1...(by the way, John Lunardi's book about this team was/is an incredible read for me this year...lots of similariities to this year IMHO)...

Then it's 1999 and streaming internet audio allows me to for the first time listen to the Reds online...that team reinforced my love for this team...I lived and died for the first time thru means other than box scores and an occasional national TV game...I remember the 7-0 roadtrip thru Arizona and Houston that jump started their season and I died a thousand deaths watching the 1st inning NYM Hr that propelled Al Leiter to the win in the playoff/non-playoff game...

Then I get Direct TV and the first year I get a chance to get the baseball package is 2006...now for the first time, I don't have to imagine the Reds or listen to them...for the first time in my life I'm seeing them on a semi-regular basis...yes, we were never for real but the series against the Cardinals that included the unreal catch by Freel and the David Ross walk-off made my love affair with the Reds that much deeper...I remember the total emptiness of the 16th inning loss in LA when the wheels were coming off on the dreaded road trip...watched the entire thing, simply got up turned off the TV and had to wake up 3 hours later to go teach at school the next day...

It was from '06 on that I brought my 2 girls into the craziness of being a Reds fan...unfortunately for them in some regard, their first 2 loves were of KGJ and Adam Dunn and so over the past couple of years as the Reds continued to struggle, they weren't always devoted to our team...but every year brought my insufferable optimism, followed by interminable pain and a slow disinterest as the end of summer found its way into a new school year for me...

So it was with a certain disbelief that my daughters heard me say that this year was different..."we really are better"..."Dad, you say that every year"...but we were and I told everyone we were making the playoffs this year...my wife (a Yankee fan) and her family (big NYY and/or Red Sox fans) just laughed and had their fun about how I continually torture myself...

But every time a disaster appeared imminent (the Braves collapse, the Phils sweep, the Cards series) almost immediately a new look-Reds club appeared...my Votto jersey suddenly was recognized even in Orlando (the whole all-star fiasco the best thing to ever happen to him-wake up America, this guy is really, really good)...all those arms, young arms, talented "hey, these aren't my Cincinnati Reds' arms" arms...

Every button Dusty pushed seemed to have a positive effect...even seemingly insignificant moves (Jim Edmonds) seemingly snowballed into enormous blessings (Jay Bruce)...and the implosion of the Cardinals, a delight to be savored slowly with joy...

So I get home after work last night and settle in...the 6th inning makes me realize, "man, we all REALLY want this to happen"...it was a palpable feeling of intensity, playoff-like with the drama...the innings crescendo into Chapman blowing away the Astros in the 9th, then Bruce...Jay freaking Bruce!!!...

I teared up then, I teared up watching every replay, I teared up watching the post-game show, and yes as soon as I got the link to Marty's call I teared up again...and when I pick up my daughters and take them to the house in 30 minutes, yes I will tear up again when they get to listen to Marty and Thom's calls of the walk-off...

I am still a little kid...I love this team...they are the love of my sports life and I have never left nor forsaken them...and amazingly, they rewarded my faithfulness last night...so even though I may slink back into my world of teaching math and coaching HS hoops (there is something terribly ironic about my favorite ever player's son-Shane Larkin-being the main threat to my team making the state playoffs this year) please know that this season has been one of the most amazing journeys I've ever gotten to witness...

Sorry for my emotional diatribe...Go Reds!!

[edabbs44]

Great post Coach...I was thinking this morning about how lucky the younger remote fans are today. Growing up I would sleep with my Walkman on my chest just right and somehow, sometimes catch the Reds game through the static. Or I would call Sportsphone for updates on games (212-976-1313), but 13 cents a call can add up). Or I'd have to wait until Sportscenter to find out what happened in the game tonight.

You guys are very lucky.

[lollipopcurve]

Great post, coachw. I can relate to a lot of that -- thanks.

Go Reds!

[WVRedsFan]

I may have still been half asleep this morning when I saw it but I could have sworn Channel 5 showed some of the players hanging out with the fans at Fountain Square last night during their coverage today. I plan on watching the news again when I get home from work because I'm really not sure if that actually happened or I saw what I wanted to see, LOL (BTW-Mike Leake did tweet last night that the guys were going to go party at the Mynt if they won the game so it wouldn't surprise me if they really were down there. Wish I had gone down there to find out! : )

Still on cloud nine but I'm not entirely awake today after going to bed around 2:30 AM. Definitely a Mt. Dew day for me!

Psst. 5-Hour Energy. Four calories and oes the same thing.

[Cedric]

I can clearly remember all those nights falling asleep to West Coast games on 700. I remember the "Rosie anthem" live in San Diego.

Last night just reaffirmed what I always knew.. I love the Reds more than almost every thing in the world. I can't help it. It connects me with my past and my grandpa who is gone. He taught me everything about the game, and how to love Marty no matter how cranky he gets.

Hopefully tonight and this year helps the Reds get some younger fans into the game and they can love the Reds like we all do.