Yet Another Season Where The Reds Are Out of It By Columbus Day. Reds lose game 2-0, series 3-0.

But next year, this team is gonna win 100 games.

That’s not unusual in the postseason.

But those errors…just brutal. BP had 2 in one game errors, when he only had 3 all season.

candidate who represented the tying run?

No?

That says a lot.

please please General Manager go out and get some help for next year. Swap out Coco for someone cheaper and better, drop Gomes for someone studlier, and maybe think about the post-Rolen era. Oh yeah and let Tubby go.

Thanks everybody for a good season. I hope we don’t have to wait another 15 years for a post-season game. I finally got to see Chapman pitch live and he is truly the master and possessor of the universe. I only regret not giving a final standing ovation for the Reds, I was too busy trying to beat traffic. Go Reds!!!

Postgame quote:

Q. Dusty, for a team that was so solid defensively this year, how do you explain the problems you guys had catching it and throwing it in the series?
DUSTY BAKER: I don’t know. I can’t explain it. You know, if I could explain it, it wouldn’t happen, and it wouldn’t happen again.
I guess it was just baseball. That’s all I can say.

I love this team, and hopeful that Jocketty will make the proper moves to improve them in the off-season. The offense HAS to be upgraded.

the reds stayed in a playoff chase, and won. They shit the bed in August of 2002, July of 2004, and August/September of 2006. I was almost conditioned to be happy that they were within striking distance at the All-Star Break.

With as much as I hate the team they were fighting with until that team lost all ability to win, to say we took care of the 2010 Cardinals is huge.

The Reds are going to be the big dog going into next year. The Pirates, Brewers, and Astros are light years away from getting everything together. Despite the Cubs deep pockets, I don’t think they have the payroll flexibility to fix things. Plus the Rickets family is sending a message the Cubs are going to try and solve their problems with an organizational overhaul, not free agency. With all the money due to Pujols, Holliday, Carpenter, Lohse, Franklin, Trevor Miller, Molina, and Schumaker, they don’t seem to have a great deal of pay roll flexibility.

Best part is Lohse is due just a few hundred less than Arroyo next year.

Loshe will make just a few hundred grand less than Arroyo in 2011.

This is a team that lacks starting pitching depth, and were very lucky that Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia didn’t suffer any sort of injury, because they didn’t have any major league ready starting pitcher who could even adequately fill in. Also I feel that Garcia may have a little regression, he is a young pitcher a little over a year removed from TJS who threw a lot of innings this year. Also bear in mind that 2010 was the first year Carpenter avoided the DL since 2006. They don’t really have the money or young talent to provide any depth in the rotation. Also they don’t really have many solutions for there Pujols/Holliday centric offense.

Maybe I have red tinted glasses, but I think the Reds are in the best position for 2011, barring any major overhauls for Chicago or St. Louis this off season.

Anger and disappointment give me sharpened reflexes. That’s good to know.

has the Reds’ reaction.

Reds manager Dusty Baker and players talked about this season being a first step.

"Look at Philly, they got swept in the ’07 and they won the World Series the next year," he said. "We’ll be back. We’ll be all right."

The players echoed that.

"Our plan is that this is just first of many good teams," Jay Bruce said. "This is the end. But we have a great team. We’re looking forward to next year."

Despite the ugly ending, the Reds made a significant step this year, having the first winning season since 2000 and making the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

"We achieved a lot," general manager Walt Jocketty said. "We had a winning season. We got to the postseason. It was a positive step. We’ve got something to build on for next year."

…The Reds’ third and fourth hitters — Joey Votto and Scott Rolen — were 2-for-21 in the series with one RBI.

"They have a good team," Rolen said. "We struggled against them. I certainly struggled. It wasn’t from lack of effort."

Surpassing all my expectations (admittedly lowered) – from the Chapman signing in the dead of winter to Bruce’s walk-off clincher just after the autumnal equinox.

for distilling every game into a palatable nightcap.

that took like half an hour too.

Do it again on March 31st, 2011. Road to the postseason starts with the brew crew.

Surprised everyone in baseball by not just having a quality winning season, but won the team Triple Crown for offense and fielding the probably NLMVP. Don’t feel too down. The team you’ve followed all year is the real one, not the one that made you facepalm this week. It’s amazing how quickly one playoff appearance (and failure) can give you the experience and drive necessary.

The Phils were swept pretty soundly by the Rockies in ‘07. Look what happened the next year. I’ve said it before, but the Reds remind me an awful lot of that ’07 team.

Sorry about the random Phils Trolls (who, oddly, never seem to ever post on the Good Phight, yet show up in opposing blogs to be dicks…). Don’t judge us all by them. We’re rough in the ballpark. That intimidation is what home field advantage is all about. But we’re not going to punch a fan in a red’s hat walking down the street (or anywhere for that matter). You’ll get a smartass comment, but if you smile and fire one back, you’ll get a good baseball conversation and a drinking buddy for as long as you want one.

See you guys same time next year.

Cheers.

It’s been good to share this magical season with you all. The end was bitter, but the season was sweet. When I sleep tonight, I’ll dream of sunshine, green grass, Goodyear, AZ, and February 13, 2011.

And maybe Hanley Ramirez in a Reds uniform.

This one’s for you

Brooks Conrad probably had the single worst game in the field.