Pitchers and catchers are soon to report, first game is later this month and I can say goodbye to my winter-month hibernation.

It’s time for the fresh, sharply cut green grass, the bashing of hot dogs, and fans starting the annual “Fire Dusty” campaign.

I wanted to spend some time to go over what this time of year means to me as we embark on another season. This season is something to get excited about. Uncle Walt to the Reds has been like Santa to the elves.

Baseball gives you something to look forward to six out of seven days of the week - something my wife is trying hard to understand. It’s another year of “I’m starting to think you like the Reds more than me,” “the Cardinals game is just one out of 162...it’s no big deal,” or my personal favorite “I wonder what you would do if the Reds won the World Series.”

This question always gets me thinking... streaking to KFC? Six months of celebratory drinking? Or do I handle it with class and just talk smack to my Red-hating friends? What would I do? I don’t know, I was too young to really celebrate the ‘90 Series win.

As I'm trying to communicate m allegiance, I do understand that she needs some attention to, which is why I sometimes mute the TV.

It’s another year of going to family picnics during those hot summer days with in-laws constantly asking “So when are you going to have kids?” I usually reply, “I don’t know, mistakes happen though!” This is also a night of constant score updates from my phone, and dreaming of having a beer while sitting on my oasis that is the couch.

But one of my favorite moments from the Reds season is spending time with you folks - close friends that I’ve never met ( insert Manti Teo joke). It’ll be great to see which “utility veteran” Dusty falls in love with this year, but I’ll let it be known that it can’t be any worse than Willie Harris. We’ll also see the emergence of the Dusty Dice on the message boards, a personal favorite of mine - Stubbs Bruce: Strikeout. Keep those amazing GIFs coming, I really enjoy those!

It’s time to sharpen the mower blades, ignore a list my wife made for me to do this summer, and start replacing “WOOOO” with “CHOOOOO.”

Sorry for the rant, I just wanted to share my thoughts. The Reds are the pride of Cincinnati, my home town team, my summer time family. As another season approaches, it’s time to say something I say every year to my friends.... “I think we are going to the World Series this year!”

Have something to say? Anything your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend...whatever, it’s tough being politically correct, says during the season? Drop a line and share with friends people who have similar interests.