The Reds Report, October 1st
[caption id="attachment_229000" align="aligncenter" width="507"]
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
An overall rough season for the Cincinnati Reds finished up even worse than most of the year, as the Reds only managed to win two of their final 12 games. Cincinnati played the final week of their season on the road with series against two NL Central division foes, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs.
Reds finish the season with an overall record of 68-94
Two weeks ago, I wrote one of these pieces and included an assumption that the Reds would be improving on their final record from last season. Cincinnati had twelve games to win only three, which would give them a minimum of 69 wins and an improvement on last season's tally. In true Cincinnati-fan fashion, I was let down again. The Reds went 2-10 in the two weeks since I wrote that post and finished with the exact same record as last season. While Cincinnati fans know that the Redlegs are in full rebuild, not seeing any improvement makes it a lot tougher to swallow.
Joey Votto is the best hitter in the National League
Cincinnati first-baseman Joey Votto had one of the best seasons of his career in 2017, but honestly, it was just more of the same for one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball year in and year out. Votto finished the year batting .320, good for fourth in the National League and sixth overall in the MLB. The veteran also was just short of his career high of 37 home runs, hitting 36 this season. He had 179 hits, 34 doubles, 100 RBIs, and an MLB leading 134 walks. Today, he became the first Cincinnati Red since 1975 to start all 162 games on the year. Votto should be in the conversation to win his second MVP award, but his case will suffer because the Reds had such a poor season as a team.
On top of how great Votto is at the plate, his interactions with fans this season have shown what a great person he is off the field as well. This moment is up for the Best Player-Fan Interaction of the year. You can vote for Votto here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYeGNBCgxQl/?taken-by=reds
In today's game, Votto interacted with two young Cubs fans, and you can truly see just how much it meant to these kids.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZuOV9jgJK4/?taken-by=reds
The end of the Bronson Arroyo era
The end of the 2017 season marks the end of the career of Bronson Arroyo. You won't see Arroyo enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and some might even know him for his long, flowing hair more than his pitching abilities. However, Arroyo was a staple in the Cincinnati Reds rotation from 2006 to 2013 and came back for one final season this year to retire as a Red. Arroyo won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, was an All-Star in his first season in Cincinnati, and won a Gold Glove award in 2010. Arroyo finished his career with an overall record of 148-137 and is in the top 200 all time in career strikeouts with 1,571. Thank you, Bronson, for the years you spent with the Reds.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZuUtROA4FX/?taken-by=reds
Billy Hamilton finishes just short of league lead in stolen bases
In not shocking news, Billy Hamilton is still really, really fast. He finished the season with 59 stolen bases, one short of league leader Dee Gordon's 60 for the Miami Marlins. In comparison, Gordon was caught stealing 16 times on the year, while Hamilton was only caught 13. Watch below as Hamilton shows off his speed in one of the more incredible things I've seen on a Major League base path.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZb5aezAQA8/?taken-by=reds
@BrettBibbinsKSR
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
An overall rough season for the Cincinnati Reds finished up even worse than most of the year, as the Reds only managed to win two of their final 12 games. Cincinnati played the final week of their season on the road with series against two NL Central division foes, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs.
Reds finish the season with an overall record of 68-94
Two weeks ago, I wrote one of these pieces and included an assumption that the Reds would be improving on their final record from last season. Cincinnati had twelve games to win only three, which would give them a minimum of 69 wins and an improvement on last season's tally. In true Cincinnati-fan fashion, I was let down again. The Reds went 2-10 in the two weeks since I wrote that post and finished with the exact same record as last season. While Cincinnati fans know that the Redlegs are in full rebuild, not seeing any improvement makes it a lot tougher to swallow.
Joey Votto is the best hitter in the National League
Cincinnati first-baseman Joey Votto had one of the best seasons of his career in 2017, but honestly, it was just more of the same for one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball year in and year out. Votto finished the year batting .320, good for fourth in the National League and sixth overall in the MLB. The veteran also was just short of his career high of 37 home runs, hitting 36 this season. He had 179 hits, 34 doubles, 100 RBIs, and an MLB leading 134 walks. Today, he became the first Cincinnati Red since 1975 to start all 162 games on the year. Votto should be in the conversation to win his second MVP award, but his case will suffer because the Reds had such a poor season as a team.
On top of how great Votto is at the plate, his interactions with fans this season have shown what a great person he is off the field as well. This moment is up for the Best Player-Fan Interaction of the year. You can vote for Votto here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYeGNBCgxQl/?taken-by=reds
In today's game, Votto interacted with two young Cubs fans, and you can truly see just how much it meant to these kids.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZuOV9jgJK4/?taken-by=reds
The end of the Bronson Arroyo era
The end of the 2017 season marks the end of the career of Bronson Arroyo. You won't see Arroyo enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and some might even know him for his long, flowing hair more than his pitching abilities. However, Arroyo was a staple in the Cincinnati Reds rotation from 2006 to 2013 and came back for one final season this year to retire as a Red. Arroyo won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, was an All-Star in his first season in Cincinnati, and won a Gold Glove award in 2010. Arroyo finished his career with an overall record of 148-137 and is in the top 200 all time in career strikeouts with 1,571. Thank you, Bronson, for the years you spent with the Reds.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZuUtROA4FX/?taken-by=reds
Billy Hamilton finishes just short of league lead in stolen bases
In not shocking news, Billy Hamilton is still really, really fast. He finished the season with 59 stolen bases, one short of league leader Dee Gordon's 60 for the Miami Marlins. In comparison, Gordon was caught stealing 16 times on the year, while Hamilton was only caught 13. Watch below as Hamilton shows off his speed in one of the more incredible things I've seen on a Major League base path.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZb5aezAQA8/?taken-by=reds
@BrettBibbinsKSR
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard