Celebrate the end of the Reds season by watching good teams play baseball now

Oct 7, 2022 - 3:21 PM

Somewhere around 2:13 AM on a dreary April morning, it hit me that the Cincinnati Reds were going to miss the 2022 Major League Baseball playoffs once again. So, I’ve had time for this. I’ve prepped for this.

I’m ready to watch other teams play good baseball on the big stage once again.

There have admittedly been years where the Reds have been so dreadful that they’ve set the sport back years in my own mind, in doing so making it hard for me to even muster the gumption to watch other teams play the sport well. This year, though, the early detachment from what the Reds were doing (and not doing) means that I’m actually somewhat refreshed with the sport as it enters its postseason.

I’m excited to watch baseball today because, thankfully, I avoided the Reds enough over the last two months that the sport isn’t sitting cold and soggy in my brain at the moment. It’s a strategy I hope to implore each and every time the Reds are so destitute, and given some of the comments from the front office today (h/t Bobby Nightengale of The Enquirer), that’s likely to be as early as next year.

Who comes out the day after the end of the most miserable season in generations and says ‘that was so bad that we’re just going to have to do it again next year?’ Are you kidding me?

Anyway, back to the good baseball, of which there should be a bountiful supply beginning today. There are four Wild Card contests for your consumption, beginning with an early 12:07 PM ET first pitch in the Cleveland/Tampa series. That’ll be followed by Phillies/Cardinals, (Seattle+Cincinnati)/Toronto, and a thrilling nightcap between the Padres and New York Mets.

Luis Castillo will be on the mound for the Mariners, for the record, with Eugenio Suarez over his shoulder and the likes of Taylor Trammell and Curt Casali in his dugout (sadly, Jesse Winker is on the IL for the time being). The Rays sport a roster with Jose Siri and Brooks Raley in-tow, Nick Castellanos will try to bonk some timely homers for the Phils, Kevin Gausman will get a big start for Toronto at some point this weekend, Brandon Drury will try to sock bombs for the Friars, and the Cardinals still suck.

Happy Playoffs, folks.