I Guarantee the Reds Aren't in 1st Place | 
Cincinnati learned the hard way that running your pie hole at the opposition after minimal amounts of success generally leads to butts being whipped.
Generally your own.
Before heading to Milwaukee for a weekend series with the first place Brewers, Reds players, including OF Jay Bruce ‘guaranteed’ a first place standing as the culmination of 6 games combined against the best two teams in the NL Central. Predictably, the Reds were swept out of Miller Field and head into Busch Stadium in peril of dropping back to .500 without a win against the Cardinals.
Granted, guarantees aren’t as mind blowing as they were back before every athlete in every sport guaranteed everything… but they still do make guys look like idiots- all while providing bulletin board fodder for teams playing games in June.
Even the most competitive teams (read: ones that Tony LaRussa manages) aren’t all that fired up about who they play at this point- good or bad- but when a guy in the other dugout is promising to kick your tail? All bets are off.
You’d like to think that multi-millionaire men in their 30’s aren’t going to take much heed in what some punk says in the middle of May. But these guys are professionals for one reason- they’re really good at focusing. They focused all their life to get to the Majors. They re-focus on the hall of fame while they play. They have trouble creating a focus after baseball for the same reasons… but while they participate in the game you just want to keep your distance, play the low profile- not stir the pot and get them to focus on you.
Why?
Well, to be honest, not that many players can perform when it’s that hot. Nothing against Mr. Bruce or any of the Reds for that matter, but there is only a handful of the A-Rod’s and Pujols’ of the world that can operate under the microscope. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, they ain’t got none.
So it comes to surprise no one that once the ‘guarantee’ was made, it’s been a disaster. Trust me when I say the Cardinals will be ready for the Reds this week in St. Louis.
It’s all they’ve been thinking about.
Topics: Bad Ideas, NL Central, Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Standings, Taunting
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