Matt’s Take – Cincinnati Reds are in first place; don’t count out Cubs

By Matthew McAdow 
HCP columnist

As I am writing this, the Atlanta Braves have just beaten the Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds have just taken another series from the Dodgers. Cincinnati has played quite well against the Dodgers this season, and they continue to show that this small-market team can hang with anyone.  

I am currently at the beach, and I have been amazed at the amount of Bengals and Reds apparel surrounding South Carolina. The city of Cincinnati is becoming increasingly popular in the sports world and it is great to see many kids embrace what is happening with the two favorite local sports teams.

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Trade deadline

I am sure I will send out my column for this week and immediately a trade will happen, but at the current time, Cincinnati has yet to manage to make a trade – and I can’t say that I am upset. I like what is happening, and I like that Nick Krall is not willing to damage the future for a one-time playoff run.  

Cincinnati has a loaded system right now and pitchers are costly this year. If you want to acquire a pitcher before Aug. 1, you have to be willing to get rid of young talent. Unless something truly makes sense for Cincinnati’s future, then I expect we will run with the roster that we currently have. I wouldn’t, however, be shocked if the Reds made a trade for a smaller-named left-handed relief pitcher, as they can’t expect Young to continue at the pace that he has.  

Outside of the bullpen, though, Greene and Lodolo are looking at late August comebacks if everything goes well, which is more than enough for this team to make a playoff run if health remains on their side. There were many rumors that Jonathan India was going to be traded, but with a stint on the Reds injured list with plantar fasciitis, I can’t expect that Cincinnati would receive what they would like in return.  

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Don’t count out the Cubs

While many people including myself are checking in each day to see what the Brewers are doing, I believe we also need to start scoreboard watching the Cubs. Chicago has went on a huge run and has won 8 of their last 10. Three teams in the National League Central now have winning records and the division is truly up for grabs. This four-game series against Chicago is a big one, just as we enter August baseball.  

Next 4 opponents for each team:

Reds – Cubs, Nationals, Marlins, Pirates
Brewers – Nationals, Pirates, Rockies, White Sox
Cubs – Reds, Braves, Mets, Blue Jays…(Yikes)

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Baseball is back

I remember for the longest time when I worked in the schools while I was in college, I would ask some kids if they liked baseball. At the time, Mike Trout was probably the biggest name in baseball, yet nobody knew who he was. With the new rules, the MLB truly hit a “home run” as statistics clearly show that it has made the game more entertaining.  

This past Saturday, the crowd average for all of baseball was 38,858. That is the highest average since 2013. On a local level, the Reds have certainly seen this increase as well and it is great to see the park filled in comparison to the beginning of the year. Baseball may be America’s pastime, but it is increasingly becoming America’s identity yet again.  

Jerry Seinfeld previously stated “If you want to kite surf down the Amazon, go ahead. I’m going to crack open a beer and watch a ballgame. When I think of retirement, all I would think of is going to a baseball game every day.”  

My retirement plans seem to look a lot like Jerry’s.  

Matthew McAdow is a graduate of Ohio Christian University. He lives in Peebles.