It’s the
statement I’ve been seeing more and more on my Facebook feed…
I am so
done with the Reds.
And it’s
an understandable statement considering what’s transpired in recent weeks. The
trade of Todd Frazier was a huge blow. Although I’d say he only received the
third biggest ovation at Redsfest (behind Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips), Frazier
had in a lot of ways become the face of the franchise. His triumphant Home Run
Derby moment was the centerpiece of Redsfest. It was all over the posters and
all over the Kids Zone, as Frazier had once again been named the captain of the
Reds Heads kids club.
All of
us in the Duke Energy Convention Center on that Friday night watching the team
get introduced knew that this was the last time we would see all of these
players together as a team. But I’m not sure any of us really believed Frazier
would be traded.
I know
no one expected Brandon Phillips’ entrance on a hoverboard to be his last
entrance as a Red. It wasn’t—at least not yet—but just the thought of BP
playing somewhere else was enough to drive away many Reds fans.
And the
carnage is not over. Jay Bruce is likely to be gone at any moment. Aroldis
Chapman will be gone as soon as MLB makes a decision about his fate. And
Phillips could still go if he finds a deal more to his liking.
There’s
no doubt that the 2016 season will be a rough one. As will the season after
that and the season after that. And probably the season after that. So the
question must be asked:
Should
Reds fans throw in the towel and find another team to root for?
I
actually got into this very debate on Twitter with a local sportswriter. His
argument was that the Reds are a sinking ship and it’s time to jump off. That
makes sense and is completely understandable. But I cannot agree with his
argument.
I
believe when you choose a team to root for, you make a commitment to that team.
You invest not only your love, but your time, your money and your
wall/shelf/closet space. If you’re a true fan, you can’t just root for a team
during the good times. You have to be there through the bad times too.
There
are those who would argue that the Reds broke their part of the commitment when
they started putting fan favorites on the market. But the truth is they’re
doing what they need to do to get back to where they need to be. It’s very easy
to forget sometimes that baseball is a business. That stinks and it can be very
tough, but at the end of the day, it is what it is and there’s not much we can
do about it.
So back
to the question. Should Reds fans throw in the towel and find another team? My
answer is a resounding no. If you love the Reds, you’ll stick by them, no
matter how rough it may get. And at some point somewhere, somehow, your loyalty
will be rewarded.
I have
no intention of turning my back on my team and I encourage all of you to join
with me. The Reds will need all the love they can get.
Photo by Angela Henderson-Bentley. 2015 Redsfest Team Introductions.
