3 days, 2 wins.

The last three days have been a glorious blur now that I try to think back on them. Two wins and one loss for the reds this weekend as they faced their divisions number one team, and I have been able to see some great talent in the wake of time off and injuries from other.

The biggest highlight: Nix and Rosales.

I can say I was there the day Rosales hit his first Major League Homer… I can say I was there as I watched him run about 300mph after he did.. I can say I was there to see Laynce Nix simply tear it up both in the field and at the plate. (despite a few strikeouts),.. and to see the infamous steamroll he placed on Kyle Lohse.
Wear to start and how good my memory will do is to be determined.

As I crossed the yellow bridge from Newport into Cincinnati on Friday evening the stadium lights weren’t on yet, which was a bad sign and meant a potential rain delay and a long night of standing in it, dodging it, and overall just waiting it out. It wasn’t incredibly bad though, and once the game got started it was all Reds full on.
Before that though, was my bike ride from uptown to the stadium and as I trucked down 2nd st, the sign of familiar vendors like 5 dollar hat guy and the cheap peanuts guys was nowhere to be found. Did they not have faith that there would be baseball this great rainy evening? The cold rush of well conditioned air flowing up from within the parking garage bit at my skin as I rode the break down the hill to gate 3 and hoped for the best.

What I got was the best, and made the night well worth waiting and then eventually standing through scattered spurts of sprinkles and drizzle. The Reds had simply come alive and were backing up the bullpen to incredible lengths. The Friday night crowd showed up and were great despite the rain. What was even better was being able to see the talent of Nix and Rosales really light up in the wake of recent sickness and injury.

Rosales is like a 5 year old on Christmas morning, to find that bike shaped present under the tree and still wondering what it is as he wildly tears into it. The enthusiasm and fervor in which he plays with, is matched by his presence on the field and at the plate. The fact that theres a player who has a passion for the game and plays it like he doesn’t even care that hes getting paid to do so, is a true testament to the next generation of what major league baseball could be. When he exits the field.. hes trucking it. When he goes on the field.. hes trucking it.. when he gets walked.. hes trucking it.. its like watching your child walk for the first time,.. simply amazing to see.

Laynce Nix,… needs to be an every day site in left field. He does strike out now and then, but when he hits.. HE HITS. Doubles, triples, home runs… RBI’s.. hes a machine.

The sad thing about it is though.. that due to contracts and all that principle stuff,.. when the regulars come back these two great talents will go back to riding the pine, and further.. Rosales will probably go back to Triple A and wait for someone to be traded or go down for the season.

Outside of what took place on the field, there wasn’t much of interest except for another great fireworks display on Friday night (I forgot my camera) and the amazing sellout on Saturday. It was kind of weird because at one point I was looking for my boss and walked past the windows of the waltz business solutions center and spied the crowd waiting to get in when the gates opened.

It really gives you a weird perspective to be there and inside before everyone is let in. the field is big and empty,.. we are playing music and running animation loops.. getting set up.. and workers are rustling around.. but I had never realized what it looks like out front, despite having rode past it on my bike for every game.