The “Let’s try to stay on course here” Reds Fan.

Last year’s season for the Reds seemed to come unexpected from the pleasant surprise Reds fans received in 2010.  Although their 79-83 season may have come unexpected, it was certainly not unfamiliar.  Before the Red’s faced off in a real Red October match-up with the Phillies in 2010, in which they were quietly swept back into the chairs they had been occupying for the previous 15 seasons, they hadn’t seen the post-season since 1995.

After that season Reds fans had grown pretty accustomed to 70 win seasons, until 2010 and Joey Votto.  His close-encounter performance for the triple-crown earned him the N.L. MVP award, the Reds first playoff appearance in a decade and half, and the temporary delight of a more promising baseball team than football team for the city of Cincinnati.

A glimpse in 2010 is all they would get though.  The team went right back to its familiar middle of the N.L. Central pack and under .500 season in 2011.  Not at the expense of Votto however, who seemed to mount somewhat identical numbers to his MVP season.  Just going to show one player’s impact doesn’t entirely impact the team’s outcome, yet it may have a significant influence.  Something which none of the Reds five starting pitching cast where really able to provide consistently throughout the season.

That could change in 2012 for the Reds though.  Upgrading the starting and supporting pitching cast has been their main focal point this off-season.  With the Padres ace in the hole, Matt “I’m worth every Penny” Latos coming over to join the starting cast, Red fans might see a different influence coming from the pitching staff.  Latos comes at a farm-breaking price, as the Reds had to deal 4 players, including two promising young bucks, to get him.  They’ve also add a viable supporter, Sean Marshall, who carried a 2.26 ERA coming out of their old divisional foe’s Ivy covered bullpen. 

With these pitching cast improvements, another almost triple-crown season from Votto, continued support from Phillips and Bruce, and the lack of Pujols (and possibly Fielder) in the division, look for the Reds to be a sound contender in the N.L. Central in 2012.