Dear Bob: A Journey to Cincinnati, Part IV - They really muffed that up!

Let's see, Bob, where was I? It's been a few days since I've been able to write - I've been a little busy with work and all (plus Blogger takes forever to upload photos). Ah, yes, Junior's awesome home run. Well, it wasn't enough. Homer threw a billion pitches, too many of them balls, and the offensive heroics of the game were lost, as they have been so many times this season. (Which reminds me, Bob - have you DFA'd Mike Stinkton yet?) The Reds are 5th in the league in runs scored, not exactly where you'd think a last place team would rank, eh? It's too bad for much of the season we've wasted roster spots with Juan "Manos de suckos" Castro and third catchers.

My point is to ask you - no, to beg you - not to break up the offense. Trade Scotty and Conine - I love them both, but we have Votto and we need to get something for them. Don't trade Dunn or Griffey, ok?

I had my "FIRE NARRON" sign with me on Sunday, too. I'm so glad you saw my sign and granted my wish. If I had known such a sign would give you the message, I would have driven the 8.5 hours to Cincinnati much earlier when the season was still salvagable. I suppose my failure to do so leaves me as much at fault as this year's bullpen or last year's Ryan Franklin, right? (Incidentally, have you seen how good a year Franklin's having? See what happens when you have a manager who knows how to use a bullpen? Consider Franklin "Exhibit A.")

I had been so bummed after Sunday's loss that I wasn't much company after the game, but there was a vintage exhibition game after the loss that temporarily made me forget the pain of this season. The 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings played the Cincinnati Buckeyes, and the outcome was another Reds loss - it figures. It was during this game when I learned they used to call flyballs "skyballs," batters "strikers," and errors "muffs." I decided I'd call the current Reds team the "Muffins."

But you know, Bob? Different players are not the solution to the Reds' defensive woes. You guys brought in one of the best defensive shortstops in the world, and he already has double last season's total number of muffs. Try mandatory fielding practice three times a week - it's sure to relieve defensive indigestion and get rid of that nasty case of the Muffins. Maybe the team will even hit the cutoff man once in awhile.

After the vintage game, Mom and I visited "Pete: The Exhibit." It was the second time I'd been to the Reds Hall of Fame, and both times I got goosebumps going through it. But Bob, this time I felt something different, something I still felt several days later. It hit me when I turned the corner on the second floor and saw divine light raining down on three Holy Grails, those golden gifts from the baseball gods, the World Series trophies.

Bob, have you ever brought Wayne into that room to show him what it really means to be a member of the Cincinnati Reds? Have you brought any Reds players around that corner to see those trophies in all their glory? Do it, Bob. Bring those rookies into that room, make them understand that the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Club is not some small market roster that only exists so large market teams have some opponent to play. Bring those veterans into that room to see the joy of victory enshrined on the bronze faces of the Big Red Machine. Make Bronson understand that 2004 may have been a special year to him, but the Boston Red Sox are no match for the winning tradition of the oldest team in professional baseball.

That's what I felt upon leaving that room, Bob. I felt today's players don't know enough about baseball history. I'm like grumpy old Frank in that regard. I'm sure Mr. Robinson is appalled with the state of baseball as a business as I am, what with ESPN wiping proud small market teams off the map. Remember back in the seventies when the Reds had three or four starters on the All Star team? People knew the Cincinnati Reds then. Why not now? And do the young players think they are just biding their time until they can go play for a "real" team like the Bankees or Red Sox? Do they not know the Reds have won more World Series (5) than every team in baseball but the Bankees (26) and Deadbirds (10) (and technically Boston(6), though we all know they won five of them when most people were still riding horses instead of driving cars.) Bob, you understand the winning tradition of Cincinnati. It's time the nation is given a history lesson. It's time to win again.

We walked over the Purple People Bridge and had a post-game, post-HOF beer, but it wasn't until Sportscenter announced Jerry's dismissal in our hotel room that my mood changed. I woke up Monday refreshed and craving Reds baseball again. Unfortunately, it was an off day, but I saw plenty of the stadium on a B&B Riverboat cruise. I'd always wanted to take one of those and enjoyed the hour-long trip on the Ohio River. I'll leave you with some more photos and finish up my letter with a report on the July 3 game versus San Francisco as soon as I can. Take care, and DON'T TRADE BRONSON.