If that was the real Homer, we are going to have fun as Reds fans in the next several years

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away called Texass, a boy was born. He was named David after his father, but his family quickly learned that having two Davids in the house was too much, so they took to calling the boy Homer after his grandfather.

Homer was a special lad, a lad who'd been given extra strength in his arm as a gift from the gods. In exchange for the gift, he was tasked with saving Cincinnati Baseball from the throes of market disparity and leading the team back to its winning tradition. It was a high burden for a 21 year old to carry, yet try he did with mixed results.

The devil management sent him to wander the desert after a few starts, and many fools forgot about him. David Dewitt Bailey, Jr. is NOT Brien Taylor, however, but has a future in the Hall of Olympus. Homer came back a couple of weeks before the start of the Holy Month of October, the most holy time in the Baseball religion, and he pitched like a Major League ballplayer - a really good Major League ballplayer. Granted, it was against one of the worst teams in 2007 baseball to a lineup full of rooks and sucks and no Barry, but it was a masterful performance - excluding the first inning, when he was a bit nervous. He settled down and retired 15 in a row at one point. We saw a glimpse of the future last night, a nice, shiny future.

Oh man, am I excited for that future. With a rotation of Harang, Arroyo, and Bailey, and perhaps Maloney and Cueto in the second half, a bullpen with Burton and Bray, and the offense the Reds have now...look out, 2008 NL Central. We're going to eat you for lunch.