A new Cincinnati Reds season is upon us

Rejoice!

I’m writing these words immediately after filing my first column of the season for Cincinnati Magazine. This will be my eleventh season covering the Reds for The Mothership. That number — 11 years! — is incredible to me. I’m so grateful to my corporate overlords at The Mag for the freedom they give me to tell the truth* — well, the truth, as I see it, anyway. I’ve never yet made a mistake, but I don’t want to deny the possibility that I may get something wrong one day.

*That’s not common in sports media these days, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.

In my first column, I wrote about the juxtaposition between the excitement many Reds fans are feeling for the 2024 season and the fact that the Reds really did very little to improve the club over the winter. To be honest — and I’ll always be honest with you, devoted reader — as a fan, I don’t know whether I’m actually excited about the upcoming season. This club has beaten me down over the years. Excitement isn’t an emotion I connect with the Cincinnati Reds National League Baseball Club.

But I’m certainly more interested in the 2024 Cincinnati Reds than I’ve been in a long, long time.

I literally don’t know what this team is going to do. As a pundit who trades his words about baseball in exchange for United States legal tender, maybe I shouldn’t admit that. I’m an expert, right? (ESPN literally called me a “baseball expert” once, and I’m going to milk that as long as I can.) But the range of outcomes for this team is as wide as my eyes were the first time I saw Elly De La Cruz play.

It’s kinda wild, actually. There is, unquestionably, a universe where I could see the Reds running away with the NL Central division. Let’s say that Hunter Greene develops into the ace we hoped for, getting the start in the All-Star Game and finishing top-five in Cy Young balloting. Nick Lodolo is healthy all season, and Frankie Montas becomes the best #3 starter in baseball. Elly and Matt McLain take steps forward in their development, becoming the best young middle infield combo in the game. Tyler Stephenson finally delivers on his promise. Reds finish eleven games ahead of St. Louis to capture the division title.

On the other hand, you don’t have to squint to see Cincinnati finishing in fourth place. What if injuries remain a problem? The Reds have better depth than they had last season, but not much more. TJ Friedl led the team in WAR last year, and now he’s broken his wrist with no lineup replacement in sight. The bullpen is banged up. Noelvi Marte is suspended, McLain’s shoulder is giving him problems, Stephenson doesn’t really have a backup, Nick Krall accidentally forgot to acquire another right-handed bat for the outfield.

This is (a) why I love baseball, and (b) why I’m so interested to see what happens with the Redlegs this year. Everything is on the table. We always say that hope springs eternal, but it’s actually true this year. The Cincinnati Reds could win a World Series this year. Or they could be battling with the Pirates to avoid the basement. Or anything in between.

At this point in my life, I will never expect the Reds to be good. They’ve broken my heart too many times. They’ve let me down over and over and over again. I won’t be fooled again.

No, these days, all I ask is that they be interesting. That they hold my attention for a little while. And I feel pretty sure they can deliver on that this season.

That’s not too much to ask, is it?

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This week at Cincinnati Magazine: Reds Fans are Embracing Great Expectations

The sun is shining as I write these words. Birds are chirping, and I hear the neighbor’s dog playfully barking (probably at the squirrel that torments him). Some days, it seems as if spring has already sprung and I’m ready for it. Every year, spring brings optimism for the rest of the year, an excitement for the fun we hope to have for the rest of the year. That’s especially true in baseball.

Ordinarily, spring optimism in Cincinnati can tend to be somewhat muted, thanks to a cynicism that is only natural after three decades of mostly hapless baseball. After last season’s surprising resurgence, fueled by a merry band of budding young stars, things seem a bit different this year. Is it possible that fans can legitimately be excited about Reds baseball again?

This will be my eleventh season covering the Reds here at The Magazine, and there’s a different vibe around this team, unlike anything I’ve seen in that span. (Here’s my first column, lamenting Cincinnati’s putrid offense in 2014. It’s been a tough decade-plus.)  This year, there’s more hope. Higher expectations. We aren’t talking about the Big Red Machine here, but Reds fans have good reason to dream about postseason glory. That’s rare in this town and we should enjoy it while we have it. Read the rest of this week’s Reds column over at Cincinnati Magazine.

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What’s Chad Watching?

First of all, you need to watch Perfect Days. It’s about a toilet cleaner in Tokyo who is perfectly happy with his life. I loved this film unconditionally. The Eternal Memory is also excellent, and very moving. It’s a documentary about the finals years for a couple who have been together 25 years, after one was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Dune: Part Two…well, I can’t say I loved it. But it’s such an incredible spectacle, especially in IMAX. Gorgeous from beginning to end. It’s worth watching on the big screen.

Wonka is kinda trash.