Hal McCoy's Reds Preview

At the DDN:

The Cincinnati Reds bandwagon, once known as The Big Red Machine, is so full of supporters right now that the wheels are about to fall off and there is no room for the band.

Winning a National League Central championship after nine straight losing seasons tends to make fans giddy.

It ain’t that easy.

The Reds led the world in runs scored, led the world in two-out run-scoring hits, led the world in running from first to third and Joey Votto was a baseball god.

And the injury bug infested other cities.

Can all that happen again? Of course it can. But be forewarned. Catastrophe lurks just around the next base or on the pitching rubber.

The Reds won’t be sneaking up on anybody this season. The targets on their backs are as big as a full moon, with everybody taking aim.

That said, the Reds are the Central favorites on paper. But games are played on grass and dirt, and it is a grueling 162-game examination.

Taking the over on 89 wins might not have been the best thing to do, but I can live with being optimistic once in a while.  I feel a win coming for Thursday.