Guestblog: Things Gotta Get Worse, 'Fore They Get Better

My baby brother Bradley is back, guestposting about the Cincinnati Reds this time. Lawd knows I can't do sports. Thank you, Bradley!

So now that we've had some time to cool off from the heartbreaking loss of Opening Day, I figured it would be a good time to look into the Cincinnati Reds franchise and get a little insight into what's been going on and what to look forward to.

I wish, however, that my optimism for the 2010 season could be proven by something a little more tangible, and not by just an unwavering pride for our Cincinnati sports teams. Let's be honest, it's getting harder to get excited for each season when our last playoff berth seem so distant. Hell, I'm young enough to have never even seen either of our major league teams in the position to win the national title. So excuse me if I'm a little past of the point of blowing smoke up your asses.

The way I see it, the Reds are in no chance to win the World Series this year. The sooner we come to that inevitable realization the better, and the sooner we can get to assessing what needs to be fixed in the organization, and what cuts can be cut.

We had a productive off-season for this kinda thing, albeit pretty tame for what I figured would happen. Walt Jocketty, a promising new general manager in the organization. Dumping Willy Taveras was good, and he somehow kept Aroldis Chapman out of the hands of any team with a significant amount of money. Adding Orlando Cabrera was a smart move too, and it's hard to knock Walt's ability to strengthen the team's farming.

But Jocketty's steal of Aroldis Chapman is a terrific metaphor of the Reds in 2010. Capman's fastball has been clocked at over 100 miles per hour, with a deadly accuracy. But that 100mph fastball isn't on the field yet, striking out batters. So with this amazing talent comes the time it takes to groom players to be winners for our team. The Bengals face a similar struggle with such an odd blend of rookies and veterans... both of which need to stay healthy, and both of which need time.

And isn't that what it all boils down to? Sports writers always sound like such a broken record when they say a team needs to stay healthy to win. That's a given, because consistency is the only chance teams have to win. Lucky for us, Dusty understands this, even if he does wear out pitchers.

So the aforementioned realization needs to occur sooner than usual. We're not going to be laying down any playoff wins within the next few years. Games we do win will be hard-fought in the extra innings. Off-season moves will be crucial now more than ever, and a back-to-basics attitude will have to be instilled into this team's rookies if we want a healthy development in our Cincinnati Reds.

So what to look forward to?

Look forward to some close, exciting games. This Reds team has a ways to go before it's a fierce competitor in the league, but that doesn't mean we'll just see a change overnight. As the team gets better, so will our whole ball-club, translating into a thirst for victory. Once these guys click and see their hustle brings home a win: games we "should've won" will get fewer and fewer.

Joey Votto is also deserving of some love for our 2010 season. Coming off a multitude of injuries, Votto looks to make a return to form, as he promises he's fulled healed. Gotta love that guy.

Jay Bruce will have a breakout season, as it's important to keep in mind this guy's only 23: we've got a long and fantastic relationship ahead of us with this guy. He's a crowd pleaser, he's a high-energy player, and he's what'll ignite our offense if can have an have even a decent season.

So with a whole roster of talented players, the Reds are on track to put together a future team, not just a season. And with each game, win or lose, comes the hunger for improvement and to bring the Commissioner's Trophy to its rightful home in Cincinnati.