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Rolen's error in 10th, was the beginning of the end for the
Red's 2012 postseason run. |
Just like that, its all over. The Reds, who once held a 2-0 lead in their NLDS series with the Giants, lost three straight home games, to watch their season come to an end. Ironically, it was the 1st-time all season that the Reds dropped three-in-a-row at home. Fifty home wins, tied for the most in all of baseball, didn't amount to anything in this series. After going out west and impressively winning the 1st two in San Francisco, the Reds were unable to win JUST ONE of the next three games in the Queen City. Ninety-Seven wins, the most by a Reds club since the Big Red Machine days, all for not, as the Reds fail to win their first home postseason game/series in over 17 years. The Reds, with their best chance to return to the World Series, since winning it all in 1990, collapsed in front of their home fans the past three days. I was in attendance for Game 4, a 8-3 defeat, and watched in person as the Reds let their season and hopes of a World Series Championship slip away. Now what? With a number of current key roster players signed for the foreseeable future, the Reds have a chance to put together another run in the seasons to come. However, after following up their 2010 postseason run, with a disappointing 2011 season, it's not always a guarantee that they will make it back year in & year out. Let's hope the Reds can recover from this 2012 postseason collapse, and go for it again in 2013. Time for a change at the helm?
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Terry Francona is the 45th manager in the history of
the Cleveland Indians. |
Well, that was quick. On Monday, the Cleveland Indians named 2-time World Series Champion manager, Terry Francona as their 45th manager in the clubs history. Francona, 53, was the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997-2000, where he had a record of 285-363 (.440) and guided the Phillies to no better then a 3rd place finish in the division in his time in the City of Brotherly Love. Francona, spent the 2001 season as a special assistant to the GM in the Indians organization. A couple stints as bench coach with the Rangers (2002) and A's (2003), Francona took over the managerial position of the Boston Red Sox in 2004. In his 8-year run in Boston, Francona ended the Red Sox 86-year drought, when they won the World Series in his 1st season, followed again in 2007 when they won it all. Francona record with the Red Sox, 744-552 (.574) two-time World Series Champion and one AL East crown. To end another long World Series drought (Indians haven't won one since 1948), Francona will have to change the mindset of a franchise that was been reeling the past few seasons. He has said that he would like to "stick around", for that to happen the Indians need to start producing, and ending a postseason drought that dates back to the 2007 season. Hey! Francona, brought happy dreams to a franchise after 86-years, how hard could it be to end this 64-year nightmare.
Browns Note:
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Browns look to split the season-series vs. their in-state
AFC North rivals, Bengals. |
The Browns (0-5) face the Bengals (3-2) on Sunday afternoon (1PM, CBS) in search of ending a number of dreadful streaks. The first being their 11-game losing streak dating all the way back to Week 12 of the 2011 season, when ironically they dropped a 23-20 game to the Bengals down in Cincinnati. One more loss would set a franchise-record for most consecutive losses. Another streak they look to end is the 12-game losing streak to AFC North opponents. The last divisional win came way back on Oct. 3, 2012 (Week 4) when the Browns defeated you guessed it, the Bengals, 23 to 20 in Cleveland. The Bengals have won the last four meetings by a combined score of 22 points (with three of those games by 7 points or less; two games by 3 points or less). The Browns have been in every game so far this season, but unfortunately have had a costly mistake or inability to make the "winning" plays to get themselves in the win column. The Browns will get back DB Joe Haden, after suffering a 4-game suspension handed out by the NFL for a failed drug test. In Haden's absent, the Browns secondary has allowed 10 passing touchdowns, and have looked anything but caliber NFL DB's. In the first meeting this season back in Week 2, the Bengals beat the Browns, 34 to 27, in a game that saw both teams contribute a number of long scoring plays, with the biggest coming on a punt return of 81-yards by Adam Jones. The last time the Browns ended a 11-game losing skid, way back on November 23, 1975 in a 35 to 23 victory over...yes...the Cincinnati Bengals. Will history be repeated come Sunday afternoon.
Urban Renewal for week 7 will have a discussion on another entertaining week of college football, a Buckeyes/Hoosiers Game preview, along with a number of predictions/picks for this week in college football.
