Yes, Christmas. Not because the holiday push is getting earlier and earlier [I saw a guy in Hyde Park setting up Christmas decorations on Monday] but because of the big gift coming my way:The Cincinnati Reds have new ownership.
Uncle Carl has finally decided to sell. And to a group that has invested money in professional baseball franchises. As a result of this news I declare, albeit a tad early:
Rev up the Machine, the Reds are back!
I know that fifteen years without a championship cannot compare to the recent droughts that both the Red and White Sox have broken, but it feels as if it's been eighty years. I was born between two Reds World Championships and, on the verge of fathering a child, would like to share such an experience with him/her [three weeks until we discover boy or girl]. We need a competitive team. You don't buy a professional franchise these days to make money, you do it to win. So I say welcome to the new owners. Please get us some pitching.
Nothing like a little hot stove to keep me warm through the winter.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
*By the way, I've written about the Reds here and here and sorta here.