Season Opening Three Up/Three Down

Here we are two games in and we are two-and-oh with a storybook Opening Day victory and what I can best describe as a very complete win tonight. It’s late so I will go right into the ups and downs of these first glorious days of baseball.

Three Up

• Reds Fans– Opening Day is the day for Reds fans but through the first two games of the season it appears that NL Central title has awoken the Reds fans from their doldrums. For opening day, 42,398 fans turned the stalls to see Ramon Hernandez walk it off in style. In turn, Reds fans lapped up tickets for today’s game. A turnout of 37,976 attended making it the most attended second game of the season for the Reds in 17 years. It’s been said that a key to continued success for the team going forward is increased fan support and attendance and Reds fans have shown that if the product is there that they will most definitely support it.
• Travis Wood– Wood posted a really impressive veteran performance tonight with 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 7 K, 0 BB. All that in 83 pitches! Impeccable control and efficiency along with early offensive production from Scott Rolen et al. made it able for Wood to settle in and cruise. If we can come to see this kind of performance from Wood things could get really interesting.
• Ramon Hernandez– Enough said.

Three Down

• Francisco Cordero– It pains me to put him here because I don’t want to pile on and I know to expect it but Cordero does make it interesting. CoCo got the save tonight despite giving up 2 hits and a run and needing a diving play from Edgar Renteria to save some more hurt. They are never pretty but as long as they keep pilin’ up…
• Shawn Marcum– The part two to the Brewers crown jewel offseason acquisitions came out flat against the Reds. Only going 4.2 innings, Marcum was wild throughout issuing 5 BB to go with 4 runs (3 earned). Especially in the absence of the injured Zack Greinke, the Brewers need their other big-time catch to step up if they plan on making all the offseason hype anything but.
• Reds Relegation– What do I mean? Well, Steve put it best in his post after the Opening Day win but I feel it bears another once over. In a sport where tradition and lore is supposed to mean more, the oldest team and the city where Opening Day really is a holiday and is taken wholly to heart by each and every fan gets the shaft. Instead of Cincinnati being the true starting point for baseball in America, that distinct honor is given to the almighty Dollar….err…Yankees. Steve gets into some finer points and opinions in his piece and if you’ve not read it I urge you to. I just wanted to give a bit or two on it of my own.

So there we go. Opening Day is through and we are two games into another beautiful baseball season. The Reds are undefeated and stand atop the division with their first 2-0 start since 2005. It’s good to be a Red.