MLB

The Cincinnati Reds really haven't been very good for a while now.

They seem like a franchise that is always rebuilding, yet never contending. A perennial cellar-dweller in one of baseball's most competitive divisions.

But fans in Cincinnati are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. A young lineup core with Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips are one of the most under-rated trio's in the major leagues.

Johnny Cueto and Edison Volquez are brilliant young studs that can anchor a rotation for years to come.

I have always been a fan of the New York Yankees. I loved them through the dynasty, through the early 2000s, and I still love them today. But sometimes you just get frustrated with an organization, especially one that is inarguably the greatest franchise in all of sports.

Yesterday's win against the Phillies epitomizes everything that is right with the Yankees and yet everything that is wrong with them. This is a star-powered offense that can't hit for eight innings, but breaks out against none other than Brad Lidge.

With the San Diego Padres in the midst of an eight game win streak and doing so without a few key parts, how much better could this team really get once they get these parts back.

We'll look at the injuries to Cliff Floyd, Everth Cabrera, Mike Adams and a few others and realize that this team is winning and once they get a few of these players back from injury, they could really contend in the NL West.

They get stronger with Mike Adams in the bullpen, they get faster with the return of Everth Cabrera and they get stronger with the bat of Cliff Floyd.

Add Francisco Rodriguez to the list of decommissioned Mets—however temporarily.

The closer left Saturday night’s game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park with back spasms. He collapsed and was sent to the hospital.

This is starting to get ridiculous. One of the guys who seemed impervious to pain, K-Rod just broke down.

The last time the Phillies faced CC Sabathia, outside of spring training, Brett Myers was starting the defining moment of the 2008 National League Division Series, the first time that I thought to myself, "This is the year."

The Dodgers found yet another way to win Saturday night when down by a few late. As they've done earlier in the season, it was their patience at the plate that paid off.

Juan Pierre's bases loaded walk scored Matt Kemp, and the Dodgers overcame a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Angles in 10 innings, 5-4. With the win, the Dodgers are the first team in baseball to reach the 30-win mark.

Both teams played to a standstill the first 4 innings. Russell Martin hit and RBI double in the second to go up 1-0, but Juan Rivera's solo homer in the fourth tied it up.

No one really expected to Brad Lidge to be perfect again in 2009. In fact, I heard some fans say they hope he blows his first save opportunity to put the streak behind him and concentrate more on helping the team repeat as World Champions.

Lidge broke the streak and now has blown three saves. What is more concerning is that he seems to have no command on his pitches and the question of his knee keeps arising.

To say I’m a big Cincinnati Reds fan would be the understatement of the century, albeit this century is still relatively young. Cut me, and I’ll bleed Cincy Red.

My love affair with the boys in red started around the same time when many around the country also became enamored with them.

In the early ‘70s, I jumped on the bandwagon powered by the Big Red Machine. The Reds of that era were a high-octane juggernaut, sparked by household names like Bench, Rose, Morgan, Perez, and Foster.

The Philadelphia Phillies are a quarter of the way through their defense of their World Series championship.  Thus far, through the accolades and mourning, this Phillies team has proven to be as strong as the team that brought home the title in 2008.