Congratulations To The 2010 World Series Champions: The Cincinnati Reds

October 29th, 2010 - The Cincinnati Reds completed an amazing four game sweep of the underdog New York Yankees last night to cap a storybook season for the Cincinnati Reds.  The Reds final victory, their 120th of the season, capped a perfect playoff run that saw the Reds finish 11-0, outscoring their opponents 47 -14.

"Our pitching has been amazing all season long, and we peaked during the playoffs!" commented Manager Pete Rose after the victory.  "It's been hard for me being out of the game for so long, but this season makes it all worth it."

After the surprising reinstatement of Rose last year, GM Walt Jocketty knew he had to make the move.  "The team had been underperforming for the past couple seasons, and we felt that Rose could come in a bring an intensity to this team that it has lacked --- and he has!" said Jocketty.

Some argue that Rose didn't have to do much to win with the talent that the Reds team possesses.  Jay Bruce capped finished the regular season as the first NL Triple Crown winner since 1937.  Bruce hit 51 home runs, batted .371, and drove in 168  rbis.  Ironically, Bruce nearly missed the triple crown on the last day of the season, when teammate Joey Votto drove in his 166th rbi to take the league lead.  Bruce responded by hitting a 3-run home run to retake the lead, and the two laughed in the clubhouse in the 6th inning when Rose took Votto out of the game to ensure Bruce the lead for good.

Bruce wasn't the only star this year.  Joey Votto finished the year hitting .331 with 34 home runs and 166 rbis.  Brandon Phillips had another stellar year hitting .298 with 31 home runs and 106 runs batted in.  From top to bottom, the Reds have put up amazing offensive numbers.  The only thing more amazing than the offensive output this season has been their pitching staff.

The Reds starting five has consistently been compared to the Atlanta Braves of the 90's, but in Cincinnati fans argue that isn't a fair comparison.  The Reds staff outperformed the Braves of the 90's, especially in the playoffs.  Take a look at the amazing season of the Reds starters:

Edison Volquez - 1.87 era - 24-5 - Cy Young winner - led league in strikeouts      

Johnny Cueto - 2.33 era - 21-8 - Cy Young runner-up

Darryl Thomson - 2.97 era - 20-6

Aaron Harang - 3.41 era - 18-10 - led league in innings

Homer Bailey - 3.74 era - 16-11

Playoff Stats:

Volquez - 3-0, 0.78 era

Cueto - 3-0, 1.31 era

Thomson - 3-0, 1.81 era

Harang - 3-0, 2.10 era

The question now becomes, how many World Series is this team going to win?  With the young talent signed to long-term contracts, the Reds are in a position to dominate for the next few season.