Cincinnati Reds: @DatDudeBP One of the Few Bright Spots in Disappointing Season

The number one priority for the Cincinnati Reds and general manager Walt Jocketty as the offseason approaches needs to be to resign All-Star second baseman Brandon Phillips. 

@DatDudeBP, as he is more commonly known by his Twitter followers, is not only the most valuable player on the team, but also the best second baseman in the game. 

Phillips just turned 30 less than three months ago and is having one of the best seasons of his career. 

While the numbers are spectacular: .295 average, .344 on-base percentage, 12 home runs, 74 RBI's, 81 runs scored and 34 doubles, they do not even begin to describe what he means to this ball club.

Phillips started the year batting in the number two hole, a spot he is well suited for with his speed and ability to control the bat.

When cleanup hitter Scott Rolen went on the disabled list, manager Dusty Baker moved Phillips into that spot. @DatDudeBP excelled there and when youngster and leadoff hitter Drew Stubbs continued to struggle putting the bat on the ball, Phillips volunteered to move to the leadoff spot.

Since moving to the leadoff spot, he has taken off and raised his average from .283 to .295 for the season.

He has also begun to show his speed on the base paths. Resigning him as the leadoff hitter for 2012 and the years to come is a must if the Reds want to return to the playoffs in the near future. 

Phillips has come a long way since the Cleveland Indians gave up on him in 2006. He has grown and matured both on and off the field and has turned into the best defensive second baseman in the game.

Reds Hall-of-Fame announcer Marty Brennaman is never afraid to call out Reds players, but he has only high praises for the defense of Phillips at second base.

"He's the best I've ever seen with any team," Brennaman said. 

Dat Dude is in line to win his third gold glove this season and was also an All-Star for the second consecutive year. 

Phillips also brings a little bit of swagger to a team that quite frankly could use some.  

His comments about the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010 did not sit well with catcher Yadier Molina and pitcher Chris Carpenter. Then again nothing ever really does with those guys. 

St. Louis now boos him every time he steps to the plate at Busch Stadium. 

But Phillips loves to hear those boos. It motivates him and no player on the Reds roster comes up more in the bigger games than Phillips.

I believe Phillips would enjoy spending the rest of his career in Cincinanti. Phillips travels around in the Reds Caravan during the offseason, visiting fans from neighboring states even though it is often meant for younger players and he is not obligated to go. 

He loves the city of Cincinnati and loves being a Cincinnati Red. 

@DatDudeBP is still relatively new to the world of Twitter, but after listening to former Cincinnati Bengals superstar Chad Ochocinco, Phillips joined up and already has 150,000 followers. He is certainly one of the most entertaining athletes to follow, especially if you want to win free prizes and go on all expenses paid trips.  

While Phillips has just started to become a household name around the country over the past two years, he has been doing his thing at second base for the Reds for over half a decade. Keeping him around for the next five years is a must for a team on the brink of contending for a World Series title.

Wouldn't you agree Walk, Dusty...?

In case you haven't caught on, you can follow Brandon Phillips on Twitter @DatDudeBP

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