The buzz remained.
No, Jay Bruce may not be the savior of Cincinnati baseball. He may beam as bright as the North Star in the here and now, only to vanish into obscurity by the time a new hype for a new hope has begun to stir in the lower rungs of rookie ball in Billings, Montana. Perhaps his peak came and left Great American Ballpark Tuesday night swiftly and discreetly. But as natural as this pessimism of a beleaguered Reds fan may be, Jay Bruce isn’t going anywhere. There is no “worst case scenario.”
Jay Bruce is already great because catcher Dave Ross gave him a double serving of Barbasol pie to the face following his 3-3 debut that exceeded expectations which were already exorbitant.
The next night, Ross was more than a prankster. He cranked a two-run bomb in the midst of a first inning that saw Cincinnati bat around and hang a six spot on Pittsburgh’s Tom Gorzelanny, who was sent off before he could retire a side that, up to this point, has been less than electric.Normally, it would be up to Bronson Arroyo to protect the lead, because normally, the pitcher is the only man playing defense for Cincinnati. Not on this night.
Adam Dunn made a sliding catch. Edwin Encarnacion managed to backhand a grounder down the line and fire a rocket every bit of 130 feet that not only managed to remain in the field of play, but found its way into Joey Votto’s glove.
I had to look out the window to make sure the sky wasn’t turned a shade of blood red unlike any I had ever seen. I had to consult apocalyptic texts to make sure something funky wasn’t going on.
All clear.
All Jay Bruce.
This is what happens when baseball teams are infused with youth. Attitudes change. The game becomes more enjoyable for all participants. Eyes in the batter’s box become more discerning. There’s extra pep to a baserunner’s step. There’s a quicker jump to pursue a fly ball.
Young talent invigorates the stalling older folks. Guys like Ken Griffey have someone to mentor. Guys like Adam Dunn have someone to playfully shoulder shimmy on the way back to the dugout.
Guys like Dave Ross have something to do with his emergency supply of shaving cream. And it’s no coincidence that the Reds aren’t alone. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have never won more than 70 games in a season since their inception in 1998. Big names like Greg Vaughn and Fred McGriff couldn’t anchor the team in its infancy. When current Cubs manager Lou Piniella sat at the helm from 2003 to 2005, the ship was never close to being righted. Through all of the struggles—more like all of the embarrassment, really—the Rays never panicked. They never sold off their youth. Now, they are being rewarded.
These following five names may mean nothing to you. But if you haven’t heard of B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, Scott Kazmir, and James Shields, I implore you to look them up. They lead a team who might as well tuck their jerseys into Pull-Ups instead of pants. All five men are 26 or younger. All five men bring energy and vigor to franchise devoid of such characteristics since Opening Day, 1998. Tampa Bay’s future is secure because their youth is leading the way. At 32-22, they’re better than the $1 billion payroll of the Yankees. They run neck-and-neck with the Red Sox who, not surprisingly, share many of the same youthful roster traits (Jon Lester and the no-hitter, anyone?). Baseball, especially at the highest level, is a game that requires something fresh in both the clubhouse and on the field. A 162 game grind can become stale. It can become monotonous for the fans. It can become taxing for the players. But the breaths of fresh air that accompany the aura of youth dispel the widely-held belief in many circles that baseball is a “boring” game.
Ask Jay Bruce what he thinks about that. Ask B.J. Upton and his Rays teammates. They will surely agree.
Young is fun.
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