The Cincinnati Reds have a magic number. Yes they do, they have a magic number. That number is 24.
A magic number is a number that goes down by one each time a team, in this case the Cincinnati Reds, wins or their second place opponent -currently the St. Louis Cardinals - loses. When the magic number reaches one, the Reds will have guaranteed at least a tie to win the division. At the point the Reds magic number bottoms out at zero, it is time to celebrate. A magic number of zero will mean that the Cincinnati Reds have clinched the National League Central.
Upon hearing the Reds magic number mentioned as of late, I can't help but get a bit giddy. The last time I recall discussion of the Reds and their magic number was 1990, the year I graduated high school and the Cincinnati Reds went on to sweep the Oakland Athletics to win the World Series.
The Cincinnati Reds currently have the best record in baseball with a winning percentage of .606. While the Reds spent much of the first half of the season battling back and forth with the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, they have inched ahead since the All-Star break and now hold an eight game lead over St. Louis.
Though the Reds wrap up the season on the road against the Pirates and then the Cardinals, they head into a series this weekend versus the struggling Houston Astros, which will hopefully allow them to pick up a couple more wins.
The Reds have also been without former National League MVP and Gold Glove winning first baseman Joey Votto due to a knee injury since mid-July. Votto has a batting average of .342 so far this year, and as luck may have it he is due to return for the upcoming series against the Astros.
As my dad is fond of saying, "Baseball is a game of numbers." He's right, there are so many numbers we baseball fans keep an eye on - year after year and game after game. The Reds magic number is just one more number to watch, but oh what a fun number it is! And what a joy it is to have one!
Tyler Grote, "Reds Playoff Resume," blogredmachine.comScott Kendrick, "Magic Numbers - How to Derive Baseball's Magic Numbers," baseball.about.com
Major League Baseball Stats, reds.com
Lisa is a married mother of two living in the suburbs of Cincinnati . She is a long-time Reds fans yet was away at college when the 1990 Cincinnati Reds won the World Series and was not able to attend games or celebrate appropriately. She looks forward to the day when the Reds win it all again.
Follow Lisa on Twitter: @lisa0606
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Top Two National League Cy Young Award Contenders - Fan's Take
5 Worst Teams in Major League Baseball in 2012
Cincinnati Reds Top 5 MVPs of 2012
Opening Day in Cincinnati: Fan's Take
Pete Rose and the Hall of Fame: Top Five Reasons He Should Be In It
