Williams: Why New York Yankees series gives Reds fans chance to dream about future
This weekend offers a chance to dream or get depressed.
Your choice, Reds fan.
You get three days of the New York Yankees and their mammoth $280 million payroll at Great American Ball Park against a rebuilding Reds club full of talented young players and promising prospects.
You can watch with an eye toward the future. You can look for glimmers of hope. What if rookie shortstop Matt McLain has a big weekend in his first series at Great American Ball Park? What if Hunter Greene pitches six strong innings in Sunday’s scheduled start?
Perhaps a few flashes of greatness from young players could have you thinking the Reds are on their way to eventually being the National League version of the Tampa Bay Rays. The low-budget Rays, who own baseball’s best record, have consistently been a top rival of the Yankees’ in the AL East.
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Look beyond the wins and losses of a three-game, May series. Maybe the Reds’ young talent will shine enough to give you a little hope that Reds-Yankees might matter in a few years. Maybe someday soon Reds-Yankees will be the World Series matchup, a rematch of the 1976 fall classic.
It's OK. Dream a little.
The last time Reds-Yankees really mattered: Cincinnati won it all with the mostly homegrown talent of the Big Red Machine. The Yankees back then were just entering their big-spending phase, which hasn’t stopped.
Or you could choose to groan and get down about how baseball’s economics have drastically changed since 1976. The Reds have gone back to and won only one World Series (1990). The Yankees have been back 10 times, winning seven titles. You could continue to wallow in anger toward Reds ownership for stripping payroll last year and trying to set up the franchise to compete better long-term in the unbalanced economic system.
You could watch Greene, McLain, Tyler Stephenson, Jonathan India, Alexis Diaz and other rising Reds stars and envision them in future Yankee pinstripes. It’s entirely possible. The reality is if the Reds don’t find a way to consistently win again, they won’t be able to retain even one or two of their top homegrown players come free agency.
The series could also remind you of what might have been had the Reds not passed on drafting Derek Jeter in 1992 and then traded Paul O’Neill to the Yankees later that year.
What fan will you be this weekend? Hopeful? Or bitter?
Big East baseball staying longer
The Big East Conference has entered a five-year contract extension with Mason-based Prasco to continue holding the league’s baseball tournament at the pharmaceutical company’s 1,250-seat Prasco Park. The tournament, held at Prasco Park since 2018, is unique because admission and all-you-can-eat concessions are free.
If you’re looking for something fun to do with your kids or youth baseball team, I highly recommend this event. My buddy and I took our sons to a Xavier tournament game last year, and we had a blast. There’s a kids play area and free ice cream. There’s also a good chance your kid will walk away with some souvenir foul balls. The Big East tourney is scheduled to begin at Prasco Park on Wednesday.
UC-Dayton rivalry coming back
University of Cincinnati and Dayton are finalizing a deal to renew their basketball rivalry this season, according to Collegehoopstoday.com. The game reportedly would be played at Heritage Bank Center, which is where UC and Dayton last played in 2010. The game would have extra intrigue: Former Bearcats coach John Brannen, who was fired by UC in 2021, is on Dayton's coaching staff as a senior special assistant. UC leads the all-time series vs. Dayton, 60-31. The Bearcats and Flyers were briefly in the Great Midwest Conference together, but haven't played regularly since the league dissolved in 1995.
On the move
Look for the Reds' BetMGM Sportsbook to move from Great American Ball Park into the old Galla Park restaurant space at The Banks. The location is at the corner of Joe Nuxhall Way and Second Street across from GABP's main entrance plaza.
Contact columnist Jason Williams by email at jwilliams@enquirer.com and on Twitter @jwilliamscincy.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why New York Yankees series gives Reds fans chance to dream
