being a Reds fan

something i have learned and become accustomed to, being a lifelong fan of the cincinnati reds is this:
come october, more likely than not, they'll break your heart.

 

(reds game 1990, the last World Series year)

often it happens long before october. but not this year. no. we clinch the division a few weeks from playoffs. things are looking bright.

we win the first two games in san francisco. spirits are high.

then we head home for what we hope will be a sweep.

and then no sweep. not even a light dusting.

3 games later around 5:15pm on a regular thursday afternoon, there it is. the end of another season. 

until today i had no idea how much i love the reds.

the last 15 minutes of the game i refreshed the gameday screen on my computer more times than i could count. i wasnt even watching the actual game. but my heart was pounding. i couldnt wait for the next pitch to be thrown. they had runners on base at the end of the last 4 innings.

it was so close.

but then.

another season comes to a close.

my heart fell, my head hung low. another season over and no NL championship or world series.

but.

as much as it saddened me, it doesn't matter. bc although they may break your heart year after year, they will be there next spring. looking bright and hopeful. ready for another shot.

and to be a fan of the hometown team isnt about whether they win or lose. it's about the love of the game and the comraderie of the fellow fans.

and the hope that maybe. just maybe. next year is the year.