One of my fondest memories as a kid was going to see the powerhouse Reds play the Braves at Milwaukee County Stadium. Back then the Reds looked unbeatable — at least for a year. They had a great frontline pitching staff: Jim O’Toole, Jim Maloney, Joey Jay and Bob Purkey. Maloney was my favorite. This guy looked like King Kong; he had a lot of zip on his fastball and an outside-the-strike-zone curve. His fastball was clocked at 99 mph; he was a strikeout machine. This was when they played lots of doubleheaders and in the first game of one of these (it was in 1964, as I recall) Maloney came to the plate with the bases loaded. No one expected anything: this guy was a slub at the plate. He hit a grand slam on the third pitch. I remember it like it was yesterday: it was a rocket into the left field bleachers. I was sitting along the first base line and you could have heard a pin drop. It was mid-August and the Braves were in the race; but not after that. He took the air out. You could just feel it. That was okay with me. 

For about five seasons Maloney was one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he’s all but forgotten now — overawed by the legends of his time: Gibson, Koufax and Drysdale. Then too, the best part of the Redlegs ballclub was not Maloney, but their outfield: Tommy Harper, Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson. Pete Rose played second. This was (obviously) before Robinson was shipped to Baltimore for Milt Pappas – an infamous trade that left Cincinnati fans screaming for revenge. The Reds recovered and rebuilt and became the “Big Red Machine” of the early 1970s. But that was then; we’re now a long ways from that. In the 1980s the Big Red Machine morphed into the Ohio River Doormats. Even since then, with the exception of one year, the once-proud ballclub and one-time flagship of the NL (they’re the oldest professional team in the game) has struggled: the last time the Reds were in the playoffs was 1995. For a while there it seemed almost as if no one in Cincy’s front office cared.

Cincinnati fans know all this: a variety of Reds blogs note the disturbing lack of fan interest and the dropping attendance, a problem that has not been solved by the construction of the Great American Ballpark or the hiring of Dusty Baker. The drop in attendance is surprising because the Reds are starting to build a contender. They’re tied with the Cubs for third place in the NL Central, just three-and-a-half games behind the Brewers. Cincinnati Reds Blog tallies up the Redleg’s successes, which includes a stable starting five: Johnny Cueto (one of the best young pitchers in the game) Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Edinson Volquez (who could be great), and Micah Owings. The closer is Francisco Cordero (and what we wouldn’t give for him). The Reds’ front office has added Dusty Baker as the manager and the players like him. But eventually, and inevitably, Baker will be a problem. He connects well with his players, but he throws his pitchers hard. Cubs fans blame him for the breakdown of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. There’s something to that. Dusty is the reason I refer to Cincinnati as “the place where arms go to die.” Even now, Edinson Volquez (a wunderkind) is complaining of right elbow tendenitis, a sure sign Dusty’s ignoring his pitch count.  

The Reds most valued nuggets, however, are their young hitters: first baseman Joey Votto and outfielders Jay Bruce and Chris Dickerson. Dickerson’s a Houdini with the glove – this past weekend he turned in two gems against the Cubs, saving the Reds from an embarrassing sweep. But there are problems. There’s a hole at shortstop and the pitching staff could use another top starter. Micah Owings is being Micah Owings — a puzzle on the mound. Most recently, Joey Votto, who has been DL’d for ”stress related issues” (it seems to be going around) has been the talk of the Red blogosphere, with some fans saying Votto should “man up,” while others plead for patience. The debate is covered best by Redleg Nation. No one seems to know what’s wrong, but Cincy fans are hoping for the best: Votto is slotted as one of the team’s future stars and they need his bat.

The Reds open a three game set at Nationals Park tonight. They will start with Cueto (facing Zimmermann), followed by Harang vs. Detwiler and Owings against Martis. My bet is this will be a lot like the series with the McCoveys, because the Reds are about in the same place in their rebuilding process. They’re a mix of old veterans on their way out, mixed with some exciting young players. They play like that. One day they’re fiery and tough (like the Jim Maloney Reds), the next day they’re the Ohio River Doormats.