They were cornered, and yet cocky, like the 101st Airborne at Bastogne, like Butch and Sundance in Bolivia. And then, at last, they went out to prove their worth and prolong their season with a 7-1 blitz of the Milwaukee Brewers. Maybe it all ends now, with today's wild-card playoff with the New York Mets. Maybe 96 Reds victories begets only 96 tears. Jack McKeon's roster of reclamation projects and kids, built on a budget that amounts to tip money in New York, has broken the monotony of postseason baseball.
Money still matters, but no longer exclusively.
Here was Pete Harnisch, formerly of the scrap heap, taking a shutout into the sixth inning with a shoulder that could have shelved him months ago. Here was Pokey Reese, finishing his first season at second base, dancing around the puddles as gracefully as Gene Kelly. Here was Greg Vaughn, Mr. September, taking all the tension out of an October night with a three-run homer. On balance, the weekend did not go well. The Reds reached Milwaukee with a shot at a division title and a chance for a clear-cut playoff clinching.