It's Dusty in Cincinni

Playoff News: The Rockies are heading to the World Series after they completed a sweep of Arizona this week. Did anyone predict this? To me, the Rockies came out of left field, so to speak, and have been on a run that no one could have imagined. For as easily as the D'backs rolled over the Cubs, the Rockies did the same to them. I was rooting for Arizona so I could say that the Cubs lost to a team who made it into the World Series, making me feel better about my team being kicked out of the playoffs. Sadly, this didn't happen and now all I can do is root for Cleveland. Why? Why not.

Transactions: If anyone cares, the Cubs promoted Jay Blunk to vice president of marketing and broadcasting, Oneri Fleita to vice president of player personnel, Mark O'Neal to director of athletic training, Carl Rice to senior director of information systems and Jenny Surma to senior director of human resources. If you know who any of those people are, then great, I hope you are happy about the changes. I'm more interested in the Reds making Dusty Baker their new manager.

Of course, Baker was once the manager for the Cubs. The Chicago Cubs were 67-95 in 2002, and with Baker at the helm the next season compiled an 88-74 record, winning the National League Central and getting within five outs of the World Series. Does his appointment mean that the Reds will become a force to be reckoned with next season? Cincinnati hasn't had a winning season since 2000 and Baker is ready to turn this around.

"I'm excited about coming here to try to re-establish the winning attitude and winning feeling I've always known Cincinnati to have," said Baker. "I'm in a situation where I wanted to get back on the field, I wanted to be in a situation where I had a chance to win, losing eats me up on the inside like you wouldn't believe. I'm used to winning and being on top. We're going to try to change things," said Baker.

I know this sounds blasphemous but I like the Reds. They are in the NL Central, like the Cubs, and I should hate them with enough passion to make me red in the face. But they are a respectable ball club with distinguished players (Freel, Dunn, Griffey, Jr.) and their fans are always behind them 100%. I've even been to the Great American Ball Park and have seen first hand the energy and devotion that fills the stadium. I even own a Ryan Freel t-shirt. Call me crazy or call me stupid, but I like the Reds. If the appointment of Dusty Baker means that the Reds will begin to rebuild their program and develop into a team that can win games consistently, than I'm all for it. I'd rather watch Cincinnati and Chicago battling for first place in the NL Central than I would any other two teams. But lets not get carried away. My loyalties continue to be with the Cubbies and that fact will never change. I just hope, for the fans' sake, that D. Baker can turn things around for Cincinnati.