The last time the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds were in the playoffs at the same time, it was 1995.
While we were rolling around in diapers and drooling on our bibs, Kenny Lofton and Barry Larkin were taking the diamond, chasing the World Series.
It has been a while since both Ohio teams have been at the top of the majors at the same time. The Indians enjoyed some success in the mid 2000’s, and recently the Reds have won the division in 2010 and 2012.
As of Sept. 28, both teams are gearing up to start the road to win the trophy that has not been in the state of Ohio in twenty-three years.
Ohio sports haven’t been the best thing to watch for fans in the past. The city of Cleveland has had its issues with the Browns, Indians and of course Lebron and the Cavaliers. Cincinnati has had their days of the “Bungals” and the recent years of disappointment with the Reds having the best record baseball and being the victim of early round exits.
The Reds have the super star power with Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto. They have been at the doorstep for a couple of years now but have not been able to seal the deal. Will the Reds have the firepower this year to represent the National League in the World Series?
GQ has rated Cleveland and their Indians this past week as the worst sports franchise in all of sports. But, with the Indians so close of clinching they may silence the critics. Unlike the Reds, the Indians do not have the star players but are led by veteran, and Ohio native Nick Swisher.
The playoffs start on Tuesday, Oct. 1 with the NL Wild Card and the AL Wild Card start Wednesday, Oct. 2. Both teams are hoping to make their fan bases happy and bring home some hardware.
