Cards-Reds: Rivalry Renewed

Baseball fans across the world are starting to take notice of what has been happening between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds in recent history. First there was of course Brandon Phillips running his mouth and then tapping Yadi’s shin guards last season that led to a brawl, sign of respect people on Phillip’s side want you to believe…I think he has made it rather abundantly clear what he thinks of the Cardinals and the city of St. Louis as a whole via Twitter. Tapping a catchers shin guards is seen as a term of endearment in most circles. OOOHH, is that what he was trying to accomplish? I’m gonna call bullshit.

Johnny Cueto cleated Carpenter in the back and Jason LaRue in the head (I am not saying it wasn’t warranted, when you get in these things it happens) and Jason LaRue retired due to post concussion syndrome. It was still dirty and the league suspended everyone involved, managers included (who indeed have a long history of personal hatred already).

Now this past weekend we almost have round three with Francisco Cordero hitting Albert Pujols in the wrist on a 0-2 count. The Cardinals reacted as you would imagine any team with the star player getting plunked on a questionable occasion, if this happend to Joey Votto would they have just sat there, probably not, it’s the Cardinals. I think the ball slipped from Cordero personally, but it’s already in the past. The team was mouthing, he starts mouthing…it’s just a mess.

Now the Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman is calling Chris Carpenter a “Whiner” and mocks Dave Duncan calling him an “Infantile Pitching Coach.”

…is it just me, or do the Reds create this crap so they have something to talk about?

Far be it from me to judge people, but doesn’t Cincinnati have enough problems with loud mouth, no one outside of your vicinity gives a shit about your crap sports already in play? The Bengals have long been known for it. They bring T.O. to play with Ochocinco and now their star quarterback wants out and he is labeled a complainer….can you blame him? Five minutes of that bs I would be looking to fight my way out too.

People are asking why is St. Louis the most hated team in baseball? Really? More than the Yankees or Red Sox? The answer you will probably get is people are tired of Cincinnati already. We are all happy they are finally back on the winning track but they have one good season and these bandwagon fans start jumping out of the bushes and it’s pretty boring. I grew up in STL but live in Jackson, MS….we know a thing or two about band wagon fans (Saints won the Super Bowl remember). I went to an Ole Miss football game in October wearing one of my many Cards hats as per the usual and the “Reds fans” kept trying to take my hat and repeatedly said derogatory things so I just kind of laughed it off and slowly made my way from them. My friend had to kind of step in to lighten the mood, but the minority of the Reds fans that suck speak a little too loud at times.

It’s a part of sports, I get that. Isn’t there a fine line between respectable rivalry and petty bullshit? This series obviously falls on the latter half of the two.

I have nothing against the Reds, I tried to make this post as unbiased as possible. In saying that, I was born and raised in Cardinal red so no matter what I think or say I will probably be criticized for being a homer…whatever. All I am saying is, I am tired of getting emails and comments about the situation. Both sides need to grow the hell up and play some baseball and quit making such a spectacle every time the games are played and treat it like it is, a race for the NL Central.