The Cincinnati Reds have already accomplished more than what the vast majority of baseball pundits and observers ever thought possible: They have reached the postseason with a team that represents a city that is also often overlooked.

It’s easy to see why. The Reds aren’t exactly a team made up of highly paid superstars, and when you look at their roaster objectively, it simply isn’t all that impressive compared to other playoff participants. Despite the odds, here they are, and the club is still not getting much respect.

Really though, why should they? At first glance, when one analyzes the challenge they’re facing in the National League Wild Card Series that began on Tuesday night in Los Angeles (LA), the task appears impossible.

The defending world champion, the Los Angeles Dodgers, simply appear too talented, too deep and too experienced to have a difficult time disposing of the Reds in the best-of-three series, with most folks assuming they’ll do it in just two games.

The opener was played last night after this was written, and Game Two is set for this evening.

The Reds were counting on LA native Hunter Greene to stymie a hard-hitting Dodgers lineup in Game One and attempt to solve the offerings of Blake Snell, who took the hill for LA. You may recall that the last time the Reds faced Snell, he tossed a no-hitter while he played for the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park last season.

That is ancient history, as far as the Reds are concerned. This is a new year with a new team, a new manager and a new mindset. Whether or not manager Terry Francona is able to work more of what some are calling “Tito magic” remains to be seen, but the Reds appear loose and could be a dangerous foe for a Dodgers team that feels a bit overconfident.

Several factors will likely have to play out for the Reds to pull off the monumental upset, the primary one being keeping the Dodgers in check at the plate. Anyone who follows baseball at all realizes their lineup is loaded, but if Greene and the Cincy bullpen can get the job done in the opener, the Reds have a legitimate chance. Speaking of the bullpen, it could be argued that the main reason the Reds are even in the playoffs is the magnificent work they have provided down the stretch.

Second, the Reds’ offense needs to produce, which is something that has not occurred with any consistency over the course of their 83-79 season. Far too often, runners are stranded in scoring position, with situational hitting being one of their weaknesses Relying on the long ball is also not a realistic option for the Redlegs, so scratching across runs in any way possible is this team’s best chance of winning.

Third, there is what I referred to in a previous column as the “Francona Effect.” By far the most important move made in the offseason by the Reds’ management was coaxing him out of retirement to lead a predominantly youthful squad. The enthusiastic way he relates to players and genuinely cares about them cannot be underestimated. One of his best qualities is that he focuses on the positive aspects of what his team possesses and doesn’t concern himself with what his club may lack.

Francona also hates to lose and gets a tremendous amount of joy out of winning. It is obvious when you observe how emotional he gets when he’s being interviewed after games. He is a baseball lifer who loves the game and thoroughly enjoys watching his players perform to the best of their ability. It is also crystal clear when you observe his teams over the years just how much Tito is loved and respected by the players.

Oddsmakers aren’t giving the visitors much of a chance against the big-spending Dodgers, but longtime Reds fans vividly recall the same thing being said 35 years ago before the 1990 World Series. The mighty Oakland A’s were expected to sweep the Reds, but the opposite occurred, much to the delight of Cincinnati fans. That was a Reds team that led their division wire-to-wire with plenty of talent, but prior to the Fall Classic, nearly everyone had the A’s and their powerful lineup winning easily.

We’re hearing the same refrain from coast-to-coast as this series begins, with a Dodgers sweep being regarded by most as a foregone conclusion. It could work out that way, but even if it does, this Reds club deserves a tremendous amount of credit. Thanks to the historic collapse of the New York Mets – and the Reds winning the season tiebreaker over the Metropolitans – Cincinnati won just enough games to qualify for the postseason, and they would love nothing more than to prove the doubters wrong.

Don’t forget, baseball games are not won on paper, or because of what is said in the paper. You can pore over the annals of the great game of baseball and find numerous examples of the underdog making an unlikely run, and maybe, just maybe, it will occur again, this time in La-La Land.

*****

“I think you always play with that little chip on your shoulder, but at the end of the day, if it was Philly, if it was Milwaukee, it doesn’t matter. Getting into the playoffs, you’re just trying to win every pitch, win every game and worry about the other stuff later. We got nothing to lose, man. We’re a young team. We don’t know any better. And that’s the scary part.” – Reds infielder Gavin Lux, before returning to LA to face his former team

“As a manager, the more consistent you are, the better off you are. It’s easy to be up when things go well. When things don’t go well, the players will follow your lead. So you have to be consistent and upbeat, which takes some work sometimes.” – Terry Francona