The first two batters reach, and up steps Kyle Schwarber, whom the Reds obtained in the off-season. His first mighty swing sends the baseball over the right-field fence, beyond the frenzy fans and bounces into the Ohio River.
It’s the first of many “Schwarber Splashes.”
Reds 9, Cardinals 8. Drive home safe, fans.
Nice dream, huh?
But could it become a reality? Could the Reds outbid the other suitors and convince Schwarber, 32, a 2011 Middletown High School graduate, to return to his hometown?
Even some of those who know Schwarber the best can’t imagine the Reds investing the massive money needed to sign the power-hitting designated hitter.
Mark Kerns, a retired MHS coach and teacher and one of the most optimistic people I know, said he sometimes lets his mind envision Schwarber in a Reds uniform.
Then his mind breaks his heart.
“I regret it,” he said. “Realistically, it would be slim. History tells me no.”
Ron Groh, who coached Schwarber through his seasons playing with Middie Pride, a traveling baseball team, called signing Schwarber “a big dream.”
That quickly the dream ends.
“The Reds don’t have enough money,” Groh said. “But I can still dream, I can still hope.”
In Schwarber’s 10 Major League Baseball seasons, his teams have qualified for the playoffs nine times, including a 2016 World Series title with the Chicago Cubs, the team that drafted him in the first round out of Indiana University.
Sure, he has played on some good, big-market teams, but many of his teammates have said he was the difference in the clubhouse.
Groh sees the same thing from a distance.
“He doesn’t care who gets the glory,” he said. “He wants to win. ‘Whatever it takes’ was our motto with Middie Pride. He learned that then and he still believes that.”
Four years ago, Schwarber, who had played with the Cubs, Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, signed a $79 million, four-year deal with the Phillies.
That deal is about to expire and Schwarber, having a career year in the prime of his baseball life, could became a free agent.
Let the bidding begin.
“Who will give me $75 million? Thanks Phils. OK, who will give me $85 million? Thanks Yanks. Do I hear $100 million?”
Who knows how much Schwarber’s services will bring, especially if he continues hitting and the Phillies continue winning. Schwarber has been mentioned as a possible National League MVP.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
He’s hitting .249 with 43 homers and a league-leading 103 RBIs through games earlier this week.
So every time a microphone is shoved in his bearded face, someone asks Schwarber about his future plans.
He told the USA Today: “When I first came into the big leagues with the Cubs, even when you make the playoffs and win the World Series the next year you think, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be here for forever. We’re gonna be here for forever. We’ve got such a great core.’
“And then the business side happens, right? I think as a player, you want to make an impression, a lasting impression on a fan base and an organization. And I don’t think that’s something you take lightly.
“I hope I did it in Chicago. I hope I did it in Washington and Boston, for a short amount of time. And I hope, if this is it after the year, that I did that here.”
He has occasionally discussed the possibility of playing for the Reds.
Schwarber told a reporter from The Athletic: “I’ve always said that at some point in your career, if you would ask the childhood Kyle what team you’d like to play for, it would be Cincinnati,” Schwarber said. “I think those are natural thoughts, that it would be appealing. But you never know what happens in free agency. Going through it a couple of times now, it’s an interesting scenario.”
Then during All-Star festivities, Schwarber shared his thoughts on signing with the Reds.
“I think they’re young, they made some moves at the deadline, made some trades for some pieces that will be here for a while too,” Schwarber to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I think there’s a lot of things that Cincinnati should be happy about. I think the future here would be bright for them. Obviously (Terry Francona) is over there now, he’s a guy who’s had a lot of winning experience ... there’s a lot of things that are looking up here in Cincinnati.”
One day, hopefully soon, when the Reds fans look up, they will see a baseball off Schwarber’s bat heading toward the river.
Columnist Rick McCrabb writes about local people and events every Sunday. If you have an idea for a story, contact him at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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