Despite the meltdown late in the season, the 2021 Reds were a blast to watch. They looked like they were having fun. There was a bit of magic on the field.
But it's now the off-season, and there are the inevitable shake ups in the roster. Right fielder Nick Castellanos has exercised an opt-out clause in his contract, and is now a free agent. Longtime catcher Tucker Barnhart has been traded to Detroit. The Reds' front office is now talking about aligning payroll and focusing on young players already in the Reds' system. There's nothing magical about that.
I feel like this is as good a time as any to share a personal anecdote.
My nephew broke his arm last summer. The injury sent him into a spiral of anxiety and depression and self-pity. This was right around the time Castellanos suffered a microfracture to his wrist. My nephew saw this, and the fact that he was injured at the same time as Castellanos actually made him feel less alone. My nephew wrote a letter to Castellanos wishing him a speedy recovery, which my mom typed up. She didn't know who to send it to, but she did share it with me, as she was proud of my nephew.
I have a few contacts at the Reds, and I forwarded the email, hoping Castellanos would be able to read my nephew's well wishes. A few days later I got a phone call from the Reds' clubhouse. Not only had Castellanos read my nephew's email, he signed a ball for my nephew. It might be a small gesture, but it was a kindness, something that often seems lacking in our world today. I shed a few tears after getting that phone call. My mom shed a few tears. My nephew made goofy faces and got to focus on something other than his busted arm. It was wonderful.
Anyway, these things happen. They happen each year. Players leave all the time. New players take their place. Still, this hurts.
As I said, the 2021 season, at least to me, felt magical after a year of not being able to go to the ballpark. 2022 exists only as potential. I'm sad Castellanos and Barnhart won't be a part of it, whatever the outcome.
Kevin Necessary is an illustrator and editorial cartoonist. His editorial cartoons appear Sundays in The Enquirer.
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