My message to the Reds in the Playoffs

“What makes life mean something, is the purpose. The goal. The battle. The struggle. Even if you don’t win it.”

Reds: Your careers, in the end anyways; are not going to come down to how many millions of dollars you made. They’re not going to come down to how many beautiful blonds that you bagged or Hall of Fame plays you made out in the field. What If I told you that it’s not even going to come down to how many home runs you knock out of the park or how many hits you collected.

It’s like the quote from that Jackson Browne song Stay/The Load Out: “When those lights go on and you hear that crowd, you remember why you came.”

Your careers will largely be defined by how you battle these next few games. For some of you, this will be your last shot. For a lucky few of you, you might have a few more opportunities. But the 2010 Reds will ultimately be remembered by the majority (those outside of the Queen City) by how you battle, and how you fight for these next few games.

Play with purpose. Play like it’s the last time you’re ever going to be in this spot; because it very well could be. Play how you’d want the epitaph of your career to read.

We are guaranteed to be here this once; but never guaranteed it again. Make it count.