Reading the last post, I didn’t like the idea of casual visitors to the site thinking that we’re all anger, all the time around here. Sure, the Reds have had their share of problems, many of them debatably self-inflicted, but it’s December. The wounds aren’t so fresh anymore, and maybe we’ll have a shiny new shortstop/left fielder/manager under the tree when Santa comes.

So, here’s my reimagining of that last post, with the kind of Redsfest weekend positivity that keeps us all going.

We all know that the current Cincinnati Reds have nowhere to go but up, and they are inspired by the nostalgia of the perfect past. You know, the same inspiration that the Reds marketing department uses to entice people to games.

Barry Larkin will be on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year, and those of us who saw him play know that Larkin may actually be good enough for the Hall. Had I been able to choose newspaper industry back when journalists were revered as heroes and accrued the requisite number of years experience, he’d have my vote.

And apparently, the votes of a few people who actually got to vote. The Reds beat writer John Fay is voting for Larkin, as is Jim Caple at ESPN. I bet there’s more than that out there, but will it be enough? 75% will need to remember Larkin’s genius to send him to Cooperstown forever.

If you’d like to review his statistics, Redleg Nation put up a nifty table comparing Larkin to all other Hall of Fame shortstops. If Larkin’s high standing among those elite doesn’t sway you, how about a personal letter from Bob Castellini?

Whether Larkin makes it in this year or next, I’ll always remember him for the standing back-flip he did during the 1990 playoffs. And you can relive those thrilling days of yesteryear–when the Reds dominated their opponents and were fixtures in the playoffs–by attending RedsFest this year. I understand Barry Larkin is going to be there.