W&W: Playoffs? What Cincinnati's Hall of Fame desert says about Reds

Wittenmyer & Williams is a regular point/counterpoint column from Enquirer Reds reporter Gordon Wittenmyer and sports columnist Jason Williams. This week, they dive into the correlation between the Hall of Fame and playoff success and what it says about the Reds.

Wittenmyer: Hey Jdub, you'll never believe what I saw watching football on Sunday. They showed the playoff picture on the screen and listed the Bengals "in the hunt." Seriously? If the Bengals are in the hunt for a playoff spot, the Reds gotta be in the hunt to win the whole damn thing, right?

Williams: As a wise and respected baseball general manager once told you after reading one of your stories: "I think that's horse(bleep)." And in this case, that goes for both teams. Did you pay attention that the players in the last couple of World Series? Now look at the Reds' roster. They're not "in the hunt" for anything except another quick exit from the postseason – if the Reds are lucky enough to sneak in again.

Wittenmyer: Look, there's a lot of offseason left. Obviously, I was thinking they have a championship-caliber roster right now. But they have some players who give them a nice start.

Williams: Players? Players? Are you kidding me? We get another Hall of Fame announcement coming up this Sunday, when the Contemporary Era Committee unveils its results. The ballot will include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Don Mattingly. The only thing we know is they're not going to be talking about any former Reds on Sunday. In fact, it's hard to imagine who the next Reds hall of famer might be.

Wittenmyer: Well, there's always Brandon Phillips. He's a lock for the team's hall of fame next summer. I even voted for him.

Williams: Very funny. You know what I meant. Think about it. The last Red to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum – just so you know exactly what hall I'm referring to – was Barry Larkin more than 13 years ago. And you have to go back to the Big Red Machine to find anybody before that.

Wittenmyer: Well, there was Ken Griffey Jr., and Dave Parker went in this summer. But to your point, obviously, they went in with other teams' logos on their plaques. Even Larkin did most of his damage before this century. If Joey Votto's not the next Reds hall of famer, who is? Elly De La Cruz?

Williams: You mean the guy who should be replaced at his position? Joking aside, beside his fielding, Elly is off to a nice start in his career. He's 23 years old and has already been to two All-Star Games. Long way to go. But by the time anybody's thinking about putting him on a hall-of-fame ballot, he might be going in as a Dodger or a Yankee.

Wittenmyer: That's pretty harsh.

Williams: Harsh is what I've been watching for most of my adult life. These guys haven't won a playoff series in over 30 years. Geez, I turned 20 years old during that 1995 season. Good Lord, they've only finished in first place twice since then. That's what happens when you don't have star power. Fans probably don't think much about the Reds' futility through the lens of the hall of fame, but there it is right in front of you. It's no accident that the last time they won a postseason series, the Reds had a hall of fame shortstop win the MVP that year.

Wittenmyer: That's why we've both been saying for months the Reds need go big and get Kyle Schwarber. You make a great point on the hall-of-fame lens. Just look at the team that beat them in the playoffs this year and wound up winning their second straight World Series. The Dodgers have at least three hall of famers in the lineup. They had first-ballot pitcher Clayton Kershaw on the roster. Blake Snell already had two Cy Young awards and is one of the best pitchers of his generation. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has pitched like a hall of famer since signing that $300 million deal with Los Angeles two years ago.

Williams: And the Reds are still celebrating Big Red Machine anniversaries.

Wittenmyer: Now you got me fired up. No fanbase should have to put up with this. Reds ownership has been clutching nickels and sticking revenue-sharing money in their pockets for years. If there was ever a time to spend money on a big bat – maybe a hall-of-fame-caliber bat – it's now.

Williams: Or maybe never. These guys look more interested in pretending that a hall-of-fame manager and a few hall-of-fame dreams are enough to sell championship hopes to the fans.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: MLB playoffs? What Cincinnati's Hall of Fame desert says about Reds