On Sunday July 10, Miami reliever Dustin McGowan retired Ramon Cabrera on a routine groundout, closing out a ho-hum 7-3 win and a series sweep for the Marlins. The Reds record stood at 32-57, a dismal 25 games below .500. The All-Star break provided a merciful interruption to their dreary slide into baseball’s cellar. Joey Votto was hitting .250 and Billy Hamilton’s on-base percentage stood at .283. Homer Bailey was still rehabbing.
As the players and coaches took refuge across the country, it’s hard to imagine any of them expected what was to come. Their fans certainly didn’t.