It’s been 21 seasons since Bob Castellini proudly made a promise: “We will bring championship baseball to Cincinnati.” He and his investor group took over the Reds in January 2006, and ever since, that quote has become a total joke for fans. Why? Because it hasn’t happened. And now, with the Chicago White Sox finally winning their wildcard series this week, the Cincinnati Reds are officially the only team in Major League Baseball that hasn’t won a single postseason series since Castellini took charge. Yeah, you read that right. The *only* team.
Twenty-One Years of Waiting and Zero Wins
Honestly, it’s beyond frustrating. This isn’t just about a few bad years; we’re talking about two decades of unfulfilled promises. The Reds are baseball’s oldest franchise, and they haven’t seen a World Series title since 1990. The People of Cincinnati deserve better, right? They deserve an ownership group with fresh ideas and the resources to actually make a run. It felt like, after so many years, it was finally time for Bob (and Phil) to admit it didn’t work out and just sell the team. We all knew fans have wanted this for years, but Bob Castellini did deserve a shot to see if that “strategy” they rolled out in 2022 would actually pay off. It hasn’t. Not even close.
“We’re Here.” Yeah, We Know.
So, what’s next for the Reds? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, according to Phil Castellini. After the Reds limped to a miserable 75-win season last week, Phil, Bob’s son and the team president and CEO, made his first public comments this year about the state of the franchise on October 1. He told local baseball writers straight up, “We’re here. We’re going to be here.” He doubled down, saying, “This is about getting it right in the community, for the community, by a leadership and ownership group that is predominantly from and lives in this community.” And the goal? “Championship baseball. Period.” No one expected him to say anything different, but man, did that land like another punch to the gut for fans. Everyone is just tired of hearing it. Everyone’s tired of the Castellinis owning this team.
Look, Bob Castellini is an honorable man. He cares deeply about Cincinnati, and he’s done some genuinely wonderful things in the community, especially with the Reds Community Fund. But let’s be real, most of the fan goodwill from that evaporated when Phil Castellini insulted the fans with his infamous “where you gonna go” comment on Opening Day 2022. That was right after they traded away star players and said they were all-in on some “build-from-within” strategy. And whatever sliver of benefit-of-the-doubt was left? Gone. Absolutely shredded during a 2026 season where they did almost nothing right on the field. That’s 14 losing seasons under Castellini now. The numbers are getting harder to ignore, but apparently, the ownership isn’t going anywhere.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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