Earlier this week, a national sports pundit referred to the Cincinnati Reds as a bunch of frauds.

The Reds responded in kind by continuing to win games the only way they know how – solid pitching, lots of runs, solid defense. And they are doing it on nights when they don’t have their number one hitter, Joey Votto, a fellow the national pundit had apparently never heard of until Votto was voted in by the fans to the All Star game, and a fellow that ranks in the top three in the National League in every major hitting category.

Last I checked, that’s kind of a big deal.

And, last I checked, the Reds had a couple other All Stars named Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen. I wonder if that national sports pundit has heard of them? Surely even national guys consider the All Star game important enough to watch.

Now, admittedly, the Reds have plenty of lesser-to-unknowns. But bear in mind that Chris Heisey, Paul Janish, Laynce Nix and Miguel Cairo could be starters on 20 other teams in either league. For the Reds, they’re bench players or spot starters. And productive ones, at that.

How can this bunch of frauds have a 3 game lead in the National League’s Central Division? How are they doing it? Chicanery and sleight-of-hand? Illusory methods? Magic?

I’ll call it physics. There’s science behind this… And legend! To wit:

Variable velocity in the form of steady pitching – live arms in the starting rotation. Aaron Harang, the #1 pitcher out of training camp has been out on the DL for going on 2 months, and the Reds still have too many starters. Edinson Volquez missed the first three months, Homer Bailey missed two. They had to send down to AAA Louisville one of their solid young starters – Travis Wood – to make room on the big league roster for Jim Edmonds when he came over in the Chris Dickerson trade to Milwaukee.

These are first class problems for a first class team that flies totally under the radar for most of America.

They’re doing it with a bullpen that simply does not allow the opposition to score many runs, let alone get a lot of hits. The 8th inning? That’s when Arthur Rhodes does what Arthur Rhodes does – get opposing hitters out. As Mr. OchoCinco says, “Kiss the baby.”

Frauds? Under the radar? Unless you happen to be in the opposite dugout on game night.

If that’s your position, then this Cincinnati Reds ballclub is a squadron of F-16s in attack formation, and they’re headed right for you, weapons hot.

More physics: tracking the trajectory of objects in flight. The Reds lead the National League in average runs scored per game. They’ve accomplished that through a combination of small-ball – how about 3 squeeze play run-producing bunts in the last 3 weeks – and majestic, timely homeruns from just about everyone on the club.

Get ’em on, get ’em over, get ’em in… Then pound the ball to that kid in the left field bleachers, because he looks like he needs a souvenir.

The ill-fated series against the St. Louis Cardinals was touted as “make or break.” Then, the series against Florida was one “the Reds had to have to stay in the race.” With this 9-game road trip out West, a perennial struggle for Reds of yore, baseball commentators far and wide were writing the Reds off, saying that somehow the 3-game sweep of the Marlins was a fluke and the Reds wouldn’t be able to maintain the momentum.

You want to see a continuation of momentum? Try entering the top of the 8th inning down 7-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Then watch this Reds team score 4 runs to tie the game. Then watch Sir Arthur shut things down in the bottom of the frame. Then watch that same team score 4 more runs to take an 11-7 lead while some people watching at home are in Slumberland, having given up on the Reds when starter Volquez gave up 4 runs in the bottom of the 5th inning.

Newtonian physics at it’s finest: Objects in motion will stay in motion.

Don’t ever give up on this team, and don’t ever go to sleep on this team. They will make you regret it.

Cincinnati is baseball. Go Reds.