America loves an underdog. In 1990, America loved the Cincinnati Reds. No one gave the Reds much of a chance against the Oakland A’s. The A’s had the pitching, the power, the defense. And perhaps most important, they had been there before the last two years. Then along came would-be World Series M.V.P. Jose Rijo and a centerfield home run by Eric Davis. Billy Hatcher got in the groove of a lifetime, Billy Bates his a chopper and Chris Sabo took on the persona of both Brooks and Frank Robinson. It was over almost too quickly. The four-game sweep everyone had predicted had, in fact, taken place. But it was Cincinnati, in one of baseball’s all-time World Series upsets, who did the sweeping. America loves an underdog. In the 1990 Cincinnati Reds, America has got a lot to love.