Cueto for Cy Young!

What's a guy gotta do? As the Reds fall out of contention, and we lament all the trades that never were, I would like to draw attention to one of the most amazing things about the 2011 Reds - Johnny Cueto!

Johnny Cueto has been having a quietly spectacular season. After starting the season on the DL, he made his first start on May 8. Since then, he has been the very definition of an ace. Cueto has allowed more than three earned runs in only one of his 20 starts and has a 2.02 ERA, currently the major league leader. He has good K numbers and few walks. He goes deep into games and is a leader in complete games. So why isn't he getting ANY recognition outside of Cincinnati?

Pop quiz: What do Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Kevin Brown have in common?

Answer: The only starting pitchers since 1990 who have had an ERA under 2.0!!!!!

If you guessed #1 ace pitchers, World Series Champions, Cy Young winners (except Brown), or future hall of famers (Clemens doesn't count) you would also be correct.

WHY ISN'T CUETO GETTING CY YOUNG CONSIDERATION???

Don't give me any crap about the Reds stinking. Felix Hernandez won it last year for the Mariners with WORSE stats than Cueto (except K's). The Mariners won 61 games - ALL SEASON. The Reds already have more than that. Okay, think he's not an elite pithcher? Halladay, Kershaw, Jurrjens, Lincecum - all have more wins on better teams, but not the same stats as Cueto. Yet they all are under consideration.

Look, I'm not saying he should win it. All I'm saying is that he should be high on the list of those under consideration - especially after Hernandez's win last year! I have read multiple articles, and he is NEVER EVEN MENTIONED!

I am hoping this is real development in Cueto, and this is the guy who starts Opening Day for us in 2012. I can't take another Volquez fool's gold situation. Could we have finally developed that true ace that we have lacked since Jose Rijo? I sure hope so.