Well, Bronson Arroyo knows exactly how he feels.

For nearly three weeks, the Reds' sterling starter has been single-handedly carrying his team. Which is quite a feat considering that the Reds have become nothing but dead weight.

You'd think that having to support such a load would prove to be crushing. But not to Arroyo.

Incredibly, he seems to be thriving on having to bear such a burden. It's as if the more pressure that's placed upon him, the stronger he gets.

To him, the Reds aren't heavy, they're just his teammates.

Without Arroyo, it's downright scary to imagine just where would the Reds find themselves.

One thing's for certain. They'd be dead meat.

Instead of having at least a flickering hope of making the postseason, they'd be in a pine box and buried deep in the ground.

Thanks to Arroyo's individual heroics, Cincy still has a faint heartbeat. Every time it appeared as if the Reds were about to go into immediate cardiac arrest, the determined Arroyo was there to apply life-saving CPR.

Without their ace's recent brilliance, the Reds would have flatlined long ago. He's provided the necessary mouth-to-mouth that's enabled their vital signs to keep registering.

In almost every sense, the 29-year-old right-hander has become a one-man team. He's the sole reason that the Reds still have something to play for and haven't become completely irrelevant.

Without him on the mound, Cincy has been a pathetic 2 and 8 in the month of September.

But when he's taken to the hill, Arroyo has gone an impressive 4 and 0 with a phenomenal 1.13 ERA over the same period. He's been lights-out and darn near unhittable.

His latest masterpiece took place this past Friday at cozy Wrigley Field when he shutdown Chicago. Arroyo toyed with the Cubbies, blanking them for eight innings while allowing just four hits.

Like Frank Sinatra, Arroyo must find Chicago to be his kind of down. Or else, there must be something about seeing a Cubs uniform that brings out the beast in Arroyo.

Because in '06, the 6-5 Florida native has rendered the Cubs toothless. He's owned them to the tune of a 4-0 record with a barely detectable 1.26 ERA. 

Arroyo has been one of the worst things to happen to Chi Town since the Great Fire of 1871.

Arroyo's recent run of excellence has been the exclamation mark on what has been a splendid season for the one-time Red Sox. Except for a rough patch from late July thru mid-August, Arroyo has been consistently good.

How good? Well, just get a gander at these stats. Currently, Bronson ranks in the top six in the following National League categories: wins (14), ERA (3.17) and strikeouts (172).

But what makes him particularly valuable is his stamina and durability. He is the consummate workhorse. Come every fifth day or even on shorter rest when required, Arroyo will take the ball and battle the hell out of you.

Of all the numbers that reflect what sort of pitcher and competitor he is, perhaps this is the most illustrative. The Reds' stalwart leads the league in innings pitch with 221 and 1/3. Like the Energizer Bunny, he's mighty hard to tire out.

You have to go all the way back to the heyday of the colorful and charismatic Jose Rijo to find a Reds' hurler who's been this outstanding and dominant.

At long last, the Reds have found themselves another stopper.  

But despite his sensational efforts and yeoman service, it appears not even Arroyo can put a stop to the Reds' eventual demise. For even if he continues his dazzling run over his final three starts, that won't be nearly good enough.

Because without dramatic and immediate assistance from his teammates and that doesn't appear to be forthcoming, all Arroyo's gallantry will go for naught. Bronson's heroics will have merely have put off the inevitable.

Yet, nothing can diminish what he's accomplished. When he was needed in the clutch, the lithe righthander delivered time and again. He was money and then some.

It was mentioned the other day in a Cincinnati newspaper that it was unfortunate that the Reds just couldn't pitch Arroyo everyday. That way they'd know they have a fighting chance every time they took the field.

But, of course, sheer physical limitations make that prospect an impossibility. And yet when you hear Arroyo proclaim that he feels as strong as ever, that he believes he could go without much downtime, the fantasy part of you begins to wonder.

Could he truly do it? Is it really such a stretch?

You know if asked, the gritty Arroyo would be more than willing to give it a shot. And if somehow he could pull it off, it would be a feat of mythical proportions.

Remember that Atlas only had shoulder the weight of the world.

By pitching everyday for the balance of the season, Arroyo would go one up on the acclaimed strongman.

And being the warrior that he is, you just know Arroyo would love to give it a try. Because the more weight you put upon him, the more he seems to like it.