What Hairston doesn't want to do is play his whole career without ever reaching the postseason, like Banks did.

Hairston, 32, is in his ninth major-league season and hasn't sniffed the sweet aroma of postseason play. Banks played 18 seasons.

"I've played for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers," he said. "Do the math."

You don't need to understand trigonometry to figure out those teams Hairston has played for are not postseason icons.

But Hairston sniffs something special with the 2009 Cincinnati Reds .

"I hope I have four or five good years left in me and I can do it in Cincinnati because I want to be a part of a team that wins, man," he said. "You hear so many stories about teams going to the playoffs, how great it is, what the feeling is - and I want that feeling."

Is it coincidence that since Hairston began to play regularly and bat second that the Reds have suddenly resembled postseason material? Baseball and coincidence are not synonyms.

When Hairston has batted second, the Reds are 10-6. When Hairston plays shortstop, as he is doing now while Alex Gonzalez rests his sore side, the Reds are 3-1.

Hairston entered Tuesday's game against Arizona with a seven-game hitting streak (12-29, .414) with two homers, six RBIs and 10 runs scored.

What happens Friday when Gonzalez returns to shortstop? Hairston probably returns to platoon in left field, starting only against left-handers.

"You know Hairston is going to do a good job and he is just now getting hot," said manager Dusty Baker. "Nobody is Alex Gonzalez at shortstop. Everybody knows that. Hairston comes to play every day and he is part of us having so many interchangeable parts."