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Cincinnati Reds
Press Clippings
December 2, 2016
THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1925-Garry Herrmann announces plans to build a new Reds stadium, calling for 60,000 seats and parking for 4,000 cars, at
a cost of $1.5 million
MLB.COM Reds roll out red carpet for fun-filled Redsfest
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | December 1st, 2016 + 0 COMMENTS
CINCINNATI -- Throughout the 300,000-square foot space of the Duke Energy Convention Center on Thursday, workers were
making the final touches on the facility that has been given its annual transformation into a Reds-themed extravaganza -- from the
red carpet and booths to a Reds main stage and the larger-than-ever social media heavy "Reds Connect Zone" area.
Redsfest runs on Friday from 3-10:30 p.m. ET and continues Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Activities will include
autograph and photo booths with current and former players, interactive games, game-used and authentic memorabilia and more.
"For me, it's a chance for the fans to see that we're normal people," Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart said. "They can come up and talk
to us and have normal conversations with everybody. It's fun to get out and see the fans on more of a personal level than during the
season. It's tough when you're so locked in and focused during the season on the task at hand and playing that you don't get to sign
every autograph. You don't get to have every conversation with fans."
All proceeds from Redsfest benefit the baseball-themed outreach programs of the Reds Community Fund. For more information,
and to purchase tickets, go to reds.com/redsfest.
Barnhart, along with All-Star left fielder Adam Duvall, were taking part in a Redsfest media tour throughout Thursday, including
the Wiffle ball area for kids and players.
"If I was a kid, I'd probably be out on the Wiffle ball field," Duvall said. "If I was a parent with a kid, I'd probably let my kids play
and walk around and enjoy meeting the players, taking pictures with them, get some autographs and just enjoy the whole thing."
With no inclement weather in the forecast this weekend, the Reds were hoping for a good turnout from fans. A season-ticket holder
event with former manager Lou Piniella on Wednesday drew 900 fans, which Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini found
encouraging.
"We expect it to be another strong showing," Castellini said. "We've spread the show out [again] to all three levels of the convention
center. We think it makes for a better experience, especially for the families with strollers and all of that jazz. There's lots to do for
the kids, and of course, lots of autographs."
Reds eye 'pen help, veteran starter at Meetings
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | December 1st, 2016 + 34 COMMENTS
CINCINNATI -- The Reds don't get into bidding wars and they rarely spend big in the free-agent market. They are also often wont
to seek bargains on the open market later in the offseason. But they aren't afraid to make trades to get what they need.
And that's why Cincinnati could be a team to watch at next week's Winter Meetings.
Still in rebuilding mode -- but hoping to be near its end -- the Reds and general manager Dick Williams are looking to bolster
weaknesses and create regular playing opportunities for some of their younger players.
MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2016 Winter Meetings from the Gaylord National Resort &
Convention Center outside Washington, D.C. Fans can watch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availability on
MLB.com, including the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. ET.
Club needs
Bullpen help: Reds relievers combined for a 5.09 ERA, second worst in the Major Leagues, and they led both leagues in home runs
and walks allowed. Although Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen brought some stability to the late innings, the Reds would like
to add help in high-leverage situations with relievers who can stretch over multiple innings.
A veteran starter: Cincinnati is comfortable with a rotation that includes Anthony DeSclafani, Homer Bailey, Dan Straily and
Brandon Finnegan. But with a lot of prospects already set to compete for the lone opening, the club wouldn't mind having a veteran
pitcher and innings-eater in the battle. The fine line to straddle, however, is this pitcher would have to understand that he might
become a bullpen member if one of the younger prospects is ready to start right away.
Extra catcher: Devin Mesoraco and Tucker Barnhart would form a solid 1-2 combo under normal circumstances. But Mesoraco's
injury-filled last two seasons -- with a combined 39 games played -- have been anything but normal. With the former All-Star
recovering from left shoulder and right hip surgeries, he's not expected to resume catching drills until mid-to-late January. He also
may not be ready for a regular workload once the season starts. A low-cost veteran contingency is needed.
Who they can trade if necessary
SS Zack Cozart: Third-year arbitration-eligible and a year away from free agency, Cozart is coming off a nice offensive year, while
he was excellent defensively. The Reds are looking for a spot to play Jose Peraza regularly, and shortstop is his best position. Cozart
missed most of September with tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee, but he is expected to be at 100 percent before Spring
Training.
2B Brandon Phillips: Moving Phillips instead of Cozart would still give Peraza a place to play. Moving both veterans would also
open up a spot for summer acquisition Dilson Herrera to play second base. Phillips, who turns 36 in June, will be much harder to
move because he has a full no-trade clause and is set to earn $14 million in '17, the final year of his six-year contract. There also
isn't a high demand for second basemen this offseason. Phillips used his power to decline a trade last winter, but he could be more
open to being dealt this time around.
Per MLBPipeline.com, the Reds' Top 10 prospects are third baseman Nick Senzel, left-handed pitcher Amir Garrett, outfielder Jesse
Winker, pitcher Robert Stephenson, pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez, shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez, pitcher Tyler Mahle, pitcher Rookie
Davis, pitcher Keury Mella and catcher Tyler Stephenson.
Garrett, Robert Stephenson and Davis could be in the mix for the open rotation spot, while Winker could break into the Major
Leagues.
Rule 5 Draft
Cincinnati's roster is full at 40 players, so someone would have to be jettisoned to make room for a Rule 5 Draft selection. The Reds
have the second pick for the second year in a row, and they used that spot last year to make two selections in outfielder Jake Cave
and reliever Chris O'Grady. Both players were cut in Spring Training.
Big contracts they might unload
First baseman Joey Votto has seven years and $179 million remaining on his contract, with a full no-trade clause. The Reds have not
come to Votto with any potential deals to approve and Votto has expressed no willingness to be dealt. But his name is often a
popular one for armchair traders, namely in his hometown of Toronto. Williams said during the General Managers Meetings he
would like to complete the rebuild and contend again with Votto still a member of the Reds.
Payroll summary
There are the big contracts of Votto, Bailey, Phillips and Mesoraco, plus Iglesias, with arbitration raises coming for Cozart, Billy
Hamilton, Tony Cingrani and Blake Wood. That puts the Reds' payroll north of $77 million before any additions, subtractions and
the signings of players with less than three years of service time. Williams has said the budget has more room to spend this winter
than during the previous two, which could give the Reds some added flexibility.
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Breakout year will make Duvall's face familiar at Redsfest
C. Trent Rosecrans , [email protected] 8:43 p.m. EST December 1, 2016
Last year, Adam Duvall could have walked through Redsfest without his jersey and gone unrecognized.
After hitting 33 home runs, knocking in 103 runs, making the All-Star team, participating in the Home Run Derby and being named
a finalist for a Gold Glove in 2016, that could be a little bit tougher this weekend at the Duke Energy Convention Center, where
Redsfest begins at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Duvall, a Louisville native, could even see his autograph and picture line approach the levels of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips or
Billy Hamilton.
“They probably still won't be,” Duvall said Thursday at a Redsfest preview event.
Last year at this time Duvall had played just 27 games for the Reds — and 55 games in the big leagues overall. Now he’s the Reds’
everyday left fielder, and at 28 is finally entering a season with a level of comfort that he’s never had.
“I feel like I did a good job of taking advantage of an opportunity I was given, but my mind is focused on this next season, just
preparing for it and getting ready for it,” Duvall said on Thursday.
The opportunity Duvall got with the Reds in 2016 was the biggest difference, he said. Traded along with right-hander Keury Mella
from San Francisco in exchange for Mike Leake at the trade deadline in 2015, Duvall finally got a chance to play nearly every day
for the Reds this past season, even if it didn’t start that way. The season started with Reds manager Bryan Price trying out a platoon
with Duvall and Scott Schebler. Neither got off to a particularly hot start, but Schebler struggled more in the platoon role and was
demoted to Louisville, giving Duvall a shot to play every day.
By the All-Star break, Duvall had 23 home runs and was on his way to San Diego as an All-Star in his first full season in the big
leagues.
While Duvall’s breakout season was a surprise to most, it wasn’t to him — at least in regards to his team-best 33 homers.
“If you look at my power numbers, my power numbers are the same,” he said of his minor-league output. “The power numbers, it's
obviously a higher level, but it's been pretty consistent.”
In 2015, Duvall hit a combined 31 home runs — 29 in the minors between the Giants’ Triple-A team in Sacramento and the Reds’
Louisville affiliate and two more when he was called up to the Reds in September. In 2014, he hit 30 between Triple-A and the
majors. He also hit 30 home runs in the minors in 2012.
What was a surprise was his defense.
When Walt Jocketty acquired him in the Leake trade, he’d played all of 10 games in the minors in the outfield (and one in winter
league in Venezuela in 2014), but the Reds’ scouts thought he could play there. Duvall did too, remembering one spring with the
Giants that he took some fly balls and said it felt good.
“One of our hitting coaches with the Giants said I looked good. But nothing ever progressed from it,” Duvall said. "I always knew
in the back of my mind that it came naturally. I guess the Reds saw that and I appreciate the opportunity.”
He wasn’t just good enough for the Reds, the statistics from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) used for 25
percent of Gold Glove balloting rated him as the best defensive left fielder in baseball.
“I've always put a lot of emphasis on my defense because I didn't want to just be a hitter, but I wanted to be a complete player,” he
said. “I felt like this year was the first time I was considered a good or plus defender. It was gratifying.”
Formerly a third baseman, Duvall said the switch may have been easier because he came from third. Alex Gordon of the Royals,
considered by many to be the best defensive left fielder in baseball, also started his career as a third baseman before backing up into
left field.
“I will say there's an advantage for moving from third to left, because it's the same angles,” Duvall said. “I can't really explain why,
but I feel like I get good jumps on the ball, good reads. Like I said, it became natural for me. I became comfortable, that's the
biggest thing in any sport.”
And now he’s comfortable not just there, but also in Cincinnati — just two hours from his home in Louisville and with a team that
gave him the chance he felt he had been lacking.
“I've realized what I can do,” Duvall said. “Now the goal is to get better, incrementally get better. A little better defensively, a little
better hitting, a little better on-base.”
How new CBA affects Reds
Zach Buchanan , [email protected] 8:26 p.m. EST December 1, 2016
Even if there was a lockout and players couldn’t attend, Redsfest would have gone on this weekend. Even if a work stoppage made
the upcoming winter meetings irrelevant, the Cincinnati Reds weren’t likely to make a splash anyway.
In that sense, not much has changed now that Major League Baseball and the players union have agreed to a new collective
bargaining agreement Wednesday, just hours ahead of the deadline to come to a new agreement. But the new CBA, which is still
being codified, will change how some things work for the Reds going forward.
Here’s a closer look:
The international market
Several changes were made to how teams court international amateurs, with MLB pushing for an international draft but ultimately
settling for more restrictive market rules.
Previously, teams were assigned differing bonus pools based on how they finished the previous season, with a worse record
allowing a team to spend more on amateurs. If teams busted those allotments, they paid stiff penalties and faced spending
restrictions in subsequent seasons.
That didn’t stop teams from gaming the system, with teams splurging in one spending cycle, some to extremes. In the current cycle,
the Reds have already committed more than $18 million including penalties to two Cuban amateurs, far more than their allotment of
about $5.1 million. Their expenditures paled in comparison to teams like the San Diego Padres and several large-market clubs.
As a result, the Reds are prevented from signing foreign amateurs to deals worth more than $300,000 for the next two seasons, a
restriction that will continue in the new CBA. But they won’t be able to bust their limit again, since teams will now face a harder
cap under the new rules.
Every team will not have the ability to spend at least $4.75 million every year on amateurs, evening the playing field that used to
feature some clubs limited to just more than $2 million with others able to spend as much as $5.6 million. Smaller market teams will
be able to spend either $5.25 million or $5.75 million, but no teams can go over.
As before, teams can trade some of their allotted space in order to spend more, although the concrete upper limit seemingly makes it
easier for the Reds to compete. The most a team would be able to spend on international players in one cycle is just more than $10
million, which pales in comparison to recent international bonuses.
“The hard cap makes it pretty simple that one team can’t pay its way through the penalties,” Reds general manager Dick Williams
said. ‘Everybody is going to have the same amount of money. It’ll be a competition over players for the best ones. I’m not sure yet
how that’ll play out.”
Also, the new CBA raises the upper age limit for amateur players from 22 to 25, with a reported exception for Cuban players with
six years of pro experience at home. There have also been suggestions that exceptions will be made for Asian professionals who fall
under the age limit.
Still, under the new rules two important Reds signees – Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias – would have qualified as amateurs
and been unable to sign the big-league deals they ultimately landed. Both were under 25 at the time and had fewer than six years of
pro experience. Suppressing their markets would seemingly make it easier for the Reds to sign impactful players like that, although
it seems like a big concession for the players union.
The amateur draft
While the same amount of money will be spent on amateurs in the draft, bonus slots won’t drop off so precipitously after the first
few picks. This year, the first pick was worth about $9 million, with the second pick at around $7.8 million. The 10th pick came
with a valuation of about $3.4 million.
Going forward, the top pick will reportedly be worth $7.4 million, with a more gradual decline deeper into the draft. That hurts the
Reds in the short-term – having so much more money to spend makes it easier to convince a player to take a below-slot deal, since
it’d still likely be more than they’d get a few spots down in the draft – but should make things more equitable throughout.
“This year over last year, we will have less of an advantage with our high pick,” Williams said. “We still have a high pick and we
feel great about that. In fairness, we’re still on board with the change. We won’t always picking at the top of the draft.”
The qualifying offer system
Sweeping changes were made to the qualifying offer system, which used to be pretty simple but now isn’t. Previously, a team losing
a big free agent could slap him with a qualifying offer, guaranteeing him an expensive one-year deal that he could accept or reject.
If he rejected it, his former team got an extra draft pick whenever he signed. The new team that signed him had to forfeit its first-
round pick, although high picks were protected.
That artificially suppressed the markets of several players hit with that tag, and the new CBA tries to make it fairer and certainly
makes it more complicated. Teams will still sacrifice a first-round pick to sign such a player, but will still sacrifice draft picks and
now international signing dollars, the severity of which vary based on the club’s market size. Teams that lose a qualifying offer
player will get better draft picks if that player signs for more than $50 million.
This is unlikely to affect the Reds in the short-term, since they have traded away most of their established players and since the ones
left are either too far away from free agency or not quite the caliber of player that would receive a qualifying offer. They’re also
unlikely to add significantly this winter.
The luxury tax threshold
This doesn’t affect the Reds at all, since they are on the receiving end of revenue sharing payments. But the new CBA does
endeavor to at least somewhat limit the profligate spending of larger clubs. The luxury tax threshold – which is like a soft salary cap
– will rise each year under the new CBA, but not as much as some expected. There are also harsher penalties for exceeding the
threshold.
What remains to be seen is how seriously teams treat that limit and the penalties for surpassing it.
“Some people think teams will come down and stay below the threshold, and some people think teams will blow through it and pay
the tax,” Williams said. “I think time will tell as to what those guys do.”
10-day disabled list
The union apparently didn’t push hard for a 26th roster spot, but could net more major-leaguers as the 15-day term for going on the
disabled list was shortened to 10 days. That incentivizes teams to use the disabled list more liberally – a starter could theoretically
miss just one start – which means more (likely temporary) promotions from the minors.
All-Star Game stakes
The winner of the All-Star Game will no longer determine home field advantage for the World Series, which had been in place since
the 2002 game ended in a tie. It will instead be decided by overall record of the two teams who make it. Such an alteration was not
exactly controversial.
“That makes sense,” said outfielder Adam Duvall, an All-Star last season. “It makes the whole year count.”
WCPO - Channel 9 Fay: Redsfest benefits the Community Fund, which benefits thousands of young ballplayers
'It's helped reconnect the team to Reds Country'
John Fay | WCPO contributor
7:00 AM, Dec 2, 2016
CINCINNATI -- Redsfest, to fans, is a chance to mingle with the players, get a few autographs, play some games, shop the
memorabilia. But it is also a shining example of how the Castellinis -- Reds CEO Bob and his son Phil -- get it right with the fans
and do right by the community.
The beneficiary of Redsfest is the Reds Community Fund.
Charley Frank, executive director of the fund, had a brainstorming session a couple of years ago. Fund members figured if the Reds
charged $5 or $10 for one of Joey Votto's or Brandon Phillips' autograph sessions, they could raise some serious money. He took the
idea to Bob and Phil Castellini.
"There are formulas out there that say if you have a very nominal charge for a handful of the stars' signing sessions -- and still have
most open to the public -- you can make five figures in revenue," Frank said. "Bob and Phil have opted not to do that. They don't
want to go down that road. They want this be something that's easy and affordable."
So, for that reason, all the sessions at Redsfest remain free.
Ticket prices remain reasonable, too. This year's fest is Friday and Saturday at Duke Energy Convention Center. It's $25 for adult
two-day passes; $17 for kids (12-and-under) two-day passes; $17 for adult one-day passes, and $7 for kids one-day passes.
Two-day passes include two tickets to the April 5 game with Philadelphia; one-day passes get one ticket to the April 5 game.
The Castellinis are all for raising money for the Community Fund, but they prefer other means than making Redsfest an over-priced
autograph show.
Redsfest does, however, raise a large part of the Community Fund's $2 million annual budget.
"It is the biggest event we're part of on an annual basis in terms of scope, expense, revenue," Frank said. "But I think most
importantly for us, it's really the exposure and connection. It's an expensive event to put on.
"There is no other local event of this magnitude. No other wintertime team fan festival goes to the All-Star level that this does. And,
yet, this is as affordable as any ticket out there.
"They made this about us from Day 1," Frank said. "They highlight our programs."
The Community Fund has been around since 2001. It sponsored a Redlegs Run in 2002. The Rookie Success League began in 2003,
and 120 kids went through it. Frank was hired in 2004 as the first full-time employee.
"By '05, we were about a $450,000 entity," Frank said. "We had established an endowment."
Then the Castellinis took over in 2006. Frank knew immediately that things were about to change.
"Bob said, 'You don't need an endowment,' " Frank said. " 'Spend what you raise. You don't need to put money away. We're not
saving the arts. We're helping kids play ball. Be responsible but spend what you earn.' "
Reds CEO Bob Castellini, right, talks with first baseman Joey Votto during warmups prior to the Opening Day game against the St.
Louis Cardinals, Monday, March 31, 2014, in Cincinnati.
The Castellinis' motive with the Community Fund was altruistic, of course, but it was also part of the overall business plan.
"One of the things we had learned in our due-diligence phase of buying the team is that the marketing effort had been condensed
down to the 275 loop," said Phil Castellini, the club's COO. "Pretty standard stuff; newspaper ads and whatnot. The radio network
had shrunk down to 46 stations from over 100. We knew we had to grow the market. It's a regional team, right? You can't be
marketing a regional team to just the city of Cincinnati.
"The game plan was to get that marketing out to a 150-mile radius, what we call Reds Country. That included work in the
community -- Knothole and girls softball. It was a multi-phase strategy. Community, marketing, radio network."
The radio network is up to 105 stations. The Community Fund has renovated fields throughout that 150-mile radius.
"It's helped reconnect the team to Reds Country," Castellini said.
It helped the Community Fund grow as well.
Frank has seven others on the staff now and a budget of $2 million. Four hundred fields have been renovated. The Reds sponsor 700
youth teams a year, up from nine when Castellini took over.
"They did that by culturally putting their money where their month was," Frank said. "They did everything that Bob promised in
January of '06 and then some."
Castellini made the Community Fund a priority throughout the organization. One example: Players were donating $10,000 to
$20,000 a year to the fund when the Castellinis took over. The Community Fund gets $250,000 out of the clubhouse some years.
Players going back to David Weathers and Mike Lincoln have funded fields named for them. Jay Bruce did it twice.
"He was as good as we've ever had," Frank said. One half of one percent of Joey Votto's annual salary goes to the Community Fund.
All of the Central Division teams came to Cincinnati for a meeting in 2014 to see the Urban Youth Academy, which offers year-
round baseball and softball clinics, after it opened.
"The teams were just as impressed, if not more impressed, by how integrated the Community Fund is," Frank said. "Ownership
decided from Day 1 that the Reds Hall of Fame Museum and Reds Community Fund is part of the fabric of the Reds."
Sales people don't just seek sponsorship dollars, they sell the Community Fund events. That's allowed the Community Fund to
extend all of its programs.
"We reach, conservatively, 45,000 kids a year through our Urban Academy," Frank said, "our Reds Rookie Success League
program, our RBI program, our match program and our field-renovation efforts."
Field renovation picked up under the Castellinis as well. Bob Castellini challenged the limited partners in the club and said he would
match whatever they donated to the Community Fund. That raised $450,000 for field renovation.
"We planned on doing 12 fields that year," Frank said. "Because of the money Bob and the other owners raised, we ended up doing
60 fields that year."
The pace of renovation is slowing down, though.
"Instead of finding 50 or 75 fields a year, now we try to spend that budget to make sure we revisit each field on a two- to three-year
cycle," Frank said. "Then we find probably five to 10 projects to do a year, which includes one big jewel project each year. One of
the most significant things we do on an annual basis is what we call a community makeover.
"We bring 400 volunteers and months of planning to a neighborhood. We typically do a couple of ball fields, recreation center for
kids and outdoor component."
Last summer, the Community Fund went to Lower Price Hill and redid an old Boys & Girls Club into the Joe Williams Family
Center, built an L-shaped garden and rebuilt the fields at Oyler Park. Joe Williams, chairman of the Reds, made a donation to fund
the project.
The biggest jewel project of all for the Community Fund was building the $7 million Urban Youth Academy in Bond Hill.
"It's transformed us," Frank said. "We were operating a fall and winter academy at the old CAPE High School in Winton Terrace for
years. This is Year 8 for us as far as offering fall and winter programs."
The academy is on par with the Reds' spring-training facility in Arizona. Since its opening in 2014, the Urban Academy gets 1,000
kids through the turnstiles in fall and winter -- all at no charge. The Urban Academy allowed the Reds to land the RBI (Reviving
Baseball in Inner Cities) World Series.
"In my opinion, this is the standard bearer," said David James, Major League Baseball vice president of youth operations. "This is
an absolutely phenomenal facility. When the teams came and saw it, it was interesting to see the reactions. A lot of the league
directors who are here, you could see their eyes light up. They're making notes because they're going back to their home community
and see what they can do to get one built in their hometown."
It's not just a baseball academy.
"It's strength and conditioning, speed and agility," Frank said. "We also have a partnership with the University of Cincinnati, so four
days a week, we provide free tutoring. Any kid, any class, any team that is a partner of ours can use these resources free of charge."
Part of the money from each Redsfest ticket helps with that.
Again, Frank credits the Castellinis for allowing the Community Fund to grow Redsfest. It drew 20,118 fans last year.
"We couldn't dream of any of this if we were a stand-alone nonprofit," Frank said. "They don't have to do a fraction of this and it
would still be a good community event. They've made this about telling the story of the Community Fund."
The top 9 things you won't want to miss at Redsfest this weekend
3-10:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday
Laurel Pfahler | WCPO Contributor
1:44 PM, Dec 1, 2016
CINCINNATI -- Spring training is still months away, but Cincinnati Reds fans don’t have to wait until March to get their baseball
fix.
The club’s Redsfest winter warm-up event should hit the spot – especially with the addition of Reds Hall of Famer Pete Rose to the
lineup for the first time ever.
Santa's clubhouse
Redsfest takes place Friday and Saturday at the Duke Energy Convention Center, featuring more than 300,000 square feet of
activities, including autograph and photo booths with current and former Reds players, interactive games for fans of all ages, game-
used and authentic memorabilia and more.
Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini said it’s a great way to connect fans with the team during the offseason, while also
supporting outreach programs through the Reds Community Fund, to which all proceeds of the event will go.
In addition to Rose and other Reds alumni such as Lou Piniella (Friday only) and Eric Davis, more than 75 current players and
coaches, minor leaguers and broadcasters are scheduled to attend, including Joey Votto, Zack Cozart, Billy Hamilton, Devin
Mesoraco, Adam Duvall and Bryan Price.
So, what can you expect exactly? The first thing you need to know is the event is not free, but once you’re in with admission there
are many free activities and things to do without additional cost. Here are the Top 9 things you won’t want to miss at Redsfest:
1. Shake hands with Pete Rose: Rose’s induction into the Reds Hall of Fame this summer opened the doors for “Charlie Hustle” to
attend Redsfest, as he previously was banned from Major League Baseball-related activities. This weekend, Rose will be camped
out in the Reds Hall of Fame area on the main floor supporting the “Pete Rose Hit Collection,” a fundraising campaign for the
bronze sculpture of him that will be unveiled outside Great American Ball Park on June 17, 2017. Fans who buy one of the balls
from that collection will get to meet Rose and get a photo with him. He also will be on the Main Stage for Q-and-A sessions at 6
p.m. Friday and 12:15 p.m. Saturday.
“Not only have we revitalized that love of Pete here locally, but … also helped reconnect him to the game in a positive way, so we
expect that connection here to be positive and hopefully bring some fans in,” Castellini said. “Certainly that Hall of Fame booth is
going to be jam packed.”
2. Main stage highlights: See everyone at once at 5:30 p.m. Friday when current and former players – Rose included – will be
introduced to the crowd, following some opening remarks from Reds owner Bob Castellini. For those looking for something a little
less baseball-focused, check out the Reds Cooking Show at 8:35 p.m. Friday or 4:25 p.m. Saturday or catch performances Saturday
by members of the Harlem Globetrotters (1:45 p.m.), Cincinnati Ballet (2:10 p.m.) and The Mistics (3:50 p.m.) local band. The
Globetrotters also have an exhibition at 4:20 p.m. Friday.
3. Eric Davis-signed bobblehead: Fans can get an exclusive Eric Davis 30/30 dual bobblehead – commemorating the 30th
anniversary of Davis becoming the first Red to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season in 1987 -- when they
purchase a 2017 Reds Pick-Six ticket plan. However, those who purchase a plan at Redsfest will actually have the opportunity to get
their bobblehead signed by Davis in person. Visit the Reds Ticketing Booth on the main floor for more details.
4. Play Redsfest Bingo: Redsfest Bingo is a new addition this year and should be a draw Friday night, as 18 bingo games will be
played between 6 and 9 p.m. on the third floor that day only. Fans ages 18 and up can purchase six-face cards for $5 each or enter
all 18 games for $25 (cash only). Walk-ups are allowed. Each game includes Reds prizes, autographed memorabilia, tickets and
more, but the final two games will feature cash prizes of $1,000 each.
Autograph booth
5. Get free autographs: Every player that attends participates in at least one autograph session per day, at no charge to fans (limited
to one item to be signed). Some sessions are open to the general public, while others are limited to season-ticket holders or kids ages
17 and under. Once you enter the main floor exhibit space, check the info screens to see times for specific player appearances,
which will be announced 30 minutes prior to the sessions. Fans can also receive text alerts by texting REDSFEST to 66128. For
each autograph session, the player will sign only for the first 225 people to get in line, so be sure to get in line fast. Advanced
registration and bidding for special second-floor autograph sessions already have ended.
6. Smile for the camera: Maybe autographs aren’t your thing, but who can pass up a photo opp with a player? There are four photo
booths on the main floor with players waiting to say, “Cheese,” with you and your family or friends. Sessions will be open for 50
minutes each, allowing as many fans through as possible in that timeframe. Booth No. 1 takes the photo for you and provides a
printout on the spot for a $10 donation to the Reds Community Fund. Booth No. 2 and 3 are free and require you to bring your own
camera. Booth No. 4 is free to Reds Season Ticket Members only. There also is a life-size team photo cutout display on the main
floor.
7. Play ball: Test out your baseball skills on the main floor with some of the interactive fan activities such as speed pitch, batting
cages and base-running or play some ball at the two whiffle ball fields -- where Duvall says he would be if he were a young fan
attending Redsfest. The Reds Rookie Field is designed for younger kids and will provide “open swing” time throughout the entire
event. A variety of activities also will take place on the Gorilla Glue Field of Dreams, including open swing (3 to 5 p.m. Friday and
6 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday), a Celebrity Home Run Derby (5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday) and other fundamental learning sessions. For the
full schedule, visit the website here.
8. Just for kids: Find all the entertainment your young kids will need upstairs. The Reds Heads Fun Zone on the third floor offers
more than 20,000 square feet of kids activities such as a batting cage, steal-home challenge, bounce houses, trampolines, story time
with players, a photo opportunity with Santa Claus and various stage performances. It’s also the best place to sign up young Reds
fans for the 2017 Reds Heads Kids Club, Reds Rookie Baby Club and Club Red Teen Club. The second floor holds several
activities for Reds Season Ticket Members, such as the mascot visiting rooms and an 18-hole putt putt course that was added last
year.
9. Giveaways and merchandise: Even if you don’t spend any money once inside, you still won’t leave empty handed. The first
11,000 fans each day at Redsfest (basically everyone) will receive a free Reds drawstring bag and a pair of Reds socks, so be sure
not to miss the handouts on your way in from any one of the three entrances to the center. For those looking for some Reds gear or
great holiday gifts, stop at the team shop for apparel, find game-used merchandise in the Reds Authentic area, purchase season
tickets and Holiday Gift Packs at the Reds Ticket booth in the center of the main floor or check out the Topps Memorabilia Gallery
to find an array of items brought in by local vendors. You can also register to win the Toyota Tundra that was featured behind the
left-center wall at GABP in 2016. One lucky fan will win the truck during an on-field ceremony on Opening Day 2017. Visit the
Toyota booth on the main floor for more information.
The Redsfest Connect Zone
Also of note: The Redsfest Connect Zone is the place to be for all social and digital media followers. Stop by this year’s new
location near the indoor baseball fields on the main floor to visit the Better Off Red area, participate in the Redsfest Selfie
Scavenger Hunt or use one of the free cell phone charging stations to help keep you connected all weekend long.
IF YOU GO
What: Redsfest
When: 3 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Duke Energy Convention Center
Ticket prices: Adults -- $25 for two-day pass, $17 for one-day pass; Kids (ages 12 and younger) -- $12 for two-day pass, $7 for one-
day pass. Children 3 and under are free. Passes include a free ticket (one per day pass) to April 5 game vs. the Phillies.
Where to buy tickets: At Great American Ball Park, online at www.reds.com/redsfest or at the Duke Energy Center, starting 9 a.m.
Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday.
Proceeds benefit: The baseball-themed outreach programs of the Reds Community Fund
What you can bring: Small bags and purses are allowed but no luggage or rolling duffle bags larger than 16 inches by 16 inches by 8
inches are permitted. Strollers are allowed, but may not inhibit guest movement or block aisles. There is a coat check for $2.
MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
3 p.m. Welcome to Redsfest and DJ
4:20 p.m. Harlem Globetrotters Exhibition
4:45 p.m. Topps Pack Wars
5 p.m. RCF Knothole Baseball
5:15 p.m. Toyota Tundra Ceremony
5:24 p.m. Season recap
5:28 p.m. Bob Castellini remarks
5:36 p.m. Introduction of Reds past and present
6:01 p.m. Reds history video
6:05 p.m. Pete Rose Q-and-A
6:30 p.m. Kids Only Press Conference
7:10 p.m. Hot Stove Report presented by FOX Sports Ohio
8:05 p.m. 2016 Reds Team Awards
8:35 p.m. Reds Cooking Show
9 p.m. Topps Pack Wars
9:10 p.n. Reds Feud
9:45 p.m. DJ Etrayn with split the pot winner
SATURDAY
10:30 a.m. Welcome to Redsfest
10:50 a.m. Carseat donation ceremony
11 a.m. NKY Baseball/Softball with pitch-in for baseball and St. Elizabeth’s Healthcase
11:15 a.m. Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase press conference
11:30 a.m. Hot Stove Report by FOX Sports Ohio
12:20 p.m. Pete Rose Q-and-A
1:05 p.m. Kids Only Press Conference
1:45 p.m. Harlem Globetrotters exhibition
2:10 p.m. Cincinnati Ballet
2:45 p.m. Topps Pack Wars
3:10 p.m. Word Chain
3:45 p.m. DJ Etrayn/social media
3:50 p.m. The Mistics
4:25 p.m. Reds Cooking Show
5:10 p.m. Reds Feud
5:50 p.m. DJ Etrayn with split the pot winner
DAYTON DAILY NEWS Redsfest — team’s annual two-day, fan-a-pa-looza — set for Friday, Saturday
Mark Schmetzer Contributing Writer
2:08 p.m Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 Sports
CINCINNATI
If Phil Castellini was concerned about a breakdown in the talks between Major League Baseball and the players’ union on a new
bargaining agreement impacting Redsfest, he wasn’t showing it.
The franchise’s annual two-day, fan-a-pa-looza, which starts on Friday and extends through Saturday at the Duke Energy
Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati, was going ahead as scheduled, even if the two sides didn’t reach agreement on a new
Collective Bargaining Agreement and current Reds declined to participate. Still, the Reds’ Chief Operating Officer admitted to a
touch of relief that a new five-year agreement was hammered out, just as the old one was expiring.
“We were going either way, but it’s nice that it’s behind us,” Castellini said Thursday during a media preview of the annual event.
“We’re happy that it won’t be an issue.”
This year’s Redsfest is scheduled for Friday from 3-10 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Two-day tickets cost $25 for
adults and $12 for children 4-12 years old. One-day tickets cost $17 for adults and $7 for children 4-12 years old. Children three and
under are admitted free.
Two-day ticket purchases include two free tickets to the Reds game against Philadelphia on April 5. One-day ticket purchases
include a free ticket to the same game, and the first 11,000 fans who show up each day receive a free drawstring backpack and a pair
of Reds socks.
Admission gives fans access to more than 100 autograph and photo sessions with current and former Reds players. Highlights this
year include the “Pete Rose Hit Collection,” designed to raise money for the bronze Rose sculpture due to be unveiled on June 17,
2017, outside Great American Ball Park. Fans who buy a Hit Collection baseball – with each ball representing one of Rose’s major
league-record 4,256 hits – can meet Rose and have a photo taken with him. Rose, who was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame
during the 2016 season, also is scheduled to participate in question-and-answer sessions on the Main Stage on Friday at 6 p.m. and
Saturday at 12:15 p.m.
“We went from the Year of Pete to the Years of Pete,” Castellini said.
Also available this year is an Eric Davis 30-30 dual bobblehead, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the former center fielder
becoming the first player in franchise history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season. Fans who purchase a Pick-6
plan of tickets receive a bobblehead and a chance to have Davis autograph it.
Another new wrinkle this year is Redsfest Bingo, scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on the third floor of the convention center, located at Fifth
and Elm streets. The event features 18 bingo games with each including prizes such as autographed memorabilia and Reds tickets.
Fan can buy six-face cards for $5 each or play all 18 games for $25. The final two games of the even each will feature cash prizes of
$1,000. Fans must be at least 18 years old to play.
Redsfest will be capped by the 11th annual Celebrity Poker Tournament on Saturday. A limited number of spots were available, and
the team urged interested fans to call 513-765-7240 for details. First prize was guaranteed to be at least $11,000.
This year’s Redsfest is the 19th produced by the franchise, but it’s sort of celebrating its 20th anniversary. The first one was staged
between the 1996 and 1997 seasons and drew a total of about 10,000 fans. Convention center remodeling forced Redsfest to miss a
year. Last year’s event attracted 20,118 fans, an 11 percent increase over 2014.
“It’s a chance for fans to see us as normal people,” catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “We can interact with them on a more personal
level than we can during the season. We’re so locked in and focused during the season that sometimes we might not be able to sign
as many autographs as we should.”
TRANSACTIONS 12/01/16
Oakland Athletics signed free agent RHP Simon Castro to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster 3B Matt Chapman to spring training.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster RHP Trey Cochran-Gill to spring training.
Oakland Athletics signed free agent 3B Jermaine Curtis to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster RHP Heath Fillmyer to spring training.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster RHP Daniel Gossett to spring training.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster RHP Tucker Healy to spring training.
Kansas City Royals traded RHP Brooks Pounders to Los Angeles Angels for RHP Jared Ruxer.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster C Sean Murphy to spring training.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster LHP A.J. Puk to spring training.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster 2B Max Schrock to spring training.
Seattle Mariners sent Pat Venditte outright to Tacoma Rainiers.
Miami Marlins signed free agent RHP Edinson Volquez.
Cleveland Indians signed free agent C Erik Kratz to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
St. Louis Cardinals traded LHP Jaime Garcia to Atlanta Braves for RHP Chris Ellis, RHP John Gant and 2B Luke Dykstra.
Los Angeles Angels designated LHP Cody Ege for assignment.
Oakland Athletics invited non-roster SS Richie Martin to spring training.