July 2009 – Brewers at the Reds

To say I was a fan of baseball movies would be accurate. Back in the day you had the greats… and everyone remembers the classic moments like those of field of dreams, bull durham and others. Perhaps though one of the most remembered baseball movies, which also spawns one of the most used catchlines, is Major League. Anyone who pays half attention to baseball in the slightest knows that “Mr. Baseball” himself, Bob Uecker does the commentary for the Milwaukee Brewers.

You might remember a previous blog of mine from this year in which I talked about seeing him, and how I geeked out. Someone had told me “aww he’s a jerk, don’t get so excited” and you think to yourself, ‘alright.. that person just had a bad experience, that’s all’. But then you keep hearing the small trickling of stories like the one I am about to tell you.. and it all comes so clear.

Before that though, lets talk about the meat and potatoes of why I even write… and that’s the Reds themselves. Coming out of the all star break I was feeling a little indifferent to things. Co Co Cordero was the Reds only selection for the all star team, which surprised no one. Votto had been out chasing demons, Bruce has been slumping.. the pitching staff in general hasn’t been as great as they should be this year, and Phillips… well why he didn’t make it no one really knows, but at the same time no one was really concerned it seemed. The reds were where they had been the entire season, right around the .500 mark and in need of some serious boost. Looking at the schedule though was frightful… with the way that the roster has been injury plagued, (including the latest incidents with Hernandez and Bruce), and the opponents they were going to face, it looked like that wildcard prediction I made was dismal.

And so it goes that they split the series including a great night on Friday in which they shut the brew crew down 4 to nothing. Thursday was Homers first loss, but probably only because of the way that the pitching goes and how they classify winners and losers,… because Homer has had some bad days. Saturday was a bust.. and Sunday was great. Its always strange how the play is so up and down from day to day..
Alright Alright.. I know.. Bob Uecker.

It was Friday night when me and my friend Stagg came out of the control room to go home and got onto the elevator with Bob Uecker. Now I don’t usually like to bother people or talk to them if they have some kind of status. Not because I think they are better than me, but because they have better things to do. I will preface this by saying that there are genuine nice guys. Jeff Piecoro for one,.. the guy who does the Reds stuff from the stands and on field correspondence and all that stuff,.. he’s a super nice guy. Sunday when he saw me wearing my Austin Kearns jersey, he made conversation about how him and Kearns had attended the same high school. We also joked about Mario Soto, and he asked me about where I was from… pretty awesome.
Then theres George Grande, who is like everyones grandpa. He always has a smile on his face, and is always more than happy to take a few moments to engage you in conversation.

You say “Bob, those are smaller time guys.. not like Bob Uecker”

ok then, how about Chris Welsh who commentates the Reds game. Hes a former Red, Yankee, etc… a career ERA under 5.00, and was in all those hamburger commercials. That guy is the definition of nice and doesn’t care who you are, he will talk to you about anything and everything.. even in the bathroom.


Even Marty Brennaman is a nice guy who is generally talkative…. But Bob Uecker I can now say from personal experience is an out and out jerk. So there we are on the elevator and I said “Mr Uecker, how are you?” without even acknowledging me he mumbles something to the effect of what I think was ‘good’, and I said “I’m a big fan of your work.. and really enjoy listening to you on Sirius radio when the brewers play the reds in Milwaukee” to which he didn’t even bother looking at me and shrugged it off and said something like “yeah ok”.


All week in the press dining room he was wearing his sunglasses and being generally ignorant of everything and everyone around him. I mean its not like I said something like “gee Mr. Uecker, I really liked when Andre the Giant choked you out at Wrestlemainia” or anything. I didn’t try to get him to say “JUUUUUUST A BIT OUTSIDE..”,.. I was simply cordial and friendly, and in return got one of the coldest shoulders from a sports Icon that I think I could have gotten. So sorry if you like Mr. Bob Uecker or think of him as a great person, because apparently what happened to me, has happened to a lot of people.. and apparently Bob Uecker is just a total jerk.


Other than that, theres not too much that’s interesting to talk about. Another homestand with a rain delay, another homestand with a bobblehead night,..oh and the one out of the ordinary thing would be brewers fans that are completely abnoxious and have no respect for the law or any kind of authority. I mean seriously, it’s one thing if you drove all the way from Milwaukee to get drunk and get yourself thrown out of a ballpark while making yourself look like a total moron in front of the 35 thousand people,… but to actually put on a brewers shirt in the town you live in, drive 15 minutes to the stadium and do it is another. I will never understand people who live in this town that root for other teams and come to the stadium to make such fools out of themselves. It has to be embarrassing for the whatever team they are rooting for I would think… I mean yeah, I am not into some teams here and there, but if I lived somewhere like Boston and didn’t like the Red Sox, I wouldn’t go to their stadium and make a complete jerk out of myself and make whatever team I was rooting for look even worse to the locals… come on.


Friday night was another fireworks night in a series of them this year. I have included some
images to go along with this blog, as well as the return of my ride videos from my bike to and from the stadium. That’s about all I have for this update on the short 4 game run.. coming up at the end of the month is another 10 day stretch in which the Reds are going to need a fire lit underneath of them to get back on track,… and with a July 31st trade deadline, who knows whats going to happen.

heres another riding video,... theres more on my youtube which you can find at youtube.com/bobandthereds
you can also email me or comment as well.. its always appreciated. thanks.

an overdue update.

I know I havent written in a while… and its not because I have been lazy or haven’t wanted to. Back in may while playing hockey, I came across the center line and checked a guy so hard that it sent me spinning and upside down to the point where I spiked my shoulder when I landed and ended up tearing the AC joint. I knew immediately that there was a problem and drove straight to the ER. Two weeks in a sling, and two or three weeks of physical therapy later.. and here I am.

Because of things I ended up missing the CUBS series in early June which I was excited about. Excited because probably one of my favorite players was going to be there, RYAN FREEL. Freel has had his ups and downs with injuries and such, but he is a still a great player, who given the chance.. can shine like not many other. Unfortunately though, instead of being here and being able to see him potentially play… I ended up in bed, resting and lamenting over the pain I was suffering being able to barely move.

This morning I found out the Freel has again been traded, this time to the Kansas City Royals… a team that never comes here for interleague play. So my chances of seeing one of my favorite players has gone down the drain.
Aside from that, when I did return to action at the ballpark it was with warm welcome and concern from my fellow friends and employees, and once things got underway it felt like I had never missed a day.

One of the biggest highlights of June was of course the civil rights weekend in which we celebrated the heritage of baseball and its breakthroughs of both discrimination and the color barrier in the sport. First up in order to get to the weekend we played Atlanta. After a fair amount of rain delay… Laynce Nix, the beast that he is.. drove in RBIS to assure a win, which was given to Daniel Ray Herrera for his first career victory. After that, the reds would take another win.. ultimately losing the 3rd of the series in an exciting 3 game run against the braves.

Then onto the civil rights weekend… in which I was closer to greatness than I think I have ever been. It was a really surreal feeling, but before that lets talk about the adventure I had on Friday of that week.

The boss contacted me and asked me if I would be available on Friday daytime to do some stuff, and I told him I had already planned to take it off. With Thursday being a day game, I am accustomed to just taking Fridays off from my regular job in order to enjoy the time before a long weekend of baseball. It was then that I found out that I would be working for MLB TV, covering a live Q & A session with some great people like Hall of Famers and local legends Oscar Robertson and Tony Perez. Hank Aaron was there as well.. and after I realized he was sitting 4 seats away from me, I couldn’t help but want to just leave my camera and shake the hands that beat babe ruths record. Highlights of this day and a look at some of my work can be seen at http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090619&content_id=5418930&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

After that it was on to Saturday… and one of the best moments of my life. Even though the reds would struggle, it was made up for by the magic that was in the air that night in which history was made. One of the crowning moments had to have been seeing Muhammad Ali, Bill Cosby and Hank Aaron all together.. and being only feet from them. Ali, now in the last stages of his life but still looking good, seemed to still be enjoying the spotlight.. as they drove him away on the golf cart after the ceremonies on the field, he did his trademark pose where he put his fists up for the crowd, who ate it up.

I cant even tell you what really happened during the game itself… because I was drowning in the fact that I had just seen 3 legends all together at the same time. I couldn’t believe how blessed and privileged a moment that it was for me to be there… and its something I might not ever get over.

The reds keep struggling a back and forth war to keep at or above 500,.. but I think that some key changes can be made soon to get them where they need to be. I am standing by my prediction of slightly above 500 and possible wildcard that I made before the season began.

It shows through on a week like this past one and its always mystifying to me to see them play so badly against a low ranked team, and then tear it up against a high ranked team. Arizona and St. Louis talent-wise are so far apart from each other as well.. and its always a hard to thing to watch one of our pitchers do so incredibly well on the mound, only to see his efforts squandered late in the game by the backup bullpen. Its obvious that some incredible mistakes have been made this past week and I cant really tell you why… just to say that hopefully the proper changes will be made and adjustments and such.

July is a challenging road for the reds… and unless something happens to get them back in line, I don’t think they are going to see themselves moving out of fourth place. Having to go up against powerhouses like Philadelphia and Milwaukee doesn’t help when you’re struggling just to get more than 5 hits per game..
And before any of you naysayers go off on some tangent like “THE REDS SUCK, I AM SO DONE WITH THEM” just because they gave up 22 runs last night, let me remind you that this year is the best the club has been in a long time and they have consistently been at or around the 500 mark ALL SEASON LONG…

which in itself is an accomplishment seeing as how they have been plighted with injuries and setbacks to most of the players who have been considered their major stars. They won games WITHOUT Alex Gonzalez.. and Edwin Encarnacion.. they have been winning without Volquez on the mound,.. and they won when Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto were both out on injuries and other things.. they have been winning and staying where they quite frankly were projected by many experts to finish out at in a season of rebuilding with young and new talents.

Will they ever be back to the status of the 1990 team? Probably not.. not even the Yankees with all their bankroll and power could be that. Baseball has changed and the way its played and done has changed.. and its something that the fans need to accept.

The fans need to accept that the reds aren’t going to go to the world series this year. They need to accept that they aren’t going to finish in first place… that at best they will end up maybe getting the wildcard, and that’s about it. Any sane person knows that the team is in a stage of rebuild… that its been injury plagued.. and that the new talent is fully developed enough yet. Things take time.. and if you cant be patient, you probably should find some other team to bandwagon for.

But hey… that’s just my opinion, and rain or shine I am going to love my reds all the way into October.

Thanks.

a series of strange events...

Last night was strange… I don’t even know why.

We had a great two hour rain delay, followed by gremlins in the systems that never seemed to really go away.

I have begun to notice things about stuff I hadn’t noticed before. Like the fact that most of us who are regular camera people have a weird kinship of sorts. We all sit together at dinner, hardly saying a word.. eating in almost unison.. and then we just break and go in different directions. People must think it strange, but that’s our thing. Our director was commenting about how one of us only communicates with yes or no by moving the camera in one way or another… but that’s just how we are. I would suppose I am more outspoken than the rest,.. does that make me the camera guy spokesman?

There’s been a lot of disturbing medical issues at GABP lately too. One day a guy dies in the stands, the next a guy on security falls flat on his face passing out on the warning track, the next a lady goes missing for 6 innings after saying she had to go to the restroom and people think it might have been a stroke. Last night after the rain delay we came back on to find out that every ones headsets sounded like they were robots or in tron or something… this before the scoreboard disappeared halfway for about an inning and a half. Then the lights flickered in the park.. and I later found out there was a power surge across the river.

All this encompassed around a short rain delay that left us not getting out until 11pm last night.

Other than that its been great and the team is still doing really well (with the exception of mike Lincoln, but I need to keep it positive here). Last night I got to see Laynce Nix drop a bomb into right field… and later found out that his brother did the same thing on the same night. There’s only been about 5 or 6 other brother combinations in baseball to do that in the majors.. I think one of them was even on the same team. Nix continues to crush it… and rounds out the lineup well. I cant help but think though that if he were right handed he wouldn’t be here. He would probably be somewhere else. He’s definitely been having to prove himself.
This is a great reds team.

A great young and rejuvenated reds team that gets out and does what they have to do. Sure they make mistakes now and then, everyone does. But this isn’t the sluggish team with the holly go lightly attitude that we have seen in the past. If you are a fan or have been and have been doubting, you need to get down to the ballpark and see it. The energy.. the feeling.. everything about it is all different this year.

I once said that every time I come out of that tunnel and step onto the warning track at great American, that it feels like I am 5 years old again… and its even doubled this year. Is it because we are winning more than we are losing? Could be part of it.. but aside from that, it’s the feeling in the air.. it’s the look on the players faces.. its just the atmosphere and the remarkable change that’s been made this season. I do wish I could experience more games from the seats as a spectator, but I wouldn’t trade my position for anything in the world.

Something that has been different is getting to see Jeff Keppinger actually play on this trip, and while it wasn’t so great to see him hit a home run into the stands, it was nice to see that the fans still accept him even though hes not part of the reds any more. I am even more so interested to see how they will respond to ryan freel when the cubs hit town next weekend.

Freel unfortunately sat out most of his last season here with injury, but as far as I could tell people still loved him… I know I did, and hes one of my favorite players ever. I can remember once going to a game back a while ago and freel was in the outfield.. there was a long bomber to right-center field that he made an amazing dive to catch and the place just blew up like the 4th of july. After he was traded to Baltimore, I read an article about how he is really pro-fans, and offered fans to personally email him and he would try and hook up one family with free tickets for every town they visited, and hang out as much as he could before and after games… of course then he was traded to the cubs, and I haven’t heard much since. In my book though, aside from his legal troubles, Freel is a standup dude and a great player.


Tonight marks the end of a really long homestand and a short break for me… I hope that whoever reads what write really enjoys it and I look forward to writing more for you through the summer. If you have any questions, comments, or anything.. feel free to email me at robert (at) wnku.org or just leave a comment or two.. thanks and enjoy.

These last two days at great american have had a series of ups and downs, mostly on the field. What looked really good one moment ended really bad the next as the Reds dropped game 3 of a rubber match where they had dominated only one day before.

perhaps two of the most shocking or rather odd events happened on consecutive days.

Wednesday evening felt odd to me.
as i walked down the hall toward the dining room something struck me and made me feel weird but i couldnt put my finger on what it was. dinner was normal.. everything was pretty normal really.. that was until I got to my camera and we got into pregame.

as it turns out, a man had suffered what was probably cardiac arrest out in the sundeck/moondeck bleachers. paramedics rushed to his aid and pumped on his chest for what seemed like an ice age while performing CPR. eventually they would end up taking him out on a backboard... eventually i would find out that he has passed away in the stands. some of the crew talked about how a similar thing had happened a while back and so i researched while looking for a clue to this recent happening online... it turns out that in 2005, the same thing had happened, eerily in the same section to a boys grandfather. the bench coach took the initiative, inviting the boy to sit with players for the game, and griffey in an act of charity, put together a giant grab bag od signed goodies and other reds related things for the boy.

the whole event was overshadowed by the dominance of the reds for the evening.. but left me feeling off and questioning my own mortality, having had a birthday just the previous day and realizing that i am not getting any younger.

then during the thursday businessday special, I was on camera in the blazing sun when I looked over to see a pregnant lady sitting in the stands about 8 feet from me. this isnt abnormal.. pregnant ladies come to the game all the time.

what isnt normal about this is that i am pretty sure this lady was drinking.
I mentioned this over the headset, so then everyone took a look. was it apple juice I asked myself? how could it be.. they dont sell apple juice in a plastic beer cup at the ballpark. this was confirmed for me when the lady sitting next to her came back from the concession with a fresh beer of her own, and a new plastic beer cup full of a bronze liquid that had a frothy head on it. this pregnant lady downed i dont know how many of these before they finally left.

someone mentioned that they thought that the ballpark selled O'douls.
Even so, if you are that desperate of an alcoholic that you need to drink an o'douls when you are visibly 8 or 9 months pregnant, then you probably dont need to be having a child.

All in all this past series was one of ups and downs and with todays switch arounds due to some injuries, we have a potential to see some fresh action of a team thats battling to keep their head above water. I still stand by my pre season prediction... the reds will finish above around or a little above 500 and have the potential to the NL central wildcard.

only time will tell, and until volquez gets healthy and a few more adjustments are made at the plate, its anyones game.

sometimes the dog gets you.. and sometimes...

Tuesday May 19^th, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies @ Cincinnati Reds.

What do you expect on nights like these? The reds had just come off of a road trip where they had gone from 4^th place to 1^st place and back to 4^th all before they even got back home, and now tonight they face the Phillies.

Today was my birthday, and also this thing called bark in the park. For those not familiar, IAMS sponsors a day where you can take your dog to the game. Your dog gets a seat, a treat, and most of all, the price of the tickets is so outrageous for the entire package.. how can you not pass it up? Theres even a chance for you to go out on the field with your pooch for a puppy parade and its generally a good time. They started this program 2 years ago and I have been both years with my boston terrier Donovan.. this year, I figure due to the success of it always selling out, they decided to have two. One in May, and one in September.

Now I love my dog… a lot.. maybe too much. I would however never go to the extremes that some people do in how they dress their dogs up. Ive been known to throw a baby sized shirt on my dog or a pair of socks for a cheap laugh, but Ive never done this…

I often wonder what dogs are thinking, if at all. If I had to take a guess… I would say these dogs are thinking “we are going to smother you in your sleep tonight”.

As I said before.. its my birthday.. and I made the mistake of telling our “lunch lady” Denise. Denise is like that grandmother that your cool friend had when you were kids. You would go over to her house and she would always have fresh cookies made for you, and would also give you a word of life wisdom even though you might be too young to understand. The kind of gramma that would go collect the mail in one breath and be smacking that darn dog for getting into the pie cooling on the table the next.

Denise then proceeded to turn me toward the entire dinner crowd and lead them in a singing of happy birthday which was thoroughly embarrassing to say the least. Everyone gave it a half hearted attempt, and then laughed at me. So it was a good night right?

The game went well, and for a crowd of 12 plus thousand, it was a great night. Cueto was on it mostly (despite one home run shot)… and the team came out like they were in the mood to end a losing streak. Bruce railed

one out of the park, as did hairston, but my highlight would be in the bottom of the 9^th when Laynce Nix came up to bat. With Janish on first and in need of 2 runs to win, I knew that Laynce was the man to take care of the job… except he walked, leaving it up to someone else who ended up popping out and ending the game. Tough loss.. tough play.. we’ll get em next time.

One thing I did yesterday was mount a small tripod to the frame of my bike. Some people have been inquiring about the bike, seeing me write about my journeys (including my not so nice ones) in the downtown area and wondering what its all about… so I decided to start posting some videos of my rides to give you a different perspective on what I go through to get to and from the stadium each game.

This first one centers on the after game for may 19^th,… I did try and record my journey to the stadium, but for whatever reason the camera cut off… so that ones lost in the books. This night ride though, is enjoyable to watch and really shows you a different way of looking at downtown I think. So enjoy.

3 days, 2 wins.

The last three days have been a glorious blur now that I try to think back on them. Two wins and one loss for the reds this weekend as they faced their divisions number one team, and I have been able to see some great talent in the wake of time off and injuries from other.

The biggest highlight: Nix and Rosales.

I can say I was there the day Rosales hit his first Major League Homer… I can say I was there as I watched him run about 300mph after he did.. I can say I was there to see Laynce Nix simply tear it up both in the field and at the plate. (despite a few strikeouts),.. and to see the infamous steamroll he placed on Kyle Lohse.
Wear to start and how good my memory will do is to be determined.

As I crossed the yellow bridge from Newport into Cincinnati on Friday evening the stadium lights weren’t on yet, which was a bad sign and meant a potential rain delay and a long night of standing in it, dodging it, and overall just waiting it out. It wasn’t incredibly bad though, and once the game got started it was all Reds full on.
Before that though, was my bike ride from uptown to the stadium and as I trucked down 2nd st, the sign of familiar vendors like 5 dollar hat guy and the cheap peanuts guys was nowhere to be found. Did they not have faith that there would be baseball this great rainy evening? The cold rush of well conditioned air flowing up from within the parking garage bit at my skin as I rode the break down the hill to gate 3 and hoped for the best.

What I got was the best, and made the night well worth waiting and then eventually standing through scattered spurts of sprinkles and drizzle. The Reds had simply come alive and were backing up the bullpen to incredible lengths. The Friday night crowd showed up and were great despite the rain. What was even better was being able to see the talent of Nix and Rosales really light up in the wake of recent sickness and injury.

Rosales is like a 5 year old on Christmas morning, to find that bike shaped present under the tree and still wondering what it is as he wildly tears into it. The enthusiasm and fervor in which he plays with, is matched by his presence on the field and at the plate. The fact that theres a player who has a passion for the game and plays it like he doesn’t even care that hes getting paid to do so, is a true testament to the next generation of what major league baseball could be. When he exits the field.. hes trucking it. When he goes on the field.. hes trucking it.. when he gets walked.. hes trucking it.. its like watching your child walk for the first time,.. simply amazing to see.

Laynce Nix,… needs to be an every day site in left field. He does strike out now and then, but when he hits.. HE HITS. Doubles, triples, home runs… RBI’s.. hes a machine.

The sad thing about it is though.. that due to contracts and all that principle stuff,.. when the regulars come back these two great talents will go back to riding the pine, and further.. Rosales will probably go back to Triple A and wait for someone to be traded or go down for the season.

Outside of what took place on the field, there wasn’t much of interest except for another great fireworks display on Friday night (I forgot my camera) and the amazing sellout on Saturday. It was kind of weird because at one point I was looking for my boss and walked past the windows of the waltz business solutions center and spied the crowd waiting to get in when the gates opened.

It really gives you a weird perspective to be there and inside before everyone is let in. the field is big and empty,.. we are playing music and running animation loops.. getting set up.. and workers are rustling around.. but I had never realized what it looks like out front, despite having rode past it on my bike for every game.

Juuuuuuust a bit outside......

May 7th, 2009 - Brew Crew at the Reds...

Tonight we were greeted with a rain delay, and it wasn’t good rain either. It was dull drab misting rain that moved in slow... and creeped around... and then eventually left. In the process though, I got to watch a great history video on Crosley Field… but wait, I am getting ahead of myself.

Tonight I ate dinner 6 feet away from Bob Uecker. Yes the “JUUUUUUST A BIT OUTSIDE” Bob Uecker from Major League. The Bob Uecker that is shown countless amounts of times on WWE highlight reels being choked out by Andre The Giant,… and there he is sitting 6 feet from me eating the same hot dog I am eating. Enjoying the same beaked beans I was enjoying… and talking it up and laughing with Marty.

While eating, they had the best sports show period on in the dining room and were showing the top sports bloopers of all time, part two. We were watching and then suddenly there was a roar amongst the crowd as the now infamous event from a pregame where Mr. Redlegs fell off the back of the 4 Wheeler and took a tumble. It just so happened that the two guys who make Gapper and Redlegs come to life were standing there, and were receiving some good ribbing from the Media guys sitting around eating. They took the jabs well though and it was pretty funny.

I was still kind of preoccupied with the fact that Bob Uecker was sitting next to me… I never know what to say exactly in those situations... so I said nothing. I did however know what to say when I saw my new favorite Red while setting up. As I was helping Erik get his gear to first base before the rain came, I saw someone sitting in the Reds dugout on their cell phone. This is a pretty common thing, but what made it uncommon is that it was Laynce Nix.

He was looking down at his phone (presumably texting) and I couldn’t resist the urge while I was walking by to say “You’re my favorite Laynce!”, he looked up kind of surprised, chuckled and said thanks and pumped his fist at me. I don’t think he really took me seriously… and I guess if my main role had been pinch hitting all season, I wouldn’t take someone saying that to me seriously either. But I was honest and thankful when he eventually got into the game and cranked out an RBI double after the rain delay finally ended.

In little league and later High School league ball, it’s not uncommon that everyone might get a chance to pitch. After last night’s less than stellar performance by Bronson Arroyo, Dusty was running out of options going into the 9^th inning and played a card that I had not seen a major league coach pull… and that was putting the shortstop on the mound.

Paul Janish got up there, and did as well as I suppose anyone else would have. The crowd sure loved it, cheering him and even started a light chant of “let’s go Janish!” Janish struck out the first batter before running into some trouble and eventually taking a homer off of Prince Fielder. I am sure for anyone who tuned in expecting to see one of Fox Sports filler programs that late was probably mystified at the fact that the shortstop was on the hill. In the end though (despite the home run, but I mean what do you expect ... the man has pitched how many games in the Majors?) Janish didn’t do too badly. He was cool, calm and collected... and got up there as though he and Hanigan were simply playing catch in a way.

Since the rain delay took an extra hour than usual, I was able to ride my bike on fairly open streets. It’s nice to ride around that late with the lack of traffic. As I rode through downtown with my bike lights blazing I had many thoughts…

“What will the rest of the season hold?"

"Sharee Paolello is a tiny woman”

“The reaction on Sportscenter is probably going to be bad”

“Will I ever meet Shadow Hare while riding around downtown?”

“When will Laynce Nix see full time play?”

“Paul Janish… wow”

“BOB UECKER!”

But the biggest thought is one that was instilled in me when I played the game myself,.. When it wasn’t for millions of dollars, or TV advertising, or endorsements or anything else… it was when the game was played for fun… that thought simply was “we’ll get em’ next time”

great american explosions...

I have been meaning to post these for a while...


pictures I took of the last Friday night fireworks at the park. click on each one for a larger view.


A new homestand this week.. so be sure to keep checking in for new updates.

enjoy.

i took these outside of the stadium on the east side of the underground freedom center.








i dont know how i was lucky enough to get this image,...


its totally natural and undoctored and looks amazing to me.








there are several friday night fireworks shows throughout the season.. and are worth it.


the same company that does the WEBN fireworks and the fourth of july celebration do these.

The passion we had as kids...

April 28th and 29th,.. Astros at the reds.

The past two days at Great American were pretty cool and I dont know where to start, so I will just start with what I am thinking about and be all over the place in the process.

What can be said about Adam Rosales?

The guy screams passion.. he oozes it all over the place. whether he is taking the field or leaving.. even on a walk, the guy is excited and passionate about being there.

Last night before the Reds took the field, he was standing at the top of the steps and could not wait to get to third base. As soon as he was given the cue he ran out so fast that it was almost like watching Flash Gordon take the position. When he got walked… again he was like white lightning to first. Coming on and off the field.. it was a reminder (and the only one we need) of Todd Coffey and how he would come out from the bullpen. Another thing about Rosales,.. he was always smiling. Every time I looked at him or zeroed in on him or when Fox Sports had him on.. smiling. Hes not yet jaded by years of hard road travel.. hes not yet consumed with what the Majors have for him.. he is simply enjoying every minute of what hes doing and not feeling like he has to emulate anyone else on the team to fit in.

Maybe he doesn’t even care about fitting in.. maybe.. JUST MAYBE… he is actually enjoying the game.

There was a quote once that Griffey JR said something in the realm of “as long as I still enjoy playing, I will play” or something to that respect. I can remember being at games last year and watching how Griffey would outright ignore fans.. how he would walk past them like they didn’t exist.. how he would scrunch his face when they would call out to him. Of course we know the locker room situation.. how he had two lockers and steamer trunks and what not.. we know how he would hit a grounder and almost just start walking straight to the dugout.. Griffey in my opinion was consumed by the Majors in the wrong way. Consumed by his millions and his endorsements, consumed by being on top and knowing it.

It seemed like in his final years in Cincinnati, Junior didn’t even try that hard… because he didn’t have to. He walked up to the plate every time wanting to hit home runs and not much else.

You don’t see that in players like Laynce Nix, who last night was driven in on a Rosales single.. and then drove in an RBI of his own on a brilliant triple where he was running so hard I thought he was going to bypass third base and crash right into me like a bull.

I said it at the beginning of the season and I will keep saying it. The Reds have the potential to be the NL Central Wildcard. It’s a time of reconstruction,.. of younger guys… of new guys.. and of learning each other. They have the ability to do it, and if the way that Volquez & Cueto have been pitching is any indicator of whats to come, they WILL do it.

Another thing about working every day at the Reds is that you see the same fans, or should I say autograph hounds all the time. There’s one guy who is littered in tattoos and who is always wearing New York Mets gear. Every game before pre game there he is, standing at the third base line wall waiting to try and get autographs. Last night he was holding a bag with something large in it, and got Jeff Keppinger to come over to him.. when he pulled the item out of the bag it was a framed picture ( I am guessing of Keppinger by his reaction) and Keppinger stood and adored it.

Turns out it was a framed picture that he had specially made just for Keppinger and wanted to hand deliver to him. Kep shook his hand and took it back into the clubhouse. A fans devotion will never cease to amaze me.

I asked the guy why he was always at Reds games in Mets gear, and he said “its easier to come here and support a good team and be able to see a lot of games, rather than driving to New York for one game.”

I was happy last night.. it wasn’t too hot, the rain held off.. and the Reds supported some awesome pitching into a win. It will be a week before I get to be there and see them again, but its going to be good to have a small break. It was also nice last night that the only thing I had to dodge on my bike, was the occasional puddle.

Crash bang, boom bip...

Monday April 27th, 2009 - Houston Astros at Cincinnati...

If you like to start your day off by crashing into a brick wall, raise your hand…

Every Reds game I park about 12 blocks uptown and ride my bike down to the stadium. It saves time, frustration, and the cost of parking. Its great exercise, and just feels awesome to be breezing about the streets of the city of Cincinnati.

A while back I read an article in our local city paper about how the city was unfriendly to people on bicycles. Accounts of people being cussed at, run down, having things thrown at them and so on were just a few of the items mentioned. The lack of bike lanes and bike friendly traffic.. all the while thinking to myself that I have never had an issue while riding downtown. As of late I have even gotten more bold and begun riding NYC bike messenger style between cars (always thinking that someone might open their door on me, and finding out that my “friend” Aaron had thought about it)… and just generally having a high level of confidence in my zip zoom style of riding the downtown streets.

That was until yesterday.

So now you say “oh no, what happened yesterday?”

And much to your surprise, no I didn’t get hit by a car.. but I got derailed by someone just simply walking. They say most accidents happen within 5 miles of the home, and on game days I consider the stadium home. It should be no surprise then that I crashed into a brick wall with the light stacks of great American locked in my sites.

I was almost home when some lady walking and texting on her phone AND TOTALLY NOT PAYING ATTENTION, veered right into my path forcing me to take evasive action and the only place I had to go was straight into a wall. The killer of it all was that she just simply looked at me and kept walking… as I layed there mangled and now burning from the road rash, I thought about the compassion of human life and how little of it some people have.
The blood streaming down my shin and elbow, combined with the wind blazing across my now open wounds reminded me of the frailty of the body and its limits.. nevertheless I had to press on and get to the park for another great day of baseball, and after getting patched up at the command center I was good to go for the night.

It amazes me how well Johnny Cueto can pitch and then we still end up losing. He comes out and deliver a rock solid seven innings, and then things still fall apart. Part of me wonders when Bill Bray will ever make it back to help out the bullpen. Part of me wonders where the magic that el matador once had has gone… part of me wonders how and why things turn out the way they do sometimes in the game.

There were no tense moments tonight. No bats flying at my head, there was one foul ball which missed me and beaned the photographer who wasn’t paying attention,… of course at 3rd base the cop still makes sure that any foul balls that come at me go to the kids. It was a Monday so the crowd was kind of light, but it was still a good crowd for a Monday.

I always wonder how players feel when they come back to great American after being traded off or let go. The past two teams have featured former Reds who were still on the team only about 7 or 8 months ago. Seeing Keppinger in an Astros uniform was weird.. and something about it just made me unsettled. Gonzalez is slowly picking his pace back up at short stop, but I cant say I don’t miss seeing Keppinger standing there.

I don’t miss David Ross behind the plate though, and think Hernandez has been a great addition,… though I wish we hadn’t had to trade Freel to get him.

Heres to hoping that we get to see more of great new talent like Laynce Nix & Paul Janish,.. as well as seeing the team get their overall batting average up. If they can refine the bats a little bit and take control on the late game bullpen, I am calling for wildcard in the NL Central.

Two days at great amercian...

Friday April 24th, 2009 - Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati..

I really should have written this blog after the game, because my memory has fluttered since then. What I can tell you is that it was one of my two least favorite days at great american,.. those being set up and tear down at the beginning and ending of each homestand.

This season I am basically at 3rd base.. so when I get there (after working an 8 hour day already) I have to get it all together and set it all up myself. that’s no problem except that they open the gates two hours before the game, we have a crew meeting, and pre game begins about 40 minutes before game time. so i have to get set up in time to make the meeting.. upon coming up through the tunnel, i almost crashed into braves second basemen Kelly Johnson,... usually by the time I get to the field the away team is already out on the field taking batting practice so I tend not to pay much attention to what I am doing when I come out of the tunnel. It was ok though and after he said excuse me, I said "good luck" which I think weirded him out because he gave me a funny look.

At the meeting, Phil Castillini showed up to just hang out. Suddenly I was in the same room with the guy who basically owned everything in the room,.. including my paycheck. I was in awe... but not because of who he was, or the power he had.. but more because I couldn’t believe he was wearing such sensible shoes and was so down to earth. Most people you meet in his position are stuck up (and I have met a few in my day).. but he was generous and kind.

we got into the game and everything was great.. Laynce Nix, who is slowly becoming my new favorite player (for what reason I do not know) got to bat.. and I even got my friend Clint on the big screen during the beefcake cam which he did awesome at.

The game was a tough battle... and if it weren’t for a few untimely walks I think the reds would have won. It was fireworks night as well.. and some country singer was there that I definitely didnt know, and I am not sure anyone else did either. nevertheless he did the seventh inning stretch.. the game ended, and everyone enjoyed a great after-show. As I rolled back up past the front of the park I stopped at a certain place by the freedom center to watch some of the explosions amongst the lightstacks… its just simply beautiful how it looks sometimes.

Sunday April 26, 2009 – Atlanta Braves at the Reds…

I didn’t work Saturdays game because I had a championship to win of my own.. so I settled for my favorite day in redsland.. Sunday. Not only is it a great day to begin with, but in the media dining room its breakfast day and what I refer to as “omelet time”. After eating a hearty breakfast I was ready to see the reds win.. and in a great mood. I even told anyone who would listen “this is the day… todays the day”

and the day it was.. Jay Bruce lit it up hitting two homers and Joey Votto killed the ball to drive in 3 RBI’s that helped secure a dominance over the Braves.. surprisingly the only Braves highlight came in the form of a former Red, David Ross. I had never seen Ross do much of anything in his time here, but he was lighting up potential stolen bases and then after his hard shot into the bleachers I thought there must be something in that hotlanta water.

I got a highlight of my own, when somewhere mid game I saw a Louisville slugger flying at my face.

In the major leagues the bats are wood. Slick most often.. and the batters have to use pine tar to make them sticky for grip. Now I have seen bats go flying into the stands every once in a while.. and usually its in the stands somewhere close to where the batter is. Today though, both myself and Nick Prince were dodging the wood as I ducked and covered in time to see a bat fly right above me and shatter in the aisle only 6 feet away from me. Somewhere later in the game, Nick who was at first base had the same happen to him.. though this time the bat actually hit someone who had to be escorted out by EMT’s. A traumatic instance I am sure for the person that it hit.. and I think I speak for everyone at the Reds when I say that I wish them a speedy recovery.

Its odd the difference between having a bat fly at you.. and a baseball. the baseball doesn’t even phase me, as evidence early in the game when a foul ball line drived at the camera pit, blitzed off the wall behind me and almost took down the security guard standing next to me. I simple moved my head and continued covering the game. When the bat came flying at me.. you would have thought I was running from fire dropping out of the sky. I guess I have gotten used to the baseballs…

The Braves had their Japanese pitcher today, and its on days like this that the Japanese press and fans come out in mass amount. its great to see the Japanese media in the tunnel. they are always so kind and humble. its just too bad that it turned out to be such a bad day for him… yesterday I asked my friend Naoki what the Japanese word for shame was,.. “probably something like Baka” he said… today was definitely a Baka day for the Atlanta Braves.

Another great thing for me was that Laynce Nix was in the lineup today as more than pinch hitter, which has become one of his regular roles. During pre season batting practice while watching him I commented that he looked like he woke up and ate a set of free weights for breakfast… I don’t exactly remember how he performed, but I know the guy is a beast and has lots of potential.

Sundays at Great American are always Kids/Family day. Today the promotion was Brandon Phillips gold glove day… and we had a great crowd. Its great to see families come out and have a great time at the park. What’s greater is when one of the Reds does something awesome.. and then smiles when he sees the replay of what he did on the board (and by that I mean the replay from your camera). Joey Votto LOVES to see his replays. despite his otherwise permanently stoic nature, he does grin a little when he sees something he did on the big board. what’s good for me is that he is left handed, and my camera brings all the lefties up and then captures what they do. Seeing Votto watching himself on the board and grinning is awesome.. having the replay be one that I shot myself, and knowing that 30 thousand fans are enjoying it too… that’s just priceless.

And this one belongs to ....Chris Welsh

Sunday April 13th, 2009 Pirates at the Reds.

man what a game today. everything was great,.. well.. except for that triple play that no one expected.

I arrived at great american today completely pumped.. one because the Reds were playing, but more so because Sunday at great american is breakfast day! it makes our usual all you can eat for 7 dollar media buffet worth working the day in the hot sun.. not that it was hot today, but it will be soon.

the guys are always amazed when i start pulling tupperware out of my battle pack, and then put my leftovers in it. "i get hungry around the 5th inning" i say... because we get no breaks, and cant stop. once the show is live.. its live and theres no turning back. so you make do with what you have and if you arent prepared, you end up miserable. thats where the "battle pack" comes into play. If you ever go to a game you might see the camera men at first and third with backpacks or bags... this is a survival tool of the fittest for us,.. and heres a rundown of what is commonly in mine.

1 complete rain suit, pants and jacket.
1 towel.
i can of sun block, 45spf.
a few small rolls of gaffer tape.
1 pitcher with lid
1 car door drink caddie.
1 bag of sunflower seeds.
1 pack of gum.
1 extra thermal shirt.
1 hoodie.
1 pair of fingerless insulated work gloves.
lens wipes.
tissues.
digital camera.
2 tupperwares.
long armband.
car stereo detachable face.
lineup sheets.

the game was a good one like I said and today I was at 1st base with an unobstructed view of the dugout. Cueto is such a happy guy all the time,.. and its funny to watch him hanging out in the dugout, cracking jokes and people watching.

perhaps the highlight above breakfast day, above the 2 run homer, and above watching Johnny Cueto cut it up... was when Chris Welsh and I crossed paths in the bathroom. If theres a more sincere and nice guy that I have ever met while working at the Reds, Chris Welsh is only topped by George Grande.

I casually asked Chris if he was going to grow his mustache back and after some jokes I told him he looked good both ways. He was humble with his response, and in the end it was still up in the air whether he would don his face with the fine stache he used to sport... but hey, thats how it is sometimes...

The Reds win... and you end your day by talking to Chris Welsh in the bathroom about mustaches.

Arrrrrr! Pirates!

Saturday April 11th, 2009 - Reds host the pirates.


there couldnt have been a better day for baseball today. As I rode my bike down Walnut there was a brisk and crisp chill in the air which not only kept me alert, but also reminded me of those days as a young kid going to early Saturday morning practices for little league. Though this time the field was much bigger, and the team was much better.


You wouldn’t have really known it by the score though.. and sometimes the score isn’t everything.


I was about 2 tacos deep at the pre game lunch when my friend Exline texted me. he works for a station in West Virginia and they broadcast the games. I informed him that things were in fact running on time and everything was good to go, to which he scoffed because they were having overcast weather and it was gloomy back in the wild and wonderful…


its always a tough one to call at the pre game lunch/dinner. the cafeteria at great American is mostly comprised of media type people. All of us from scoreboard operations, along with the Fox sports, MLB.TV, reds radio, the newspapers, online bloggers, reds websites, marketing, promotions, and really anyone who has anything to do with anything that pertains to any form of media that might promote the Reds. And in time you get to know people… but even after a year its still hard with some. Ive always had a problem with names, and know people more by face but I have made it a point this season to actually look at peoples badges and talk to them more and get to know them.


Its also an awkward feeling when you sit at the same table as Marty and Cowboy,.. or for that matter Tom.. Chris.. Jeff Picoro.. and the other faces you get familiar with when you listen or watch the games at home. You don’t know what to do really.. because while yeah, they are normal guys and all.. they are also set apart from normal. They are the ones who are the face and voice that draws us into our team.. they are the statsmen, the analysts, the friend we have to guide us through the 9 inning battle… and there they are all the sudden two seats away from you, talking about golf or kids or shoes while eating chicken and rice and drinking a coffee.


Todays game wasn’t really much to talk about. When Cueto is on.. he is on. When he struggles, he gets upset.. visibly.. and it effects him. He pitched well, struck out people when needed, but in the end some lucky breaks along with a breakdown in the relief pitching and some bad judgment in baserunning made it a tougher day on him than he needed. And as the 9th inning came to an end on one of those poor baserunning decisions, we all didn’t say much about it.. we just accepted it as inevitable and packed it up.


“We’ll get em tomorrow” I uttered to myself as I watched the team walk off the field and the grounds crew take over. Its early in the season still, and theres room to give a little,.. you just cant give too much without beginning to take something in return.


The energy and excitement at great American is still high, and higher so than it was last year… and I am looking forward to the next 70 or so home games as being better as well. Will the Reds go all the way this year? most think its doubtful… I think they at least have a strong chance at wild card is nothing else. I suppose that only time will tell.. and I will be there to tell it to you.

What a wash...

Friday April 10th, 2009
Cincinnati Reds host the Pittsburgh Pirates... almost.


I knew from the get go that this would turn out to be a mush day,.. I just didnt expect it to never happen at all. I am all good and fine with long delays,.. last year we had one that lasted for what seemed like 3 hours. Its where the profile picture on my blog came from,.. sitting in the tunnel on a hot sunday waiting for the showers to dissipate.


The night before I had ventured to wally world and bought a full body rain suit in anticipation. Last year being my first season with the team I had to learn in a kind of trial by fire situation, first only having a small rain jacket.. then switching to the cheap poncho, but now its a full body suit... which did great, especially on my bike ride to the stadium.


riding into the stadium it was weird and almost predictive.
absent were the usual vendors with the 5 dollar hats and the discounted Griffey jerseys...
absent were the guys with the signs that say "why lie, I want a beer"..
absent was my friend with the bongo drum.
another rainy and drab afternoon in the queen city by all accounts. still though, you have hope that the clouds will part.. the sun will peek through.. and the game you love will still go on.


after eating a healthy portion of lasagna in anticipation of delays and a late night we were told that pregame was going to go on at 6:30 as planned. at 6:30 a message came across the headsets to come back to the control room and be back on camera at 7:30. at 7:15 we were told to stay put for an announcement.. and at 7:30 that announcement told us all to go home.


was i disappointed? yes and no.
I didnt really like the prospect of standing in the rain.. but I was well prepared.
I didnt like not getting to watch the Reds take on the Pirates.. but was also relieved it wouldnt be a late night.
I didnt like that the game had rained out... but was confident that when the time came to make it up, the Reds would be even better than they are now.


So I packed my camera up, got back on the bike and said goodnight to great american.. .knowing that I would be back on Saturday,.. where the sun would be shining, the fans will be smiling... and the Reds... will be playing.

My first of the season...

April 8th, 2009 - Reds host the Mets.

I will preface things by giving you a little background to understand what I write about, and where I am coming from with things. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I would grow up working for the team that I loved and watched as a kid. My memories of Pete Rose and Johnny Bench,.. Eric Davis.. Chris Sabo.. They all are small in comparison to the memories I have made in this last short year with the Cincinnati Reds.


I remember the day I got the call to come and work for Scoreboard Operations. That night I was dressed in what I normally would have been,.. A pair of slacks.. A nice button up shirt and suspenders. They gave me a mobile headset so I could follow along with what the director was saying and watch it at the same time on the big board. I remember the feeling I got when I first stepped onto the hallowed ground at Great American,.. And how I was 5 years old all over again.


That was a great night for me.. And while I don’t remember who played, I remember long about the 4th inning when my friend Cliff Jenkins, who was running camera at first base, turned to me and said it’s my turn. I believe the first batter I got was Edwin Encarnacion... and from there I proved myself into the position and eventually spent the rest of the summer doing what I loved to do, while watching the team I loved to watch.


Now fast forward to April 8th, 2009.. Its two days out of opening day in which it rained and the Reds narrowly lost to the New York Mets. I have high anticipation for this game... not only because it’s my first time seeing the team in action since October of '08, but also because I know they are in excellent shape this season. The news guys can produce,.. The old guys are excited with a new found hunger.. And there’s just an elevated sense of excitement all over the park. Not to mention our totally new and redone scoreboard looks fierce!


I always park about 9 blocks away from the park and then ride my bike in. not only does it make Parking free, but it also gives me some exercise. I take the same route just about every time from Columbia parkway, usually riding the wrong way down a one way street so I can see what’s coming at me.. And ending up at fountain square before heading down to 2^nd street and taking it to the garage. Every summer aside from the vendors and ticket scalpers, you will see the typical street musicians and the homeless… and there’s one guy out there who is always playing a drum. As the season goes by, you get to know the regulars.. And they get to recognizing you. It was a great feeling when the guy who plays the drum saw me and called out “HEY MAN,.. WELCOME BACK”… yes,… baseball season has arrived for me.

I get into the tunnels and take the elevator up. Get my assignment, check things out and then get something to eat in the cafeteria before our usual crew meeting. I am third base tonight,.. The one place I like the least out of all the positions. Not because I don’t like what I am doing, but because it’s the away side.. And you have to deal with the away fans, and tonight.. Those are Mets fans. All the fans for the away teams are different,.. Some better than others, and I couldn’t remember how Mets fans really were, just that I know that in New York it’s probably a lot different than it is here.



In pre-game the game ball was being delivered by a parachute and he was supposed to land on a big target in center field. When I heard this I thought “This will not go well”, and it didn’t.. He ended up landing.. Or rather crashing between second and first base, but got up smiling before placing the ball on the mound. The Mets players got a big kick out of it.. And so did everyone else after finding out the guy was ok.

In addition to the scoreboard cameras, there are always fox sports cameras 98% of the time. You get to know the guys that run those cameras, and most of them always run the same ones. At third with me was Tom and I was surprised I actually remembered his name because I am horrible with names. We do our best to stay out of each others way because it can get tight on the camera platform… and you can help each other when a foul ball comes at you about 90mph and you’re stuck looking through a 5 or 6 inch viewfinder before you realize it.

And that’s one of the hard things about working the low cameras. Last season I suffered this in the form of a Jay Bruce foul ball which bounced up and caught right between my pinky and ring finger. It hurt pretty badly and to smart it off while I was writhing in pain one of the grounds crew guys ran over and stole the ball.

You’re probably saying “What do you care? You probably get all that stuff all the time and hang out with the players and stuff don’t you?” in a word… NO.

We aren’t allowed to fraternize with the players of either team. They are there to do their job, and we are there to do our job. We rarely get an opportunity outside of sitting in the stands while not working to get any foul balls or anything, we aren’t even allowed to ask for autographs, and outside of getting a pat on the back from Aaron Harang while walking past him one day, and a really awkward experience with Ryan Freel,.. I have never spoken to, gotten an autograph from, or even touched one of the Cincinnati Reds.

So long about the 4^th inning Wednesday night, when Bruce shot a foul ball at me, and I recovered it and put it in my pocket, I was kind of annoyed that the usual cop who works the away dugout came over and made me give it to a kid… but it is what it is and its understandable.

All in all it was a great game and a great back and forth battle. Volquez had his slips here and there, the Mets got some lucky hits, the Reds battled back with their own stuff including a massive home run from Joey Votto. It was amazing seeing the new scoreboard light up like the 4^th of July… I would imagine that from the outside or across the river that the stadium probably looked like an erupting volcano with how red the scoreboard made everything. It was being bathed in fire.

Sadly though, this one didn’t belong to the Reds.. But they surely didn’t go down without a fight.

After the game I bagged up my camera, looked onto the field and smiled like I always do.. And made my way back up to the control room to sign out before making that bike ride back into downtown smiling.

And that’s the thing for me really,.. No matter how many times I step out onto that field before a game, I always feel like I am 5 years old all over again.