Wrapping up a good spring in Goodyear
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 1:01 pm

I’m about 13 hours away from wrapping up my time in Goodyear. I would have been on three hours away if the Reds had set the roster yesterday – like they should have – but I digress.

Anyway, I just wanted to go on the record about how much I enjoyed spring training in Arizona in general and Goodyear specifically.

I loved Sarasota. Siesta Key, where I stayed, is a little slice of paradise. It was a great place to spend six weeks. Sarasota is an old Florida town with a lot of charm and character.

That said, I wouldn’t trade covering spring Goodyear to go back to Sarasota.

The weather was better here. I didn’t use my air conditioning or heat in the condo. The mornings are pleasantly cool. The afternoons are nice – if you avoid the sun.

The town of Goodyear, shall we say, lacks charm. If there’s a downtown, I didn’t see it. But you’ve got everything you’d have in any other suburban sprawl. It’s easy to get around. There’s no traffic to speak of.

But the best thing about spring training in the Phoenix area is every ballpark is close, except Tucson (and the Rockies and D-Backs are moving up here next year).

In Florida, an hour-drive was considered a short jaunt. Here, the longest trips are 45 minutes.

From my condo, the Dodgers/White Sox park is five miles, just as close as Goodyear Ballpark.

The new Reds’ facilities are off-the-chart nice. The ballpark is a major upgrade over the Ed Smith.

Obviously, there’s no beach, but for a pure baseball experience, Goodyear has all over Sarasota.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04...-goodyear/

The waiting is the hardest part
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 1:09 pm

Just wanted to remind everyone that it’s a night game tonight. We’re meeting with Dusty Baker at 3 p.m. (6 p.m. Cincinnati time). I don’t expect to hear anything on the cuts or fifth starter before then.

I’ll post something as soon as I hear.

I don’t expect the Reds to get all the way down to the 25-man limit. They’re 13 above that right now. (Really, it’s 12: Edinson Volquez is camp, but he’s on the 60-day disabled list).

One thing to consider, they might wait as long as possible to designate someone for assignment. That would buy more time to make a move.

Last year, they didn’t set the roster until Sunday. But they brought extra guys north because they played games in Carolina and Dayton.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04...st-part-2/

Cueto's spring finale leaves stiff back
Reds notebook

By John Fay • jfay@enquirer.com • April 1, 2010


The Associated Press/Tony Dejak
Johnny Cueto pitched four innings Thursday against the Rangers, allowing five runs and 10 hits in the Reds' 7-6 win.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Johnny Cueto did not put up very good numbers in his final spring tune-up.

Cueto pitched four innings and allowed five runs and 10 hits in the Reds' 7-6 win over the Texas Rangers Thursday. He walked one, struck out six and struck two batters.

"I feel good," Cueto said. "But when I threw in the bullpen, my back got tight."

Cueto wasn't overly concerned about his back.

"Tomorrow, maybe, I'll be OK," he said.

Trainer Tomas Vera said it won't be an issue for Cueto. "It's just stiffness," Vera said.

Cueto did not have an easy inning among his four. He gave up a leadoff home run to Julio Borbon and two other runs in the first inning.

Cueto did not have a good spring, as far as numbers go. He went 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA, allowing 25 hits in 162/3 innings. Last spring, he went 1-0 with a 1.57 ERA, allowing 15 hits in 23 innings.

But Cueto skipped winter ball this year. The hope is he'll be stronger in July and August, when he struggled last season.

"I feel good," he said. "I'm ready to have a good season. I'm more rested."

Cueto is scheduled to start the second game of the season, at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

HOT VOT: Joey Votto went 3-for-3 in Wednesday night's 12-4 win over the Dodgers to extend his hitting streak to five games.

In those five games, Votto is hitting .846 with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBI. He raised his spring average from .167 to .347.

"It doesn't surprise me," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He can get hotter than anybody around.

"Now, we've got to back him off and keep him hot."

ON WOOD: For the most part, Baker liked what he saw from Travis Wood Wednesday night against the Dodgers. Wood pitched four innings and allowed three runs and five hits, walked three and struck out five.

"He was very good when he was in the strike zone," Baker said. "Command has never been his problem. That's what happens sometimes when you try too hard and you're overthrowing. He was up and away a lot. They told me he kept the ball down a lot. The toughest thing for a young player is when you're this close."

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100...stiff+back

Optimism abounds in Reds camp
GM Jocketty sees a team built to win now and in the future



By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

04/02/10 10:00 AM ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- While teams around baseball scurried to make additions in the early months of the Hot Stove season, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty held steady and kept waiting.

It quietly started in December, when Scott Rolen's contract was renegotiated and extended for two additional seasons through 2012. It freed up about $6 million to make other moves.

The biggest stunner was signing Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman to a six-year, $30.25 million deal in January. By February, the Reds added free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera, unloaded center fielder Willy Taveras and, on the day before camp, the power-hitting piece of the puzzle returned when Jocketty re-signed free agent Jonny Gomes.

Those transactions, and the existing growth of the younger players in-house, brought some extra buzz to the first Reds camp held in Arizona.

In his 36th season in professional baseball, the 59-year-old Jocketty became GM of the Reds on April 23, 2008. Earlier this week, on the deck overlooking the new Goodyear complex, he discussed his club and his thoughts about the upcoming season.

MLB.com: With Mike Leake having no professional experience, were you surprised he put himself in position to be a finalist for the fifth spot?

Jocketty: Nope. I'll tell you why. When we drafted him last year, we drafted him with the idea that he'll come fast -- not necessarily this fast. He pitched well enough in the [Arizona] Fall League. He's pitched at a very high level in college competition. He's done a lot of things. Would we like to see him out pitching in a five-man rotation for a while? Sure. We could probably control that at the Major League level, too.

MLB.com: How has Aroldis Chapman handled himself in camp with all the attention, the questions and the learning curve?

Jocketty: I think he's done well. Like Dusty [Baker] said early on, the fact he doesn't understand English has probably helped somewhat with not realizing all the hype that's been going on. He's done extremely well. I'm very happy. He's progressing some with his English. You can say a few things to him.

MLB.com: How much do you take into consideration where Chapman starts the season with all of the external stuff besides baseball?

Jocketty: A lot. I think that's something we're still going to meet on, depending on where we send him and where is the best place to send him to get started.

MLB.com: Are you happy in general with the level of competition you've had in this camp? It seems to be one of the deeper camps here in years.

Jocketty: I have been. The toughest thing we've faced in the past week -- I've met several times with Dusty and his staff and my staff -- is trying to figure out the final pieces of the puzzle. There's so much competition, so much talent that there are plusses and minuses for each person we're considering, whether it's the bullpen, rotation or the bench.

MLB.com: Is there a point where you wonder where the runs come from? It hasn't been a good spring for hitting.

Jocketty: We've had a few guys that we'll rely on during the season that haven't had great camps. I don't think Brandon [Phillips] will hit under .200 this year. I don't think Rolen will hit like he has. I'm not that concerned right now. If we get a week or two into the season and it's like that, then I will be concerned.

MLB.com: If the Reds are competitive into the summer, do you have the ability and clearance to make additional moves and add players if needed? Or does everything you have for the whole season already have to be here in camp?

Jocketty: I think if we're in position to do something during the year, we'll find a way to do it. We've been pretty creative so far. As long as I can keep Bob [Castellini] happy.

MLB.com: After the year Jay Bruce had last season, how important is it for him to be a more complete hitter this season?

Jocketty: I think that's one of the guys I think will be a big part of our offense this year. If he continues to grow like he did at the end of the year and improve, he should have a very good year. I think he played at the end of the year like we thought he's capable of doing. I think with these young guys, the more they play, the more experience they get, the better they're going to get. He's certainly one that falls into that category.

Quote:SHAPING UP THE SCHEDULE

Early schedule
The Reds have a pretty tough schedule right out of the gate. In the first month, they play the defending NL Central champion Cardinals twice and also play the Cubs, Marlins and Dodgers.

A fast start could be a confidence boost as the Reds seek their first winning season since 2000.

Interleague Play
at Indians (May 21-23); vs. Royals (June 11-13); at Mariners (June 18-20); at A's (June 21-24); vs. Indians (June 25-27)

Key home dates:
• May 14-16 . vs. Cardinals, (Civil Rights Game on May 15)
• June 28-30 . vs. Phillies
• Aug. 27-29 . vs. Cubs

MLB.com: Is this a team built to win right away or down the line? Is it both?

Jocketty: We're trying to build a team that will be competitive for a long period of time. Part of that is building with young players from the organization. But you have to supplement that with veteran, experienced players that will help lead the way, so to speak. The guys we've added are all strong character guys and quality players that have been through the championship wars and know what it's like. To answer the question, it's a club built to contend this year, and hopefully in the years to come.

MLB.com: What do you consider, for this year, to be an acceptable outcome to the season? Is it focused solely on the playoffs, or is a winning season where it starts?

Jocketty: I don't want to make predictions. I don't want to say "If we don't get into the playoffs, it's disappointing." I want to say "If we play the way we're capable of playing, and stay competitive, I think we'll have a very good year, a successful year." When we get towards the end, we'll see what happens. The idea is to keep the team in contention going into September. It's a big month where you can break loose and take the finish line. Obviously, we'd like to have a winning season. That is first and foremost. It's been a long time.

MLB.com: Do you sense the frustration from fans, especially talking to them on caravans and Redsfest, over how long it's been?

Jocketty: Yeah, but I also sense they are very excited about this team and the direction this organization is going. I think they're probably impatient because they haven't won in a while. As long as they see some progress and a chance to keep getting better, I think they will be happy. That's what it's going to take to get our fan base back. We're going to have to be competitive for a long period of time, not just one year. You have to prove to them you are going in the right direction.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/arti...p&c_id=cin

Baseball needs a plan for parity



Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.

Updated Apr 2, 2010 3:20 PM ET

In the bad old days, the clock to the next labor showdown already would be ticking. Twenty months from the expiration of the current deal, the two sides would be engaged in preliminary saber rattling, laying groundwork for yet another ugly dispute.

Those days mercifully are gone. A work stoppage before the 2012 season is almost unthinkable. Yet, baseball cannot turn complacent, even as it generates record revenues in a battered economy.

If the new union leader, Michael Weiner, wants to leave his mark, he need not extract major concessions from his management counterpart, Rob Manfred. He need only work with Manfred to establish a blueprint for increased competitive balance in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Baseball already has come a long way since expanding revenue-sharing and introducing a luxury tax in the 2002 agreement. More work needs to be done — on the amateur draft, the conduct of low-revenue clubs and yes, realignment. But the sport no longer is fighting uphill.

In the seven seasons that followed, 24 of the 30 teams reached the postseason, 12 teams made the Series and six became champions.

That’s progress, and the game’s revamped economic system deserves at least part of the credit, if not a significant chunk.

The eight teams that failed to reach the postseason from ’02 to ’09 — the Blue Jays, Mariners, Orioles, Pirates, Rangers, Reds, Royals and Nationals/Expos — all were mismanaged and have only themselves to blame.

So, what’s next?

Not further increases in revenue sharing — the high-revenue teams are tired of funding certain low-revenue clubs that A) decline to spend the money they are given and B) cannot get out of their own way.

Noneconomic solutions are the answer, and baseball does not lack for possibilities.

The introduction of a worldwide draft and cap on draft-pick bonuses would better redistribute top amateur players to the teams that need them most. Fixing the draft is more complicated than it sounds, but Bud Selig says the issue is now a priority; the players and owners pushed it aside in previous negotiations to focus on economic issues.
Fantasy Baseball 2010

Realignment, too, is complex — and controversial. Selig has long favored the idea, but he also favors an unbalanced schedule, the better to preserve rivalries. Such conflicts are inherent in virtually any realignment proposal; none will be perfect nor embraced by all. But, really, how difficult can this be?

Find a way to give lesser clubs a better chance to compete. Tweak the schedule if necessary. And expand the postseason to enable more teams to qualify.

Selig sometimes annoys fans by harping on the growth of the game during his tenure, a period that also includes his cancellation of the 1994 World Series due to a work stoppage and his presiding over the Steroid Era.

The bottom line, though, is that baseball is indeed in a remarkable place, a place that was inconceivable only 15 years ago, when the strike of 1994-95 left so many fans frustrated and even alienated from the sport.

Selig, in the twilight of his career, is in position to cement his legacy. He led the sport out of adversity. His final test is how he builds on success.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Ken-R...all-033110

Leake gets the 5th starter spot. He definitely deserved it and it's nice to see the Reds make a move that immediately impacts the club, instead of worrying about the FA clock.

Quote:The fifth starter has been determined. It's Mike Leake, although the Reds have not announced anything.

Travis Wood learned first and returned to the clubhouse and started packing his stuff. About five minutes later, Leake walked back from his meeting trying to contain his smile. He and Wood bumped fists.

Leake confirmed he was given the good news.

"It's kind of surreal right now," Leake said. "It has to soak in a little."

Leake, the eighth overall pick last summer, will be the first drafted pitcher to skip the Minor Leagues since Darren Dreifort of the Dodgers in 1994.

http://marksheldon.mlblogs.com/archives/...arter.html

While we’re waiting. . . Soto to catch
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 5:12 pm

I was killing time on the backfields while I wait to meet with Dusty Baker, so I followed up an email from reader Andrew and asked farm director Terry Reynolds about moving Neftali Soto to catcher.

They’ve decided to do it on a limited basis.

“He’ll catch two and play first or third the other days,” Reynolds said. “He caught in Instructional League and took to it.”

Soto, a 21-year-old former third round pick, is one of the best hitting prospects in the organization. He’s coming off a rough year (.248, 11 homers, 57 RBI) in Sarasota. But he combined to .340 with 11 homers and 47 in 67 games in 2008. Baseball America named him the seventh best prospect in the Reds organization after that season.

Soto will be at high Single-A Lynchburg this year. Devin Mesoraco is going to be also, so the catching thing will be limited for Soto.

“It will help him that Pat Kelly is the manager there,” Reynolds said.

Kelly is a former big league catcher.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04...-to-catch/

Wood packing his stuff
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 6:33 pm

Travis Wood is packing his locker. That would seem to indicate that Mike Leake is the fifth start.

Matt Maloney packed his stuff earlier.

I’m told the Reds will get to 25 before the game tonight. To clarify: They’ll have 25-roster guys left. Leake, Miguel Cairo and Laynce Nix are not on the roster.

Our 3:15 meeting with Dusty Baker has been pushed back.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04...a-fun-day/

Leake: I'm thankful they had faith in me
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 7:20 pm

Mike Leake was all smiles. He had just been told he was the fifth starter.

“Realisitically, I didn’t think I had a chance,” he said. “But inside I thought I did. I guess realistically I did. I’m just thankful they had faith in me.”

Leake isn’t sure when his first start will be. It will probably be April 11 against the Chicago Cubs.

“We didn’t get that far in the conversation,” he said. “I don’t what I am right now.”

Leake pitched this spring like he was still with Arizona State.

“I’ve always gone out with confidence,” he said. “I don’t really show it with cockiness. I just didn’t feel like I that much pressure on me. I felt like if I did what I’d been doing. . . I did what I could.”

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04...ith-in-me/

Here’s the cuts, explanation
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 8:04 pm

Here’s the cuts: Jaden Burton, Aroldis Chapman, Justin Lehr, Matt Maloney, Kips Wells, Travis Wood, Wilkin Castillo, Chris Burke, Drew Sutton.

Wells was released. All the others are going to Louisville.

That includes Chapman. No date has been set yet for his first start.

Aaron Miles and Wladimir Balentien are on the roster but won’t be on the team.

“They are technically still on the roster,” Walt Jocketty. “They’ve been told they will not make the club. We’re trying to trade them the next few days if we can.”

All this means Logan Ondrusek, Juan Francisco, Nix and Cairo made the team.

The Reds will re-assign Leake to minor league camp tomorrow. Miles and Balentien will be designated for assignment on Sunday. The Reds will select the contracts of Cairo and Nix then.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04...planation/

Quote:Reds anoint Leake as fifth starter

Right-hander first pitcher to skip Minors since 1994

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

04/02/10 7:33 PM ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds have determined their fifth starter -- right-hander Mike Leake -- though they have not officially announced anything.

Travis Wood, who was also competing to be Cincy's fifth starter, learned of the decision first on Friday and returned to the clubhouse to start packing his things. About five minutes later, Leake walked back from his meeting trying to contain his smile. He and Wood bumped fists.

Leake confirmed that he had been given the good news.

"It's kind of surreal right now," Leake said. "It has to soak in a little."

Leake, the eighth overall pick in last summer's First-Year Player Draft, will be the first drafted pitcher to skip the Minor Leagues since Darren Dreifort of the Dodgers in 1994.

Leake stated his case with a stellar six-inning start during the Reds' 8-3 split-squad win over the A's on Wednesday. He allowed two earned runs and four hits with one walk and two strikeouts for the victory.

"He was terrific," Reds pitching coach Bryan Price said of Leake. "He threw just like he's been throwing almost the entire spring. He commanded the bottom of the zone, he worked ahead, he worked quickly, never gave in to the hitter. It was good to see him have some runners on and see how he reacted to the home run and sacrifice fly. He was able to come back and roll a quick 1-2-3 inning in the sixth."

In six spring games, including two starts, the right-handed Leake has gone 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA. In 18 innings, he allowed 16 hits with four walks and struck out 10.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/arti...p&c_id=cin

Jocketty, Baker on the moves
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 8:44 pm

Now we know why it took so long.

The Reds made some fairly shocking moves to get the roster down to what is effectively the Opening Day limit.

They optioned to Louisville RHP Jared Burton, LHP Aroldis Chapman, LHP Matt Maloney, LHP Travis Wood and IF/OF Drew Sutton; reassigned to Louisville RHP Justin Lehr, C Wilkin Castillo and IF/OF Chris Burke and released RHP Kip Wells.

Aaron Miles and Wladimir Balentien are still on the roster, but they’ve been told they won’t make the team.

Mike Leake, named the fifth starter, will be re-assigned to minor leagues, but brought back in time to start on April 11.

“That’s why these decisions were so tough,” Reds general manager Jocketty said. “We wanted to bring the best club north to help us get off to a good start and establish things.

“We had a lot agonizing decisions.”

Here’s the quick take: Miguel Cairo, Laynce Nix, Juan Francisco and Logan Ondrusek made the team.

Miles, Balentien and the above mentioned players did not.

Here’s what Jocketty and manager Dusty Baker had to say about the moves.

Jocketty:

–On why Louisville for Chapman: “A number of things. Competition-wise, we thought that was where he should be. I don’t want to go into everything, but we felt competition and environment. Plus there are some long bus rides in Carolina.”

–On the Leake decision: “We’re very confident in his ability to pitch at high level. He demonstrated that this spring.”

–Why Wood over Leake? “Wood has had better command in the past than we saw thing spring. It was a tough decision.”

–On Ondrusek: “He’s a guy who rose through the organization last year. He was dominating at every level. He was that way this spring. Very impressive. He’s another kid who handles himself like a pro without a lot experience.”

–On Cairo: “He has a very important role to fill on this club. He’s an experienced bench guy who’s been on championship clubs. He’s been on the Yankees. He’s been on the Phillies. He knows how to prepare to be ready in a situation he’s going to be needed in. He can play first and third. He can play the outfield. He can play second. He’s a guy who experienced. His veteran-type leadership was something we were looking for all winter. That’s why we brought Miles, Burke and Cairo in here. We wanted guys with playoff experience. He knows what it takes to win.”

Baker:

–On Francisco: We’ll work him at first base, third, some in left field. He’s a dangerous threat off the bench. The combination of him and Nix and when Gomes isn’t playing gives me some thunder of f the bench.”

–On Burton: “We want to go down and get himself together. We’re going to need this guy.”

–On Wood: “He needs to tighten his breaking ball up a little,” Baker said. “Neither nor I have ever had a player without any professional experience. But he’s a special young man. His poise, his discipline, his control, his command, his pitch selection are far beyond his years.”

–On pitching: “To have Chapman, Lehr, Maloney, to have Volquez possibly this summer. We have a lot of backup. The Triple-A team will be strong than last year.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04...the-moves/

The roster
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 10:53 pm

Here is your Opening Day roster:

Pitchers (11): Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Francisco Cordero, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang, Daniel Ray Herrera, Mike Lincoln, Nick Masset, Logan Ondrusek, Micah Owings, Arthur Rhodes.

Catchers (2): Ryan Hanigan, Ramon Hernandez.

Infielders (7): Orlando Cabrera, Miguel Cairo, Juan Francisco, Paul Janish, Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen, Joey Votto.

Outfielders (5): Jay Bruce, Chris Dickerson, Jonny Gomes, Laynce Nix, Drew Stubbs.

Remember two things: 1) Mike Leake won’t be added until he’s scheduled to pitch, probably April 11; 2) Aaron Miles and Wladimir Balentien are on the roster, but they’ll be designated for assignment Sunday — if they aren’t traded before that.

How good is the roster? Ask me that after 60 games.

But give the Reds credit for one thing: They went with who they thought were the best players. If they didn’t, Aaron Miles ($2.7 million) and Wladimir Balentien (out of options) make it. Those were both guys Walt Jocketty brought in. A character flaw for a lot of GMs is to stay too long with your guys. Jocketty didn’t do that.

And I still make the Miles-for-Willy Taveras trade. This way the Reds only eat $2.7 million, not all $4 million of Taveras’ contract.

Next time I post it will be from the Westwood bureau. I’ve got a red eye to catch.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04/02/the-roster/

Reds' marketing more than just beer, brats

By Laura Baverman • lbaverman@enquirer.com • April 2, 2010


The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger
Linda Pfeiffer, manager of the Cincinnati Reds Team Store, stocks shelves at their new venture, the high-end Forty Seven Brand Store at Great American Ball Park.

CINCINNATI - Great American Ball Park is one big footprint of prime real estate, and Bill Reinberger is its top salesman.

In the months leading up to Monday's Opening Day for the Reds, Reinberger and his 10-person corporate sales team have been furiously making deals:

Toyota gets a new "Hit Me" sign below the scoreboard. Budweiser gets a Tuesday ticket-and-beer special. United Dairy Farmers has a new grab-and-go market inside the ballpark's main entrance. Mike-sell's becomes the official potato chip, and Queen City Sausage earns the official bratwurst title.

As the recession continues to pound the budgets of nearly every potential advertiser, these deals are no easy feat. Corporate sales fell flat in 2009 for the first time since the Castellini family purchased the team in 2006.

To uphold the family's goal to break even each year and still invest in the players, more pressure falls on Reinberger, the Reds vice president of corporate sales. Revenues generated through his efforts go directly toward building a better baseball team.

"We do have to really try to stretch our revenue," says Reinberger, who previously led the sales team at WLW-AM. "One of our challenges is being a team that is competing with the payroll of the Dodgers, Mets and Cubs."

Lower sales made 2010 an off-year for such major capital investments as past years' Cincinnati Bell Riverboat Deck, Frontgate Outdoor Luxury Suite and new digital scoreboard. Those efforts helped Reinberger double corporate sales in 2007 and 2008.

Still, Reinberger's team will secure single-digit growth this season. That comes from matching up the right package of opportunities - ballpark signs, radio and TV spots, ticket deals or giveaways that enhance the fan experience - with the goals of its clients.

"Last year, we were really selling right into the teeth of the recession," he says. "It's a healthier environment now."

New ideas

Succeeding in tough economic times has meant meeting clients' return-on-objective goals in new ways.

For example, Reinberger inked a deal with Kroger in 2009 to give fans a $7 meal option for the first time. The team also offered 14-ounce draft beers for $5 in partnership with Anheuser Busch. Fans could buy $1 hot dogs, peanuts, sodas, popcorn and ice cream cups thanks to deals with Delaware North Companies Sportservice, the hospitality company that handles food, beverage and retail at the park. The $5 beer and $1 menu items will continue in 2010.

"People are spending less money. It requires marketers to scrutinize where they are placing their dollars," says Sam Riber, president of Riber Sports Marketing Group, an Anderson Township firm that does business nationwide. "Sports becomes part of that evaluation."

Reinberger's team worked longer and harder to secure deals this year and last. Some sponsorship packages have been restructured to better respond to fans' desire to save a buck.

This year, Budweiser will offer fans two field box tickets and two 14-ounce beers for $22 during the 12 Tuesday home games, a savings of $56. A second Toyota "Hit Me" sign will be added below the main scoreboard (the first is in right field). That gives fans a greater chance at winning a $34,000 Toyota Tundra. If a Reds player hits the sign during a game, one pre-selected fan will win.

The team also hopes to play up its Opening Night game the evening of April 7, with fireworks sponsored by Hollywood Casino Lawrence. The first 20,000 fans will get a Reds fleece pullover, provided by hh gregg.

The Reds pick up new revenue generation ideas wherever it can find them.


The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger
The Reds are also debuting a new grab-and-go store from United Dairy Farmers.

From the Carolina Panthers stadium, Reinberger's team borrowed the grab-and-go concept. The idea was easily sold on UDF, known regionally for its ice cream and chain of convenience stores. A mix of pre-made wraps and sandwiches, sushi from Hyde Park's Sake Bomb, high-end beers and Coca Cola brand beverages will be offered there, as well as non-food items like sunglasses, sunscreen and batteries. (UDF ice cream is available in other concessions). The store replaces the ballpark's Build-A-Bear, a feature Reinberger says brought little revenue for the prime real estate it occupied just inside the park's main entrance.

Three years ago, Penn Station joined the mix of Reds sponsors. Sportservice wanted to bring a cheesesteak option to the stadium, and the Castellinis proposed the Anderson Township-headquartered chain for its local brand equity.

"We sell product at the ballpark because of the exposure of our brand, not because of the money that we make," president Craig Dunaway says. "The buzz that we hear is nothing but positive."

Still, sales of the deli sandwiches have doubled expectations each of the three years they've been offered, Reinberger says. Penn Station renewed its contract in 2010 for another three years.

Upscale audience

The Reds believe they have a good product. Research shows the team reaches an upscale demographic. About 37 percent of game attendees make $100,000 or more a year, and 41 percent own a home worth $350,000 or more.

Those figures helped the team's architect, downtown-based Michael Schuster Associates, sign on as a corporate sponsor in 2009 and re-up this year. The firm's signs are displayed outside the Diamond Club, where tickets go for $250 a pop, on the Reds radio network and scoreboard.

"Those were things that addressed our audience, versus those more suitable for UDF or Coca Cola," firm president Michael Schuster says. "The Diamond Club folks are people that make decisions about buildings and facilities."

But Schuster's sponsorship is as much about generating business as it is about being associated with a team with a rich history and tie to Cincinnati.

Although the Reds may not have the best record in recent years, the team benefits from its deep roots in the city's social fabric and as the league's oldest team, says John Brody, Major League Baseball's senior vice president of corporate sales.

"Baseball in difficult times is a form of comfort food. People mark times in their lives through it," he says. "Nowhere is that more evident than in Cincinnati."

For Reds advertisers, many of whom are local companies, association with the Reds is a bragging point, Riber says, even if the team isn't winning.

"If you are dependent on a team's win and loss record, that's a much riskier proposition than if winning is not important," he says. "People are always going to like the Reds. They'll just come out of the woodwork a bit more if they are winning."

Optimism always

Quote:New this year

• United Dairy Farmers Reds Market replaces Build-A-Bear inside the main terrace gates. It offers fresh pre-made sandwiches and wraps, sushi, wine, fresh fruit, imported and domestic beers, Coca-Cola products, snacks and candy, as well as sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen and other sundries.

• Forty Seven Brand Store replaces a storage facility on the terrace level along the first-base line. It's a high-end vintage and retro themed apparel store previously only found at parks like Fenway Park in Boston.

• Two new full-service walk-up bars have been added on the terrace level. One is just inside the ballpark's main entrance.

• Budweiser Thirst Row replaces an underutilized camera pit in the outfield behind right field. Budweiser has four padded seats that can be used for its promotions.

• Queen City Sausage offers up the Reds' "Official Bratwurst."

• Mike-sell's potato chip company becomes the "Official Potato Chip" and sponsors a picnic tent in the Fan Zone.

• The ballpark's first digital menu board will hang at a LaRosa's concession.

• Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg will sponsor fireworks following Opening Night game the evening of April 7. Reds 'Fleecies' go to the first 20,000 fans to enter the stadium.

The Reds are still optimistic that this season will be better than the last. But they also have statistics to help grow sales. Those show that interest in baseball is growing league-wide.

Attendance at Major League Baseball games reached record levels each of the past six seasons, Brody says. Major and minor league attendance grew to 115 million fans last year.

Viewership also grew throughout 2009, especially with the launch of the MLB cable network early last year, Brody says. Television audiences grew 42 percent during the World Series from 2008 to 2009. The All Star Game generated its largest audience, 14.6 million viewers, since 2002.

"That tells you that the strength of the MLB brand, business and connection to our fans has never been stronger," Brody says.

The Reds' home attendance, however, was down in 2009 to 1.7 million, compared to 2.1 million in 2007 and 2008.

Reinberger hopes that growing interest - and perhaps a winning team - will soon help him sell rights to the 50,000-square-foot Fan Zone, an area that will overlook The Banks residential-and-commercial riverfront development when its construction is complete.

"It could be the biggest opportunity in the ballpark," he says.

It's just a matter of finding the right buyer.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100...eer++brats

Spring Training 2010
Mesoraco catching on

By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted April 1, 2010 11:03 PM ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jason Heyward was the 14th overall pick in the 2007 draft. One spot later, the Reds took Devin Mesoraco.

Heyward is the top prospect in baseball and will be in the Braves' lineup on Openng Day. Mesoraco is slated to be back in high Class A, with the Reds' new Carolina League affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats. It's unfair to compare Mesoraco with Heyward, because, well, at this point it's pretty much unfair to compare any prospect this side of Stephen Starsburg to Heyward.


Photo by Brian Baker
Reds minor league catcher Devin Mesoraco.

Mesoraco has fallen down prospect lists, but to the people who have seen him every day this spring, Mesoraco's strides have been huge.

"This year one of the biggest transitions I've seen in this camp and any camp is the improvements he's made defensively. Mike Stefanski and Pat Kelly get a ton of credit, but Mesoraco gets all the credit because he's made the adjustments and he works hard," said Louisville manager Rick Sweet, a former big league catcher. "I see him working in the cage, I'd get done at the end of the day and walk by the cage and he'd be in there catching off the machine. He'd catch regular strikes working on his framing, take a ball like he's blocking home plate, he'd be in there 20-30 minutes, but he's made tremendous improvement.

"He's gone, for me, from a guy that was a prospect as a hitter and might have to play another position to a catching prospect between last year and this year."

And it's that last part that needs to be considered before Mesoraco gets the "b" label. Admit it, you've heard it, you've thought it and you may have even predicted it as soon as he was picked nearly three years ago.

"People expect certain things, but in my mind I know what I'm doing," Mesoraco said. "I think the Reds know how far I've come and they know I'm on the right track."

The one thing the Reds knew when they selected Mesoraco out of high school in 2007 was that he wouldn't be in Cincinnati any time soon. Catchers take a long time to develop and high school catchers take even longer. As for Mesoraco, he was even a bigger project because he came out of a small Pennsylvania town and hadn't played nearly as much baseball. He's not going to be the Reds catcher this year or next, but he may still be their catcher of the future.

Before playing rookie ball, Mesoraco had only caught two pitchers who could even touch 90 mph, when he got to the pros, he had to adjust to power arms, but also catch fireballers who had yet to develop control.

"I think that's why we've shown a lot of patience and you have to. Even this year where he's going to repeat the High-A level, I think that's very important, get some confidence, get off to a good start and who knows what happens after that," said Kelly, Lynchburg's manager, a former catcher and also the father of a first-round pick, Boston's Casey Kelly. "Being able to be patient, and it's hard with a No. 1 pick, you want to justify the pick and everyone else, the college guys are in the big leagues already. I think the organization's done a great job of being patient and letting Devin develop."

For perhaps the first time since starting pro ball, Mesoraco said he's comfortable.


Photo by Brian Baker
Reds minor league catcher Devin Mesoraco.

"In the beginning, I was working so hard just to catch the ball back there that that's all I focused on," Mesoraco said. "I didn't really know how to call a game. I'd be talking to the pitching coach between innings and working on al kids of stuff, now I feel like I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm doing back there and I can now focus on my hitting. I'm sure things will take off."

Mesoraco was invited to big league camp and was impressive in his limited exposure, hitting .333 with a triple in nine at-bats. Mesoraco hit just .228 last season at High-A Sarasota after hitting .261 in Dayton the year before. In three seasons, his stats have been less than impressive, a slash line of .240/.311/.368 with 18 home runs in 755 at-bats.

That's not unusual for a catcher to struggle at the plate while learning to play behind it, both Sweet and Kelly said.

"I think it affected his offense because he was concentrating so much on his defense," said Kelly. "Now that he's got so much confidence in his defense, we're going to see that offense that people projected."

Mesoraco hated the idea of moving from out behind the plate, which is one of the reasons he worked so hard to stay there.

"I love to catch, I love being back there and being involved in the game," Mesoraco said. "Whenever I DH, I hate it. I can't stand to DH. It feels like I'm sitting in the stands almost. I'm just back there, you try to stay focused but it's just not the same."

Kelly said he'd always seen the potential in Mesoraco, now he's seeing results.

"The thing that was always intriguing was he's got great hands, he's got those big coalminer's hands, like Johnny Bench, yet they're soft. You always thought that if you can get the body in the right position, it might work," Kelly said. "He's worked hard, he's worked really hard with Stefanski this spring, he's adjusted his stance a little bit and gotten his arm free where he can get in a better receiving position. He's just taken off."

http://cnati.com/spring-training-2010/me...on-001676/

(04-02-2010 11:39 PM)ctipton Wrote:  The roster
Posted by jfay April 2nd, 2010, 10:53 pm

Here is your Opening Day roster:

Pitchers (11): Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Francisco Cordero, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang, Daniel Ray Herrera, Mike Lincoln, Nick Masset, Logan Ondrusek, Micah Owings, Arthur Rhodes.

Catchers (2): Ryan Hanigan, Ramon Hernandez.

Infielders (7): Orlando Cabrera, Miguel Cairo, Juan Francisco, Paul Janish, Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen, Joey Votto.

Outfielders (5): Jay Bruce, Chris Dickerson, Jonny Gomes, Laynce Nix, Drew Stubbs.

Remember two things: 1) Mike Leake won’t be added until he’s scheduled to pitch, probably April 11; 2) Aaron Miles and Wladimir Balentien are on the roster, but they’ll be designated for assignment Sunday — if they aren’t traded before that.

How good is the roster? Ask me that after 60 games.

But give the Reds credit for one thing: They went with who they thought were the best players. If they didn’t, Aaron Miles ($2.7 million) and Wladimir Balentien (out of options) make it. Those were both guys Walt Jocketty brought in. A character flaw for a lot of GMs is to stay too long with your guys. Jocketty didn’t do that.

And I still make the Miles-for-Willy Taveras trade. This way the Reds only eat $2.7 million, not all $4 million of Taveras’ contract.

Next time I post it will be from the Westwood bureau. I’ve got a red eye to catch.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/04/02/the-roster/

Glad Ondrusek made it. I hope he pitches well.