Big Red Redemption

So our beloved Reds kicked off spring training yesterday with a 6-6 tie against our instate rival the Cleveland Indians. While I didn’t get to listen to much of the game (700WLW if you don’t know where to find them) it’s nice to know that we’re back on the diamond doing our thing. We play the Indians again today at 3pm ET. The game will be broadcast on the same station today so tune in to get your Reds fix.

I wanted to get at least something out here today just to let you know that I haven’t left you and I will be posting more and more this season as the Reds make their run to the 2012 NLCS and World Series! Also I’m looking to do a couple new features this season and wanted to get some early feedback from you guys. First thing I was wanting to do is some type of therapy/conversation series once a week or every few days. I was gonna call it Big Red Relief to get more reader interaction about the happening of the team during the season. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS?

Another thing I want to do is some type of game breakdown but I don’t want to the same old same old boring game synopsis. What thing would you like to see in this section? Do you like the idea, dislike the idea?

Just to get the ball rolling and thoughts flowing what are some things that you would like to see from BRR this season? What are some things you don’t want me to do anymore? Do you like the “10 Questions With” series? Who would you like to see BRR interview this season?

As always thanks for the read and I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments!!

It feels like it’s been years since I’ve written anything on here but I think it’s time to knock the dust off this site!

There have been a TON of moves this off-season by our beloved Cincinnati Reds that have me convinced that there will be a new home for this beautiful trophy to the left, GABP. Let me throw a couple of things out there before everyone gets all wound up. First, if the Reds start out the season not winning every game they play IT’S OK! the season has a 162 games and we don’t have to win all of them to make the playoffs. Second, NOBODY will ever understand the moves that Dusty Baker makes and never will. We can question him all we want but he’s here for a reason and the team has played dramatically better since his arrival. If the Bob, Phil and Walt feel that he’s the right man for the job I’m going to stand by their decision. They know more about running major league team than we all do. Lastly, players slump… they’re going to have bad games and good games. Just because they have a bad series, week or month doesn’t mean it’s time for heads to roll. We’re all emotionally invested in the team but let’s make a season long resolution not to freak out if we lose 3 or 4 straight.

Now that that’s out of the way let’s take a look at the major moves made by the team. I know some of you (most maybe) will not agree with me at all but I think one of the biggest moves made and one that I’m super happy about is the fact that Edinson Volquez is NOT a Red in 2012. The team wasted way too much time and effort on a guy who was loaded with potential yet lacked the motivation to do anything with it. I wish him the best of luck with the rest of his career but goodbye and good riddance!

In my opinion the Reds had a huge weak spot last year and it was pitching. I know we had injury after injury last year on the pitching staff but that is only an excuse to cover up the real issue. We lacked a consistent solid pitcher outside of Cueto. So what do the Reds do? They go out and land a dominant young pitcher in the likes of Mat Latos, yes it’s MAT with one T, who easily solidifies a #2 starter behind Johnny. Mat has the potential to have a 15-20 win season in my eyes now that he has a solid defense behind him as well as a huge upgrade in run support over the Padres.

We also added a ton of bullpen support with the additions of Sean Marshall and Ryan Madson. Adding these two guys to a bullpen with the likes of Bill Bray, Sam LeCure, Logan Ondrusek only makes the bullpen stronger. Locking down a game after a solid start shouldn’t be as much of a roller coaster ride this yr.

I apologize for the short length and lack of depth for this post but man it feels good to finally be able to organize all these thoughts into something that at least resembles a ration post. I look forward to getting more stuff up and out to you in the near future!! Enjoy your day and as always GO REDS!!

Growing up baseball was always my favorite sport. It was as if the sport was ingrained in me. I guess you could say it was in my blood. My grandfather may be the biggest contributor to all of this. He was a god to me, a man amongst boys and he could do no wrong. I can remember sitting on his lap for hours listening to him tell me stories about when he used to play. Stories about him being on the mound staring down batters, the feel of the adrenaline pumping through his body as he dropped in a curve ball striking out the batter sending him back to the dugout with his tail between his legs.  I also remember the passion in his voice as he told me these stories the way his eyes got a little brighter, his shoulders a little broader and he grew a little taller. I remember the look in his eyes as he told me about signing with the New York Giants. The experiences he had playing in the farm leagues and receiving the call to ”The Show.” Finally getting his shot to show the rest of the world he deserved to be in the company of some of the best players in the world… only to get drafted to the Korean War in 1950 never getting to feel the grass under his feet, hear the crowd cheer, or put on the uniform that he worked so hard to earn.

The way his expressions changed when he told me this only furthered my love for the game.  From that day forward I was on a mission to pick up where granddad left off. I was going to use every ounce of knowledge he had to make me the best ball player I could be. I remember him quizzing me on pitch grips. The way he would dissect my swing, make sure my glove was in the dirt on grounders and make sure I always knew the proper way to approach the game. He tought me to respect the great sport of baseball and how to honor its traditions. Every conversation we had added fuel to the fire that burned inside. I played ball all the up to highschool loving every game I lost and enjoying every win that much more.

Going into highschool I up and quit the game. I’m not really sure what the exact reason was but I just wasn’t into it anymore. I guess I was just burnt out. He let me know about that mistake every time I saw him. We’d be watching a Reds game on TV and he would make comments like “You could have got to that ball” and “You have a better swing than that guy.” He still makes comments like that to this day over 10 yrs later.

Needless to say I never completed that mission of making it to the big leagues. But the passion for the game has never faded and I have been writing for you guys with his passion since I launched the site.  tomorrow I will get a chance to see the game how my grandfather does. Through the eyes of a  player, and fan. I look forward to sitting down with him and sharing my experience later in the week.

Early last week I was contacted by Lisa Braun, Marketing Manager for the Reds, who asked me if I would like to be a guest blogger for the Cincinnati Reds. Immediately I said yes and was anxious to get all the details involved. After talking with Lisa I found out that unfortunately I won’t have the pleasure of writing for the Reds but I will be a guest of theirs. As a guest I will be able to walk on to the green grass of Great American Ball Park to watch batting practice, tour the stadium and Reds Hall of Fame and Museum as well as watch the game from the Budweiser Thirst Row.  Not only do I get the chance to get a taste of the work life Jamie Ramsey leads but I get to take along 3 guests of my own to give them behind the scenes look as well.

The first person to come to mind to share this experience with me was the biggest influence on my life, my Dad. As much as I know I’m going to enjoy this amazing experience it’s grown to something a little bit bigger to me. This is my chance to truly give a small token of appreciation to the man who has bent over backwards on more than one occasion for me. The same man who has been there through thick and thin, picked me up when I was down and never once shied from my side regardless of whether he agreed with my decisions or not. I will not be able to have him on a professional baseball field with me as a parent of a player but I’ll gladly settle for second best and take him down with me to experience this as a fan. 

I’ve seen him several times since I made the phone call asking me if he was off work, telling him not to make plans for that night and each time I do I can see the smile on his face grow a little bigger. I can see this pride he’s taking in what we are about to experience and how proud he is of what started out as a way for me to vent about games and share my opinions with whoever managed to stumble upon my ramblings and has developed into a following on Twitter with a following of readers that enjoy what I write (at least I like to think this) as well as an invitation to be a guest of our Cincinnati Reds. The look I see in his eyes brings a smile to my heart that I can’t possibly put into words.

I now get the enjoyment of doing something for my Dad that not many kids get to do. And I cant wait to see the look on his face!