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Cincinnati Reds

Press Clippings

December 2, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1925-Garry Herrmann announces plans to build a new Reds stadium, calling for 60,000 seats and parking for 4,000 cars, at

a cost of $1.5 million

MLB.COM Reds roll out red carpet for fun-filled Redsfest

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | December 1st, 2016 + 0 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Throughout the 300,000-square foot space of the Duke Energy Convention Center on Thursday, workers were

making the final touches on the facility that has been given its annual transformation into a Reds-themed extravaganza -- from the

red carpet and booths to a Reds main stage and the larger-than-ever social media heavy "Reds Connect Zone" area.

Redsfest runs on Friday from 3-10:30 p.m. ET and continues Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Activities will include

autograph and photo booths with current and former players, interactive games, game-used and authentic memorabilia and more.

"For me, it's a chance for the fans to see that we're normal people," Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart said. "They can come up and talk

to us and have normal conversations with everybody. It's fun to get out and see the fans on more of a personal level than during the

season. It's tough when you're so locked in and focused during the season on the task at hand and playing that you don't get to sign

every autograph. You don't get to have every conversation with fans."

All proceeds from Redsfest benefit the baseball-themed outreach programs of the Reds Community Fund. For more information,

and to purchase tickets, go to reds.com/redsfest.

Barnhart, along with All-Star left fielder Adam Duvall, were taking part in a Redsfest media tour throughout Thursday, including

the Wiffle ball area for kids and players.

"If I was a kid, I'd probably be out on the Wiffle ball field," Duvall said. "If I was a parent with a kid, I'd probably let my kids play

and walk around and enjoy meeting the players, taking pictures with them, get some autographs and just enjoy the whole thing."

With no inclement weather in the forecast this weekend, the Reds were hoping for a good turnout from fans. A season-ticket holder

event with former manager Lou Piniella on Wednesday drew 900 fans, which Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini found

encouraging.

"We expect it to be another strong showing," Castellini said. "We've spread the show out [again] to all three levels of the convention

center. We think it makes for a better experience, especially for the families with strollers and all of that jazz. There's lots to do for

the kids, and of course, lots of autographs."

Reds eye 'pen help, veteran starter at Meetings

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | December 1st, 2016 + 34 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds don't get into bidding wars and they rarely spend big in the free-agent market. They are also often wont

to seek bargains on the open market later in the offseason. But they aren't afraid to make trades to get what they need.

And that's why Cincinnati could be a team to watch at next week's Winter Meetings.

Still in rebuilding mode -- but hoping to be near its end -- the Reds and general manager Dick Williams are looking to bolster

weaknesses and create regular playing opportunities for some of their younger players.

MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2016 Winter Meetings from the Gaylord National Resort &

Convention Center outside Washington, D.C. Fans can watch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availability on

MLB.com, including the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. ET.

Club needs

Bullpen help: Reds relievers combined for a 5.09 ERA, second worst in the Major Leagues, and they led both leagues in home runs

and walks allowed. Although Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen brought some stability to the late innings, the Reds would like

to add help in high-leverage situations with relievers who can stretch over multiple innings.

A veteran starter: Cincinnati is comfortable with a rotation that includes Anthony DeSclafani, Homer Bailey, Dan Straily and

Brandon Finnegan. But with a lot of prospects already set to compete for the lone opening, the club wouldn't mind having a veteran

pitcher and innings-eater in the battle. The fine line to straddle, however, is this pitcher would have to understand that he might

become a bullpen member if one of the younger prospects is ready to start right away.

Extra catcher: Devin Mesoraco and Tucker Barnhart would form a solid 1-2 combo under normal circumstances. But Mesoraco's

injury-filled last two seasons -- with a combined 39 games played -- have been anything but normal. With the former All-Star

recovering from left shoulder and right hip surgeries, he's not expected to resume catching drills until mid-to-late January. He also

may not be ready for a regular workload once the season starts. A low-cost veteran contingency is needed.

Who they can trade if necessary

SS Zack Cozart: Third-year arbitration-eligible and a year away from free agency, Cozart is coming off a nice offensive year, while

he was excellent defensively. The Reds are looking for a spot to play Jose Peraza regularly, and shortstop is his best position. Cozart

missed most of September with tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee, but he is expected to be at 100 percent before Spring

Training.

2B Brandon Phillips: Moving Phillips instead of Cozart would still give Peraza a place to play. Moving both veterans would also

open up a spot for summer acquisition Dilson Herrera to play second base. Phillips, who turns 36 in June, will be much harder to

move because he has a full no-trade clause and is set to earn $14 million in '17, the final year of his six-year contract. There also

isn't a high demand for second basemen this offseason. Phillips used his power to decline a trade last winter, but he could be more

open to being dealt this time around.

Per MLBPipeline.com, the Reds' Top 10 prospects are third baseman Nick Senzel, left-handed pitcher Amir Garrett, outfielder Jesse

Winker, pitcher Robert Stephenson, pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez, shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez, pitcher Tyler Mahle, pitcher Rookie

Davis, pitcher Keury Mella and catcher Tyler Stephenson.

Garrett, Robert Stephenson and Davis could be in the mix for the open rotation spot, while Winker could break into the Major

Leagues.

Rule 5 Draft

Cincinnati's roster is full at 40 players, so someone would have to be jettisoned to make room for a Rule 5 Draft selection. The Reds

have the second pick for the second year in a row, and they used that spot last year to make two selections in outfielder Jake Cave

and reliever Chris O'Grady. Both players were cut in Spring Training.

Big contracts they might unload

First baseman Joey Votto has seven years and $179 million remaining on his contract, with a full no-trade clause. The Reds have not

come to Votto with any potential deals to approve and Votto has expressed no willingness to be dealt. But his name is often a

popular one for armchair traders, namely in his hometown of Toronto. Williams said during the General Managers Meetings he

would like to complete the rebuild and contend again with Votto still a member of the Reds.

Payroll summary

There are the big contracts of Votto, Bailey, Phillips and Mesoraco, plus Iglesias, with arbitration raises coming for Cozart, Billy

Hamilton, Tony Cingrani and Blake Wood. That puts the Reds' payroll north of $77 million before any additions, subtractions and

the signings of players with less than three years of service time. Williams has said the budget has more room to spend this winter

than during the previous two, which could give the Reds some added flexibility.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Breakout year will make Duvall's face familiar at Redsfest

C. Trent Rosecrans , crosecrans@enquirer.com 8:43 p.m. EST December 1, 2016

Last year, Adam Duvall could have walked through Redsfest without his jersey and gone unrecognized.

After hitting 33 home runs, knocking in 103 runs, making the All-Star team, participating in the Home Run Derby and being named

a finalist for a Gold Glove in 2016, that could be a little bit tougher this weekend at the Duke Energy Convention Center, where

Redsfest begins at 3 p.m. on Friday.

Duvall, a Louisville native, could even see his autograph and picture line approach the levels of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips or

Billy Hamilton.

“They probably still won't be,” Duvall said Thursday at a Redsfest preview event.

Last year at this time Duvall had played just 27 games for the Reds — and 55 games in the big leagues overall. Now he’s the Reds’

everyday left fielder, and at 28 is finally entering a season with a level of comfort that he’s never had.

“I feel like I did a good job of taking advantage of an opportunity I was given, but my mind is focused on this next season, just

preparing for it and getting ready for it,” Duvall said on Thursday.

The opportunity Duvall got with the Reds in 2016 was the biggest difference, he said. Traded along with right-hander Keury Mella

from San Francisco in exchange for Mike Leake at the trade deadline in 2015, Duvall finally got a chance to play nearly every day

for the Reds this past season, even if it didn’t start that way. The season started with Reds manager Bryan Price trying out a platoon

with Duvall and Scott Schebler. Neither got off to a particularly hot start, but Schebler struggled more in the platoon role and was

demoted to Louisville, giving Duvall a shot to play every day.

By the All-Star break, Duvall had 23 home runs and was on his way to San Diego as an All-Star in his first full season in the big

leagues.

While Duvall’s breakout season was a surprise to most, it wasn’t to him — at least in regards to his team-best 33 homers.

“If you look at my power numbers, my power numbers are the same,” he said of his minor-league output. “The power numbers, it's

obviously a higher level, but it's been pretty consistent.”

In 2015, Duvall hit a combined 31 home runs — 29 in the minors between the Giants’ Triple-A team in Sacramento and the Reds’

Louisville affiliate and two more when he was called up to the Reds in September. In 2014, he hit 30 between Triple-A and the

majors. He also hit 30 home runs in the minors in 2012.

What was a surprise was his defense.

When Walt Jocketty acquired him in the Leake trade, he’d played all of 10 games in the minors in the outfield (and one in winter

league in Venezuela in 2014), but the Reds’ scouts thought he could play there. Duvall did too, remembering one spring with the

Giants that he took some fly balls and said it felt good.

“One of our hitting coaches with the Giants said I looked good. But nothing ever progressed from it,” Duvall said. "I always knew

in the back of my mind that it came naturally. I guess the Reds saw that and I appreciate the opportunity.”

He wasn’t just good enough for the Reds, the statistics from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) used for 25

percent of Gold Glove balloting rated him as the best defensive left fielder in baseball.

“I've always put a lot of emphasis on my defense because I didn't want to just be a hitter, but I wanted to be a complete player,” he

said. “I felt like this year was the first time I was considered a good or plus defender. It was gratifying.”

Formerly a third baseman, Duvall said the switch may have been easier because he came from third. Alex Gordon of the Royals,

considered by many to be the best defensive left fielder in baseball, also started his career as a third baseman before backing up into

left field.

“I will say there's an advantage for moving from third to left, because it's the same angles,” Duvall said. “I can't really explain why,

but I feel like I get good jumps on the ball, good reads. Like I said, it became natural for me. I became comfortable, that's the

biggest thing in any sport.”

And now he’s comfortable not just there, but also in Cincinnati — just two hours from his home in Louisville and with a team that

gave him the chance he felt he had been lacking.

“I've realized what I can do,” Duvall said. “Now the goal is to get better, incrementally get better. A little better defensively, a little

better hitting, a little better on-base.”

How new CBA affects Reds

Zach Buchanan , zbuchanan@enquirer.com 8:26 p.m. EST December 1, 2016

Even if there was a lockout and players couldn’t attend, Redsfest would have gone on this weekend. Even if a work stoppage made

the upcoming winter meetings irrelevant, the Cincinnati Reds weren’t likely to make a splash anyway.

In that sense, not much has changed now that Major League Baseball and the players union have agreed to a new collective

bargaining agreement Wednesday, just hours ahead of the deadline to come to a new agreement. But the new CBA, which is still

being codified, will change how some things work for the Reds going forward.

Here’s a closer look:

The international market

Several changes were made to how teams court international amateurs, with MLB pushing for an international draft but ultimately

settling for more restrictive market rules.

Previously, teams were assigned differing bonus pools based on how they finished the previous season, with a worse record

allowing a team to spend more on amateurs. If teams busted those allotments, they paid stiff penalties and faced spending

restrictions in subsequent seasons.

That didn’t stop teams from gaming the system, with teams splurging in one spending cycle, some to extremes. In the current cycle,

the Reds have already committed more than $18 million including penalties to two Cuban amateurs, far more than their allotment of

about $5.1 million. Their expenditures paled in comparison to teams like the San Diego Padres and several large-market clubs.

As a result, the Reds are prevented from signing foreign amateurs to deals worth more than $300,000 for the next two seasons, a

restriction that will continue in the new CBA. But they won’t be able to bust their limit again, since teams will now face a harder

cap under the new rules.

Every team will not have the ability to spend at least $4.75 million every year on amateurs, evening the playing field that used to

feature some clubs limited to just more than $2 million with others able to spend as much as $5.6 million. Smaller market teams will

be able to spend either $5.25 million or $5.75 million, but no teams can go over.

As before, teams can trade some of their allotted space in order to spend more, although the concrete upper limit seemingly makes it

easier for the Reds to compete. The most a team would be able to spend on international players in one cycle is just more than $10

million, which pales in comparison to recent international bonuses.

“The hard cap makes it pretty simple that one team can’t pay its way through the penalties,” Reds general manager Dick Williams

said. ‘Everybody is going to have the same amount of money. It’ll be a competition over players for the best ones. I’m not sure yet

how that’ll play out.”

Also, the new CBA raises the upper age limit for amateur players from 22 to 25, with a reported exception for Cuban players with

six years of pro experience at home. There have also been suggestions that exceptions will be made for Asian professionals who fall

under the age limit.

Still, under the new rules two important Reds signees – Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias – would have qualified as amateurs

and been unable to sign the big-league deals they ultimately landed. Both were under 25 at the time and had fewer than six years of

pro experience. Suppressing their markets would seemingly make it easier for the Reds to sign impactful players like that, although

it seems like a big concession for the players union.

The amateur draft

While the same amount of money will be spent on amateurs in the draft, bonus slots won’t drop off so precipitously after the first

few picks. This year, the first pick was worth about $9 million, with the second pick at around $7.8 million. The 10th pick came

with a valuation of about $3.4 million.

Going forward, the top pick will reportedly be worth $7.4 million, with a more gradual decline deeper into the draft. That hurts the

Reds in the short-term – having so much more money to spend makes it easier to convince a player to take a below-slot deal, since

it’d still likely be more than they’d get a few spots down in the draft – but should make things more equitable throughout.

“This year over last year, we will have less of an advantage with our high pick,” Williams said. “We still have a high pick and we

feel great about that. In fairness, we’re still on board with the change. We won’t always picking at the top of the draft.”

The qualifying offer system

Sweeping changes were made to the qualifying offer system, which used to be pretty simple but now isn’t. Previously, a team losing

a big free agent could slap him with a qualifying offer, guaranteeing him an expensive one-year deal that he could accept or reject.

If he rejected it, his former team got an extra draft pick whenever he signed. The new team that signed him had to forfeit its first-

round pick, although high picks were protected.

That artificially suppressed the markets of several players hit with that tag, and the new CBA tries to make it fairer and certainly

makes it more complicated. Teams will still sacrifice a first-round pick to sign such a player, but will still sacrifice draft picks and

now international signing dollars, the severity of which vary based on the club’s market size. Teams that lose a qualifying offer

player will get better draft picks if that player signs for more than $50 million.

This is unlikely to affect the Reds in the short-term, since they have traded away most of their established players and since the ones

left are either too far away from free agency or not quite the caliber of player that would receive a qualifying offer. They’re also

unlikely to add significantly this winter.

The luxury tax threshold

This doesn’t affect the Reds at all, since they are on the receiving end of revenue sharing payments. But the new CBA does

endeavor to at least somewhat limit the profligate spending of larger clubs. The luxury tax threshold – which is like a soft salary cap

– will rise each year under the new CBA, but not as much as some expected. There are also harsher penalties for exceeding the

threshold.

What remains to be seen is how seriously teams treat that limit and the penalties for surpassing it.

“Some people think teams will come down and stay below the threshold, and some people think teams will blow through it and pay

the tax,” Williams said. “I think time will tell as to what those guys do.”

10-day disabled list

The union apparently didn’t push hard for a 26th roster spot, but could net more major-leaguers as the 15-day term for going on the

disabled list was shortened to 10 days. That incentivizes teams to use the disabled list more liberally – a starter could theoretically

miss just one start – which means more (likely temporary) promotions from the minors.

All-Star Game stakes

The winner of the All-Star Game will no longer determine home field advantage for the World Series, which had been in place since

the 2002 game ended in a tie. It will instead be decided by overall record of the two teams who make it. Such an alteration was not

exactly controversial.

“That makes sense,” said outfielder Adam Duvall, an All-Star last season. “It makes the whole year count.”

WCPO - Channel 9 Fay: Redsfest benefits the Community Fund, which benefits thousands of young ballplayers

'It's helped reconnect the team to Reds Country'

John Fay | WCPO contributor

7:00 AM, Dec 2, 2016

CINCINNATI -- Redsfest, to fans, is a chance to mingle with the players, get a few autographs, play some games, shop the

memorabilia. But it is also a shining example of how the Castellinis -- Reds CEO Bob and his son Phil -- get it right with the fans

and do right by the community.

The beneficiary of Redsfest is the Reds Community Fund.

Charley Frank, executive director of the fund, had a brainstorming session a couple of years ago. Fund members figured if the Reds

charged $5 or $10 for one of Joey Votto's or Brandon Phillips' autograph sessions, they could raise some serious money. He took the

idea to Bob and Phil Castellini.

"There are formulas out there that say if you have a very nominal charge for a handful of the stars' signing sessions -- and still have

most open to the public -- you can make five figures in revenue," Frank said. "Bob and Phil have opted not to do that. They don't

want to go down that road. They want this be something that's easy and affordable."

So, for that reason, all the sessions at Redsfest remain free.

Ticket prices remain reasonable, too. This year's fest is Friday and Saturday at Duke Energy Convention Center. It's $25 for adult

two-day passes; $17 for kids (12-and-under) two-day passes; $17 for adult one-day passes, and $7 for kids one-day passes.

Two-day passes include two tickets to the April 5 game with Philadelphia; one-day passes get one ticket to the April 5 game.

The Castellinis are all for raising money for the Community Fund, but they prefer other means than making Redsfest an over-priced

autograph show.

Redsfest does, however, raise a large part of the Community Fund's $2 million annual budget.

"It is the biggest event we're part of on an annual basis in terms of scope, expense, revenue," Frank said. "But I think most

importantly for us, it's really the exposure and connection. It's an expensive event to put on.

"There is no other local event of this magnitude. No other wintertime team fan festival goes to the All-Star level that this does. And,

yet, this is as affordable as any ticket out there.

"They made this about us from Day 1," Frank said. "They highlight our programs."

The Community Fund has been around since 2001. It sponsored a Redlegs Run in 2002. The Rookie Success League began in 2003,

and 120 kids went through it. Frank was hired in 2004 as the first full-time employee.

"By '05, we were about a $450,000 entity," Frank said. "We had established an endowment."

Then the Castellinis took over in 2006. Frank knew immediately that things were about to change.

"Bob said, 'You don't need an endowment,' " Frank said. " 'Spend what you raise. You don't need to put money away. We're not

saving the arts. We're helping kids play ball. Be responsible but spend what you earn.' "

Reds CEO Bob Castellini, right, talks with first baseman Joey Votto during warmups prior to the Opening Day game against the St.

Louis Cardinals, Monday, March 31, 2014, in Cincinnati.

The Castellinis' motive with the Community Fund was altruistic, of course, but it was also part of the overall business plan.

"One of the things we had learned in our due-diligence phase of buying the team is that the marketing effort had been condensed

down to the 275 loop," said Phil Castellini, the club's COO. "Pretty standard stuff; newspaper ads and whatnot. The radio network

had shrunk down to 46 stations from over 100. We knew we had to grow the market. It's a regional team, right? You can't be

marketing a regional team to just the city of Cincinnati.

"The game plan was to get that marketing out to a 150-mile radius, what we call Reds Country. That included work in the

community -- Knothole and girls softball. It was a multi-phase strategy. Community, marketing, radio network."

The radio network is up to 105 stations. The Community Fund has renovated fields throughout that 150-mile radius.

"It's helped reconnect the team to Reds Country," Castellini said.

It helped the Community Fund grow as well.

Frank has seven others on the staff now and a budget of $2 million. Four hundred fields have been renovated. The Reds sponsor 700

youth teams a year, up from nine when Castellini took over.

"They did that by culturally putting their money where their month was," Frank said. "They did everything that Bob promised in

January of '06 and then some."

Castellini made the Community Fund a priority throughout the organization. One example: Players were donating $10,000 to

$20,000 a year to the fund when the Castellinis took over. The Community Fund gets $250,000 out of the clubhouse some years.

Players going back to David Weathers and Mike Lincoln have funded fields named for them. Jay Bruce did it twice.

"He was as good as we've ever had," Frank said. One half of one percent of Joey Votto's annual salary goes to the Community Fund.

All of the Central Division teams came to Cincinnati for a meeting in 2014 to see the Urban Youth Academy, which offers year-

round baseball and softball clinics, after it opened.

"The teams were just as impressed, if not more impressed, by how integrated the Community Fund is," Frank said. "Ownership

decided from Day 1 that the Reds Hall of Fame Museum and Reds Community Fund is part of the fabric of the Reds."

Sales people don't just seek sponsorship dollars, they sell the Community Fund events. That's allowed the Community Fund to

extend all of its programs.

"We reach, conservatively, 45,000 kids a year through our Urban Academy," Frank said, "our Reds Rookie Success League

program, our RBI program, our match program and our field-renovation efforts."

Field renovation picked up under the Castellinis as well. Bob Castellini challenged the limited partners in the club and said he would

match whatever they donated to the Community Fund. That raised $450,000 for field renovation.

"We planned on doing 12 fields that year," Frank said. "Because of the money Bob and the other owners raised, we ended up doing

60 fields that year."

The pace of renovation is slowing down, though.

"Instead of finding 50 or 75 fields a year, now we try to spend that budget to make sure we revisit each field on a two- to three-year

cycle," Frank said. "Then we find probably five to 10 projects to do a year, which includes one big jewel project each year. One of

the most significant things we do on an annual basis is what we call a community makeover.

"We bring 400 volunteers and months of planning to a neighborhood. We typically do a couple of ball fields, recreation center for

kids and outdoor component."

Last summer, the Community Fund went to Lower Price Hill and redid an old Boys & Girls Club into the Joe Williams Family

Center, built an L-shaped garden and rebuilt the fields at Oyler Park. Joe Williams, chairman of the Reds, made a donation to fund

the project.

The biggest jewel project of all for the Community Fund was building the $7 million Urban Youth Academy in Bond Hill.

"It's transformed us," Frank said. "We were operating a fall and winter academy at the old CAPE High School in Winton Terrace for

years. This is Year 8 for us as far as offering fall and winter programs."

The academy is on par with the Reds' spring-training facility in Arizona. Since its opening in 2014, the Urban Academy gets 1,000

kids through the turnstiles in fall and winter -- all at no charge. The Urban Academy allowed the Reds to land the RBI (Reviving

Baseball in Inner Cities) World Series.

"In my opinion, this is the standard bearer," said David James, Major League Baseball vice president of youth operations. "This is

an absolutely phenomenal facility. When the teams came and saw it, it was interesting to see the reactions. A lot of the league

directors who are here, you could see their eyes light up. They're making notes because they're going back to their home community

and see what they can do to get one built in their hometown."

It's not just a baseball academy.

"It's strength and conditioning, speed and agility," Frank said. "We also have a partnership with the University of Cincinnati, so four

days a week, we provide free tutoring. Any kid, any class, any team that is a partner of ours can use these resources free of charge."

Part of the money from each Redsfest ticket helps with that.

Again, Frank credits the Castellinis for allowing the Community Fund to grow Redsfest. It drew 20,118 fans last year.

"We couldn't dream of any of this if we were a stand-alone nonprofit," Frank said. "They don't have to do a fraction of this and it

would still be a good community event. They've made this about telling the story of the Community Fund."

The top 9 things you won't want to miss at Redsfest this weekend

3-10:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday

Laurel Pfahler | WCPO Contributor

1:44 PM, Dec 1, 2016

CINCINNATI -- Spring training is still months away, but Cincinnati Reds fans don’t have to wait until March to get their baseball

fix.

The club’s Redsfest winter warm-up event should hit the spot – especially with the addition of Reds Hall of Famer Pete Rose to the

lineup for the first time ever.

Santa's clubhouse

Redsfest takes place Friday and Saturday at the Duke Energy Convention Center, featuring more than 300,000 square feet of

activities, including autograph and photo booths with current and former Reds players, interactive games for fans of all ages, game-

used and authentic memorabilia and more.

Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini said it’s a great way to connect fans with the team during the offseason, while also

supporting outreach programs through the Reds Community Fund, to which all proceeds of the event will go.

In addition to Rose and other Reds alumni such as Lou Piniella (Friday only) and Eric Davis, more than 75 current players and

coaches, minor leaguers and broadcasters are scheduled to attend, including Joey Votto, Zack Cozart, Billy Hamilton, Devin

Mesoraco, Adam Duvall and Bryan Price.

So, what can you expect exactly? The first thing you need to know is the event is not free, but once you’re in with admission there

are many free activities and things to do without additional cost. Here are the Top 9 things you won’t want to miss at Redsfest:

1. Shake hands with Pete Rose: Rose’s induction into the Reds Hall of Fame this summer opened the doors for “Charlie Hustle” to

attend Redsfest, as he previously was banned from Major League Baseball-related activities. This weekend, Rose will be camped

out in the Reds Hall of Fame area on the main floor supporting the “Pete Rose Hit Collection,” a fundraising campaign for the

bronze sculpture of him that will be unveiled outside Great American Ball Park on June 17, 2017. Fans who buy one of the balls

from that collection will get to meet Rose and get a photo with him. He also will be on the Main Stage for Q-and-A sessions at 6

p.m. Friday and 12:15 p.m. Saturday.

“Not only have we revitalized that love of Pete here locally, but … also helped reconnect him to the game in a positive way, so we

expect that connection here to be positive and hopefully bring some fans in,” Castellini said. “Certainly that Hall of Fame booth is

going to be jam packed.”

2. Main stage highlights: See everyone at once at 5:30 p.m. Friday when current and former players – Rose included – will be

introduced to the crowd, following some opening remarks from Reds owner Bob Castellini. For those looking for something a little

less baseball-focused, check out the Reds Cooking Show at 8:35 p.m. Friday or 4:25 p.m. Saturday or catch performances Saturday

by members of the Harlem Globetrotters (1:45 p.m.), Cincinnati Ballet (2:10 p.m.) and The Mistics (3:50 p.m.) local band. The

Globetrotters also have an exhibition at 4:20 p.m. Friday.

3. Eric Davis-signed bobblehead: Fans can get an exclusive Eric Davis 30/30 dual bobblehead – commemorating the 30th

anniversary of Davis becoming the first Red to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season in 1987 -- when they

purchase a 2017 Reds Pick-Six ticket plan. However, those who purchase a plan at Redsfest will actually have the opportunity to get

their bobblehead signed by Davis in person. Visit the Reds Ticketing Booth on the main floor for more details.

4. Play Redsfest Bingo: Redsfest Bingo is a new addition this year and should be a draw Friday night, as 18 bingo games will be

played between 6 and 9 p.m. on the third floor that day only. Fans ages 18 and up can purchase six-face cards for $5 each or enter

all 18 games for $25 (cash only). Walk-ups are allowed. Each game includes Reds prizes, autographed memorabilia, tickets and

more, but the final two games will feature cash prizes of $1,000 each.

Autograph booth

5. Get free autographs: Every player that attends participates in at least one autograph session per day, at no charge to fans (limited

to one item to be signed). Some sessions are open to the general public, while others are limited to season-ticket holders or kids ages

17 and under. Once you enter the main floor exhibit space, check the info screens to see times for specific player appearances,

which will be announced 30 minutes prior to the sessions. Fans can also receive text alerts by texting REDSFEST to 66128. For

each autograph session, the player will sign only for the first 225 people to get in line, so be sure to get in line fast. Advanced

registration and bidding for special second-floor autograph sessions already have ended.

6. Smile for the camera: Maybe autographs aren’t your thing, but who can pass up a photo opp with a player? There are four photo

booths on the main floor with players waiting to say, “Cheese,” with you and your family or friends. Sessions will be open for 50

minutes each, allowing as many fans through as possible in that timeframe. Booth No. 1 takes the photo for you and provides a

printout on the spot for a $10 donation to the Reds Community Fund. Booth No. 2 and 3 are free and require you to bring your own

camera. Booth No. 4 is free to Reds Season Ticket Members only. There also is a life-size team photo cutout display on the main

floor.

7. Play ball: Test out your baseball skills on the main floor with some of the interactive fan activities such as speed pitch, batting

cages and base-running or play some ball at the two whiffle ball fields -- where Duvall says he would be if he were a young fan

attending Redsfest. The Reds Rookie Field is designed for younger kids and will provide “open swing” time throughout the entire

event. A variety of activities also will take place on the Gorilla Glue Field of Dreams, including open swing (3 to 5 p.m. Friday and

6 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday), a Celebrity Home Run Derby (5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday) and other fundamental learning sessions. For the

full schedule, visit the website here.

8. Just for kids: Find all the entertainment your young kids will need upstairs. The Reds Heads Fun Zone on the third floor offers

more than 20,000 square feet of kids activities such as a batting cage, steal-home challenge, bounce houses, trampolines, story time

with players, a photo opportunity with Santa Claus and various stage performances. It’s also the best place to sign up young Reds

fans for the 2017 Reds Heads Kids Club, Reds Rookie Baby Club and Club Red Teen Club. The second floor holds several

activities for Reds Season Ticket Members, such as the mascot visiting rooms and an 18-hole putt putt course that was added last

year.

9. Giveaways and merchandise: Even if you don’t spend any money once inside, you still won’t leave empty handed. The first

11,000 fans each day at Redsfest (basically everyone) will receive a free Reds drawstring bag and a pair of Reds socks, so be sure

not to miss the handouts on your way in from any one of the three entrances to the center. For those looking for some Reds gear or

great holiday gifts, stop at the team shop for apparel, find game-used merchandise in the Reds Authentic area, purchase season

tickets and Holiday Gift Packs at the Reds Ticket booth in the center of the main floor or check out the Topps Memorabilia Gallery

to find an array of items brought in by local vendors. You can also register to win the Toyota Tundra that was featured behind the

left-center wall at GABP in 2016. One lucky fan will win the truck during an on-field ceremony on Opening Day 2017. Visit the

Toyota booth on the main floor for more information.

The Redsfest Connect Zone

Also of note: The Redsfest Connect Zone is the place to be for all social and digital media followers. Stop by this year’s new

location near the indoor baseball fields on the main floor to visit the Better Off Red area, participate in the Redsfest Selfie

Scavenger Hunt or use one of the free cell phone charging stations to help keep you connected all weekend long.

IF YOU GO

What: Redsfest

When: 3 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Duke Energy Convention Center

Ticket prices: Adults -- $25 for two-day pass, $17 for one-day pass; Kids (ages 12 and younger) -- $12 for two-day pass, $7 for one-

day pass. Children 3 and under are free. Passes include a free ticket (one per day pass) to April 5 game vs. the Phillies.

Where to buy tickets: At Great American Ball Park, online at www.reds.com/redsfest or at the Duke Energy Center, starting 9 a.m.

Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday.

Proceeds benefit: The baseball-themed outreach programs of the Reds Community Fund

What you can bring: Small bags and purses are allowed but no luggage or rolling duffle bags larger than 16 inches by 16 inches by 8

inches are permitted. Strollers are allowed, but may not inhibit guest movement or block aisles. There is a coat check for $2.

MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE

FRIDAY

3 p.m. Welcome to Redsfest and DJ

4:20 p.m. Harlem Globetrotters Exhibition

4:45 p.m. Topps Pack Wars

5 p.m. RCF Knothole Baseball

5:15 p.m. Toyota Tundra Ceremony

5:24 p.m. Season recap

5:28 p.m. Bob Castellini remarks

5:36 p.m. Introduction of Reds past and present

6:01 p.m. Reds history video

6:05 p.m. Pete Rose Q-and-A

6:30 p.m. Kids Only Press Conference

7:10 p.m. Hot Stove Report presented by FOX Sports Ohio

8:05 p.m. 2016 Reds Team Awards

8:35 p.m. Reds Cooking Show

9 p.m. Topps Pack Wars

9:10 p.n. Reds Feud

9:45 p.m. DJ Etrayn with split the pot winner

SATURDAY

10:30 a.m. Welcome to Redsfest

10:50 a.m. Carseat donation ceremony

11 a.m. NKY Baseball/Softball with pitch-in for baseball and St. Elizabeth’s Healthcase

11:15 a.m. Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase press conference

11:30 a.m. Hot Stove Report by FOX Sports Ohio

12:20 p.m. Pete Rose Q-and-A

1:05 p.m. Kids Only Press Conference

1:45 p.m. Harlem Globetrotters exhibition

2:10 p.m. Cincinnati Ballet

2:45 p.m. Topps Pack Wars

3:10 p.m. Word Chain

3:45 p.m. DJ Etrayn/social media

3:50 p.m. The Mistics

4:25 p.m. Reds Cooking Show

5:10 p.m. Reds Feud

5:50 p.m. DJ Etrayn with split the pot winner

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Redsfest — team’s annual two-day, fan-a-pa-looza — set for Friday, Saturday

Mark Schmetzer Contributing Writer

2:08 p.m Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 Sports

CINCINNATI

If Phil Castellini was concerned about a breakdown in the talks between Major League Baseball and the players’ union on a new

bargaining agreement impacting Redsfest, he wasn’t showing it.

The franchise’s annual two-day, fan-a-pa-looza, which starts on Friday and extends through Saturday at the Duke Energy

Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati, was going ahead as scheduled, even if the two sides didn’t reach agreement on a new

Collective Bargaining Agreement and current Reds declined to participate. Still, the Reds’ Chief Operating Officer admitted to a

touch of relief that a new five-year agreement was hammered out, just as the old one was expiring.

“We were going either way, but it’s nice that it’s behind us,” Castellini said Thursday during a media preview of the annual event.

“We’re happy that it won’t be an issue.”

This year’s Redsfest is scheduled for Friday from 3-10 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Two-day tickets cost $25 for

adults and $12 for children 4-12 years old. One-day tickets cost $17 for adults and $7 for children 4-12 years old. Children three and

under are admitted free.

Two-day ticket purchases include two free tickets to the Reds game against Philadelphia on April 5. One-day ticket purchases

include a free ticket to the same game, and the first 11,000 fans who show up each day receive a free drawstring backpack and a pair

of Reds socks.

Admission gives fans access to more than 100 autograph and photo sessions with current and former Reds players. Highlights this

year include the “Pete Rose Hit Collection,” designed to raise money for the bronze Rose sculpture due to be unveiled on June 17,

2017, outside Great American Ball Park. Fans who buy a Hit Collection baseball – with each ball representing one of Rose’s major

league-record 4,256 hits – can meet Rose and have a photo taken with him. Rose, who was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame

during the 2016 season, also is scheduled to participate in question-and-answer sessions on the Main Stage on Friday at 6 p.m. and

Saturday at 12:15 p.m.

“We went from the Year of Pete to the Years of Pete,” Castellini said.

Also available this year is an Eric Davis 30-30 dual bobblehead, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the former center fielder

becoming the first player in franchise history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season. Fans who purchase a Pick-6

plan of tickets receive a bobblehead and a chance to have Davis autograph it.

Another new wrinkle this year is Redsfest Bingo, scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on the third floor of the convention center, located at Fifth

and Elm streets. The event features 18 bingo games with each including prizes such as autographed memorabilia and Reds tickets.

Fan can buy six-face cards for $5 each or play all 18 games for $25. The final two games of the even each will feature cash prizes of

$1,000. Fans must be at least 18 years old to play.

Redsfest will be capped by the 11th annual Celebrity Poker Tournament on Saturday. A limited number of spots were available, and

the team urged interested fans to call 513-765-7240 for details. First prize was guaranteed to be at least $11,000.

This year’s Redsfest is the 19th produced by the franchise, but it’s sort of celebrating its 20th anniversary. The first one was staged

between the 1996 and 1997 seasons and drew a total of about 10,000 fans. Convention center remodeling forced Redsfest to miss a

year. Last year’s event attracted 20,118 fans, an 11 percent increase over 2014.

“It’s a chance for fans to see us as normal people,” catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “We can interact with them on a more personal

level than we can during the season. We’re so locked in and focused during the season that sometimes we might not be able to sign

as many autographs as we should.”

TRANSACTIONS 12/01/16

Oakland Athletics signed free agent RHP Simon Castro to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster 3B Matt Chapman to spring training.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster RHP Trey Cochran-Gill to spring training.

Oakland Athletics signed free agent 3B Jermaine Curtis to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster RHP Heath Fillmyer to spring training.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster RHP Daniel Gossett to spring training.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster RHP Tucker Healy to spring training.

Kansas City Royals traded RHP Brooks Pounders to Los Angeles Angels for RHP Jared Ruxer.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster C Sean Murphy to spring training.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster LHP A.J. Puk to spring training.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster 2B Max Schrock to spring training.

Seattle Mariners sent Pat Venditte outright to Tacoma Rainiers.

Miami Marlins signed free agent RHP Edinson Volquez.

Cleveland Indians signed free agent C Erik Kratz to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

St. Louis Cardinals traded LHP Jaime Garcia to Atlanta Braves for RHP Chris Ellis, RHP John Gant and 2B Luke Dykstra.

Los Angeles Angels designated LHP Cody Ege for assignment.

Oakland Athletics invited non-roster SS Richie Martin to spring training.