The Reds have exercised the 2012 option on the contract of 2B Brandon Phillips; declined the 2012 option on the contract of RHP Francisco Cordero; outrighted to Louisville RHP Jared Burton and RHP Daryl Thompson; selected the contract of OF Denis Phipps; LHP Matt Maloney was claimed off waivers by the Twins.

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Baseball awards season begins tomorrow night with the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards announcement at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2…RF Jay Bruce, 2b Brandon Phillips and 1b Joey Votto are all award nominees at their respective positions.

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The Reds Hot Stove League starts tomorrow night at 6 ET.  If you won’t be around a radio for the show, here’s the link for you to listen. 

All of the Reds Hot Stove League shows will be archived HERE.

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On this date in 1938, Reds catcher Ernie Lombardi won the National League Most Valuable Player Award.  Lombardi would eventually become a Baseball Hall of Famer in Cooperstown.

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Don’t forget to stop by the Beer Sellar in Newport tonight from 5:30-7:30 for the #HatsOffCin celebration!

This is our chance to thank all the terrific Reds fans that supported the #HatsOffCIN promotion and helped the Reds Community Fund win a $50,000 grant from Head & Shoulders.

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Reds Urban Youth Academy Kicks Off Third Year

CINCINNATI (October 19, 2011) — The Reds Urban Youth Academy, the year-round baseball and softball training facility operated by the Reds Community Fund, returns for its third year on Monday, October 24.
 
The Reds Urban Youth Academy provides free baseball and softball instruction to underserved boys and girls ages 8 to 18.
 
Located at the temporary home of Gamble Montessori School in Winton Place, the academy is also the site of the Community Fund’s Brandon Phillips Field and P&G Fields.
 
For 2011-12, the academy programming will expand to offer training four evenings a week with weekend hours available for area teams.
 
“Each clinic is free and focuses on the fundamentals of the game,” said Charley Frank, executive director, Reds Community Fund. “It’s a great opportunity for kids to sharpen their baseball and softball skills in an exciting and educational way.”

The academy is instructed by local area high school coaches as well as Reds Community Fund staff.
 
For specific dates and times of the weekly clinics and to register, please visit www.redsyouthbaseball.org or contact Sean McKenna at (513) 765-7234 or smckenna@reds.com.

The Reds Urban Youth Academy is located at 5425 Winton Ridge Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45232.

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HALL OF FAMER JOHNNY BENCH TO RECEIVE
THE “SCOUT’S DREAM” AWARD
AT THE PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SCOUTS FOUNDATION’S “IN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME” GALA

LOS ANGELES (October 18, 2011) –  Johnny Bench has been considered the greatest catcher in baseball history and soon the Cincinnati Reds’ legend will add the “Scout’s Dream” Award to his long list of honors. The Award will be presented at the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation’s 9th Annual “In the Spirit of the Game” Sports and Entertainment Spectacular gala on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel.

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Game One of the World Series takes place tonight in St. Louis at 8:05pm ET on Fox.  St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter opposes Texas’ C.J. Wilson. 

Follow me on Twitter and let me know which all-time World Series game you’d attend if you could turn back the clock.  (To join the conversation, click the “Follow” button on the right sidebar of this page).

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Check out my buddy Jeff Van Kirk, who wore his Better Off Red shirt at the Bank of America 500 in Charlotte!

Do you have a BOR shirt?  If yes, send me a photo of you wearing it somewhere cool!  (you can email it to me at jramsey@reds.com).

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That’s all for now.  More later.  Hope to see you tonight!

Jamie

The Reds Community Fund will hold a HatsOffCIN celebration party on Wednesday, October 19 at the Beer Sellar in Newport, KY to thank all the terrific Reds fans that supported the #HatsOffCIN promotion and helped the Reds Community Fund win a $50,000 grant from Head & Shoulders.  Happy hour will be 5:30 to 7:30pm with complimentary appetizers for all.  Tweet any questions to @redscommunity.

I’ll be there, as will many of the folks whom you only recognize by names beginning with ”@“.   So show up and I’ll tell you all about my cats and my cracked heels.  I’m only kidding (unless you want to hear about my cats and cracked heels).  It’ll be fun and I’m looking forward  to meeting you/reconnecting with you on Wednesday! 

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Be sure to submit your Bobblehead answers to me by midnight tonight!  I’ll announce the winners tomorrow.

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Don’t forget to vote for the Burt Awards! 

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It’s good to be back in BOR Headquarters after spending four days in St. Louis.  The NLCS games (3, 4 & 5) were exciting and I loved being a part of it.  Hopefully next year, I’ll be involved as a Reds representative instead of an MLB rep.  It was nice to catch up with my MLB friends, Katy Feeney, Chuck Torres, Lydia Panayotidis, Bennett Shields, Raxel Concepcion, Marty Sewell (Marlins), Josh Ishoo (Padres) and Matt “Chiz” Chisholm (Giants). 

If you watched the game last night, you may have seen my co-worker Larry Herms on the field escorting Albert Pujols to his postgame media “hits.”  The postgame stuff was the most exciting for me.  It’s quite a thrill to be able to run out onto the diamond and get the requested players for TV/radio interviews.  Quite a rush. 

A photo from the "staging area" during the 8th inning of Game 5 of the NLCS. This is where I prepared for the game to end so I could easily access the field to grab players for their postgame interviews.

As a “bitter rival,” I understand the sentiments Reds fans feel towards the Cardinals.  However, I’m not ashamed to say that I very much enjoyed watching the play of  Jon Jay and David Freese during the NLCS.  They’re two guys who are going to be very good players for a long time.  Oh and I’m pretty proud of myself for coming up with the nickname “Chief Justice” for Jay.

It should be a great World Series.  I hope you tune in and watch.

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More to come…

Expect good news,

Jamie

A few announcements…

Moneyball contest winners will be revealed today.  Stay tuned.

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Tomorrow, I’ll be blogging on location from the National League Championship Series in St. Louis.  Be sure to log on to BOR, as I anticipate plenty of photos and lots of behind-the-scenes stuff.

I’ll be working the NLCS on behalf of Major League Baseball, assisting with the media relations aspect of the series (corralling players for interviews, manager interviews, helping out with auxiliary pressbox, press conferences, etc.). 

This will be my third year helping out and I very much enjoy it.  Last year, the Reds were in the postseason, so my job with the club took precedence over any duties with MLB…and that was A-okay with me.  I’d prefer the Reds be in the postseason every year.

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Don’t forget to vote for The Burt Awards!  Voting continues through the end of the month and we’re going to have some fun announcing the winners.

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The episode of Man vs. Food that was filmed in Cincinnati with Better Off Red fan Adam Turer airs this Wednesday at 9pm ET on the Travel Channel!    Adam wears a BOR shirt during the episode!

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And speaking of BOR shirts…Trivia for a Shirt will be on hiatus this week.  But keep your eyes peeled on BOR later today for a really cool contest!

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Finally, Better Off Red and I have been nominated for two Cincy Awards.  If you want to vote for us, CLICK HERE. (you may have to refresh the page, once you’re on it).

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That’s all for now.  More in a minute.

Expect good news,

Jamie

How could I forget The Gazelle?!  Drew Stubbs today is also celebrating a birthday, his 27th.   Happy birthday, Drew! 

Reds first base coach Billy Hatcher is celebrating a birthday today!  “Hatch” played in parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues with the Cubs, Astros, Pirates, Reds, Red Sox, Phillies and Rangers.  He had a .264 career batting average in 1,233 games from 1984-1995.  During the Reds 1990 wire-to-wire World Series championship year, Hatcher swiped 30 bases and hit .519 during the postseason, including .750 (9-for-12) in the 4-game World Series sweep over the heavily-favored Oakland Athletics.  In 1986, Hatcher hit one of the most dramatic postseason home runs when in the 14th inning of Game 6 of the NLCS, he went deep off the Mets’ Jesse Orosco to tie the game.

Happy birthday, Hatch!

Today is also Reds Premium Sales Manager Ryan Rizzo’s birthday!  You may recognize Rizzo from his famous Skyline Chili commercial (see below) and/or his many appearances at west side softball fields and downtown night clubs.

Happy birthday, Riz!

Greetings from Denver, CO!

The Reds traveling party arrived at the hotel early this morning, at around 2am (local time).  A lot of sleepy heads today. 

I’ve been suffering from a little sore throat for a couple of days so it was nice to use the off day today to take it easy.  I just finished up some room service and am about to start updating the day-by-day books and gamenotes for tomorrow.  Afterwards, I’ll probably kick back and watch the football game.

Obviously with the off day, there isn’t much to report, however I do have a few items for you…

Johnny Bench statue to be unveiled on Sept. 17 at “Bench Night”

CINCINNATI (Sept. 7, 2011) — Join the Cincinnati Reds and Reds Hall of Fame & Museum on Saturday, Sept. 17 for an historic evening at Great American Ball Park to celebrate “Johnny Bench Night,” with the unveiling of a Johnny Bench statue at 5 pm and special pregame ceremonies beginning at 6:30 pm.

Twenty-eight years ago on Sept. 17, 1983, “Johnny Bench Night” was held at Riverfront Stadium where Johnny was honored for his 17-year Major League career, all spent with the Reds. During the game he hit his 389th and final home run. He retired at the end of the season.

The Johnny Bench statue was commissioned by the Reds Hall of Fame and made possible through the generous donations from fans and friends of Johnny, and was created by local sculptor Tom Tsuchiya who also created the statues of Ted Kluszewski, Ernie Lombardi, Joe Nuxhall and Frank Robinson that adorn the Crosley Terrace entrance to the ballpark.

The statue will be located directly outside the main entrance to the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum and captures Johnny at the height of his Hall of Fame career when he established himself as the greatest catcher in the history of the game.

The dedication ceremony begins at 5 pm. Johnny will be joined by friends and family including teammates Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion, Cesar Geronimo, George Foster and Doug Flynn.

The special on-field ceremony at 6:30 pm and will feature highlights from his career and a ceremonial first pitch by Johnny prior to the Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers at 7:10 pm.

Game tickets are available at reds.com/benchnight or by calling (513) 381-REDS.

All fans at the game will receive a 2011 Reds team photo giveaway commemorating the statue dedication, presented by Orville Redenbacher.

Bench Night also marks the official release of a collectible, pewter version of Johnny’s statue that will be available for sale at the Reds Hall of Fame and at HOF sales areas around the ballpark.

The Reds Hall of Fame & Museum has been celebrating Johnny all season with the feature exhibit, Johnny Bench: Baseball’s Greatest Catcher, presented by Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP, a series of five Bench bobbleheads and a sold out dinner to honor Johnny in July.

For more information on the statue dedication visit redsmuseum.org or call 513-765-7923.

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Marty used the day off today to visit the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO.  If you’re not familiar with the Stanley, it was the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write the novel The Shining, which was eventually turned into one of the best scary movies of all-time.

Marty sent along this photo from his visit…

Rumor has it that Marty spent the majority of his time at the Stanley today racing up and down the hallways on a toy big wheel.

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If you haven’t heard, Reds legend Joe Morgan will be leading “The World’s Largest Chicken Dance” on Fountain Square at this year’s Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 17 at 1:30pm.

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I had a lot of fun Tweeting with the Fonzies during the 3-game series in Chicago.  Although the series went to the Cubs, all three games were fun to watch.

I’ll resume the tweets, beginning tomorrow from Coors Field.

And speaking of Twitter, be sure to follow me at Jamieblog (click the “Follow” button on the upper right-hand corner of this page).

Thanks to my new followers…

@RuthClark1329 @USwirlArizona @CardsInsider @albundyky @kywhiskeygirl @nsams30 @Ashleysh22 @emmerz08 @wvumatt @bshaw84 @GreggDewalt @architekturame @Rabbitstick @StopsAnimalPain @like4me @RickND @biedermanjeff @jasondebruer @lwaldledger @kickstarting @bpret @coachhamilton @canastamusic @ForOmnea @TerryM1963 @Caitlin_A_Davis @putzking @JReyn234 @frischd @JShow83 @TJBower @oberereki @Jordan_TM @gingersaurusRex @numberoneredfan @Gilmanrdz @almarsguides @Redlegs_Review @bobby_moran @uwopywu @Delphab48 @acilijanar @CarerSecretsMag @vesacop @CObestinsurance @ipecoqohul @Mission_Pacific @pywejenox @puqocolef @dokizafa @ofiqimu @yvugojec @uzagykaxi @ukitifa @dodyqeh @etagico @kulypubav @DaydreamTweets @FeelMyTweets @bekabuvu @qirocyh @efyxekafaz @TippysMom5 @hillbrigatio @jenhizzo @PRprofile @NanCakesOhio @DelinoSr

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That’s all for now!  Thanks for logging on and allowing me to share all of this stuff with you.

Expect good news.

Go Reds!!

Jamie

I’ve been a little behind on keeping you folks updated since the road trip began.  Time to rectify that.  Here’s some Baseline Items for ya…

HEAD & SHOULDERS® CONCLUDES THE #HATSOFF SOCIAL MOVEMENT BY TIPPING THEIR HATS TO CINCINNATI FANS
Iconic Brand Announces Donations to Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities

CINCINNATI, OH (September 2, 2011) – Head & Shoulders®, the official shampoo of Major League Baseball (MLB), proudly salutes baseball fans for virtually tipping their hats via Twitter in support of the “Head & Shoulders Hats Off” social movement, which benefits Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI). Since the movement was announced on June 30, the brand and the baseball community have seen a tremendous amount of online chatter amongst baseball fans celebrating great on-the-field plays via specific #HatsOff team hashtags, including honoring shutouts and recognizing unbelievable catches.

In the two months since the movement launched, a friendly battle quickly became apparent between Cincinnati and San Francisco fans. In recognition of their passionate support, Head & Shoulders has increased its donation to $100,000, with $50,000 being donated to the winning Cincinnati local RBI chapter. In addition, $25,000 will be donated to the runner-up San Francisco RBI chapter and $25,000 to the national RBI program to celebrate the more than 130,000 #HatsOff tweets by MLB fans.

As the official shampoo of Major League Baseball, Head & Shoulders teamed up with Minnesota Twins Catcher Joe Mauer to encourage fans to show off their great heads of hair as they acknowledged their MLB team’s #HatsOff moments this baseball season.

“Head & Shoulders is astounded by the effort fans put forth to honor their favorite MLB Clubs’ outstanding achievements on the field. The partnership with MLB and brand ambassador Joe Mauer continues to be so rewarding and it’s moments like this when you recognize the power of fans,” says April Anslinger, North America Brand Manager of Head & Shoulders at Procter & Gamble. “We are proud to be giving back to the RBI program and want to thank fans for showing their enthusiasm for great plays on the field.”

With over 50 years of proven technology and success, Head & Shoulders is a trusted daily grooming staple of professional athletes – and the official shampoo of MLB. To learn more about Head & Shoulders, visit the Head & Shoulders for Men Facebook fan page and Head & Shoulders’ official male Twitter handle @HSforMen.

About Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI)
The RBI program is the Major League Baseball youth initiative designed to provide opportunities to play baseball and softball, to encourage excellence and achievement in education and to teach the value of teamwork and other important life lessons to underserved young people, ages 5 to 18, from urban communities. The RBI program is providing more than 200,000 boys and girls the opportunity to play baseball and softball in more than 300 programs established in more than 200 cities worldwide. MLB and its Clubs have designated more than $30 million worth of resources to the RBI program, and all 30 Clubs support RBI leagues. For more information, please visit: www.MLB.com/rbi. 

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If you haven’t yet, I encourage you all to follow me on Twitter at “Jamieblog.”  Click the “Follow” button in the upper right-hand corner of this page to join the party.

A big ‘thank you’ to all of my new followers:

@tweaves @TeamProfits @CHC_Messe @HelenMartinez17 @KimberlyLewis62 @CharlesJones686 @AmySllzz @Misty_Lynn3 @Sports_Journal @LaneyRoberts1 @FatGuySlimGuy @danielrfrench @Tim_OBrien2 @Raven1ml @saintseamus @matanderin @Allysonnza @PrepMunch @BeverlyKidd @cincykid75 @NatlSports @bkhuffman @laineybugsmomma @CLVerdon @SBHolland @elizmcg @jeffreyrbecker @HighOPS @jacquelinemdrum @knips16 @pbc44 @jacob_rude @gamblaar24 @LiqueredUpKevin @BMcCalla2124 @bessieknowsbest @jrawles1 @cameronjelton @acflood19 @A_AmberC @gamedayadv @mytweetedsports

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Last night in Lansing, Reds prospect Billy Hamilton of the Dayton Dragons collected 3 stolen bases to give him 100 steals on the year.  Hamilton is the 12th player in recorded Minor League Baseball history to steal 100 bases in a season.  He broke the Cincinnati Reds all-time organizational record, surpassing Ramon Sambo’s 98 with the Cedar Rapids Reds in 1988.  Hamilton is the first player to steal 100 bases in a season since 2001 when Chris Morris of Peoria stole a Midwest League record 111.

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“Lets Get Ready to Win,” the film by Craig Lindvahl that featured behind the scenes footage of the memorable September 28, 2010 “Clinch Night” game has been selected for the sixth annual Baseball Film Festival.  The film fest will take place at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum from 9/30-10/2.

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Here’s hoping the rain holds off here in St. Louis and the Reds get a win today before heading to Chicago. 

I’ll have more later.

Expect good news,

Jamie