Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Category: Sports

Join the Cincinnati Corporate Olympics!

Calling all local businesses! It’s time to assemble your team and gear up for the most epic corporate field day of the year!

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Location: Fountain Square, Downtown Cincinnati

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Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to showcase your team’s skills and camaraderie. Sign up now and be part of an unforgettable experience!

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Jul 9, 2024
Can the Reds Save Their Season?

by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – The Reds season isn’t over, but after being swept by the Detroit Tigers this weekend, the outlook certainly felt bleaker than ever. After taking three straight games from the New York Yankees, one of the better teams in all of baseball, expectations were high that this Reds club had perhaps turned the corner (yet again) and could reach .500 or better by the All Star break. Detroit was 1-6 in its last 7 games prior to this series. But once again the Reds showed that they simply were not up to the task and could not string together any sort of momentum.

The Tigers beat the Reds in a variety of ways. Whether it was the long ball or hammering the bullpen Cincinnati simply could not find a way to close out Detroit and win any of their three games in the series. Multiple Reds comebacks fell short in those matchups which made each losses all the more frustrating, including Blake Dunn being thrown out at home plate in what was ultimately a very questionable call to send him in contact in the bottom of the ninth.

Hunter Greene pitched another gem (7 innings, 3 hits and he gave up no earned runs) after struggling in his previous two starts only to see Fernando Cruz and his bullpen implode shortly thereafter to take the loss. Cruz has really struggled of late. In his last 26 innings prior to Monday night’s game against the Rockies he allowed 23 hits and 17 earned runs for an ERA of 5.88, going 2-5 in that stretch. He’s gotten the Reds out of some jams that is true and he’s sent in for very high pressure situations, but the performance just hasn’t been there overall recently. He pitched a 1-2-3 8^th inning against Colorado which was a welcome relief and something of redemption as he protected a gem turned in by another young Reds starter in Andrew Abbott who went 7 innings, struck out 8, and allowed just 3 hits, giving up no runs.

Even Graham Ashcraft did his part in his start in game 3 against the Tigers, giving up just one earned run before the Reds relievers once again let the bottom fall out. This time the culprit was Alexis Diaz who allowed three runs (although none of them ended up being earned) which ultimately put the game out of reach on Sunday.

It’s been one step forward and two steps back for so much of this 2024 season.

And yet, at this point the Reds have a lot to be optimistic about. Spencer Steer is having one heck of a July. Going into Sunday he had 3 home runs and a 1.214 OPS in July. But he also hit .280 in June and had a .783 OPS.Elly De La Cruz is an All Star and an absolutely electric player at just 22 years old. He has posted a .251 batting average with 15 home runs, 40 RBI and an .804 OPS. He also has 45 stolen bases. Jonathan India is another bright spot. In his last 30 games the Reds second baseman is hitting an insane .369 with a .451 OBP and a .583 slugging percentage. With the potentially season ending injury to Matt McLain, it’s tough to imagine a better scenario than India stepping in to do as well as he has.

On Monday night we got to see the stellar debut of Reds outfielder Rece Hinds who did nothing less than launch a galactic 449 foot home run after making an athletic play in the outfield and legging out a hustle double. Elly De La Cruz scored a run on a contact play from third base, a series of events that was nearly identical to the out made by Dunn just a few days ago. It’s a microcosm of this season for Cincinnati: two of the same plays, with an entirely different result.

The concern is that the flaws in this team are growing too large to reasonably ignore. Injuries or not, Stuart Fairchild, Nick Martini, and Will Benson have been staples in the outfield for large chunks this season. Unfortunately they are batting .224, .212, and .187 respectively. There is simply no way to be a serious playoff contender with those numbers in your lineup on a regular basis. Though trading for a reliable outfield bat would be an important way to show fans that this team is serious about trying to contend, but to be honest one bat may not be nearly enough.

Things have not gone to plan in 2024, that is an understatement. But this season has shown that the Reds cannot win without more help in the outfield/the bottom third of their order, and significant development from their young players. The good news is that there are two more series against the two worst teams in the National League (Colorado and Miami) before the All Star break that could stop the bleeding.

And the Reds big win on Monday night could be the start of some good things for this ball club. It had everything that is electric that the fans love to see: breathtaking speed by Elly, home runs by young players just called up, lights out pitching, and an offense that scored when it counted most. In the end though, Reds fans have seen wins that got Great American Ballpark rocking, and they’ve seen sweeps. But they’ve yet to see a real, sustained turnaround from this club. Let’s hope one still might be in the cards because games like last night’s win against the Rockies was the type of baseball this city and its fans truly deserve on a consistent basis.

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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

Jul 9, 2024
All new episode: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball & Mark Raines – Reds Smash the Cardinals, Cleveland Cavaliers Have a Big Week, and Bronny James is Drafted

by Chris Ball & Mark Raines

Loveland, Ohio – In this week’s podcast episode, we talk more about the Reds and what factors are preventing them from consistently playing as well as they did on Thursday night, beating the rival St. Louis Cardinals 11-4. We also discuss the Cavaliers’ signing of head coach Kenny Atkinson and the challenges he faces in getting the team ready for the 2024-2025 season. We also break down the impact of the Cavaliers’ first round draft pick Jaylon Tyson and discuss what the Lakers’ will do now that they’ve drafted Bronny James, LeBron James’ son.

All this and more on The Queen City Sports Podcast, take a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!

For further reference, the article discussed in the podcast regarding the evolution of pitching in major league baseball can be accessed by clicking here. You can see the post laying out all of the injuries that the Atlanta Braves have suffered, and overcome, by clicking here.

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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

For Facebook, click here.

For X, click here.

For Instagram, click here.

Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

Jun 30, 2024
Reds Hall of Famer George Foster named Grand Marshal of 4th of July Parade

Loveland, Ohio – Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer George Foster has been named Grand Marshal of the City of Loveland’s Independence Day Celebration parade!

He will lead the parade on Thursday, July 4 at 7 PM, cruising in a 1959 Corvette convertible. We’re rooting for a shiny red Vette designed for convoy escort duty!

George Arthur Foster was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on December 1, 1948 and played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1969-1986, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds with whom he won two World Series championships as part of the “Big Red Machine.” He is a five-time All Star, and he earned the league’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1977. In 2003, Foster was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

“Foster was one of the most feared right-handed sluggers of his era, leading the National League in home runs in 1977 and 1978, and in RBIs in 1976, 1977, and 1978. He won the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1977 and a Silver Slugger Award in 1981.” (Wikipedia)

On September 23, 1977 in the ninth inning of the Reds’ 5–1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, Foster hit his fiftieth home run of the season off Buzz Capra, making him the first player since Willie Mays in 1965 to hit fifty in a season.[20]

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David and Cassie will be heading to the Historic District to bring you the Parade “Live” on our FaceBook channel.

Read on for all the July 4th event details and view entertainment map, shuttle, and parking suggestions…

Cassie Mattia will broadcast “live” from the 4th of July Parade

Jun 29, 2024
Photo Slideshow by Andrew Sichak: FC Cincinnati Wins 4-3 over the Philadelphia Union

by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Magazine photographer Andrew Sichak was on the sideline for FC Cincinnati’s thrilling 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Union last Wednesday. He snapped some amazing photos of the squad as they improved to 12-3-3 (39 points) on the season after the win.

The game itself was one of the best of the year for FCC as it was a back and forth tilt with some amazing goals on both sides. For FCC Luca Orellano launched a 60-yard beauty that beat the Union keeper Oliver Semmle.

LUCA 😱 pic.twitter.com/EaCNXLEw8V

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) June 20, 2024

After the Union tied it up in stoppage time in the second half, Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta came through like the all-star he is and took it upon himself to win it all for FCC.

LUCHO SAID NO WAY ARE WE LOSING THIS. pic.twitter.com/BV2GUgc4nB

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) June 20, 2024

Loveland Magazine photographer Andrew Sichak

After checking out the amazing videos of FC Cincinnati’s win, please take a look at the wonderful photographic work of Andrew Sichak and look out for much more from him in the future.

(All photos © 2024 Andrew Sichak/Loveland Magazine)

As of now, FC Cincinnati sits at 12-4-3 with 39 points and trail Inter Miami by just 2 points in the Eastern Conference. They face Dallas at Toyota Stadium in Texas on June 29 where they will look to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to New England this past Saturday.

Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

Jun 28, 2024
The Cavaliers Draft Jaylon Tyson and Welcome New Head Coach Kenny Atkinson
by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – With the 20^th overall pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Jaylon Tyson, a small forward out of California. He is 6-6, 218 pounds and averaged 19.6 points per game, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals last year for the Golden Bears. He’s known for his athleticism and the ability to create his own shot, two things that are going to be absolutely key in new coach’s Kenny Atkinson’s offense, discussed more below.

The Cavaliers have lacked a true scorer and shot creator at the small forward position recently. Issac Okoro has improved but not necessarily taken the next step to make him a true threat offensively, though he defends at an elite level. Tyson, on the other hand, already has a very polished offensive game at the collegiate level he shoots the ball well, with splits of .465/.360/.796 across the board. In the future he and Okoro could pack a good change up playing off of one another situationally until we see more from Jaylon on the defensive end.

At 6-6 there have been some concerns expressed about his size as an offense first small forward, but he does have a 6-8 wingspan. And the hope is that offensively he can use his athleticism to create enough space to counter any potential size advantage for the man guarding him.

Below are some of the draft grades that sportswriters have given the pick:
- Nate Ulrich – Akron Beacon Journal: B
- Evan Dammarell – Clutch Points: A-
- Zach Braziller – New York Post: D
- Adam Finkelstein & Kyle Boone – Yahoo Sports: B-
As you can see, the grades include quite a range, but those from writers who regularly cover the Cavaliers tend to be more optimistic about what Jaylon Tyson can bring to the team in the coming years. Some have dubbed the pick a “reach” for Cleveland but you could understand why the team might believe that a player like Jaylon is a good fit for their team at pick 20, given the boxes he could end up checking at the small forward position. And his play in college isn’t necessarily indicative of how he would translate to the NBA game. That’s much different than what he’ll be asked to do with the Cavaliers.

As Danny Cunningham breaks down for the Locked On Cavs Podcast, Tyson was basically Cal’s entire offense and was asked to handle the ball, create his own shot, and be the primary weapon on offense. And The Golden Bears didn’t exactly have the type of team to allow him to boost his level of play, as they finished 13-19 with Tyson being the team’s leading scorer by more than 5 points per game.

It’s also been reported that Cleveland has reached a 5-year agreement with Kenny Atkinson, former Golden State Warriors assistant coach, to be their next head coach. Atkinson has head coaching experience, most recently with the Brooklyn Nets where he took over a 20-win team and tuned them around into a playoff birth just two seasons later. Granted, his tenure for the Nets didn’t end on the best of terms, but managing that team with disgruntled superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant could not have been an easy task.

The expectation is that Atkinson will bring a faster-paced motion offense to the Cavaliers that could really open up the scoring opportunities for players like Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland (if he’s not traded). His Nets teams ran fast and took their share of shots from behind the arc, something a team comprised of smaller guards who have the ability to be deadly from distance could execute with deadly precision. During his time in Brooklyn, he helped guide and develop young players like D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie, not to mention current Cavaliers Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen. And the hope is that he can continue that development with the Cavs own developing players like Garland, Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro.

Atkinson does face a test going forward, especially in addressing how Cleveland’s roster is constructed. The Cavaliers are a team with plenty of questions including the status of Donovan Mitchell’s extension and his interplay with whomever he pairs with at the other guard position, whether it be Darius Garland or someone else. The positional overlap among the Cavs’ big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, is another wrinkle to parse out for next season. And then putting the complimentary pieces in the right place to implement a high tempo offense.

While previous head coach JB Bickerstaff deserves a great deal of credit for his ability to rebuild the Cavaliers, there were reports that he’d lost the locker room, and at times the Cavaliers offense looked mired in molasses. And so it will be very exciting to see Kenny Atkinson’s ability to get the team under control and refocus them on competing in an Eastern Conference that has suddenly become very top heavy. The NBA Champion Boston Celtics obviously showed how dominant they could be, but the New York Knicks made massive moves this week, trading for Mikal Bridges and signing OG Anunoby.

Kenny Atkinson is a welcome addition to the Cavaliers but it looks like he will have precious little time to catch his breath before this team once again plunges headlong into another quest for a deeper playoff run in 2024-2025.

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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Jun 27, 2024
Special Announcement: The Loveland Magazine Sports Desk!

by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Magazine is very excited to announce that we are expanding our sports social media experience to encompass Facebook, X, and even Instagram.

After you are done browsing our hard-hitting sports articles at Loveland Magazine, head on over to The Loveland Magazine Sports Desk. There, across all three platforms, we will be bringing you some more concise and up-to-the-minute updates on all of the sports teams you follow every day. Whether you’re watching a Reds or Bengals game in real-time and want to weigh in, or if you drop by the day after the game to check in on what happened and give your thoughts, you now have three more ways to get into the game and get the discussion going! We also look forward to bringing you local Loveland sports stories about all your hometown teams, including Loveland football and more.

We appreciate your ongoing support and comments, so look forward to seeing you across the social media universe!

To follow The Loveland Magazine Sports Desk on Facebook, click here.

To get into the game on X, give us a follow by clicking here.

Instagram is also a great way to post pictures of local Loveland sports, and we hope to have more content there very soon, but for now feel free to check in on our progress and give us a follow at this link.

However you get in contact with us, we are happy to have you and look forward to a lot of fun together this summer and onward.

Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

Jun 26, 2024
The Reds Drop Another Series but are Still In Contention

by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – The Reds have had a difficult time closing out the month of June. Since their 7 game winning streak they are just 4-8. They have lost winnable games against the Brewers, Pirates, and most recently the Boston Red Sox for a variety of reasons. Whether it was a cold offense or base running mistakes Cincinnati has once again found several different ways to lose a baseball game.

Even with the tough losses there have been bright spots. Elly De La Cruz was 2-5 against Boston on Sunday and is now hitting .320 with a 196 wRC+ over his last 30 plate appearances. Jeimer Candelario had another RBI against the Red Sox and and he’s also playing well, in his last 46 plate appearances he is hitting .333 with a 202 wRC+ over that span.

Though Nick Lodolo took the loss on Sunday the Reds have had so much production from the top 3 spots in their rotation, including Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott that there is so much to be exited about. Against the Red Sox, Abbott looked very good, pitching 5.2 innings while allowing only 4 hits and amassing a career high 10 strikeouts. Over his last 7 starts, Hunter Greene is 4-0 with a 3.32 ERA and 45 strikeouts in just 43 innings.

Reds fans should undoubtedly have patience with this young team. It is peppered with young players who have the potential to lead Cincinnati to the playoffs or beyond, given the right amount of time and experience. It will take time to get them the right amount of innings and at bats to mold them into a consistent contender. And so the failures in June of 2024 are not necessarily the portents of doom that many would make them out to be. This team, for all their struggles, remain just 2.5 games out of contention for the wild card spot with more than half the season left to play.

Tonight, the reds begin a crucial 3 game series against the Pirates. It is a perfect opportunity for this team to reverse course and get back on the right track heading into the July 4th holiday, especially since it would appear that they will not have to face the Pirates’ fireball-throwing ace, Paul Skenes. The first pitch tonight is at 7:10 PM, and the pitching matchup is below:

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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

Jun 24, 2024
Special All new episode: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball – Chris Welcomes New Loveland Head Football Coach Brian Damewood to the Podcast

by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – On a special edition of The Queen City Sports Podcast, Chris catches up with his former mentor and current head coach of the Loveland Tigers High School football team, Brian Damewood. The guys discuss the state of Loveland football and the future for their 2024 campaign. The future is so bright under Coach Damewood and we hope you enjoy this interview and get as hyped as we are for the upcoming high school football season!

All this and more on The Queen City Sports Podcast, take a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!

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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

Jun 22, 2024
All new episode: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball & Mark Raines – Reds Struggle, Tee Higgins Signs, and Mark Talks Bearcat Basketball

by Chris Ball & Mark Raines

Loveland, Ohio – For this week’s podcast episode, Chris and Mark analyze just what is going wrong (once again) with the Reds’ offense. They also bring you the latest on Tee Higgins’ contract situation, and the benefit his being present for workouts this summer will help the Bengals avoid their notoriously slow starts to the season. Mark also breaks down exactly how the Bearcats’ basketball team is constructed and how that roster construction will help set them up for success in 2024. Chris and Mark also tackle Caitlin Clark and what she means for the WNBA before finishing with a brief recap of the amazing FC Cincinnati win on Wednesday night.

All this and more on The Queen City Sports Podcast, take a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!

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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

Jun 20, 2024