LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Reds

  • Was The Reds’ Sweep of the Dodgers a Sign of a Season Turnaround?

    Was The Reds’ Sweep of the Dodgers a Sign of a Season Turnaround?

    Jonathan India had a great series against Los Angeles which included a grand slam that seemed like the defining moment for the entire series.

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – The Reds Have Won A Series For the First Time Since Late April and 4 Straight For The First Time Since July of 2023

    A brutal west coast road trip. Loss after loss. Injuries, slumps, implosions. And then the Dodgers came in town. It was a recipe for disaster and a season-ending coffin nail.

    Until it wasn’t.

    The Reds’ improbable three game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers maybe won’t turn out to be enough to save the season, but dang if it doesn’t feel like the start of something special. Yes the Dodgers have some of their own offensive issues to speak of but their star power and talent can’t be denied. The Reds’ pitchers neutralized some of the league’s best hitters in Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman and they hit around big money pitchers like Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Three straight wins over a team like that should be enough to quiet the doubters and doomsayers for a little while more.

    What’s so impressive is the way the Reds are winning. Their bats have come alive again. They are getting contributions from guys like Jonathan India, who looked so overmatched at the plate at times that it was almost sad to watch. He had a great series against Los Angeles which included a grand slam that seemed like the defining moment for the entire series.

    Spencer Steer is swinging the bat like he did earlier this year. Jeimer Candelario was improving, got hurt, but returned Monday night and promptly hit a game tying home run. For most of May the Reds got next to nothing from anyone who wasn’t Tyler Stevenson or Elly De La Cruz. But now, they are getting contributions from several different guys on any given night.

    No conversation about the Reds’ recent success would be complete without the acknowledgment that none of it would have been possible without how impressive their pitching (both the starters and bullpen) has been. Whether it’s Greene, Abbott, or Ashcraft they’ve turned in solid innings that have put their club in a position to win. The major difference now is that the Reds’ bats have shown up to take advantage of those opportunities. And when that’s happened, the bullpen has been able to step in and lock down their leads and convert them into wins. Alexis Diaz had a very impressive save against the Dodgers, as did Lucas Sims in a victory against the Cardinals on Memorial Day. After having such a difficult and frustrating early season, Lucas Sims has a 1.46 ERA over his last 15 appearances.

    Many Reds fans have nightmares about the dreaded “bullpen days” last year that were made necessary by the numerous injuries to the pitching staff. But this year the story has been much different with the major additions the team has made to their bullpen. Nick Martinez proved that when he carried the Reds to a win in one of those bullpen days against the Dodgers this past weekend. He threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings and in the last series facing them he tossed 5 innings while giving up only 1 run.

    And on top of that, Nick Lodolo returned to the rotation. He pitched very well against the Cardinals, allowing only 1 run in a little over 5 innings and only walked 1 batter. Having him back makes the rotation compete again, and it could be one of the top units in the league if they all remain healthy.

    The Reds are playing as complete a game of baseball as they have in weeks. Though you may not be able to quantify it, you have to wonder how much relief this group of players has gotten from winning their first back to back games, and their first series, in more than a month. We’ve talked before about how they’ve shown flashes of playing great baseball for a game, only to have it all fall apart for the next few games.

    Not so much anymore.

    This version of the Reds is one that is playing looser, with more energy, and clearly more confidence. And the city is responding as there were plenty of loud and rowdy fans to watch those wins over the Dodgers and Cardinals. If not for the multi-game losing streak earlier on they might not be in such a hard place as Cincinnati actually did not play all that terribly in their recent road trip out west. But this winning streak is surely helping to propel the Reds out of the hole they dug for themselves, and we can only hope that the best is yet to come.

    “The team is coming together. It seems like things are clicking.”

    • Nick Martini

    Baseball is made up of a very long season that can’t be defined by a game, a series, even a month. While it’s impossible to say that this stretch of beautiful baseball will propel this team into contention, if they do make the playoffs or turn it around, it’s going to be very easy to look back on these wins as the moment when it all began.

    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 LovelandSportsGuy@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.

  • Homestand Highlights – May 21-29 – Reds vs. Padres, Dodgers, Cardinals

    Homestand Highlights – May 21-29 – Reds vs. Padres, Dodgers, Cardinals

    by Chris Ball

    Tuesday, May 21 – Reds vs. San Diego Padres, 6:40 p.m. (gates open at 5:10 p.m.)

    • TV: Bally Sports Ohio (John Sadak, Barry Larkin & Annie Sabo)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Jeff Brantley)
    • 3-2-1 Tuesdays: For all Tuesday home games this season, fans can purchase $3 beers (Bud or Bud Light 12 oz. cans), $2 hot dogs and $1 ice cream cups, presented by Budweiser and Bud Light. Limit two of each item per person per transaction. Available at select concession stands. For more information, visit reds.com/Tuesday.
    • Reds Country Cares: As part of our Reds Country Cares program, throughout May we are recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month. Pregame ceremonies will help raise awareness on this important topic. New for 2024, United Way of Greater Cincinnati is making a donation to each of our Reds Country Cares community partners. For more information, visit reds.com/Unity.

    Wednesday, May 22 – Reds vs. San Diego Padres, 6:40 p.m. (gates open at 5:10 p.m.)

    • TV: Bally Sports Ohio (John Sadak, Barry Larkin & Annie Sabo)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Jeff Brantley)
    • Bark in the Park: Tonight is the second Bark in the Park of the season, presented by Kroger, Good ‘n’ Fun and DreamBone. Over 500 dogs and their owners will participate in a pregame parade around the field and enjoy pet activities, samples and more in the First Star Fan Zone. Dog packages must be purchased in advance at reds.com/Bark.
    • First Pitch: Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown will throw out a ceremonial pitch.
    • Reds Community Fund Check Presentation: A check for over $56,000 will presented to the Reds Community Fund during pregame ceremonies. The proceeds are from the 12th annual Modern Office Methods Opening Day Eve party, which took place on March 27 at the Moerlein Lager House. The event is hosted annually by Randy and Sue Freking.

    Thursday, May 23 – Reds vs. San Diego Padres, 1:10 p.m. (gates open at 11:40 a.m.)

    • TV: Bally Sports Ohio (John Sadak, Barry Larkin & Annie Sabo)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Chris Welsh)
    • Hall of Fame Vintage Game: Exhibition game featuring the Reds Hall of Fame’s 1869 Red Stockings is scheduled to start at noon, using baseball rules from the 1860s.

    Friday, May 24 – Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 7:10 p.m. (gates open at 5:40 p.m.)

    • TV: Bally Sports Ohio (John Sadak, Barry Larkin & Jim Day)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Jeff Brantley)
    • Fireworks Friday: Rozzi’s fireworks show presented by Toyota.
    • City Connect Friday: Reds players and coaches will wear the Nike City Connect uniform as part of City Connect Fridays.

    Saturday, May 25 – Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 7:15 p.m. (gates open at 5:45 p.m.)

    • TV: FOX National Broadcast (WXIX Fox19 in Cincinnati)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Jeff Brantley)
    • Phone Wallet: Fans in attendance will receive a Reds phone wallet, presented by PNC, while supplies last.
    • Bald Eagle Flight: “Sam” the Bald Eagle from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden will perform his first flight of the season from the TriHealth Riverboat Deck to the pitcher’s mound during the singing of the National Anthem.
    • Murals With A Mission, powered by PNC: Pregame ceremonies will recognize students and advisors from Colerain and Sycamore high schools who recently participated in Murals with a Mission, powered by PNC. The Reds and PNC launched the Murals with a Mission campaign in 2022 to create lasting works of art at Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky high schools designed to elevate positive social messages for the student community. For more information, visit reds.com/Unity.
    • MLB Prostate Cancer Awareness: Representatives from the Prostate Cancer Foundation will be visiting GABP to bring awareness to the Home Run Challenge leading up to Father’s Day.

    Sunday, May 26– Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 1:40 p.m. (gates open at 12:10 p.m.)

    • TV: Bally Sports Ohio (John Sadak, Barry Larkin & Jim Day)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Jeff Brantley)
    • Baseball Card Set: Fans in attendance will receive a Reds Team Baseball Card Set, presented by Kahn’s, while supplies last.
    • Reds Rookies Day #1: Newborn Reds fans and their parents will be at the game for the first Reds Rookies Day of the season. Baby fan club members will be able to participate in a pregame on-field parade and more fun activities in the First Star Fan Zone. To learn more about Reds Rookies, visit reds.com/Rookies.

    Monday, May 27 – Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 4:10 p.m. (gates open at 2:40 p.m.)

    • TV: Bally Sports Ohio (John Sadak, Barry Larkin & Jim Day)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Jeff Brantley)
    • Memorial Day: The Reds and MLB will join the country in remembering and honoring those who have died in service to our country. In connection with this special national holiday, all on-field personnel will wear the traditional red poppy on the left side of their uniforms with “Lest We Forget” language adorning the visage. The Memorial Day logo will also appear on the bases.
    • Military Appreciation Day: Special ticket deals will be available for military and first responders. Pregame on-field ceremonies will honor various branches of the armed forces.
    • First Pitch: Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt will throw out a ceremonial pitch.

    Tuesday, May 28 – Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 6:40 p.m. (gates open at 5:10 p.m.)

    • TV: Bally Sports Ohio (John Sadak, Barry Larkin & Jim Day)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Jeff Brantley)
    • 3-2-1 Tuesdays: For all Tuesday home games this season, fans can purchase $3 Buds and Bud Lights (12 oz. cans), $2 hot dogs and $1 ice cream cups, presented by Budweiser and Bud Light. Limit two of each item per person per transaction. Available at select concession stands. For more information, visit reds.com/Tuesday.
    • RCF Signing Day: During pregame ceremonies, 10 high school student-athletes from the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy RBI program will be recognized for signing letters of intent to play collegiately.
    • First Pitch: Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Trent Brown will throw out a ceremonial pitch. Brown will be joined on the field by Reds Hall of Famer Dave Parker.

    Wednesday, May 29 – Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 1:10 p.m. (gates open at 11:40 a.m.)

    • TV: Bally Sports Ohio (John Sadak, Barry Larkin & Jim Day)
    • Radio: 700WLW and stations on the Reds Radio Network (Tommy Thrall & Jeff Brantley)
    • First Pitch: Former Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett will throw out a ceremonial first pitch. Scooter will be at the Reds Hall of Fame today signing autographs.

    Special offers for the Homestand

    • Family Discount Day – May 21 & 29: Families can save by purchasing up to three half-price tickets with the purchase of a full-price ticket in select areas of the ballpark, provided by Klosterman Bakery. Available only at reds.com/Family.
    • 3-2-1 Tuesdays – May 21 and 28: For all Tuesday home games this season, fans can purchase $3 Buds and Bud Lights (12 oz. cans), $2 hot dogs and $1 ice cream cups, presented by Budweiser and Bud Light. Limit two of each item per person per transaction. Available at select concession stands. For more information, visit reds.com/Tuesday.
    • Business Day Special – May 23 and 29: For $20, fans can purchase a View Level ticket and receive $10 in concession credits, presented by UnitedHealthcare. Drop your business card in the container at a Fan Accommodation Station and you could win tickets to the next Business Day Game. Available at reds.com/SkipWork.
    • Senior Days – May 23 and 29: Fans 50 and older may purchase select non-premium tickets at half-price in advance of game day only. Excludes Premium Seats, Fioptics District, Upper View Level, Value View and Kroger Bleachers. Some restrictions apply. Available at reds.com/Seniors.
    • Thirsty Thursdays – May 23: For all Thursday Reds home games, fans can purchase a $30 package that includes a Field Box or Terrace Line ticket and a $10 concession credit valid for food and beverages. Available only at reds.com/Thursday.

    Reds Fancam

    • At select Reds games this season Fancam will be capturing a giant interactive photo of everyone at Great American Ball Park. Fans will be able to zoom in and find their photo in the crowd. Photos will be available at reds.Fancam.com.

    Reds Community Fund

    • CollegeAdvantage Redlegs Run: The 23rd annual CollegeAdvantage Redlegs Run is on Saturday, June 1. Options are available for walkers and runners of all ages. All participants will receive a custom race medal, race shirt, professional chip-timing with live results, free downloadable race photography, a post-race party in the First Star Fan Zone, and one View Level ticket to the Reds vs. Cubs game on Thursday, June 6. All proceeds benefit the Reds Community Fund. Register today at reds.com/run.
    • Split the Pot: Fans in the ballpark and at home can play Split the Pot this season at reds5050.com. One lucky winner will be picked to win the rolling jackpots following the games on May 23, May 26 and again on May 29. Fans can purchase their tickets early for a chance to win “Early Bird” prizes that will be given away at various times throughout the season. Fans must be 18 years or older and in the state of Ohio at the time of purchase to enter. Buy tickets now and find the official rules at reds5050.com.

    Reds Hall of Fame & Museum presented by Dinsmore

    • George Foster Bobblehead: Reds Hall of Famer George Foster is featured as the first bobblehead in the Hall of Fame’s 2024 “Long Ball” Collectible Gift Series presented by Dinsmore. The Foster bobbleheads are free with full-price museum or ballpark tour admission on Saturdays and Sundays throughout May, while supplies last.
    • George Foster Experience – May 25: Reds fans have the chance to experience a 90-minute tour through Riverfront Stadium landmarks with the Big Red Machine’s own George Foster. Hear Foster’s insights on his Reds Hall of Fame career and other topics during the tour, accompanied by a brief Q&A session and photo opportunity. Tickets include a guided tour of the Reds Hall of Fame by a docent. Each tour guest will receive an autographed George Foster bobblehead. The George Foster Experience departs from the Hall of Fame lobby at 2 p.m. For tickets and more information, For tickets and more information, visit redsmuseum.org.
    • George Foster Autograph Signings – May 25 & 26: As a part of the Reds Hall of Fame’s Signature Series, Reds Hall of Fame outfielder George Foster will visit the Reds Hall of Fame for two autograph sessions on Saturday, May 25 and two on Sunday, May 26. For tickets and autograph schedules, visit redsmuseum.org.
    • “Charlie Hustle” Author Book Signing – May 25: Keith O’Brien, author of the recently-published biography of Pete Rose, “Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball,” will sign copies of the bestselling book on Saturday, May 25, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Reds Hall of Fame and from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Hall of Fame Shop in the First Star Fan Zone. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. For tickets and more information, visit redsmuseum.org.
    • Scooter Gennett Autograph Signing – May 29: As a part of the Reds Hall of Fame’s Signature Series, former Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett will visit the Hall of Fame on Wednesday, May 29, for two autograph signing sessions. For tickets and autograph schedules, visit redsmuseum.org.
    • “The Long Ball” Exhibit Now Open: The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum’s newest exhibit “The Long Ball: A Home Run History of the Reds” presented by Dinsmore features the greatest home run hitters and most unforgettable home runs throughout Reds history. From the legendary to the unexpected, “The Long Ball” touches all the bases in this celebration of one of the game’s signature moments and salutes the Reds players who have forever etched their names in the annals of home run lore. Plan your visit at redsmuseum.org.
    • Kids and Military FREE at the Reds Hall of Fame: Kids 12 and under can always explore the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum presented by Dinsmore for free, courtesy of the H.C.S. Foundation. Admission for active military and veterans is free, courtesy of the Sargent Family Foundation.

     

    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 LovelandSportsGuy@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.

  • The Reds Continue To Struggle To Find Their Identity and Consistency

    The Reds Continue To Struggle To Find Their Identity and Consistency

    by Chris Ball

    In a season like this one, there is a point in time where all of the platitudes and rationalizations ring hollow because they’ve been trotted out more times than an Uncle Remus’ catfish story.

    That point is drawing perilously close; losing 15 out of 18 games tends to make any explanations fall on deaf ears.

    There is no shame in setting aside the catch phrases and being honest and fair about what this Reds team is: young, inexperienced, decimated by injuries, and facing spending constraints that make it extremely difficult to compete against the cash-rich legacy franchises in this league. In even the best of times when all of a teams’ players are healthy, when you play in a market like the Reds do, you need a lot of luck for a deep playoff run to happen. The margins are always razor thin, and this year you couldn’t see them with the Hubble telescope.

    Could the Reds have weathered Matt McLain’s injury? Could they have found a way to compensate for Noelvi Marte’s suspension? Is there any chance they could have prepared better for losing CES and TJ Friedl for large chunks of the season? Perhaps if any of those problems had occurred individually, Cincinnati could have found a way to stay afloat through their brutal May schedule. But the cascade of injuries combined with a precipitous drop in production from nearly everyone apart from Elly De La Cruz and Tyler Stephenson was simply too much for this team to bear and they are currently buckling under the weight of it all.

    No one should be more frustrated by that than the players who make up the Reds’ rotation. Hunter Greene has faced his share of negativity after signing what (by league standards) was a very modest contract. But this year he has performed very well. He, Graham Ashcraft, Nick Lodolo, and Andrew Abbott have put this team in position to win game after game, only to have the bottom erode from under the offense.

    • Hunter Greene ERA: 3.22
    • Andrew Abbott ERA: 3.06
    • Nick Lodolo ERA: 3.34

    They are 15th in team ERA and yet are currently languishing in last place in the National League Central division, mostly due to the fact that they are the second worse team in terms of batting average, at .217. This has been a consistent and well known problem that has not improved since this losing trend began weeks ago. David Bell has shuffled lineups, promoted players, and shifted them around, but nothing has worked. There have been times that we’ve seen the potential to break out of this prolonged slump, and they have been brilliant to watch.

    They went into Dodger Stadium on Shohei Ohtani bobble head night in front of 50,000 hostile fans and dominated one of the best teams in baseball, winning 7-2. They piled up 13 hits against the Diamondbacks that was almost like a tease of what this offense is capable of. But after both games the spark was extinguished and the well was once again bone dry. The missed opportunities began to pile up and runs became as rare as a prime steak at Jeff Ruby’s. A perfect example is Elly De La Cruz going 0 for 13 with eight strikeouts after his four-hit, four-stolen-base game Thursday against those Dodgers that so electrified Reds fans and primed them to believe this offense could finally snap out of its funk. The team as a whole failed to respond after a positive win and were unable to score for 16 consecutive innings at one stretch in the Dodgers series.

    At this point the Reds are like a boxer that spends one round landing haymakers, getting the crowd into it, but then languishes for the rest of the fight taking blow after blow until the good times are but a blurry and faded memory. And watching a team lose seven consecutive series is enough to make even the best fans punch drunk.

    Having realistic expectations of a team is one of the hardest things to do for a fanbase. Hope tends to spring eternal, especially when the Reds played as well as they did last year with such a promising crop of young, exciting players. What those young teams need to take the best steps forward is continuity, support, and reliability. The 2024 Reds have none of those factors, mostly through no fault of their own. Their youngest players are either hurt, suspended, or being asked to carry a major league team on their own when they are barely into their second years. Longer tenured players like Jonathan India and Alexis Diaz are regressing to the point that they are almost unplayable when they should be the ones a team count on to shepherd the team through its toughest stretches. Will Benson has taken giant steps backwards, and it has all seemed to happen at once. Spencer Steer started red hot but has seen his average crater in recent weeks. In his last 25 games he is hitting a paltry .144 and his OPS dropped from .999 to .706. As the Reds’ closer, the man sent in to shut down the best batters in must-win situations, Diaz has a 7.47 ERA, has walked 12 and hit 3 batters in just a little over 15 innings. It’s a good example of just how this team could struggle so mightily in one run games, where they are now 1-11 with 10 straight losses.

    These players have had nearly 50 games to show what they can do and how they can help this team. Batting below or near .200 over that stretch, as several of our batters are (India and Benson among them) make it legitimate to question whether we have seen the true colors of what this Reds team will be? That being a baseball club that simply cannot hit with any consistency because it has such poor depth due to injuries, and who cannot compete with the playoff teams in this league on a nightly basis. The flashes of ability and the sparks of a potential run of good hitting have shown themselves, but they’ve failed to catch on for any length of time for this team to build any sort of momentum. The Reds don’t have stars at multiple positions, they have solid players who are young, and who need to work together as a unit to produce on offense and who grind out every game as they learn and improve. But it’s impossible to grow and to learn when you’re on the disabled list or you have no help from the veteran players on your team.

    As frustrating as it might be to admit, it does not mean that the season is over. The Reds’ pitching and most of its bullpen can keep them in games. Hitting sometimes runs in streaks and players can get hot for stretches of time. That being said, praying that that players buck the statistical trends they’ve established over a quarter of the season isn’t necessarily a recipe for success, and it’s an excruciating way to root for a franchise. It’s hard to imagine what magical tactic David Bell could unveil that could make seasoned players and talented hitters stop taking pitches right down broadway or grounding into double plays, but fairytale turnarounds are what Major League Baseball seasons are designed for. There is no coach to fire that will magically fix the injuries that have plagued this team and bring back the players they need to supercharge the bats that have gone inexplicably silent. The 2023 and 2024 Reds have the exact same record through 46 games. The main difference being that there is no crop of young talent ready to step up and save this team. For better or worse this team is what it is going to be for the next several months.

    Until they show us otherwise, we have seen what this Reds team is, and if it continues along the same lines we have been watching so far it will be a very long summer of begging for runs and lamenting as solid starting pitching (en extreme rarity for teams like the Reds) is flushed down the tubes.

    The Reds can start a new chapter this week and start to chip away at the standings, though. They return home to face the Padres for three games, and those are absolutely critical because they are winnable and a chance to build at least some positivity. And they’ll need it because those same Dodgers will then come in for a series, proceeding the Reds’ first season series against division foe St. Louis.

    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 LovelandSportsGuy@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.

  • Reds Take Fans To The Brink of Madness

    Reds Take Fans To The Brink of Madness

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – The Roller Coaster Season Is In Danger Of Coming Off The Rails

    How many different ways can one team lose a baseball game? Well, in losing 12 of their last 14 and 15 of their last 19 the Reds have certainly found many of them. And most have been in excruciating fashion.

    On Monday night against the Diamondbacks it was a walk off two run single by former Red Kevin Newman and a blown save by Alexis Diaz. The Reds were in a position to walk away with a win after scoring two runs in the top of the eighth which featured a Mike Ford triple, to lead 5-4. In a stretch where their offense has struggled so mightily, scoring 5 runs off of 10 hits seemed at the time to be as refreshing as a pool of water to a man lost in a baking desert.

    Time was, seeing Alexis Díaz walk out of the bullpen in such a situation was enough to give Reds fans goosebumps at the anticipation of some electric stuff and the sound of the door slamming shut on the opposition.

    But not this night.

    Diaz proceeded to hit the first man he faced and walked the next two to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, before eventually surrendering the game winning hit to Newman. It was a troubling sign of the inconsistency and unreliability that has plagued this roster all season. The numbers simply look bleak, there is no way around it.

    Starting with Díaz, he converted his first 22 save chances last season and 37 overall. While his blown save on Monday was only his second in nine opportunities, the more conceding issue is that he has a 6.75 ERA in 16 appearances. In 14 2/3 innings this season, Díaz has allowed 12 walks and has hit three batters. This means that since August 1, 2023 Alexis Diaz has more walks + hit batters than he has strikeouts or innings pitched. Though plenty of Reds are struggling this year the issues with their closer is magnified due to the fact that they are likely going to play in a significant number of close games this year. With an offense that scores so infrequently, they cannot afford to have their go-to closer have games like Monday’s slip through his fingers.

    Losing such games is yet another disturbing trend for the 2024 Reds. They have both the most 1-run losses (9) and also the fewest 1-run wins (1). This only got worse after Wednesday’s 2-1 loss, unfortunately. Last season it was a much different story for the “Rally Reds” where they had 34 one-run wins which was the most in all of baseball. While injuries have ravaged this team (especially with the crippling announcement that TJ Friedl will miss 4-5 weeks with a fractured thumb, after just coming off the IL from a wrist injury) the magic just seems to be missing from this version of the team, at times.

    And then, you get a result like we saw on Tuesday night, a 6-2 victory over those same (very hot) Diamondbacks, where the Reds remind you what they can do in a more complete way. Will Benson hit a 2 run home run, Tyler Stephenson had 3 hits, Candalario and Fraley chipped in with two apiece. 9 different Reds collected hits on Tuesday night and the team scored their most runs in their last 15 games. When combined with a very efficient outing from Hunter Greene (2 runs, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts and only one walk) and a lockdown bullpen effort, it’s just about enough to give us you hope, especially as the Reds are 13-1 this season when scoring at least six runs.

    Then, just as fast as the hope manifested, it evaporated Wednesday afternoon. The Reds wasted a beautiful outing from Andrew Abbott in which he gave up just 1 run on 4 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings. The offense again managed only one run off of three hits against a pitcher whose ERA was over 4 coming into the game.

    The loss was charged to Fernando Cruz who, like Alexis Díaz, has had some frustrating moments this year, but on balance has been one of the Reds’ most reliable bullpen arms. Cruz was able to get two outs on Wednesday but allowed a double to Pavin Smith who was immediately driven in by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for the eventual game winning run. It was yet another hair pulling close loss that makes you wonder when the pain of this brutal stretch of play will end.

    Reds fans, myself included, have previously fallen back on the phrase “it’s early” when trying to hold out hope that the struggles and poor play was simply a phase and not a sign of a deeper, creeping malignancy within the team this year. There was always a belief that at some point the Reds might reach a turnaround, whether it be a key player catching fire, someone like Friedl returning from injury, or a promotion like Mike Ford helping light a much-needed spark, and that it would happen before the season slipped away.

    The hour grows late, unfortunately.

    The team sits 7 games under .500 and 8 games back of the division-leading Brewers, 43 games into the season, with a record of 18-25. By comparison, the Reds’ last five 41-game starts (and finishes):

    • 2023: 18-23 (82-80)
    • 2022: 12-29 (62-100)
    • 2021: 19-22 (83-79)
    • 2020: 18-23 (31-29)
    • 2019: 18-23 (75-87)

    Though the Bell era has never been known for stellar starts, the 18 wins the Reds have this year seem as though they are a bit of a letdown from the talent and ability level the players possess, injuries or not. Fans are understandably angry about the lack of signs of progress and they’ve had plenty of mediocrity to deal with over the years. Since Castellini took over the “majority share” holder in 2006, 17 years:

    • 1354-1501 (Win % .474)
    • 2 NL Central Titles
    • 4 playoff appearances (2-7, collapse to Giants, swept by Phillies)
    • They have averaged 4th place in the NL Central under his tenure.

    Keeping faith isn’t easy and it’s understandable that Reds fans are angry with the product on the field. But there are signs of life.

    As of Tuesday, May 14th, the Reds batting average is second worst in the league at .217 but their barrel percentage is 18th, they are 21st in hard hit percentage, and 4th in exit velocity. Thus, for as bad as their results behind the dish have been, it’s not all due to the fact that the swings and contact that they’ve made is “bad”. The foundation for a more serviceable offense is there and all it could take is a little more luck to break it open. So I personally believe it’s “still early” to stick a fork in the year, but that clock might strike midnight soon if the Reds can’t start winning games like they lost on Monday. Like much about baseball, getting back on the right track can’t be done overnight. If it happens it will be a painful and piecemeal incremental process that will depend on the rotation staying solid and getting a significant output from Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz. It certainly helps that Jeimer Candelario is playing better, hitting .297 with 11 hits, a homer, 7 RBIs and 3 runs in his last 10 games (not counting Tuesday’s very good outing). If he can elevate his play, with how off he appeared to be early on, there is no doubt that other Reds can follow suit and weather the current storm of a brutal schedule and stop the bleeding.

    If not, it could be a long summer in Cincinnati without meaningful Reds baseball on the docket at Great American Ballpark.

    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.

  • Please join us for our annual SYMMETRY event

    Please join us for our annual SYMMETRY event

    Loveland, Ohio – Join us for a Women’s Networking Luncheon where dynamic women come together to exchange insights and strategies for navigating both career and personal life, while building meaningful connections in our community.

    The Event Includes:
    Luncheon, Shopping Expo – vendor tables available, Keynote Speaker, Networking, Swag Bag, Prizes, Dessert provided by a local business, Bra Fittings, Headshots, Free chair massages!

    It is also a great way to network with area executives!

    Register

    Keynote Speaker: Karen Forgus, Chief Communications & Commmunity Officer, Cincinnati Reds

    Karen Forgus is a native Cincinnatian and lifelong Reds fan who is in her 18th season with the organization, joining in December 2006 as Vice President of Marketing and Communications, then serving as Senior Vice President of Business Operations before her current role as Chief Communications and Community Officer. She and Phil Castellini are the Reds lead- liaisons for civic, community, and non-profit relationships, including those involving Major League Baseball.

    In 2014, Karen was selected as a “Game Changer” by Sports Business Journal. The honor is presented annually to recognize women who are having a major impact in sports business.

    Karen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Dayton. Her daughters Rachel, Leah and Hope carry the same love of Reds baseball that began with Karen’s parents, Bob, and Jean Kraft.

    Guest Emcee: Kate Harden, Owner, The 1859 Historic ChapelKate is the founder and owner of The 1859 Historic Loveland Chapel wedding and event venue.  Prior to launching The 1859 venue, Kate worked in the medical community as a physician assistant since 1999. In 2021 She dreamed of developing a place where special moments would be had, and memories would be made.  The 1859 launched in November of 2021 and has grown into a thriving venue earning recognition on local and national levels.

    In 2023, Kate was selected as Woman owned business of the year by the Little Miami Chamber alliance. The honor is presented annually to recognize women who are having an impact in business. The 1859 has been awarded The Best of Knot and Couples Choice awards in 2022 and 2023.  Most recently, The 1859 has been awarded The 2024 City of Loveland Business Enhancement Award.

    Kate holds a Bachelor of Science and Physician Assistant degree from Trevecca University. She and her husband Shane are blessed with 3 wonderful grown children, Gabriel, Isaac and Eden.

    Thank you to our sponsors!

    Presenting Sponsor:

    Lead Sponsor:

  • TJ Friedl Returns to Action for the Louisville Bats

    TJ Friedl Returns to Action for the Louisville Bats

    by Chris Ball

    The Reds Outfielder Is A Step Closer to Rejoining the Reds And Giving Them Much Needed Help in the Lineup

    It’s no secret that the Reds are not playing with a full deck. Their offense has been frustratingly inconsistent this year. They are 28th in batting average at .218, 26th in on base percentage at .299, and 28th in hits per game. Luckily for them, they are in the top 13 in the league in doubles, triples, and home runs, all of which has lead them to the 7th best offense in terms of runs per game, posting 4.8 per contest. Each of their current impact players have struggled at various times this year, though the likes of Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer have done their parts to carry the team on offense. There’s also signs of life from Jeimer Candelario who looked almost unplayable at times early this season, but banged out 5 hits in the Padres series including a home run and two RBIs.

    But the rest of the Reds offense has come up largely empty so far this year. Only a handful of Reds are hitting above .230 and many are below the Mendoza Line. Although it is still early in the season, this pace is clearly unsustainable long term and won’t bring this team any closer to a playoff birth or even a winning season. What’s made it all the more frustrating is that the offensive woes have only worsened as the Reds pitching has blossomed, with Nick Lodolo dominating and Hunter Greene throwing much better.

    The hope is that with Friedl’s return, should all go well, the Reds will get a much needed increase in their offensive firepower that they’ve otherwise been missing. Friedl suffered a fractured wrist during spring training. Nick Martini, Stuart Fairchild, and Bubba Thompson simply are not getting it done in the outfield. And in Thompson and Martini’s cases, it looks unlikely that they ever will be able to have long term success at this level.

    Friedl hit .279 last year with 18 homers and 66 runs batted in, and those are numbers that the Reds would absolutely take in a heartbeat over what most of their outfielders have given so far this season. Most importantly, he hits left handed pitching at a .354 clip, which is exactly what this team needs as they have looked baffled against southpaws so far in 2024.

    In his first rehab start for the Louisville Bats on Thursday night, Friedl went 1-3 with a double and a walk, and looked good at the dish with several hard hits. Though it is just the beginning of TJ’s rehabilitation stint, Reds fans are ready to see one of their favorite players return and perhaps give some more pop to the bats at Great American ballpark.

    Watch the video of Friedl’s double by clicking 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.

  • Child Life Disaster Relief Night at Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals

    Child Life Disaster Relief Night at Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals

    David Miller is the managing Editor of Loveland Magazine

    Loveland, Ohio – If you’ve not noticed, Loveland Magazine has for many months advanced and put a lot of emphasis on stories about Health and Wellness, and Inclusion and Accessibility. We’ve very recently added additional main menu items so these stories and be easier to find. We’ve also added additional stand-alone sections on our home page to further make these stories stand out and be read.

    With that in mind, we share with you this news of an upcoming event at Great American Ball Park, not to encourage buying Reds tickets, although they are fielding an awfully exciting group of fielders, stitch throwers, and pounders.

    If you’ve possibly been thinking about catching the spirit in person, we encourage attendance at this game which includes one of their famous fireworks shows and support for Child Disaster Relief.

    Friday, Sep 8, 2023 at 6:40 PM

    Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals

    GET TICKETS

    Child life specialists are trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families overcome life’s most challenging events. Armed with a strong background in child development and family systems, child life specialists promote effective coping through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. They provide emotional support for families, and encourage optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization. Because they understand that a child’s well being depends on the support of the family, child life specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings, and family members. In a disaster, evidenced based interventions point to the specific value of child-centered play opportunities by child life specialists trained in children’s trauma and grief responses.

    This is where Child Life Disaster Relief comes in. We deploy certified child life specialists -across the nation- to work with families and children faced with unfamiliar disaster situations to provide coping skills and emotional support.

    Please join us at Great American Ball Park on Friday, September 8th in support of our organization. A dollar amount per ticket sold through this link will go back to Child Life Disaster Relief. The Cincinnati Reds will face off the St. Louis Cardinals at 6:40pm, while wearing their new City Connect jerseys. The gates will open 90 minutes before the first pitch.

    Immediately after the game, there will be Friday Night Fireworks, which is free for those with a game ticket. We hope to see you there!

    GET TICKETS

    For more information about our organization, please visit cldisasterrelief.org.

  • LYBO Wednesday sandlot-esq pick up games: Loveland fields full of kids living America’s pastime

    LYBO Wednesday sandlot-esq pick up games: Loveland fields full of kids living America’s pastime

    Parents sit along the outfield to watch their kids play during a Wednesday night pick-up game at at Phillips Park in Loveland, Ohio.

    Joe Timmerman graduated from Loveland High School in 2019 and will return to his studies in photojournalism at Ohio University this month.

    By Joe Timmerman

    Loveland, Ohio – Walking up to the baseball fields at Phillips Park on Wednesday July 29, the air feels like summer again as the fields are full with kids living in America’s pastime.

    Every Wednesday night since the first week of July, as the sun sets in Loveland, Ohio, kids have been playing baseball together again. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon these unusual times of social distancing, quarantine, and the cancellation of most future gatherings — the Loveland Youth Baseball Organization came up with the idea of pick-up baseball games. 

    With youth sports becoming seemingly more and more competitive as each year goes by, it was refreshing to watch a Sandlot-esq pick up game happening in our own town.

    In conversation with Matt Kapszukiewicz, the president of LYBO, I learned that they had been throwing the idea of pick-up games around for about a year or so, and that Rob Steinman, another LYBO board member, originally came up with the idea. “We decided to launch it because these older kids had no-one else to play against… so we blended them into a t-shirt league once we got a handle on what COVID-19 meant,” Kapszukiewicz said. 

    A warm up pitch is thrown before the last inning of a pick-up game with no score on Wednesday July 29 at Phillips Park in Loveland, Ohio.

    When my dad and I made it to the third base fence line with our baseball gloves in hand to check out the night’s pick up game, there were a couple open spots in the outfield. Tom Sackett, my dad’s friend and the supervisor for the game, told us to run out and join in. Before too long, I overheard a conversation between the right fielder and the infield players. 

    “Yeah, I don’t even know… it doesn’t matter.” 

    “Hey, what’s the score?”

    “Uh, 1-0 maybe”

    “Yeah, I don’t even know… it doesn’t matter.” 

    With youth sports becoming seemingly more and more competitive as each year goes by, it was refreshing to watch this a Sandlot-esq pick up game happening in our own town. 

    “These kids are having a blast out here… just run out there and do whatever you want, play wherever you want,” Sackett said. Sackett is a former LYBO board president and the coach of the Loveland Express, a 16u team that his son plays on, who like most teams this summer, had their season cancelled.

    “These kids are having a blast out here… just run out there and do whatever you want, play wherever you want,” Sackett said.

    About half of the 16 kids that showed up to play are 16 year olds, the rest are 15, and they all go to Loveland High School.

    After talking to a few parents who came to watch the game, I found out that there are usually about twice as many kids that show up to play on Wednesdays, but a player on Loveland’s football team tested positive which resulted in a quarantine for the entire team. 

    We had more fans than the Reds!

    “(These games) are providing an opportunity for the kids to get out and get some exercise, everything else has pretty much been cancelled at this point. Kids, friends, and even the adults had something to do… just sitting there watching a pick-up baseball game — we had more fans than the Reds. (Wednesday nights) have been valuable for building community and offering an opportunity to stay fit,” Kapszukiewicz said. “We (LYBO) didn’t charge anything, we provided umpires — it kind of cost us money to put on, but it was an investment that was worth it. We just wanted kids to get out and play ball.”

    LYBO is putting teams together this week for organized fall baseball games as local teams are starting to want to play again. From ages four and up, spring sign ups will start as early as December. You can sign up for fall or spring baseball or find more information on getting involved with Loveland Youth Baseball Organization on LYBO.org