Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings November 6, 2018

Transcription

1 Press Clippings November 6, 2018 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1869-In the final match of the season, the Red Stockings defeat the Mutuals of New York, 17-8, at Union Grounds, finishing the season with a perfect record of 57-0 MLB.COM Reds name Turner Ward hitting coach Former Dodgers, D-backs appointment joins Johnson in 'first-class coaching staff' By Mark Sheldon 42 minutes ago CINCINNATI -- The Reds aimed their offseason goals at being aggressive and willing to spend to add starting pitching. Perhaps they've tipped their hand at just how bold they might be as they also assemble new manager David Bell's coaching staff. In a second coaching coup in as many weeks, Cincinnati hired Turner Ward away from the two-time defending National League champion Dodgers to be its hitting coach. This comes after the club plucked highly touted pitching coach Derek Johnson away from another playoff team in the Brewers last week. "We went into this offseason committed to putting new leadership in place in the clubhouse," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. "We were interested to see where that would take us. We thought that some new voices in the clubhouse and a variety of perspectives from other organizations would be a good thing. We were committed to putting together a first-class coaching staff, but these things are hard to control. A lot of them come up quickly, and you have to be in position to react. "Thankfully, David has a lot of good contacts in this game. Those have afforded us opportunities to speak to guys that we might not have otherwise. But we were prepared to act quickly. You have to be in this game, because hiring coaches is very competitive. We think it's really important to give our players a chance to succeed. So we did what we could so far. We saw the right fit arise, and we moved quickly and boldly to put it into place." Terms of the contracts for Ward and Johnson were not revealed, but it stands to reason that they were probably significant. "In both cases, they were very comfortable with what we had to offer as an organization," Williams said. Ward, 53, spent three seasons in Los Angeles as hitting coach with the team reaching the postseason each year. In 2018, the Dodgers led the NL in runs, home runs and slugging percentage. They established a club record with 235 homers, including seven players with at least 20 home runs -- the most in club history and the most ever by an NL club. From , Ward was on the D-backs' staff -- first as the assistant hitting coach for one season and the other two as the hitting coach. He will be replacing Don Long as the Reds' hitting coach after five seasons. Like Johnson, Ward is stepping into a different situation, as the Reds have finished last in the NL Central each of the past four seasons while losing 94 or more games. However, the offense is considered a strength of the Reds going into 2019, with Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez, Scooter Gennett and others established in the lineup. The Reds were fourth in batting (tied) and on-base percentage among NL clubs last season. "Seeing that guys can have different approaches and -- of course -- watching Votto and the different things he can do and watching how he competes against different types of pitchers, that's the kind of stuff that I like because he's doing it more in a group setting, which is what in L.A., I felt like we did and also in Arizona," Ward said. "There's a unity part of it that I love to be a part of and to help, in a sense, bringing out what these guys already do well and just talking about deficiencies." Once again, it was a deal that came together quickly, with Ward receiving a call from the Reds on Saturday night. "In a time of 24 hours talking to David, we kind of settled everything and got things agreed upon. I said to David, 'What are you selling?' In that division with what they're trying to do, I can see it," Ward said. "It really interests me in the sense of -- I don't want to say building something, they've got a really good offense. I've been impressed with their offense.

2 "I would also add the logistics of being closer to home [in Alabama]. Family is very important to me, and it made it hard to be out in L.A. Winning is important and I want to win. I see this organization as wanting to and willing to and making a point to put that kind of culture and atmosphere on the field." Bell and Ward have known each other for a long time but never worked together. They spent all of Sunday speaking on the phone about Bell's vision for the team and Ward's ideas as a hitting coach. "I know about his knowledge, his reputation throughout the game is off the charts," Bell said. "What came through loud and clear is that he's in this for the right reasons -- he's in it to support the players, he's in it to help them. He's in it to do everything he can to be part of a team. He sees this as a great challenge of building something special. All those things, outside his background and knowledge of hitting, those things were just so important for me to hear, just as they were with Derek. That's just another great step in building a really great staff." Reds unveil big plans to celebrate 150th season Club will wear 15 different uniforms in 2019 as part of the festivities By Mark Sheldon Nov. 5th, 2018 CINCINNATI -- The Reds have the distinction of not only being baseball's first professional franchise, they are also the oldest team and brand in all of pro sports. That's not something the team or Cincinnati takes lightly, and the Reds underscored the value of their long tradition on Monday by unveiling plans for the 150th anniversary season during a party at Great American Ball Park. "When you have 150 years of history, you don't do it in one day and you don't do the planning in a couple of weeks," Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini said. "The planning has been going on since as far back as the year or two after buying the team [in 2006]." The Cincinnati Red Stockings started in "It was the first team that ever paid all of its players. Naturally this attracted the best players from across the country to sign with Cincinnati. In 1869, the inaugural season ended with 57 wins and no losses, taking the country by storm," Reds CEO Bob Castellini said before turning a quick joke during the special unveiling. "I am so jealous. "The Red Stockings' success made baseball famous and Cincinnati along with it. Our shared notoriety permanently paired this city with its baseball team in the eyes of the nation and the hearts of the fans. One-hundred-and-fifty years later, baseball remains the core to our identity as a city and a treasured tradition with the thousands of families who have been Reds fans for almost eight generations now." What will the fans see during the 150th season of the Reds? For starters, uniforms -- lots and lots of uniforms. The team plans to wear a total of 15 different looks from the franchise's history, beginning May 4, which is the date of the first Red Stockings game in The uniforms will be worn on select days over the rest of the season. "We wanted to land on significant dates as well as cool uniforms that were different," Phil Castellini said. "I just didn't want to see a sea of white ones and gray ones. That's why we picked the blue and the red pants and the scripts and different logos. It really was a nice way to spread those history nuggets that go from the turn of the century all the way to the '90s." The team's current regular uniform and caps will also sport special 150th-anniversary logo patches. The Reds will have 150th anniversary logo patches stitched on their home and road caps and jerseys in #RedsThreads 5:19 PM - Nov 5, 2018 Other celebration plans also include:

3 There will be 150th-anniversary benches displayed at more than 20 locations across greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. They were designed to mimic dugout benches and feature the Mr. Redlegs mascot wearing each of the 15 different throwback uniforms. As part of the 150th anniversary celebration, the Reds will place 20 benches featuring Mr. Redlegs painted in one of the throwback uniforms throughout #RedsCountry. 6:00 PM - Nov 5, 2018 A party, called "Reds Rockin' 150 Open House," will feature former players and all current players and be held on July 5. Admission is free to all fans and they will be able to explore GABP with entertainment, food, interactive games and fireworks. All fans are welcome to the Rockin' 150 Birthday Bash on July 5, 2019 as the Reds open up the ballpark for food, entertainment, interactive games, music and fireworks during the holiday weekend. 6:15 PM - Nov 5, 2018 "It was kind of a no-brainer," Phil Castellini said. "We could have a big black-tie gala and one percent of the fans come vs. a party that's free and everyone can come to that's a couple of hours long and check out parts of the ballpark you've never seen before, and be entertained with music on the field and fireworks at the end. What better way to take that holiday weekend a little longer?" The Reds Hall of Fame is undergoing a renovation that will remake the entire 16,000-square feet of space. The museum is currently closed and will re-open with its new look in March. A new structure, called the 1869 Pavilion, will be erected adjacent to the Hall of Fame and be open to the public. The crown of the gazebo will feature the likenesses of the starting nine players from the inaugural Red Stockings lineup. Created by Tom Tsuchiya, the 1869 Pavilion will be dedicated on May 4, the 150th anniversary of the 1869 Red Stockings' first game. It features the original 1869 Red Stockings players and will be the primary memorial to the original team. 6:30 PM - Nov 5, 2018 The Reds Community will also create two other legacy projects by doing two field renovations that were designed to look like the original Palace of the Fans ballpark the Reds used from The renovated fields will be at Ross Park in St. Bernard, Ohio, and at the Bellevue Vets complex in northern Kentucky. Two Reds Community Fund makeover projects, one in Ohio and one in Northern Kentucky, will pay homage to the Reds' impact on our city's history and signify the franchise's commitment to youth baseball. 6:45 PM - Nov 5, 2018 "We really tried to weave it all together," Phil Castellini said of all the elements that were created to make the 150th anniversary season special for the Reds and their fans.

4 CINCINNATI ENQUIRER hire hitting coach Turner Ward away from NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 12:20 p.m. ET Nov. 6, 2018 Updated 12:28 p.m. ET Nov. 6, 2018 The made another big free agent signing Monday, albeit a coach, not a player. The team hired Turner Ward as its hitting coach Ward spent the last three years as hitting coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Ward hiring comes less than a week after the Reds hired Derek Johnson as pitching coach. Ward's Dodgers played Johnson's Milwaukee Brewers in the 2018 National League Championship Series. Both of manager David Bell's hired come from outside the organization. Ward replaces Don Long, who was the Reds hitting coach for the last five seasons. We went into this offseason committed to putting new leadership in place in the clubhouse," president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. "We were interested to see where that would take us. We thought that some new voices in the clubhouse and a variety of perspectives from other organizations would be a good thing. We were committed to putting together a first-class coaching staff, but these things are hard to control. "A lot of them come up quickly, and you have to be in a position to react. Thankfully, David has a lot of good contacts in this game. Those have afforded us opportunities to speak to guys that we might not have otherwise. We think it s really important to give our players a chance to succeed. So we did what we could so far. We saw the right fit arise and we moved quickly and boldly to put it into place." Like Johnson, Ward had great success at his last stop. The Dodger hitters put up better numbers in each of his three years there. Over his tenure, LA was first in the NL home runs, second in walks, third in slugging percentage, fourth in on-base percentage and fifth in runs scored. And, like Johnson, Ward expected to continue his tenure with his old club. Then Bell approached him. In a time of 24 hours talking to David, we kind of settled everything and got things agreed upon, I said to David what are you selling? " Ward said. "In that division with what they re trying to do, I can see it. It really interests me in the sense of I don t want to say building something, they ve got a really good offense. I ve been impressed with their offense. I would also add the logistics of being closer to home. Family is very important to me and it made it hard to be out in L.A. "Winning is important, and I want to win. I see this organization as wanting to and willing to and making a point to put that kind of culture and atmosphere on the field. The Dodgers made the World Series each of the last two years. This year, their hitters came under criticism from Fox analyst John Smoltz for their all-or-nothing approach, i.e., swinging for the fences even with two strikes. The Dodgers struck out 56 times in 189 at-bats in the Series. I would think someone like that would actually have to be inside," Ward said. "These pitchers are good. The strikeout ratio all have been up (because of) everything that comes about it. You look past Milwaukee s staff. To me, that s one of the toughest in baseball. We do focus a lot on two strikes. There s been a priority over the past few years of getting everybody to hit the ball in the air. That just doesn t work for a lot of different pitchers, that type of approach. "I know the process we went through. It s hard sometimes to multiple different types of swings depending on the situation. That s a growing process. (Smoltz) doesn t understand the process. He s just seeing some of the results." "Sometimes, you ve to give credit where credit is due. When you get to the playoffs like that, it s some tough pitching, and it should be.... It is definitely my job to bring about change, even having conversations in the middle of the game. Before joining the Dodgers, Ward, 54, spent eight years in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He managed and coached in the minors before joining the big league staff in Ward played 12 years in the majors.

5 For their 150th year, Reds going retro John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 5:15 p.m. ET Nov. 5, 2018 Updated 7:44 p.m. ET Nov. 5, 2018 The Castellini ownership has made it a point to honor the rich history of the Reds franchise since taking over. That mostly involved the Big Red Machine. But for 2019, they ll go way back and honor the 1869 team, the first professional baseball team ever. In 2019, we're going to put on a party, Reds owner Bob Castellini said Monday. How do you celebrate 150 years history? club Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini said. You don t do it in one day, and you don t plan in a couple of weeks. The planning has gone on as far back as a year or two after buying the team in 2006, he said. So it will be a season-long celebration. Among the things revealed Monday: A new logo to commemorate the 150th anniversary. The Palace of the Fans ballpark serves as a the backdrop for the logo. It uses the original Red Stockings name and the Gothic wishbone C from that team. Patches, featuring the logo, will be worn on the jersey and caps throughout the season. During spring training, jerseys will feature a C based on the 1869 uniforms. The Reds will wear 15 different uniforms from franchise history. The first will be on May 4, the date the Red Stockings played their first game. One of the uniforms, a 1911 replica, is blue. Another the 1936 Palm Beach alternative has red pants. Benches celebrating the anniversary will be displayed across the area. They are designed off the dugout benches and will feature Mr. Redlegs wearing the commemorative uniforms. There will be a Reds Rockin birthday bash on Friday July 5, featuring an open house at Great American Ball Park. Current and former players will make appearances. (There is no game that day). The night will end with a Rozzi s fireworks show. It will be free and open to all fans, Phil Castellini said. An 1869 Pavilion will be added to the southwest corner of the ballpark. It will be dedicated July 5. The pavilion will be a tribute to the 1869 team. It s being designed local artist Tom Tsuchiya, who did the sculptures of Reds players. It will be located along Joe Nuxhall Way behind the Reds Hall of Fame. The 1869 team went I m so jealous, Bob Castellini said. The newly renovated Hall of Fame of Museum will be reopened just before Opening Day. minor leaguers injured in car crash transferred to Miami hospital Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 12:14 p.m. ET Nov. 6, 2018 Two minor league baseball players in the organization were transferred to a hospital in Miami after they were involved in a Dominican Republic car crash Saturday that killed teammate Jairo Capellán. Pitcher Raul Hernandez and outfielder Emilio Garcia were moved to the Miami hospital for further evaluation. Hernandez was admitted to the trauma intensive care unit. All three players involved in the crash are 19 years old. Reds players and staff attended Capellán s funeral on Sunday. It s definitely a sad thing that we ve gone through this weekend, Reds general manager Nick Krall said Monday on the MLB Network. Just kids going home for the weekend from instructional league. Something happened and got in a car accident. We re still

6 working through some of the specifics of that, but it s really sad. It s not because they are baseball players; they are 19-year-old kids that are going through a tragic time in their lives. Capellán, Hernandez and Garcia played together on the Reds' affiliate in the Dominican Summer League last season. All three of them are natives of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A radio station in the Dominican Republic, Operación Deportiva, reported the crash happened on a highway near Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. Pretty torn up right now, Micah Owings wrote on Twitter on Saturday. He spent last season as the bench coach at rookie-level Billings. Just saw two of these young men throw bullpens (and) had the pleasure of working (with) all three this week. Please, pray for them (and) their families. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Reds announce plans to celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2019 There will be a birthday bash July 5 and numerous other events throughout season 15 hours ago By David Jablonski CINCINNATI The, the first professional baseball franchise, turn 150 years old in 2019, and they unveiled plans Monday for a season-long party. Here s a rundown of what to expect: The Reds revealed a logo that will be featured throughout the season. The Reds will wear commemorative patches on their jerseys and caps throughout the season. The team will use 15 different throwback uniforms to honor franchise history. There will be 20 different 150th anniversary benches, designed to mimic dugout benches, placed around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Reds Rockin 150 Open House on July 5 will allow fans to explore Great American Ball Park and the history of the Reds. Current and former players will appear at the birthday bash. There will be food, entertainment, interactive games and more, all culminating with a spectacular Rozzi s fireworks show. The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is being redesigned to show off more historical artifacts. There will be a new addition to Great American Ball Park: the 1869 Pavilion in the southwest corner. It will be dedicated May 4 and will honor the original 1869 Red Stockings.