Category: Dailies

Sam the Bald Eagle

At the conclusion of Friday night’s National Anthem, Sam the Bald Eagle from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden made a ceremonial flight from the Cincinnati Bell Riverboat Deck to the pitcher’s mound.  Friday’s flight marked the 2nd flight of the 2009 season and Sam’s 22nd career game flight at Great American Ball Park.  Sam is also scheduled to appear at GABP on July 3, July 17 and August 14.

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Sam’s perch before the flight is located just above the ribbon board on Cincinnati Bell Riverboat Deck.

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Sam’s Flight.  This picture doesn’t do this experience justice.  This is one of those things you have to see in-person.  Try to make it out to GABP for one of his three remaining pre-game flights.

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Amazing.

-JM

Genuine Draft

Some notes for tomorrow’s frst-year player draft…

DRAFT DAY: The first round of tomorrow’s first-year player draft will be broadcast live on MLB Network from its Studio 42 beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET…MLB.com will broadcast the rest of the day’s picks live via video stream…tomorrow’s schedule will include the first 111 picks of Round 1, Compensation Round A, Round 2, Round 3 and Compensation Round B…the draft resumes at noon Wednesday with Rounds 4 through 30…it will conclude Thursday at 11:30 a.m. with Rounds 31 through 50…the Reds will draft eighth, 43rd (compensation for losing Type B free agent LHP Jeremy Affeldt), 57th and 88th…the Nationals have the No. 1 overall pick…OF Jay Bruce is the only first-round pick currently on the Reds’ roster (2005 by Cin, 12th overall).

MORE DRAFT TIDBITS: The Reds will select eighth in tomorrow’s first-year player draft…notable Major League players selected with the eighth pick overall include Todd Helton (Col), Jay Bell (Min), Todd Walker (Min), Jim Abbott (Cal) and Paul Maholm (Pit)…7 of the 31 players who have played for the Reds this season were drafted by the organization, including 1B Joey Votto (2002, 2nd round), OF Chris Dickerson (2003, 16th round), RHP Homer Bailey (2004, 7th overall), IF Paul Janish (2004, 5th round), OF Jay Bruce (2005, 12th overall), RHP Carlos Fisher (2005, 11th round), IF Adam Rosales (2005, 12th round).

Stay tuned for more draft coverage after the Reds’ first selection tomorrow evening…

-JM

Gamenotes 6-4-09 at StL

Gamenotes 6-4-09 at StL.pdf

LHP Matt Maloney will start for the Reds Saturday night vs the Cubs. He will be making his Major League debut. This season Maloney went 4-3, 2.00 in 10 starts for Class AAA Louisville. He will wear uniform number 56.

REDS

Hairston 5
Dickerson 8
Phillips 4
Bruce 9
Hernandez 3
Nix 7
Gonzalez 6
Hanigan 2
Harang 1

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CARDINALS

Schumaker 4
Rasmus 8
Pujols 3
Ludwick 9
Ankiel 7
Molina 2
Thurston 5
Carpenter 1
Ryan 6

Goodyear update

These are the most recent photos from Goodyear, Arizona, future spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds.

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You can see the Reds’ complex still under construction next to the adjacent Indians’ facility.  Just up the road is Goodyear Stadium.

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Here is a closer look at some of the fields.  You can see the grass beginning to come in and everything take shape. 

More updates to come…

-JM

Early Bird Special

Friday night, the Cincinnati Police Department is expecting a crowd of about 50,000 to attend both the Reds’ 7:10 p.m. game with the Cubs and a sold-out Keith Urban concert next door at US Bank Arena…the CPD recommends fans who don’t have passes for the parking garages adjacent to those venues avoid driving on Second and Third Streets and instead use exits into the northern part of downtown (5th Street, 6th Street, 7th Street, Gilbert Road, Reading Road, etc.).

-JM