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Home , Al Michaels, Bob Castellini, Cincinnati Reds, Riverfront Stadium, Walt Jocketty

CCIINNCCIINNNNAATTII RREEDDSS PPRREESSSS CCLLIIPPPPIINNGGSS NOVEMBER 14, 2014

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

Cueto-for-Upton trade proposed by Sports on Earth writer David

Johnny Cueto for ?

It's one of five blockbuster trades that make sense, according to sportsonearth.com's Anthony Castrovince.

From Castrovince:

Neither of these clubs has the financial flexibility to be a major player in free agency, so here's a way for each of them to significantly address a pressing need in the trading game.

Granted, I don't actually expect the to move their ace in advance of a season in which they expect to contend. has made it pretty clear that's not his intent at all. Nor am I convinced will move his cleanup hitter, though he hinted this week that this is a stronger possibility than those rumors of him moving Evan Gattis.

What I do know is that both Upton and Cueto are eligible for free agency next winter, and the odds of either remaining with his current club beyond 2015 seem slim, given the other contractual commitments their clubs have made. If either is to be moved, the best option might be to move them for pieces of immediate impact.

The Reds need a productive left fielder who can get on base -- preferably in a short-term situation, before prospect arrives (as soon as 2016). Upton runs notoriously hot and cold, but he's averaged 24 homers with a .357 OBP the last six seasons. He'd instantly augment and balance the heart of a lineup in which 's knee woes and 's disappointing '14 are big concerns moving forward. I'm sure Upton would fare quite well in .

The Braves might be able to get away with Evan Gattis in left field, and they need a frontline starting option to join Julio Teheran and in the bid to run down the Nats in the NL East. If Cueto is unmovable, perhaps a different deal could be centered around .

Last week, ' Dave Cameron made the case for a Cueto-for-Cespedes deal between the Reds and the Sox.

Reds Walt Jocketty said Tuesday at the General Managers meetings that Cueto is close to untouchable.

"He'd be tough to move – he's obviously our best ," Jocketty said.

Top 10 reasons you'll love ' new book John Kiesewetter

You can't make this stuff up.

Cris Collinsworth wanting ABC to announce his engagement during the 1988 All-Star game telecast from . ... going to three racetracks in a day. …

Reds radio voice Al Michaels car-pooling to work with . …

So here's my top 10 list of what I loved in Al Michaels' new autobiography, "You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television" (William Morrow; $28.89). The award-winning sportscaster, who turned 70 on Nov. 12, started his big-league career with the Reds (1971-73) after calling minor-league games in Hawaii.

He also tells great stories about , O.J. Simpson, the Winter Olympics, and "." But these are my favorites from Michaels, who was No. 2 (behind Collinsworth) on my "Top 25 National Sportscasters from " list in 2013:

Cincinnati welcome: Before he was offered the Reds job at age 26 in late 1970, a Reds employee drove him around neighborhoods, starting in .

"I had grown up in and then moved to Los Angeles. Now I am living in Hawaii. How could I possibly tell my family and friends: 'We've just moved to Kentucky!' "

Weather or not: After the Reds offered him a three-year deal, he had second thoughts about leaving .

"As far as I could tell, the City of Cincinnati had two dominant colors on that November day, gray and brown … with the streets looking like Warsaw at rush hour."

Joe Nuxhall: He quickly fell in love with Cincinnati, and the affair was mutual thanks to radio partner . He "couldn't have been more gracious, introducing me around town and making sure people knew I had his stamp of approval. In Cincinnati, where the Reds are almost like a public trust, his support made a huge difference."

Sparky Anderson: Taping a daily pregame radio show with Reds manager "often lead to another five to 30 minutes where I had a private audience with the man who … would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I was receiving a Ph.D. in ."

Pete Rose: Michaels and Rose, 29, "hit it off right away" in 1971. During a off day, Rose, Michaels and Enquirer baseball writer Bob Hertzel went to a thoroughbred racetrack, then drove 25 minutes "to a full card of greyhound racing." Going back to Tampa, they passed a jai alai place.

"Where do you think we ended up? We were pulling off a pari-mutuel trifecta."

Queen City gem: The Reds finished with a losing record during Michaels' rookie season, after going to the in 1970, "but I was having the time of my life. Driving to work for home games, I'd come around the last bend of Columbia Parkway, an insanely dangerous road … and see Riverfront Stadium. It was a beautiful sight."

Johnny Bench: After his 1970 MVP season, 23-year-old Bench hosted the nationally syndicated " Show." Michaels "made a few extra bucks as his (TV) sidekick" for two years.

Cris Collinsworth: Before his final Bengals season, Collinsworth popped into the Riverfront TV booth as Michaels was preparing for ABC's 1988 All-Star Game telecast.

He "asked if we could announce on national television that he'd be getting engaged to the beauteous Holly Bankemper before the night was done. We couldn't. But I loved his chutzpah."

Fast forward 21 years: Collinsworth "was the perfect choice" for Michaels' "Sunday Night Football" partner when John Madden retired in 2009. "Cris has mastered the art of taking complex points and explaining them so lucidly that everyone can understand."

George Clooney: At a Las Vegas charity dinner, Michaels and his wife, Linda, saw actor George Clooney, whom they had met as a Cincinnati kid. Clooney came over and said: "Why did you leave Cincinnati?" For an hour they reminisced about the . "He couldn't get enough stories," Michaels wrote.

For Pete's sake: When asked about Rose being banned from baseball 25 years ago for gambling, "the word I always use is sad. … To this day, he's the athlete I most loved covering. His work ethic was out of this world."

A few years ago, Michaels told him, "Pete, you just have to tell the truth," as they sat together on a flight from Los Angeles to Tampa.

"It shouldn't be like this," Michaels wrote. "Pete Rose was one of the greatest players ever, and it's a shame that this is a major part of his legacy. Again, I go back to the same word. Sad."

MLB.COM

At GM Meetings with Reds, Towers likely to be hired soon Former Padres, D-backs general manager will fill yet-to-be-announced role with Cincinnati By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- Reds general manager Walt Jocketty left the General Managers Meetings on Thursday without a new left fielder or bullpen help in the fold, but that would have been the exception rather than the rule if he did. These meetings were an opportunity to lay groundwork for the near future.

"I think we had productive meetings with clubs and we spoke to a few agents," Jocketty said while connecting flights back to Cincinnati from Phoenix. "I think we made at least some progress on a few things. But we're still a ways away from doing anything. We had a lot of dialogue with people face-to-face, which is always better initially. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks." Only the Mets and Tigers made significant signings during the meetings, with landing Michael Cuddyer and Detroit re-signing Victor Martinez.

The probable next chance for Jocketty to meet personally with teams, players or agents is when the annual commence on Dec. 8 in San Diego.

When those meetings happen, there will likely be a new member of the front office in the Reds' suite in . The former Padres and D-backs GM is all but signed to take a yet-to-be-announced role under Jocketty.

"I think we'll probably have something done by Monday, if not over the weekend. It's fairly close. We have to work out a few things," Jocketty said.

Towers was the Padres' GM from 1995-2009 and the Arizona GM from 2010 until his dismissal in September. Although not officially with his new club, he was in Phoenix with the Reds' contingent this week.

"We had him with us at the Meetings to get to know us better, how we work and what we're all about," Jocketty said.

PHILLY.COM

Reds' Frazier to be honored at Sports Writers awards dinner

CINCINNATI REDS will be honored as the Native Son at the 111th annual Sports Writers Association awards dinner on Jan. 16 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Frazier, a member of last season's National League All-Star team and former rookie of the year, starred on the Toms River (N.J.) team that won the 1998 Little League World Series.

The PSWA also will recognize the late Lewis Katz with a Lifelong Humanitarian Award, and Philly's Taney Dragons as the Team of the Year for finishing as United States runner-ups in the Little League World Series, a run that made national news.

More winners will be announced in the upcoming weeks. As always, the event concludes with the special Most Courageous Award, which remains a secret until that night.

The event is open to the public. Tickets are $95 and are available at pswadinner.com.

CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

EXCLUSIVE: This Cincinnati business legend will receive prestigious lifetime achievement award Steve Watkins

The Association for Corporate Growth's Cincinnati chapter has selected owner to receive the group's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award next year.

The local chapter's president, real estate firm Cassidy Turley managing principal Doug Bolton, announced the award at an ACG luncheon and panel discussion on Wednesday. ACG Cincinnati will honor Castellini at its annual Deal Maker Awards on May 13 at Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati.

The group selected Castellini because he continues its legacy of honoring Greater Cincinnati's most important business leaders, Bolton told me.

Auto dealer Jeff Wyler won last year's award. Prior winners include Cincinnati Children's Hospital's Jim Anderson, Procter & Gamble Co. CEO A.G. Lafley, Western & Southern Financial Group CEO John Barrett, Fifth Third Bancorp's George Schaefer, P&G's John Pepper, Cintas Corp.'s Richard Farmer and many others.

"Through his 40 years of leadership at the helm of his family's produce company, saving the Cincinnati Reds from out-of-town owners and countless hours of community service – including getting Cincinnati's stalled riverfront development moving again – Bob has rightfully earned ACG's highest honor," Bolton said. "Bob has been described as a steward of enterprises, and Greater Cincinnati has been the beneficiary of his hard work and achievements."

Castellini is also owner of produce company Castellini Cos., and he spearheaded development of entertainment district near Great American Ball Park.

TRANSACTIONS

11/13/14 released LHP Matt Purke. signed LHP Elvis Araujo. Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LF to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RF Jeff Francoeur to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent 2B Chase d'Arnaud to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Philadelphia Phillies invited non-roster 3B Russ Canzler to spring training. Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent 3B Andres Blanco to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. traded CF Anthony Gose to for 2B Devon Travis. signed free agent 1B to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.