Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings December 27, 2017
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Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings December 27, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1957-Powel Crosley, Jr. acknowledges the possibility the Reds may leave Cincinnati MLB.COM Reds sign reliever Hughes to 2-year deal By Daniel Kramer MLB.com @DKramer_ Dec. 26th, 2017 Right-handed reliever Jared Hughes is joining the Reds on a two-year deal, the club announced Tuesday. The deal is worth $2.125 million for both 2018 and '19, with a $3 million option for '20 that comes with a $250,000 buyout, according to SB Nation. Hughes, 32, was non-tendered by the Brewers earlier this month to avoid his salary increase through arbitration. Brewers general manager David Stearns indicated the club was interested in bringing him back free of the arbitration parameters after Hughes posted a 3.02 ERA in 59 2/3 innings last season. Instead, the right-hander will receive the financial cushion of being locked up through at least his first year of free agency in 2019, and he will join his third team in the National League Central. Hughes pitched six seasons for the Pirates, including three postseason runs from 2013-15, with a 2.82 ERA, before he was released on the final day of Spring Training last season. For his career, Hughes is 20-16 with a 2.85 ERA over 369 innings in 380 outings, having primarily been a setup man -- which could be the role he'll fill in Cincinnati. Reds relievers last year compiled a 4.65 ERA, the fourth-worst in the Majors, while also pitching 610 innings, the second-most, thanks in large part to instability within their starting rotation. The club has primarily bolstered its bullpen internally, with a cast of many former starters, including closer Raisel Iglesias and setup specialists Michael Lorenzen and Wandy Peralta. Hughes doesn't boast elite velocity or high strikeout numbers, but he has a career 62.3 percent ground-ball rate, which may prove beneficial at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. Daniel Kramer is a reporter for MLB.com based in Denver. Follow him on Twitter at @DKramer_. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Reds to 'experiment' with 6:40 p.m. game time 15 home contests to have earlier start, which could benefit families By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Dec. 25th, 2017 CINCINNATI -- In an effort to attract more families and those with early-morning work schedules, the Reds will be trying something new with their 2018 home schedule. The club has decided to try starting some night games at 6:40 p.m. ET, rather than the usual 7:10 p.m. it has done for several years. "The 6:40 time, I think, is just better for families," Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini said. "You get it started a little earlier, and you get it to end a little earlier. Certainly, the times of year we're doing it, we think it will have a positive impact." Castellini noted the times were "an experiment." A total of 15 of the team's 81 home games will have the 6:40 start -- most of them in April and September while schools are in session. Teams around Major League Baseball -- including the D-backs and the Rockies -- have used either 6:10 or 6:40 p.m. first pitches for the past few seasons. "It's a challenge with TV. TV tends to like it closer to primetime," Castellini said. "We've done it in the past, but we intentionally did more of them this year to see what kind of effect it has." One plus is that fans who work near Great American Ball Park can remain downtown and either go straight to the game from the office or stop at one of the many restaurants or watering holes that have sprouted in the stadium's vicinity. For the families that attend, kids have better chances of seeing the game's end instead of having their parents make them leave in the seventh inning because it's a school night. Castellini acknowledged there could be drawbacks for some other fans, including those who travel from longer distances outside of Cincinnati. The Reds' market covers several states, including Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia. "If you work downtown, you have to leave and get to the 'burbs to get your family and come back," Castellini said. "It's not guaranteed that it's going to be better for everybody. That's why we're doing it at select times and places. "We know not everybody is going to love it. We think there should be a positive benefit, and we'll seek that input from fans, for sure." Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Bonding with family brightens Gennett's holiday By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Dec. 22nd, 2017 CINCINNATI -- Scooter Gennett had the type of 2017 season that many kids might wish to have granted from Santa Claus. The Reds second baseman not only got to play for the team he grew up cheering for as a native of greater Cincinnati, he had a breakout year, too. Gennett, 27, hit 27 home runs and collected 97 RBIs for Cincinnati after being claimed off waivers from the Brewers on March 28. His season featured a four-home run game on June 6 vs. the Cardinals, and he even got to pitch an inning. He also slugged four grand slams, joining Lou Gehrig as the only two players in history with a four-homer game and four grand slams in any season. To cap off his storied year, Gennett joined an annual MLB.com tradition of answering questions about the holiday season. MLB.com: You spent your early childhood in the Cincinnati area. What was it like having the holidays here? Gennett: A glove, a bat or anything baseball was always awesome on Christmas. There was always some type of Reds-related gift. Even when we moved down to Florida, I always got something Reds-related because that's what it was all about for me. MLB.com: You grew up in Lebanon, Ohio, an idyllic small town near Cincinnati. Gennett: It is a smaller-type town. But Reds country extends farther than Ohio, where people within a four-hour radius are impacted by the Reds. Lebanon is only 30 minutes away, but it was like we lived in Cincinnati. I just went back to Lebanon and talked to some high school kids. It's just awesome how everything works in a full circle sometimes. I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to go back to where I grew up, talk to kids and share some wisdom or experiences of my own to help benefit them. It's just great to be in that position. MLB.com: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season now? Gennett: I think it's great because it's the time of year when family comes together. The main focus isn't what I'm buying for somebody or what they are buying for me, but it's, 'How do I make someone else's day?' Or it's, 'How to make someone's Christmas or Thanksgiving?' That's what it's all about. It's being around the people you care about and who care about you. MLB.com: Do you have any special holiday plans this year? Gennett: We're going to hang out in Sarasota, Fla. We went on the Reds cruise [in November], and that was a good experience. For the most part now, we'll just hang out in the house. I'm already in full swing with working out, hitting, throwing and stuff like that. We're just going to enjoy the rest of the offseason. Then it's a solid eight months of being on the go. MLB.com: Do you have a favorite holiday movie? Gennett: "Christmas Vacation" is the best. Cousin Eddie and the whole movie relates kind of to my Mom's side of the family and cracking jokes. My Dad's side of the family is the quiet side and serious. That movie perfectly shows my family, in a way. But the characters are different and act in different ways. I don't have a cousin that rolls in with an RV and empties it out in the front ditch. That's my movie. MLB.com: How about a favorite holiday song? Gennett: I like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Kids all love it. If you don't love that song, then there's a problem. MLB.com: Finally, do you have a holiday wish for Reds fans? Gennett: Yes. When we're winning next year, that for all of them to show up and pack it in every night. Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Hamilton honing switch-hitting skills for 2018 By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Dec. 22nd, 2017 CINCINNATI -- Two years away from being a free agent and the leadoff man for a Reds team trying to turn the corner, center fielder Billy Hamilton enters a pivotal season in 2018.