Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings December 7, 2012
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Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings December 7, 2012 CINCINNATI ENQUIRER On Ludwick’s decision By John Fay | 12/6/2012 4:32 PM ET NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ryan Ludwick is apparently deciding something that you and I will never have to decide: Whether it’s wise to turn down an extra million bucks or so to play for the Reds. Ludwick has a two-year offer from the Reds believed to be in the $13 to $14 million range. Other teams are offering more. I don’t know which teams they are. But, money aside, the Reds have a lot to offer Ludwick. The team won 97 games last year and looks like it will be a strong contender again in 2013. Ludwick revived his career with Reds. He hit .275/.346/.531 after hitting .237/.310/.363 and .251/.325/.418 in the two previous years. Playing half his games at Great American Ball Park had something to do with that. GABP helped Ludwick rediscover his opposite-field stroke. I thought Ludwick’s deal was about done a couple of days ago. Then teams started throwing around money like bales of hay. Angel Pagan hit .288/.338/.440 this year and got $40 million over four years. So I can see Ludwick wanting to cash in. Some people may see him leaving as an act of disloyalty. But that’s how baseball works. Ludwick knows firsthand that teams will cut you loose in a second if it makes business sense. He was traded at the deadline in 2010 and ’11. I hope Ludwick’s back. He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever dealt with — friendly, funny, cooperative — but I won’t be surprised if he’s not. Reds leave meetings without making move By John Fay | 12/6/2012 10:49 AM ET NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Walt Jocketty left the Winter Meetings without getting anything done. The team passed in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. The Ryan Ludwick offer remains in Ludwick’s hands. And nothing is close on the trade front. No games are won at Winter Meetings, but Jocketty admitted he was disappointed not to be able to improve the club this week. “You come in with great anticipation and optimism on certain things,” he said. “Then they don’t work out. It’s a disappointing. But I’m certainly not through try to improve the club. “It was an odd Winter Meetings. Very odd. There wasn’t a lot of discussions. Teams are waiting on free agents and working on these multi-team deals. It slowed things down.” Jocketty said the Reds were not approached about the four-team deal that has been talked about. One of the players often mentioned in the deal, Arizona’s Justin Upton, would be a fit for the Reds. The Reds don’t even have anything that is close on the trade front. “We’ve had some talks with clubs,” he said. “We’ll stay in touch. I don’t think anything is imminent.” No progress was made last night. “Very slow evening,” he said. The Reds offer to Ludwick remains on the table. “(Assistant general manager) Bob Miller spoke to (Ludwick’s) agent this morning,” Jocketty said. “The agent said he spoke to Ryan last night and he’s still contemplating the offer.” The offer is for two years. “Two years is not a problem,” Jocketty said. Money is the issue. I believe the offer is in the $13 to $14 million range. Money is issue. While the meeting have been slow in general, some big money has been tossed around. Angel Pagan got $40 million over four years. Shane Victorino got $38 million for three years. “I think (the big contracts are) affecting a lot of things,” Jocketty said. Marty's favorite Reds' moments And this one belongs to the Reds... By John Kiesewetter | 12/4/2012 For the first time at Redsfest, long-time Reds voice Marty Brennaman will take the main stage for a "bull session" with former Reds greats. "That's something I'm looking forward to. I relate to those guys. Some of my closest friends are former players like Joe Morgan and Jack Billingham," Brennaman says. Chances are good that the talk about the old days will include some of Marty's memories about his favorite playoff games involving the Big Red Machine and the 1990 wire-to-wire World Champions. Marty Brennaman has called more than 6,300 Reds game in his 39-year career, including some of the Big Red Machine's 1975 World Series games for NBC. Here are his favorite Reds' post-season memories: 1975 World Series Game Six in Boston 1975 World Series Game Six in Boston: Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk hits a walk-off home run in the 12th inning to tie series 3-3. My favorite has to be Game 6 in Boston, in its entirety. That is arguably the greatest single baseball game ever played. I was there (for NBC Sports), but not doing anything. In those days, the home team announcer was part of the NBC telecast in the home city. I was in another booth. When the Reds took a 6-3 lead in the top of the eighth, they (NBC) said, "Go downstairs to the clubhouse for the post-game celebration." So I sat there in the Reds clubhouse watching a black-and-white TV on a folding chair. I saw Bernie Carbo hit the 3-run home run (on TV) to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. I never went back upstairs. When people ask me how exciting it was to be in the ball park, I say, "It was no more exciting than you sitting at home watching the game on TV." There were so many great moments in that game: George Foster's catch in the ninth in left field, and then throwing out Denny Doyle at the plate. And Dwight Evans made a great catch in right field in the eleventh to rob Joe Morgan of a home run. 1975 World Series Game Seven in Boston 1975 World Series Game Seven in Boston: Reds win 4-3 for first World Championship since 1940. I'll never forget the home run Tony Perez hit in off Bill Lee in the sixth inning. The Red Sox were up 3-0, and appeared to be on their way to winning the series. Bill Lee threw him one of those "Eephus" pitches, or blooper pitch, and Tony hit it about seven blocks. They still haven't found that baby yet. Ken Griffey scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth when (Joe) Morgan singled. 1976 NL Championship Series Game Three 1976 National League Championship Series Game Three at Riverfront Stadium: Reds score three in bottom of ninth to sweep Philadelphia Phillies. Johnny Bench and George Foster hit back-to-back home runs off Ron Reed to tie it up in the bottom of the ninth. Then Ken Griffey hits a big high bouncer over the head of Bobby Tolan playing first, and Davey Concepcion scores from third with the winning run. The two home runs were a microcosm of what that team was all about. Nobody would go anywhere (leave early) because what that team was capable of. Philadelphia was in complete control of that game. And they were struck dumb by those two home runs! 1976 World Series Game Two 1976 World Series Game Two, Riverfront Stadium: Reds beat Yankees 4-3 in a walk-off win. It was the first night game in World Series history, and (Commissioner) Bowie Kuhn refused to put on an overcoat. It was the single coldest night I've ever spent in the ball park, and I spent a lot of nights in that ball park! Catfish Hunter pitched a complete game. Perez gets a base hit in the ninth to be beat him. (Shortstop) Fred Stanely threw the ball away on a routine ground ball by Ken Griffey. He walks Morgan, and then Perez singles him in. Hunter went the distance. The Yankees had Sparky Lyle and others (relievers) down there (in the bullpen) and didn’t use them. 1976 World Series Game Four 1976 World Series Game Four, Yankee Stadium: Reds win 7-2 to sweep Yankees for a second consecutive World Championship. Johnny Bench hit two home runs in Game Four, and after the game (manager) Sparky Anderson created a controversy by saying it was unfair to mention Johnny Bench and (Yankees catcher) Thurman Munson in the same breath, and (Yankees manager) Billy Martin lost his mind! Sparky didn't really mean anything by it, other than he was trying to support his player. Bench had more power. Thurman Munson was a better hitter (.529 in the series). But Bench was the better catcher. Johnny Bench had the greatest flair for the dramatic, more than any player I've ever seen. If you needed something, he delivered. 1990 NL Championship Series Game Four 1990 National League Championship Series Game Four, Three Rivers Stadium: Reds beat Pirates 5-3. The throw the Eric Davis made to get Bobby Bonilla at third base was one of the greatest plays I've ever seen. The Reds were down 4-3 in the eighth after a Jay Bell home run. Billy Hatcher was playing center field, and Eric was in left. Bonilla hit a ball off the wall in deep left-center field. Billy tried to catch it and couldn’t do it, and Davis ran over and got the ball.