Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings December 4, 2015 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1988 - The Reds sign Rick Mahler of the Braves as a free-agent. Mahler would play two seasons in Cincinnati, going 16-19 with a 4.00 ERA during 355.1 innings pitched. MLB.COM Redsfest set to connect organization with fans By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon CINCINNATI -- It takes more than several days to convert the Duke Energy Convention Center into a baseball paradise for Reds fans, and the finishing touches of that effort were being made Thursday for 2015 Redsfest this weekend. Work crews were assembling displays, booths, elements for the main stage and more. Analogically fitting, the Reds themselves have a roster that is being worked on this winter for a rebuilding effort into 2016 -- and stretching possibly into 2017. Cincinnati, which is coming off a 98-loss, last-place 2015 season, is actively exploring trades of some key players soon approaching free agency -- closer Aroldis Chapman is drawing plenty of interest -- as it focuses on the long term. Meanwhile, events like Redsfest, and the Reds Caravan in January, remain vital for the club to promote itself, its message and to provide a more personal relationship between fans and players. "It's a reminder of why we do the things we do, to stay connected in the community and not just hide and stop talking to the media and put your head in the sand until it all gets better," Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini said. "These fans are with us through thick and thin, and we're going to be there for them. I don't cancel Redsfest because we've had a bad season. It's for the fans. It's about the fans. And this is a great way for the fans to connect to the franchise and the players." More than 80 current and former Reds players, coaches and broadcasters are scheduled to appear at Redsfest, which runs from 3- 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday and 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Joey Votto, Todd Frazier, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips are just some of the attendees. There will also be a large collection of Minor Leaguers, including the organization's top three prospects -- Jesse Winker, Robert Stephenson and Amir Garrett. The rebuilding does not make selling the experience of Redsfest any harder for Castellini and his staff. "Not really. It's always about the connection. The connection today might be a little more of a focus on, 'Who's next?'" Castellini said. "That's exciting, especially for these young kids playing the game. It's exciting to be able to watch a guy get drafted, get into our system, go from [Class A] to Double-A to Triple-A and come to the Majors. If you're a kid that's been following those guys through our Minor League system, it's pretty exciting to watch them come all the way through." One of those types of young players is starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen. Although he was a first-time Major Leaguer last season, this will be Lorenzen's third time attending Redsfest. "When I get the opportunity to be face to face with everyone, it's the best part of the year for me," Lorenzen said. "I look forward to it every year." For fellow pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, this year will mark his first time as a participant. DeSclafani was acquired in a trade with the Marlins for Mat Latos during the Winter Meetings in 2014, less than a week after Redsfest. "The fan interaction is probably going to be the best that I've been a part of," DeSclafani said. "I've heard this is a big to-do in the city of Cincinnati. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything works and how much fun everybody is going to have." For more information about Redsfest, go to reds.com/redsfest. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Lorenzen is a big fan of the fans, Redsfest By C. Trent Rosecrans / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @ctrent Last year at Redsfest, Michael Lorenzen heard someone walk by his table and say, "who is Michael Lorenzen?" "I was like, that's right, that's me," Lorenzen said on Thursday, a day before this year's version of the team's winter event starts at the Duke Energy Center. "Maybe this year there will be more people that know who I am." They should. The 23-year-old right-hander appeared in 27 games with 21 starts last year, just two years after the team took him in the first round of the 2013 draft. As the outgoing type, Lorenzen enjoys the atmosphere of Redsfest and is going to stay in Cincinnati for a couple of weeks to visit schools and hospitals before returning to his native California. "I play to have an impact on people, so the more people who know who I am, the more people I feel like I'm able to reach, so I'm excited about it," Lorenzen said. Some of the big names on the team – Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier – are scheduled to appear, even though all four have been mentioned as potential trade candidates in rumors, while closer Aroldis Chapman is not scheduled to appear. The Reds have openly discussed their desire to trade Chapman, a free agent following the 2016 season, before the offseason is over. That uncertainty over some of the team's biggest names, as well as the damper of losing 98 games in 2015 could make for a strange vibe in the team's largest offseason event. However, it's just that transition that makes the two-day event even more vital, Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini said on Thursday. "This is about connecting with the fans, regardless of the year you have, the personal connection you have that the fans have," Castellini said. "We view ourselves as stewards of this thing, so the connection to the community and making the connections between the players and the fans, and making it more personal and intimate, that's what this event is all about. So regardless of the season we've had, that's an important component that we do and this is one of the major events we do this with. We're always going to do Redsfest and do it big and do it loud and proud. It's for the fans, that's what it's all about." And this year, he noted, may be even more about the guys who are in the same position Lorenzen was a year ago – a name known to many of the diehards who scrounge boxscores from Pensacola and Dayton, but not as recognizable to a more casual fan. So in addition to the likes of Homer Bailey and Billy Hamilton, the Reds will have Jesse Winker, Nick Travieso, Robert Stephenson, Amir Garrett and Cody Reed among other minor-leaguers. "It's exciting to be able to watch a guy get drafted, come up through our system, go from Double-A to Triple-A and then come up to the majors and if you've been following those guys through our minor-league system, it's exciting to see them come all the way through," Castellini said. "If anything, that's more of an emphasis this year." That emphasis will extend beyond Redsfest and into the season. In what is expected to be part of a rebuilding process, the Reds could make trades – even this week while players are in Cincinnati – that leave the team without the instantly recognizable stars. "We're fans first, we're no more pleased with the results than any other fan," Castellini said. "We're in it for the long haul. Teams ebb and flow, injuries happen. You have to be ready to weather the storm and we think we've got a fan base that's intelligent, dedicated and they're going to stick with us. So far they have. "Certainly economics play a role in it and fans make decisions based on their own economics and what they want to do, but we're going to continue to put on the best fan experience we can at Great American and continue to develop. The good news is I think we have a strong enough player development system and minor league system that the dip in productivity isn't going to be that deep or that long. I think we're looking at a short window to get things retooled to use Walt (Jocketty's) term. This is not an armageddon situation. We're here for the long haul and we have a lot of faith in our baseball operations system. We're going to have fun at the ballpark and the team's going to be back soon." Redsfest When: 3-10:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday Where: Duke Energy Center, Downtown Tickets: The two-day tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for kids (12 and younger). The one-day tickets are $17 for adults and $7 for kids. Admission is free for children 3 and under. Tickets are available at reds.com, (513) 381-REDS, the Great American Ball Park box office, select Kroger stores with Ticketmaster retail outlets and Redsfest WCPO - Channel 9 Going to Redsfest? Here are 9 things you don't want to miss By Laurel Pfahler / WCPO CINCINNATI - Before the Reds get serious at the Baseball Winter Meetings next week in Nashville, fans can have a little fun at the team’s official annual winter warm-up event.