Unity in the Community

On June 17, Reds outfielder TJ Friedl was joined by 13 other Reds players for a “reverse signing” for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center patients, where in this instance, the kids were the ones handing out autographs to the players.

“This is the best part of my day,” Friedl said. “I think it just helps get a good perspective and step away and separate from baseball. You get into the season and its baseball day in and day out for 200 days. To step away from that and get involved in the community and be able to put something on like this and get their autographs and just talk with them and get to know them as humans… it means a lot to me and a lot of my teammates.”

To celebrate PLAY BALL Weekend, the Cincinnati Reds and Reds Community Fund hosted an official Major League Baseball Pitch Hit & Run competition on June 16 at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy in Roselawn.

Over 200 youth baseball and softball players participated in the competition with nearly 500 people in attendance throughout the event, including an appearance by Cincinnati Major Aftab Pureval. All participants received a Franklin bat & ball set and a Reds Community Fund cap. In addition to the competition, the free event featured a DJ, circus performers, face painters, inflatables, food and more for all to enjoy.

Brent Suter, Nick Martinez, Brady Singer and Tony Santillan took on the Cincinnati Zoo during their off day on June 5 for “Reds Day at the Zoo.”

The event opened with the pitchers and their families getting the opportunity to pet and bathe Mai Thai, the zoo’s 52-year-old Asian elephant. The pitchers then took part in a Q&A session, answering a variety of questions from kids in the audience. Afterward, kids were able to get autographs from all four pitchers.

“[We] just love everything about the Cincinnati Zoo,” Suter said. “They've been nothing short of incredible when it comes to helping with community relations with the Reds and some other programs we've had going, like community guards and all that. [I] love the zoo, love everything they do and stand for. Being able to spend an off day here with the kiddos is magical.”

The Reds Community Fund celebrated 19 seniors from the RBI Program with a signing day event on Tuesday, June 3. The signing day class is the largest that program has ever seen.

Tuesday’s celebration of the soon-to-be college athletes marks the ninth signing day class that RBI has produced. With commitments to Wilberforce University, Heidelberg University and Bluffton University among others, all 19 student-athletes are focused on continuing their athletic and educational careers.

“Year in and year out, this is one of the most important days of the year. It is ceremonial in many ways but it is also a yardstick for us to measure our progress,” Reds Community Fund Executive Director Charley Frank said. “We are in the business of baseball and softball. The youth academy is obviously a huge part of that, but these 19 young people are literally the outcome we’re most proud of.”

Before Tuesday night’s scheduled game, pitcher Andrew Abbott held a meet & greet and provided dinner in appreciation for the police officers who work the games and keep fans and players safe at Great American Ball Park.

Abbott spoke to and thanked the group of about 30 officers before signing autographs and taking photos. He also had Skyline Chili and Penn Station catered for the policemen to enjoy.

“I have the utmost respect for these guys. They’re out there protecting everybody, including myself,” Abbott said. “I just thought it would be nice to highlight some of the good that they do which people might disregard. They hold a near and dear place in my heart, I know a lot of the cops in my hometown. So a little recognition every now and then can go a long way.”

Jeimer Candelario, Santiago Espinal, TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer and Jose Trevino visited Seacrest Studios at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on Tuesday.

The players met with patients and held a Q&A, played a game, signed autographs and posed for photos.

Madisonville Field, home to Shroder High School and the longstanding Madisonville Braves and Lady Braves organizations, is the most recent beneficiary of the Reds Community Fund’s local field renovation efforts. The highlight of the Madisonville Field project is a new synthetic infield which makes the field accessible to boys and girls of all ages while ensuring fewer weather-related cancellations.

“This has become really the staple of what we're trying to do with youth baseball and softball in our communities; these synthetic infields are a game changer,” Reds President and CEO Phil Castellini said. “Not only will this field get so much more playing time for the sports it's dedicated to, but so many other activities can take place for the community on this field. So it'll have a life well beyond baseball and softball, and I hope the entire community and the school continues to benefit.”