If I lived in Billings, I would definitely do this.

"Host Families Needed

The Billings Mustangs are looking for people interested in participating in the Mustangs Host Family Program for the 2009 season.

Host families provide housing for the Mustangs players during the season which runs from mid June to mid September. It is a unique chance to become involved with Mustangs players from across the country.

"We greatly appreciate the sacrifice and support from our host families," General Manager Gary Roller said. "Year after year we see relationships built between players and the families that house them; relationships that often last for years to come."

Among the benefits host families receive are tickets for games so they may enjoy the action and watch their "adopted" family member's success. They are also invited to special player meet N' greet events and dinners.

Those interested in becoming a host family can apply or find out further information by contacting the Billings Mustangs at (406) 252-1241."

Don't forget to check out the film on the old Mustangs Home, Cobb Field: A Day at the Ballpark!
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Free tix for doing good!

CANNED FOOD DRIVE: Fans attending the Reds vs. Cubs games this weekend are asked to bring a non-perishable canned food item to the game…drop it in designated collection barrels at GABP gates...and receive two tickets to the June 17th Reds vs. Braves game. Through a partnership with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, all canned goods collected will help local Cincinnati neighbors in need. In addition, each fan donating can enter a drawing to throw out the first pitch at the June 17th game.

BE AN EARLY BIRD FRIDAY: On the riverfront Friday night, the Cincinnati Police Department is expecting a crowd of about 50,000 to attend both the Reds' 7:10 p.m. game with the Cubs and a sold-out Keith Urban/Taylor Swift concert next door at US Bank Arena...the CPD recommends fans who don't have passes for the parking garages adjacent to those venues avoid driving on Second and Third Streets and instead use exits into the northern part of downtown (5th Street, 6th Street, 7th Street, Gilbert Road, Reading Road, etc.).

Tickets still available for all three Reds vs Cubs games…call 513-381-REDS or 877-647-REDS or visit www.reds.com.

Fireworks after the game on Friday…Reds Team Baseball Card Set giveaway on Saturday night…Joey Votto photo giveaway on Sunday.

Burger beer is back

I just think this is the coolest thing:

Mark your calendars for May 29, 2009, from 6-11 p.m. when Burger Beer is officially reintroduced at the Reds Hall of Fame's "Crosley Field Remembered" exhibit. Admission to this celebration of the return of the classic Cincinnati beer includes a commemorative T-shirt and unlimited admission to the Reds Hall of Fame through Dec. 31, 2009 for only $10. Burger Classic Beer, Burger Light Beer, ballpark hot dogs, and bratwurst will be available for sale throughout the evening. Also, be sure to catch your Reds as they take on the Milwaukee Brewers from Miller Park live in the Hall of Fame's Palace of the Fans Theater.

The Burger Beer event is the second event presented by the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company and the Reds Hall of Fame. On May 1, 2009, Christian Moerlein and the Hall of Fame partnered together to highlight Moerlein's Hudy Delight brand. A special Hudy Delight Salutes Crosley Field Remembered T-shirt was given to each person in attendance, and guests gathered throughout the Hall of Fame's newest exhibit to recall unique and memorable stories from the beloved park the Reds called home for 58 years.

Get thee to the ballpark! (For $1, you can't go wrong.)

From 700WLW: "The economy is bad and The Big One wants to treat you to a Cincinnati Reds game at the Great American Ballpark. To help you out during these tough times, The Big One is offering 700 tickets for just $1 for selected Cincinnati Reds Games….and that dollar will go to a local charity! You can purchase up to 4 tickets at a special Crosley Terrace ticket window, located at the main entrance at Great American Ballpark with The Big One's code phrase of the game. The code phrase to get your $1 tickets for the next 700WLW $1 Game on May 19th against Philadelphia is "Willie says I'm a Great American!" The ticket window will open starting at 9:00am the day of the Game on Tuesday, May 19th when the $1 tickets will be on sale. Look for the window marked “700WLW” and give the “phrase of the game, "Willie says I'm a Great American."
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Reds Announce Auction for Opening Day Champions Club Boxes

Proceeds to Benefit the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum

CINCINNATI (March 16, 2009) -- Reds fans can bid now on reds.com for seats in the new Champions Club Boxes on Opening Day.

The Champion Club Boxes feature an outdoor bar area and in-seat service, in addition to access to the new all-inclusive FOX Sports Ohio Champions Club and its unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages.

Packages of four, six and eight tickets are available, with auctions ending either Friday, March 20, at noon ET or Friday, March 27, at noon ET.

Link to auction page: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/cin/ticketing/clubbox_auction.jsp

The FOX Sports Ohio Champions Club (formerly known as the FSN Ohio Club 4192) is located on the first base side of GABP.

The 2009 Opening Day game is Monday, April 6 vs the New York Mets. First pitch is 1:10 p.m.

All proceeds from the Champions Club Box auctions will benefit the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

All winning bids will receive annual memberships to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

Why on earth did they change the name from 4192?

Anyone who wants to win this auction and give me the tickets, I think I'd be ok with accepting them. ;)
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New and Improved MLB.TV?

I was going to purchase MLB.TV for this month, at least and discovered that an MLB.TV subscription no longer includes Gameday Audio. As a result of being in the Cincy market last year, I didn't purchase MLB.TV, so this could have happened last year. The only reason this really matters to me is that I wanted to listen to the Reds play Nederlands tonight. Not that Nederlands has any players I want to watch - I just love international competition. I'm pumped for the World Baseball Classic and am contemplating getting up for the Asian games that start tomorrow. (I have to watch U2 on Good Morning America on Friday so I might as well get up a couple of hours earlier to watch baseball, right?)

Anyway, there are some new MLB.TV Premium features this year that are kind of cool, the first particularly good for Reds fans - the option of syncing the radio feed to the television broadcast. So when the Cowboy and George Grande are driveling on about how great Jim Edmonds is, you can flip over to Marty and Thom (I like them.) Also, there is a DVR option. And it says you can get the games in HD - I'm pretty sure I have HD on my laptop, so that might be pretty cool. (On a related note - can anyone tell me what an HDMI port is? I think it has something to do with getting television? I know there's television software on this thing, I just haven't explored it yet.) There's also a player tracker option where you can get alerts when your favorite player is up to bat. That sounds good for people into fantasy baseball. You can also get a picture in picture if you want to watch two games at once. Sounds pretty cool.
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Reds Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan schedule to appear on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"

From the Reds:

On Monday's "Ellen DeGeneres Show" (airing @ 10 am on WCPO-9 in Cincinnati...check local listings) Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan will appear with special guest George Clooney.

For over two years, Ellen has been unsuccessful in her attempts to persuade George to be a guest on her show.

Then in early December, actor Noah Wyle was a guest on with Ellen and suggested that the way to "catch" George would be to get some members of the Big Red Machine to be on the show.

We immediately heard about Noah's mention of the BRM and made some calls to the Ellen show.

Fast forward to this week when we got a call from the producers saying that George would be on the lot and it was time to "catch" him.

We contacted Johnny and George (who both live in CA) and was able to arrange for them to visit the Ellen's studio on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank.

I love George Clooney! Has there ever been a Clooney sighting at Great American Ball(p)ark?


Update: Reds.com article here. Funny stuff.
Story here.

Looking for work? Wear a big head.

Because it is my dream to work for the Cincinnati Reds, and because I am currently in a job search, I checked the "Job Opportunities" on the Reds site today and discovered they were looking for a mascot.

Events Assistant/Mascots - Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati, OH)

Job Purpose: To perform as all (3) Cincinnati Reds Mascots and assist the Promotional Events Department with game day as well as non-game related events on a full-time basis.

Expectations:
 Adhere to Cincinnati Reds Organization Policies and Procedures
 Act as a role model within and outside the Cincinnati Reds Organization
 Perform duties as workload necessitates
 Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload
 Meet Department productivity standards
 Create goodwill in the community

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
 Schedule appearances while overseeing and coordinating scheduling of other Mascot performers
 Develop opportunities for new appearances and increasing revenues
 Work with the Promotional Events Department at other events as needed throughout the year
 Extensive night and weekend work will be required
 Personally interact with Reds fans and audiences of other events
 Participate in pre-game and in-game promotions
 Perform choreographed cheer/dance routines
 Perform related duties as assigned.

Experience, Education and Licensure:
A minimum 2 years of mascot experience at the collegiate or professional level in any sport
Bachelor’s degree is preferred but not required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Must have knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook). The ideal candidate must have excellent communication skills, good grammar, voice and diction, strong interpersonal skills and a team-oriented spirit to provide exceptional service to our Reds fans. Must be computer literate, demonstrate proficiency utilizing the Internet, ability to understand products and services, research and communicate information and record daily activities in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications:
Independent judgment is required to plan, prioritize, and schedule appearances for events. Must have high level of creativity and interpersonal skills. Work requires strong organizational skills necessary for establishing priorities and meeting deadlines. Working knowledge of coordinating events, self starter, and ability to work independently.

Required:
Must be at least 18 years of age, a maximum height of 6 feet and a minimum height of 5 feet, five inches.

Work Environment:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time.

Physical Demands:
Physical fitness is imperative for the stamina required in the performance of this role under challenging weather conditions as well as the risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration.

Disclaimer:
The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. The duties listed do not represent the intent to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of a person in this position. An Equal Opportunity Employer

Note: When you apply for this job online, you will be required to answer the following questions:

1. Yes/No: Do you have at least 2 years of Mascot experience?

Unfortunately, I do not have two years of mascot experience, so I guess I can't be Mr. Redlegs or Rosie Red or Gapper. And hey, where's Mr. Red? With the myriads of mascots we have, I want to see a REAL LIFE Reds race, not that predictable video version. You know, like the sausage race? I suppose that's impossible, given they want one person for all of them.

What's amazing to me is that they want a college graduate. To wear a big head?
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Come on, people

My greatest pet peeve is the use of apostrophe S where no apostrophe goes. We learned in what - kindergarten? - that to make a word plural in the English language, you add an -s to the word (or -es when the word ends with s.)

There I was, surfing through the Reds products on MLB.com in search of Christmas presents, when bam! There it was. On a commercial website. A big, fat apostrophe on a welcome mat.

AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
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Thanks, FSN Ohio

If you haven't been watching Reds Classic Rewind on Monday nights at 8pm, well, the season's almost here. They've shown great games of the past, and well, during these cold winter months, any baseball is welcome. Makes one long for that past glory.

Maybe this year...

I found this on Craig's List

I was looking at the jobs section in Cincinnati (you have to keep your options open!) and found this ad. As a Reds fan, I'd like to help out any way I can.

We are looking for 12 personable, fun people to be a part of a street team at the Cincinnati Reds game on August 11th from 2:00pm- 10:00pm and August 12th from 11:00am-7:00pm

Street team members should be upbeat and energetic, and will be asked to pass out “gift bags” outside the baseball field, and at nearby bars.

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, and MUST be available BOTH days above, and for the ENTIRE time alloted. Please email a resume with references and a headshot.


* Location: Cincinnati
* Compensation: $80 per day for 2 days

Email: job-381683802@craigslist.org
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Public Service Announcement

You may have seen this in other places, but I'll post it here in case you have not.

The Reds/Hoxworth Blood Drive presented by Entertainment Solutions

On Monday, June 4, 2007 from 1 to 7 p.m., the Cincinnati Reds and Hoxworth Blood Center will "hit a home run" for patients in local hospitals by hosting the inaugural Reds Community Blood Drive at Great American Ball Park, presented by Entertainment Solutions.

The first 100 donors will receive a free Reds ball cap and gift bag containing Reds promotional items and coupons. All donors will receive free parking in the Great American Ball Park garage. Look for the parking attendants near the Pete Rose Way garage entrance.

Donors reserve a donation time at: www.hoxworth.org/reds or by calling (513) 451-0910.

The summer months can be very stressful on the blood supply. Major accidents and traumas can increase blood usage at local hospitals, while blood donations drop off considerably. Your donation at the blood drive will go directly to patients in greater Cincinnati hospitals.

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) will be at the drive to sign up donors to the national bone marrow registry for free! ($52 value)

The LifeCenter Organ Donor Network will have representatives at the drive to speak with donors about the importance of being an organ donor.

Give Blood in April to Win Reds Tickets

Hoxworth Blood Center is offering Cincinnati Reds tickets as an incentive to give blood during the month of April.

The springtime can bring warmer weather, but also increased blood usage at local hospitals due to more accidents and traumas.

All donors who give blood at any Hoxworth blood drive or donor center between April 1-30, 2007 will automatically be entered in a raffle to win four tickets to an upcoming Cincinnati Reds home game.

One winner will be selected each week in April and will win four tickets to an upcoming Cincinnati Reds home game. The group of four tickets are in section 128, located ten rows behind the Reds dugout and have a retail value of $125.

For ticket raffle details, visit www.hoxworth.org/reds.

About Hoxworth:
Hoxworth Blood Center at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center needs to collect from 350 volunteer blood donors and 40 volunteer platelet donors each day to keep up with the demands of tri-state hospitals and their patients. Hoxworth, founded in 1938, serves 28 hospitals in 17 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana. Annually, Hoxworth collects over 94,000 units of blood from local volunteer donors.

Hoxworth operates donation centers in Anderson, Blue Ash, UC, Downtown, Ft. Mitchell, Ft. Thomas, Mason, Tri-County and Western Hills. Operating days and hours vary with each center.