Archive for September, 2009

Batting tips from George Foster

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

This was definitely the highlight of the All-Access Baseball Experience! Yes, George was giving people a hard time – as he’s known to do – but the new manager of the Lake County Black Bears of the new Florida Winter Baseball League was also offering some legit batting tips (to folks of all skill levels) and basically giving participants a great hitting clinic (at no additional charge). It’s just not every day that you can get a former National League MVP to watch you swing the bat a dozen times (pitching machine was set to about 60 mph) and tell you what you’re doing right or wrong. He really seemed like he enjoyed being there and interacting with people and he’s about as personable as they come as far as former Reds greats (Lee May is right up there too :)

And George even showed up at the Reds Hall at the conclusion of the afternoon to sign anything anyone brought and take pictures. Class act.

George Foster coaching it up at the indoor batting cages underneith GABP

George Foster coaching it up at the GABP indoor batting cages

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The back of the 700 WLW Reds on Radio booth

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
The Reds radio booth at GABP

The Reds radio booth at GABP

Note the “Reds Fan For Life” poster on the closet door, which I saw in like three different places during the tour :D

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Big-ass crazy expensive camera that can zoom in on objects that are really far away

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Badass cam, yo

Badass cam, yo

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HD scoreboard operations room

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Where the HD goes down

Where the HD goes down

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View from where bullpen guys sit

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
A view from the 'pen

A view from the 'pen

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Doing our best Arthur Rhodes impression

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Bullpen catcher Dave Rowe

Bullpen catcher Doug Rowe

Participants got to wing it in there to catcher Doug Rowe, and they had the gun to let us know how hard we were throwing (and you even won a prize if you guessed right on your last pitch, just like Kings Island)

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Presentations/Q&A

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
So many questions...

So many questions...

Folks in the dugout listening to Reds Director of Ballpark Operations Sean Brown (not pictured) and Reds Director of Safety and Security Kerry Rowland (not pictured)

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View from Reds’ dugout

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Stay off the field!

Stay off the field!

Don’t know if you can tell from the smaller image (you can from the enlarged one), but on the scoreboard they had “THERIOT” as the sort of placeholder name for every spot in the lineup for both teams … kinda random

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Outside Reds clubhouse

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
No photography inside, yo

No photography inside, yo

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Funny poster that’s in a couple of different places

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Brennamania. Can you feel it?

Brennamania. Can you feel it?

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