2010 Reds Caravan makes stop in Chillicothe

     CHILLICOTHE – “And this one belongs to the Reds,”

     Those are the words heard throughout Ohio during the spring and summer months on the radio, but on Friday the voice and presence of Hall of Famer Marty Brennaman was loud and clear at the WKKJ Clear Channel radio station in downtown Chillicothe as the Cincinnati Reds Caravan made a special media appearance at the station in anticipation of spring training and the 2010 season.

     Brennaman, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000, along with Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, 1990 World Series champion outfielder Glenn Braggs and TV announcer Chris Welsh (The Crafty Lefthander, aka the Creeper) were a part of the northern tour for the caravan event.

     “These are the best four days,” Brennaman told The Highland County Press. Being with all the guys from 9 a.m. until 10:30 at night is a very good way to get ready for the season and it is fun.”

     The event allows fans ad members of the Reds organization to be speak with one another and it is a chance for fans to get autographs from the players and announcers.

     “This event get people writing about baseball again and get the fans talking about baseball,” Brennaman said.

     Brennaman is set to start his 37^th season as an announcer for the Reds said he expects the first winning season in Cincinnati since the 2000 season.

     “The bullpen was good last year and has the most consistency,” he said. “I think this year it will be even better.”

     One question Brennaman mentioned about the upcoming season is can the Reds’ bats come alive?

     “We have to see if there is enough production at the plate. There needs to be more consistency. There are holes at short stop and left field. The left field spot is wide open and there are a lot of young guys who could play there.

     Brennaman then spoke about free agents coming to Cincinnati.

     “I think the club’s chances of a winning season can be greatly enhanced with free agent additions. The closer we get to spring training, the financial demands will dip and the team could steal a guy away for lesser value,” Brennaman said.

     To win championships, a team should have a mixture of youth and veteran leadership, which the Reds made sure they had as spring training is just around the corner.

     “There is a mixture of both with this team. Trading for Scott Rolen at the end of last season was big, and the resigning of Ramon Hernandez at catcher was a solid move. Also, Brandon (Phillips) is a veteran now and I feel his is one of the best second basemen in the National League,” Brennaman said. “There is also Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs and the kids that will come into the big league camp who play in the minors are all quality players.

     “One thing the team has going is a solid farm system. This is one of the best in the last 15 years. But, you have to have a good blend and must have balance to be successful.”

     The past three seasons Brennaman has had the opportunity to broadcasts games with his son, Thom. This season, Thom will be more on the TV side for the Reds, announcing nearly 100 games on Fox Sports Net.

     “It has been great working with Thom in the booth,” Brennaman said. “This year we will have Jim Kelch and Jeff Brantley on the radio side of things.”

     Even after 40-plus years in the business of calling games, Brennaman said he still has the passion to go to the ball park every day.

     “I like the challenge of announcing a baseball game every day,” he said. “Baseball is the hardest sport to announce, but I still look forward to going to the ball park and going games. People ask me all the time when am I going to retire and my answer to that is I intend to do this as long as my interest level is high.”