The Cincinnati Reds caravan made its first stop tonight at Pinheads in Indianapolis. The event was hosted by WNDE Sports Radio and covered by WISH-TV 8 and WRTV-6. The joint was jumpin' with standing room only and people willing to wait in the autograph line through the entire Q&A period.

I arrived about 35 minutes early, so I had gotten my free sticker, entered my name in the drawing for the opening day tickets, and found a seat in the second row before most fans had found their way down the winding path to the Pinheads parking lot.

I sat there, chatting with the guy sitting next to me (apparently there is a farm near Connersville whose claim to fame is being the exact midpoint between Cincinnati and Indianapolis) and being available for someone to come ask for their free copy of Funnyball. But no one claimed the book, so I guess I'll just keep it nearby for the next time I need paper for origami or something to wedge under a wobbly table leg.

Finally the program was underway. Hall of Fame announcer Marty Brennaman gave a short introduction of the panelists, pictured here. From left to right they are Chris Denorfia, Dave Williams, Phil Castellini, Marty Brennaman, Jerry Narron, Lee May, and Steve Stewart. Jerry Narron had a short statement about how excited he is to work with the new management and about the potential of Wily Mo Peña and Austin Kearns getting regular playing time, and before we knew it, the floor was open for the Q&A.

Apparently the crowd was not ready for the Q&A, because the queue failed to form. Since I had prepared questions, I leapt up to the microphone to be the very first person in line. My first question was for Mr. Denorfia:

RHM: With Adam Dunn moving to first base and rumors swirling about trading Austin Kearns, how do you feel about your chances for becoming Cincinnati's next big outfield heartthrob?

::crowd laughter and general embarrassment from Denorfia::

CD: You know, this would be the first question I got. I thought I might sneak out of here, but I got this question right away. I'm really looking forward to making it very hard on these guys this year. I'm really going to try to press as hard as I can the guys that are in place and I'm just looking to get an opportunity. That's all I can do and that's what I'm looking forward to and I'm really excited.

As I alluded to before, I'll be attending the Reds Winter Caravan stop in Indianapolis from 5-7 p.m. Thursday night.

The event will go down at Pinheads at SR 37 and 141st St. You can find the directions here. The Pinheads website looks really cheesy and plays obnoxious music. I am really, REALLY looking forward to this event.

Scheduled to appear in Indy are:

• Manager Jerry Narron
• Broadcaster Marty Brennaman
• Other broadcaster Steve Stewart
• Reds Hall of Famer Lee May
• Senior director of business operations Phil Castellini
• Casey-trade booty Dave Williams
• the Minor League Player of the Year, to be announce tomorrow night

I'm in a bit of a pickle because all the questions I had ready to ask were for Dan O'Brien, who, surprisingly, is no longer planning to attend. Maybe Williams will be able to tell me when the Reds are going to land those two additional second basemen they'd need to field one at every position.

If you're going to be anywhere near the north side of Indy on Thursday afternoon, do stop by and say hi. I'll be the brunette in the red sweater. Be the first one to identify me, and get a free copy of Funnyball. Be a subsequent person to identify me, and get a broad smile and a hearty handshake.

If you can't make it to Pinheads, at least you'll be able to enjoy my full write-up of the event. Maybe I can even rig up some cheesy music for the occasion.

Former Expos and Orioles general manager Jim Beattie started as special advisor to owner Bob Castellini today. Beattie is one of the potential candidates for the GM position, along with our own interim GM, Brad Kullman.

Redleg Nation linked to a two part interview with Kullman on Baseball Prespectus. I didn't read it all, but I was very surprised to see someone from the Reds organization actually give details. It was sort of…thrilling. Like being let in on a big secret. Ooh!

Just for that, he has my early support.

Speaking of Reds General Managers, Dan O'Brien offered his final words about his tenure with Cincinnati to the media today. You can read them over here. As far as parting shots go, they're not parting shots at all. Did he storm about losing his job at all or is O'Brien really this mature? Perhaps he should consider a career as a high school guidance counsellor; he's got the patience for it and he's certainly used to taking the crap.

In other Reds news, former Reds pitcher Ted Power joined the management as the organization's Pitching Rehabilitation Coordinator. I've never heard of a Pitching Rehabilitation Coordinator, but if there's one team that needs one, it's the Reds. Plus, Power provides the ever-important opportunities for headline puns, so this is clearly an all-around good move.

I heard on the radio this afternoon that the charges against Ryan Freel brought as a result of his adventures at the pool hall/sushi bar have been dropped. Marc confirms it, though I can't find it mentioned anywhere else online.

So what will the Reds do with Freel now? Will they make him go through the EAP again? Force him to give up sushi? Require him to compete with Aurilia, Womack, and a half dozen other second baseman hopefuls for playing time?

UPDATE: This was a subhead in this story on the official site:

Charges avoided: A disorderly intoxication charge was dropped against Reds utility player Ryan Freel on Tuesday by the state of Florida, pending the completion of 35 hours of community service and six months without any further incidents.

Freel was arrested in the early-morning hours of Jan. 8 in Tampa after an alleged street corner altercation. It was the 29-year-old's second arrest within a year. He was charged with driving under the influence in Bellevue, Ky., on April 4.

This morning new Reds owner Bob Castellini relieved general manager Dan O'Brien of his duties. Brad Kullman, Reds Director of Major League Operations, will serve as interim general manager while a search for a new general manager takes place.

Castellini explained the move, saying “I want someone in this job who is my choice,” so it seems unlikely that Kullman will remain at the post long-term. However, Castellini was careful to point out in his press conference this afternoon that a full general manager search will take 3-4 weeks and may not be complete before spring training.

Castellini and Co., who were just approved to buy the team on Thursday, certainly aren't dragging their feet getting things done. Other fixtures in the Reds organization are probably feeling insecure these days, but Castellini foreshadowed this move in his introductory press conference on Friday. Dan O'Brien scarcely garnered a mention in that speech.

Reds fans everywhere are ecstatic. Dan O'Brien was a widely maligned figure in Cincinnati baseball. And I admit, it's hard not to get swept up in the excitement of something happening. I'm not one to confuse motion with progress, however, and I'll reserve judgement on whether this was a good move until we meet the replacement.

My most immediate question is whether O'Brien will be replaced on the Reds Caravan stop in Indianapolis on Thursday. All of the questions I'd formulated were directed at him.

Thanks Marc for the always-excellent timely blogging.