The RHM crew will be taking part in some of these events, and it’s so nice of the Reds to provide a way to keep warm in case the April night turns cold. I imagine the fleecie will do a much better job than the terrible coffee when last we attended an April evening game in Cinergy/Riverfront. The 30 degree temperatures that night made us swear off early-season games for quite some time.

The Cincinnati Reds announce a new special celebration for the first night game of the season, called Opening Night, when the Reds take on the Cardinals on Wednesday, April 7.

From a meet and greet with Reds players and live music in the Fan Zone to a flyover and full team introductions during pregame ceremonies to a spectacular post-game fireworks show, Opening Night will have all the glitz and glamour of the traditional home opener combined with the thrill of baseball under the lights.

Don’t miss the birth of a new can’t-miss date on the Cincinnati calendar!
Here’s a rundown of Wednesday night’s events:

Opening: 5:10 p.m.
Hall of Fame breezeway gate opens to all fans at 5:10 p.m.
Reds Fleecie wearable snuggly blanket giveaway to the first 20,000 fans, presented by hhgregg
Fan Zone Fun: “Meet & Greet” with current Reds players and special appearance by Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, Carnival Performers, Games and Reds House DJ “DJ Sab”
Right field Porch: Swingtime Big Band performing

Act I: 6:30 p.m.
Special “Opening Night” Team Introductions
Ceremonial first pitch by Joe Morgan
Anthem performed by “Widow Douglas” (Jenn Scott) from The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s production of Tom Sawyer
Flyover: Four (4) F-16s from the 178th Fighter Wing of Springfield, Ohio

Act II: 7:10 p.m.
Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Right field Porch: Swingtime Big Band performing between innings throughout the game

Act III: Postgame
101st Airborne Rangers U.S. Army Parachute Demonstration Team
Fireworks Spectacular, presented by Hollywood Casino

Excited about the upcoming Reds season, but didn’t find that the MLB Network’s 30 Clubs in 30 Days Reds episode was enough? Well, Fox Sports Ohio will be offering its own brand of preview. Let the optimism cup runneth over.

FOX Sports Ohio announced it will televise a half-hour MLB pre-season show featuring the Cincinnati Reds, premiering Thursday, April 1 at 6:30pm. Henry Ford, Senior Vice President and General Manager, FOX Sports Ohio, made the announcement.

Reds Live: Season Preview is hosted by FOX Sports Ohio’s Reds broadcast team of Chris Welsh, Jeff Brantley, Thom Brennaman and Jeff Piecoro from the Reds Spring Training facility in Goodyear Arizona, as well as by Jim Day from Great American Ball Park.

Piecoro goes one-on-one with Reds Opening Day starter Aaron Harang to talk about the preparation for this record-tying fifth Opening Day start in a row. Welsh and Brantley break down the rest of the Reds pitching staff, including an in-depth look at Aroldis Chapman’s mechanics.

The show additionally features Thom Brennaman and Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman’s analysis of the National League Central Division and the Reds’ position within the division. Reds Manager Dusty Baker also talks about the pressures he faces in his third and last year under contract with the team in a story by Brian Giesenschlag, FOX Sports Ohio’s Reds feature reporter.

Finally, Reds players, including Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Brandon Phillips, share their thoughts about the Reds lineup as well as their excitement about Opening Day.

The following list is the scheduled dates FOX Sports Ohio will air replays of Reds Live: Season Preview:

• Thursday, April 1 – 10:30pm
• Friday, April 2 – 6:30pm
• Saturday, April 3 – 1pm
• Saturday, April 3 – 6pm
• Sunday, April 4 – 7:30pm
• Monday, April 5 – 12 Noon

Join Chris Sabo and other members of the 1990 Reds along with Reds Hall of Famers on Thursday, March 25 from 5:30 – 9 pm for the grand opening of the Hall of Fame’s new exhibit tribute to the 1990 World Champion Reds.

This is a unique chance to be among the first Reds fans to preview the new 1990 exhibit.

The event also will celebrate the release of Maker’s Mark’s 2010 commemorative bottle that features the 1990 Reds.

Ticket prices are $80 per person for the general public and $70 for museum members and/or Maker’s Mark Ambassadors.

Event tickets include parking, two drink tickets, a buffet dinner and an entertaining program featuring an audience Q&A with the Reds celebrities in attendance.

• Thursday, March 25, 2010
• 5:30 – 9 pm
• Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202

Call today at (513) 765-7923 or visit www.reds.com/HOF to reserve your tickets.

New York & Secaucus – With 2010 fantasy baseball drafts underway, MLB Network today announced it will air the MLB.com Fantasy 411 Draft Preview on Sunday, March 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger and Harold Reynolds along with MLB.com’s Cory Schwartz and Mike Siano, the two-hour show will provide detailed analysis and insight on the topics fantasy baseball enthusiasts will be focusing on as fantasy draft days continue before Opening Day, including:

• Position-by-position analysis and player rankings
• Discussion of strategy for draft day and in-season transactions
• “Breakout, bargain and bust” picks for the 2010 season
• Top picks for prospects expected to be called up during the 2010 season

Continuing with the fantasy programming, throughout the 2010 regular season MLB Network will simulcast MLB.com’s Fantasy 411, the site’s longest-running hosted program, on weekdays at 5:00 p.m. ET, beginning Tuesday, April 6. The program, hosted by MLB.com’s Jeremy Brisiel, will provide key insights from analysts Schwartz and Siano to help further fans’ enjoyment and knowledge in their respective fantasy leagues.

The MLB.com Fantasy 411 can be found on its blog at http://fantasy411.mlblogs.com and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fantasy411.

For more information and to find MLB Network in your area, go to http://mlbnetwork.com. http://www.Facebook.com/MLBNetwork http://www.Twitter.com/MLBNetwork

Before you ignore this post as just another press release, take a moment to review the nominees. This is no regular Hall of Fame to include Bill Murray, Rosie O’Donnell, and Casey from “Casey at the Bat.” That’s taking the word “legend” very literally.

New York, NY – Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant (18 W. 33rd St.) today announced the nominations for 2010 induction into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame (IABHOF). Voters include past inductees into the IABHOF and a panel of baseball historians. Results will be announced in April 2010.

HALL OF FAMERS and LEGENDS

• Big Ed Walsh – Baseball’s All-Time ERA Leader
• Michael “King” Kelly – Baseball’s First Superstar
• “Mighty Casey” of the Mudville Nine by Ernest Thayer

CURRENT LIVING EX-PLAYERS

• Dale Murphy, Long-time Atlanta Brave, two-time NL MVP
• Joe McEwing – “Super Joe,” now a manager in the White Sox minor league system

MANAGERS

• John McGraw – Legendary manager of the NY Giants
• Tom Kelly – Minnesota Twins two-time World Series winning manager

BROADCASTERS

• Tim McCarver – Network TV analyst
• Bob Murphy – Longtime Mets Broadcaster

EXECUTIVES

• Brian Cashman – GM, NY Yankees
• Bill James – Stastician, Red Sox Consultant

ENTERTAINERS

• John Fogerty – Writer/Singer of “Centerfield”
• Bill Murray – Cubs Fan, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” singer at Wrigley Field
• John Cusack – Star of “Eight Men Out”
• Rosie O’Donnell – Co-star of “A League of Their Own”

“It’s a strong and deserving class of nominees for the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame this year. All of these men — and one woman — have made significant contributions to the game,” said Shaun Clancy, owner of Foley’s, which features one of the country’s most extensive public displays of baseball memorabilia outside of Cooperstown.

With the blessing of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Foley’s, a popular destination among baseball players, executives, umpires and fans, created the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame to recognize players, managers, executives, journalists, and entertainers of Irish descent. Inductees are chosen based on a combination of factors, including impact on the game, popularity on and off the field, contributions to society, connections to the Irish community, and, of course, ancestry.

The game of baseball has long welcomed immigrants from its earliest days, when an estimated 30 percent of players claimed Irish heritage. Many of the game’s biggest stars at the turn of the 20th century were Irish immigrants or their descendants, including Michael “King” Kelly, Roger Connor (the home run king before Babe Ruth), Eddie Collins, and NY Giants manager John McGraw. Today, major league teams regularly sign players born in Latin America, Japan, Canada, and elsewhere.

Shaun Clancy, an amateur baseball historian, created the Hall after learning about the rich heritage of Irish Americans in the sport dating from its infancy – a legacy that has been overshadowed in recent years by other ethnicities. He decided to celebrate his roots and those who helped make the game great by creating a shrine to Irish Americans in baseball in 2008.