Reds and Minor Leaguers to play 'Futures Game' in Dayton in 09

[dougdirt]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/con...spdragons.html

By Marc Katz
DAYTON — Nearly 100 players in the Cincinnati Reds' minor league system played at some point for the Class A Dayton Dragons, and many of them will return to Fifth Third Field on Saturday, April 4, for a unique organizational Futures game to be played against the parent Reds.

The game will be played in the afternoon, but no time has been set as yet.

This morning, Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty and farm director Terry Reynolds are to outline the details of the game at a Fifth Third Field media conference.

Although the Reds won't know until the final week of spring training which players will be in Dayton, they'll want to highlight some of their better prospects, such as Todd Frazier, Drew Stubbs, Juan Francisco, Chris Valaika, Zack Cozart and Devin Mesoraco.

Dragons fans might also be interested in first baseman Yonder Alonso, who was the Reds' first-round draft choice last season but signed too late to be assigned here. Instead, Alonso was sent to Sarasota for post-draft workouts and eventually played in a few games with the high Class A Reds team there.

It is unlikely the Reds will assign Alonso to the Dragons for this season.

Dragons President Bob Murphy said the idea of a Futures game grew out of an end-of-season meeting with the Reds discussing how the Reds could better market themselves in the Dayton area and beyond.

Murphy said it would also be good for the Dragons' organization.

"I want to bring really cool events to the city of Dayton," Murphy said. "This will be great for our loyal fans. It will be a big deal. We're going to have special uniforms and commemorative gifts. Nothing like this has been done before."

The Reds like the idea so much, they're going to hold a similar game the day before, on April 3, at their new Class AA site in North Carolina. A major difference will be, none of the players will have come up through the Carolina team.

The Reds also should have plenty of former Dragons on their roster. During this past season, 13 made the club at one point, although at least two of them — outfielder Adam Dunn and pitcher Todd Coffey — won't be back. Dunn is now with the Diamondbacks and Coffey with the Brewers.

Other former Dragons who played for the Reds this season were Chris Dickerson, Joey Votto, Ryan Hanigan, Jay Bruce, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Rosales, Paul Janish, Homer Bailey, Ramon Ramirez, Johnny Cueto and Daryl Thompson.

[JayBruceFan]

This should be interesting

Especially if the Reds lose

[pahster]

The Reds like the idea so much, they're going to hold a similar game the day before, on April 3, at their new Class AA site in North Carolina. A major difference will be, none of the players will have come up through the Carolina team.

Sounds like I'll be making my way over to Zebulon on the third.

[Spazzrico]

This should be interesting

Especially if the Reds lose

I'm pretty sure my first Reds game was a loss to the Denver Zephyrs in 1986 I think. Thank God I can barely remember it.

I wonder if Barry Larkin was on that Denver team?

[redsof72]

Players who were mentioned by name for the Futures team were Alonzo, Valaika, Cozart, Frazier, Francisco, Mesoraco, Stubbs, and Heisey.

Very exciting.

[GOYA]

Dayton gets one. Carolina gets one. I hope they throw Louisville a bone.

I sent a message to the Louisville Bats office about a month ago regarding this but received no response.

[OnBaseMachine]

Reds to face top prospects in Dayton
Exhibition game on April 4 believed to be the first of its kind

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

The Cincinnati Reds will get a look at the future as they prepare for the 2009 season with one last tuneup on April 4 in Dayton, Ohio, against their top Minor League prospects.

The Reds will play a team consisting of players from the Triple-A, Double-A and Class A levels at Fifth Third Field, home of the Class A Dayton Dragons, prior to the start of the regular season. Game time will be announced at a later date.

Cincinnati will play an exhibition game against the Double-A Carolina Mudcats on April 3 in Zebulon, N.C., and had an open date the next day. The Reds begin the regular season on April 6, playing host to the New York Mets at Great American Ball Park.

The April 4 game will be held at the ballpark where several of the current Reds stars once played, including Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto.

The event is believed to be the first of its kind in baseball in which a Major League club matches up against its top prospects in the stadium that once was the home park for players of both clubs.

"We are very excited with the opportunity to host this historic 'Futures Game' at Fifth Third Field," Dragons president Bob Murphy said on Monday. "Many of the top Dragons players from past years will play in this game, either as members of the Reds or with the Futures team. It is a great chance to see the Reds' Major League stars and their top prospects from all levels of the Minor Leagues, all on the same field in Dayton."

The Reds' 2009 roster is expected to be highlighted by several former Dragons. Votto, who finished second in the 2008 National League Rookie of the Year voting, will return to Dayton, where he played for the Dragons in 2003 and '04. Bruce was one of the league's top rookies in 2008 after spending the 2006 season with Dayton.

Cueto (Dragons '06), third baseman Edwin Encarnacion (Dragons '02), and catcher Ryan Hanigan (Dragons 2002-03) also are expected to play key roles with the Reds in 2009.

Former Dragons who will be competing for positions on the '09 Reds roster include outfielder Chris Dickerson (Dragons '04), pitchers Homer Bailey (Dragons '05), Daryl Thompson (Dragons '07) and Ramon Ramirez (Dragons '05) and infielders Paul Janish (Dragons 2005-06) and Adam Rosales (Dragons 2005-06).

The complete roster of Minor League players who will participate in the April 4 game may not be known until the day of the game.

Dragons season ticket holders, corporate partners and suite holders will receive ordering information this week and will be given the first opportunity to order tickets. If any tickets remain for the game after those orders have been processed, the next priority for tickets will go to members of the Dragons' season-ticket wait list.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[bounty37h]

I am super excited for this game, and the fact that NC now has Reds baseball!!!! We always got a taaste of it through other MILB teams, but only 1 or 2 times a year. I got my tix for this game early the monring they went on sale, supposed to be right next to the Reds dugout.

[OnBaseMachine]

Reds-Reds Futures to play at Fifth Third

By Hal McCoy | Monday, December 15, 2008, 03:20 PM
What do you think?

To commemorate 10 years of their existence and 10 years affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds, the Dayton Dragons came up with a novel idea.

The idea, which germinated last April, was so good that Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said, “A tremendous idead and I wish I had thought of it.”

Jocketty gave credit to the Class A Dayton Dragons for dreaming it up and presenting it to the Reds: An annual exhibition game before the season between the Reds and a Reds minor-league All-Star at Fifth Third Field.

The Reds bought the idea quickly and the first game will be played Saturday, April. 4, two days before the Reds open their 2009 season in Great American Ball Park.

“The only danger is they might beat us,” said Jocketty.

That could be so, especially after Reds director of minor league development Terry Reynolds tossed out a few names of possible minor-league participants.

“It is hard to nail down specific players at this point, especially pitchers who might have thrown a day or two previous o the game,” he said.

He mentioned: first baseman Yonder Alonzo, the team’s No. 1 draft pick in June; shortstop Chris Valaika, the Reds’ minor-league player of the year in 2008; shortstop/outfielder Todd Frazier; third baseman Juan Francisco, the teams minor-league hitter of the year; outfielder Drew Stubbs and catcher Devin Mesoraco, the team’s No. 1 draft pick in 2007.

“Most of these kids played in Dayton and this game will be a plum for them, a chance to show what they can do against the big team in front of everybody,” said Reynolds.

It is believed this is the first time any major-league team has played a game against an All-Star team made up of the club’s minor-league affiliates.

The minor-leaguers, called the Reds Futures, will come from Class A, Class AA and Class AAA teams.

REDS VERSUS REDS FUTURES

When: Saturday, April 4, 2009 (Time To be Determinted).

Where: Fifth Third Field, Dayton

What: Cincinnati Reds against an All-Star team of Reds minor-leaguers.

Tickets: First choice goes to season ticket holds, corporate partners and suite holds. If any tickets remain, the rest will be offered to those on the Dragons season ticket waiting list.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/con...incinnatireds/

[OnBaseMachine]

BP loves the idea:

A Great Idea in Dayton: Dragons Reds & Kids

by David Laurila

The Dayton Dragons held a press conference earlier this afternoon to announce what would be best described as a great idea. Cincinnati’s low-A affiliate, which plays at 8,200-seat Fifth Third Field, will host a game featuring the parent Reds against an all-star team comprised of the organization’s best minor league prospects. According to the team’s media relations department, the game “is believed to be the first of its kind in baseball in which a major league club matches up against its top prospects in a stadium that was once the home park for players of both clubs.” It will be held on April 4, two days before the Reds open the 2009 regular season at home against the Mets.

It should be noted that the Dragons are one of the most successful franchises in all of minor league baseball, having sold out every home game since the franchise started play in 2000. Among those to wear a Dragons’ uniform in recent years have been Jay Bruce, Johnny Cueto, Joey Votto, Devin Mesoraco and Drew Stubbs.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=1129

[camisadelgolf]

I'm so jealous of anyone who gets to go to this game. I'd kill and pay face value for a ticket.

[dougdirt]

I'm so jealous of anyone who gets to go to this game. I'd kill and pay face value for a ticket.

From the sounds of it, tickets won't even go on sale to the public. I am going to have to try and pull some strings and attempt to get a media pass for Dayton.

[camisadelgolf]

From the sounds of it, tickets won't even go on sale to the public. I am going to have to try and pull some strings and attempt to get a media pass for Dayton.

I have a camera. I'll pay for the gas money and kill one non-celebrity of your choosing for a media pass.

[JayBruceFan]

I will be there for free

[camisadelgolf]

I will be there for free

You know, I have always enjoyed your posts, and I'm a big Jay Bruce fan, too.

Anyway, if you want some free beer and food at the game, just save me a ticket for the game at Fifth Third Field.