An open letter to the new owners -

[Heath]

Dear Mr. Castellini, Messers. Williams, et. al.

Welcome to (or in some cases back) to Cincinnati.

First, thank you for yor group of stepping up to the plate and keeping a landmark organization in this area and keeping the Reds local. As you have known, the Reds are to Cincinnati like chili, floods, & the German Heritage of this town. The fine folks of Cincinnati are passionate about their Reds and what the Reds do for civic pride.

This internet message board is a selection of those fans that I have mentioned. Some on this message board live within Hamilton County. Some, like myself, live within a 2 hour drive of Cincinnati, and make the trip to see the Reds on a regular basis. Some on this board, though they are not local to Cincinnati, either grew up with the Reds and moved away, or just like the ballclub in general. Yet, though the miles that have passed, still support this baseball club.

Your ownership has been given a gift of a prized possession of this civic organization known as the Reds. However, recent years have not been kind to our Reds. While a new stadium might have been built, the team itself has been subject to 4 straight losing seasons. Not since the early 1950's, has a collection of Reds finished that poorly.

It is important to your group to make this team a winner. Most of us have been Reds fans throughout our lives. But, as time goes on, the 'fringe' fans of this club are staying at home. In this day and age of instant media access, some Reds fans are becoming apathic. Some baseball fans in Cincinnati aren't even Reds fans. It's easier to buy satellite radio or cable TV and have a team from Boston, New York, Atlanta, or even Los Angeles appear in their minds, while the Reds are pushed farther and farther away.

Please make this stop. Do something about it. Market this team like no one has done before. Prove to the fans that this organization has a PLAN, not some haphazard whims. Show the fans how a WINNER is going to be built. Tell the fans IN SIMPLE PLAIN TERMS how this plan will be placed into the organization to produce a winner and rescuing a proud civic organization from the depths of this losing.

It is important to your paying customers and the local businesses that support the club in luxury boxes and season tickets. It's important for the CEO who buys 4 Diamond Seats season tickets a year to the 80-yr old couple from Cheviot who have been season ticket holders since 1945 to the family of four who spends a tidy sum to buy tickets and concessions, to the college kid who brings his buddies to sit in the $5 seats.

It's Cincinnati. It's Reds Baseball.

It's time to do something right.

Sincerely,

A Lifelong Reds Fan.

[Redsland]

It's worse. It's been five seasons.

[Chip R]

My advice to the new owners is to spend some quality time with DanO. Listen while he speaks. Watch carefully how he goes about his job. Compare him to Walt Jocketty. After a few days I'm sure they will have to fire him because they won't be able to stand being around him any more.