Redsfest

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by alexad

It was crazy today. It was my first time going. Way to crowded for me. We got there at noon and they were already out of bags. People were carrying around 4 or 5 of them.

Don't be discouraged! Since you got your first taste of the crowds, you'll need to ask yourself next year "Why am I here?". That will determine how you approach the event. If you are looking for autographs be prepared to spend most of your time in line and have a backup plan (another autograph line) if you get there too late. New this year (for me at least) was the IMs from the Reds with the times/personnel for the autographs and photos. So instead of standing around the central booth-the info came via phone (rates applied). Twitter was helpful as well.

I started going to Redsfest in 2000-then it was held in January. This was after the Bichette and before the Junior trade. It was also snowing (not much). Even then the autograph lines were outrageous and you'd see people with large duffle bags worth of merchandise (side note: this year noticed that there was a sign limiting the size of bags). So I concentrated on photos and for the next couple of years that's what I gravited to. Also, in the early years it was pretty much autographs, photos, Main Stage (still have fond memories of Richard Hand and his tape recorder ), and memorabila. Not much kids, vendors, or interactive stuff.

[KittyDuran]

Mike Leake at the $10 photo booth:

[Vottomatic]

Every year I say I'm going to go and I don't.

I'm going next year.

What time do they open on Saturday, typically? It sounds to me like getting there early on Saturday is the thing to do.

How much money should you take? Other than parking and food, I don't know what else they charge for?

[_Sir_Charles_]

Apparently Mat Latos sang a Justin Bieber song (saw a tweet that Dallas wanted to DFA her husband after this, LMAO )

ROFLMAO!!! Classic!

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

Finally, (well until I think of some other things) one thing that I didn't see. Thursday I text Chip and asked if he would be a Redsfest (in the HOF area as a vintage bb player) He said no - which was OK since he wasn't there last year - BUT, I didn't see any vintage bb players. The HOF area was mostly an autograph/main stage, displays of trophies and history, and something new in the Legacy Brick campaign. So unless the players were somewhere else they were not invited.

Yeah, we were not invited this year. Seems like the HOF needed the space.

[paulrichjr]

Originally Posted by Vottomatic

Every year I say I'm going to go and I don't.

I'm going next year.

What time do they open on Saturday, typically? It sounds to me like getting there early on Saturday is the thing to do.

How much money should you take? Other than parking and food, I don't know what else they charge for?

Secret is going on Friday and going to kids only section if you have kids. Lines are long but half the people (parents) can't get autographs.

Friday is less crowded and some of the best autographs happen as soon as door opens then. Griffey was often first on Friday then gone. Chapman was early on Friday....never saw him on Saturday.

If I had a choice...Friday or Saturday and that was it I would choose Friday.

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by Chip R

Yeah, we were not invited this year. Seems like the HOF needed the space.

Sorry to hear that. The legacy brick campaign took up a lot of space - they actually had two big slabs of it, I guess for people to feel it, and areas w/computers for fans to personalize. They also enlarged the space for the Q&A and autograph area for the HOF, had more of a stage.

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by Vottomatic

Every year I say I'm going to go and I don't.

I'm going next year.

What time do they open on Saturday, typically? It sounds to me like getting there early on Saturday is the thing to do.

How much money should you take? Other than parking and food, I don't know what else they charge for?

11am on Saturday - if you get there before a long line awaits but it moves pretty fast. Opened earlier this year on Friday (3pm). In the past I've asked for a half a day from work on Friday, couldn't this year...

[KittyDuran]

Bronson on Albert Pujos, RedFest, 12/8/12 (short)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoMOK...ature=g-crec-u

[KittyDuran]

More Bronson on opposing batters - he starts w/Felipe Lopez (IIRC)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yEwC...ature=g-crec-u

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

Mike Leake at the $10 photo booth:

Hey Heather! I just spied something in this photo... is Mr. Leake "off the market"? Looks like a wedding ring on his left hand.

[KittyDuran]

I watched part of Bronson's interview with the radio affiliates (Kathy-I think we must have missed each other there this afternoon!) and then saw part of the interview with Todd Benziger in the same area.

Yep... then I came back for a snippet of Oester's interview in which he and his father in 1973 saw Johnny Bench walking on the street in a full length fur coat! Unfortunately, no pics were taken.

[KittyDuran]

OK, this is it! Below are links to the other pictures (posted on one of my blogs):

http://kittyduran.tumblr.com/post/37...-photo-and-the

http://kittyduran.tumblr.com/post/37...replica-of-the

http://kittyduran.tumblr.com/post/37...dsfest-12-8-12

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

Yep... then I came back for a snippet of Oester's interview in which he and his father in 1973 saw Johnny Bench walking on the street in a full length fur coat! Unfortunately, no pics were taken.

We must have all missed each other because I couldn't have been any more than 10 feet away from the video you posted.

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

We must have all missed each other because I couldn't have been any more than 10 feet away from the video you posted.

5'4", dark hair, medium length, wearing a red, black and white ski sweater and faded blue jeans, and mirrored shades.

Wish I took more video. Bronson actually went past me in the walkway in the back and I heard someone say that he was going to the photo booth - and I didn't follow. Just moseyed back up to the Reds Connect section, saw the crowd and heard his voice. Then it took a while to get the video part of the camera rolling, hence the first short snippet.

Next to the Main Stage I hung around the Reds Connect area more because just outside in the area past the info booth there was some "breathing room", wireless reception wasn't too bad, and I could keep an eye out for a vacant seat in the season ticket area (when I was trying to renew).