Phil Castellini surprised that Opening Day tickets still unsold

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Originally Posted by herbdizzle

I'm tired of using the Ray's or A's as the model the Reds front office should be emulating.

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The Reds are emulating the approach taken by those two teams with the same success that Buck Rogers in the 25th Century had when it emulated Star Wars

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Originally Posted by westofyou

The Reds are emulating the approach of those two teams with the same success that Buck Rogers in the 25th Century had when it emulated Star Wars

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I am not asking for a Star Wars, but could we at least get a Buckaroo Banzai? Let's at least be interesting & fun, in a weird way of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdanCNK4ayo

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Originally Posted by herbdizzle

I'm tired of using the Ray's or A's as the model the Reds front office should be emulating.

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I think the Reds should be looking at a hybrid model between that and the cardinals. The cards seemingly have a great method for reading for extremely solid players and extending them. The Reds, unlike the As and Rays have the payroll ability to do that. Target “Reds” guys. Trade and extend.

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Originally Posted by Bourgeois Zee

Agreed on all counts.

Krall is this generation's Wayne Krivsky-- binders full of AAAA guys who will almost assuredly be exposed by more playing time.

The only hope the Reds have of competing for anything more than the basement is if the pitchers all develop, Krall lucks into a couple of AAAA finds who develop into 120 wRC+ regulars, Votto continues to defy Father Time at a Hall of Fame/ All-Star rate, everyone remain relatively healthy, and the offensive prospects continue to improve.

That's about four too many "if onlys" for me.

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Krall = Krivsky?

At the very least, Krivsky acquired two franchise cornerstones - Arroyo and Phillips - within months of the onset of his tenure. Krall? He's been here for two offseasons and so far..... *crickets*

More like Krall = O'Brien, at least so far.

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Originally Posted by Old school 1983

I think the Reds should be looking at a hybrid model between that and the cardinals. The cards seemingly have a great method for reading for extremely solid players and extending them. The Reds, unlike the As and Rays have the payroll ability to do that. Target “Reds” guys. Trade and extend.

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Exactly.

One potential issue with adopting such an organizational plan: Unlike the Cardinals, the Reds have failed to display the ability to operate without a shred of sentimentality in regards to allocation of resources to personnel - players, coaches, front office etc...

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Originally Posted by Revering4Blue

Exactly.

One potential issue with adopting such an organizational plan: Unlike the Cardinals, the Reds have failed to display the ability to operate without a shred of sentimentality in regards to allocation of resources to personnel - players, coaches, front office etc...

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This off-season is the first that demonstrates the ability to throw sentimentally away. That’s why I’m holding out a wait and see approach. If the Reds of the past would have overpaid for Barnhart, thus, stunting Stephenson, would be talking about a Suarez bounce back, how Amir Garrett will turn the page, and would have not opened spots for Greene or Lodolo to pitch.

As unpopular as it is, I think the Reds picked most of the right guys to move on from this off-season.

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Originally Posted by missionhockey21

I am not asking for a Star Wars, but could we at least get a Buckaroo Banzai? Let's at least be interesting & fun, in a weird way of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdanCNK4ayo

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Great flick

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Originally Posted by westofyou

The Reds are emulating the approach taken by those two teams with the same success that Buck Rogers in the 25th Century had when it emulated Star Wars

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Hot take incoming - take away Empire and Buck Rogers was better.

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Originally Posted by missionhockey21

I am not asking for a Star Wars, but could we at least get a Buckaroo Banzai? Let's at least be interesting & fun, in a weird way of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdanCNK4ayo

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Remember, no matter where you go...there you are.

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Originally Posted by M2

Hot take incoming - take away Empire and Buck Rogers was better.

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Remember, no matter where you go...there you are.

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I never saw any Star Wars film until the mid 80's, just wasn't interested in cowboy films that took place in space, preferred John Ford I guess. I worked at the Mariemont Theater and we took out the last 4 rows to put in Sense-around for Battlestar Galactica. Every time the big ship came on screen the whole lobby would shake. Never understood Lorne Green in space myself. A while after that we got Buck Rogers, which was cheeky and had Erin Gray and less vibrating.

The Reds going galaxy brain to move opening day tickets. Burrow, Chase and Zac Taylor to be there opening day...

https://twitter.com/SaraElyse128/sta...-BNSrSQU7mDtuQ

It's not a bad idea. Burrow, Chase, and Taylor are pretty darn popular right now.

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Originally Posted by Bob Sheed

It's not a bad idea. Burrow, Chase, and Taylor are pretty darn popular right now.

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It's a fine idea. It will work. but, my goodness, literally if you had said to 2019 us on this board that 3 years hence the Reds would invite bengals to opening day to help sell tickets well...

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Originally Posted by membengal

The Reds going galaxy brain to move opening day tickets. Burrow, Chase and Zac Taylor to be there opening day...

https://twitter.com/SaraElyse128/sta...-BNSrSQU7mDtuQ

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Still not paying opening day prices for the 4th game of the season.


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Originally Posted by membengal

The Reds going galaxy brain to move opening day tickets. Burrow, Chase and Zac Taylor to be there opening day...

https://twitter.com/SaraElyse128/sta...-BNSrSQU7mDtuQ

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No McPherson no sale.

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Originally Posted by membengal

The Reds going galaxy brain to move opening day tickets. Burrow, Chase and Zac Taylor to be there opening day...

https://twitter.com/SaraElyse128/sta...-BNSrSQU7mDtuQ

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If they really wanted to sell tickets they'd bring in Gronk.

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Reds Not For Sale:
Absolutely Zero Chance says Phil Castellini Team President

Bobby Nightengale @nightengalejr

The Reds cut payroll for the second consecutive offseason, but Phil Castellini says there’s absolutely no thoughts of his family selling the team.

More on the cost cutting as the Reds say they took a $40M loss in 2020.
Story with @alexcoolidge cincinnati.com

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No thoughts of selling…but…but….but the billboard?!?!?

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Originally Posted by Old school 1983

No thoughts of selling…but…but….but the billboard?!?!?

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that's a great gotcha. You really are in the posting zone. That's clearly the intent of the billboard, to make Castellini sell. Because billionaires are notoriously swayed by billboards. Good stuff. Quality posting.

I am 97% positive you are a Castellini family member at this point.

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Originally Posted by alexad

Still not paying opening day prices for the 4th game of the season.


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Are OD tickets more expensive than any other games?

Or are the seats you'd want only available through a third party and are more expensive?

Show me what you've done to IMPROVE this team for the 2022 season. Only then, would I consider shelling out money to support this franchise.

I'm not a subscriber so I can't read the article but Nightingale does mention Castellini whining (my words, not his) about a $40M loss in 2020.

Not a great source but I did find this and I can't help but wonder if a really rich guy who has closed books may be bending the truth a bit...

https://www.pennbets.com/mlb-revenue...-ticket-sales/

The chart in the linked article estimates the Reds lost $43.7M in "potential ticket revenue". Are they trying to disingenuously peddle this figure as a net loss?

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Originally Posted by Old school 1983

No thoughts of selling…but…but….but the billboard?!?!?

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If you actually read the article posted on cincinnati.com that Ron Madden is referring to, it mentions not only the billboard but additional examples of similar fan outrage. So yes, the rhetoric is out there and it has led to similar articles being posted by Cincinnati media regarding this. That's the entire purpose of said billboard.

Amazingly, the podcast wasn't even mentioned in the article.

Well, that is certainly bad news. :( The mediocrity, at best, will continue for the foreseeable future.

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Originally Posted by membengal

that's a great gotcha. You really are in the posting zone. That's clearly the intent of the billboard, to make Castellini sell. Because billionaires are notoriously swayed by billboards. Good stuff. Quality posting.

I am 97% positive you are a Castellini family member at this point.

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Dude. It was a joke. It wasn’t a gotcha. You should be 0% sure that I have any affiliation with the Castellini’s, because I don’t. If it’s that big of a deal I can gladly prove it.

Why won't Old school 1983 take a lie detector test? What are they afraid of?

$40 million in loss revenue doesn't mean $40 million in losses, but I'm sure the usual suspects will disagree.

And I'm sure Phil showed Bobby Nightengale their books (plus 2020 was a 60 game season with limited capacity which should not be the measure for 2022 or beyond- its apples and oranges).

The suspicion this entire time was that the Reds were interpreting "we didn't make as much as we thought we would" as "lost money," not that the business actually ran at a deficit overall.

We obviously don't know everything, but I've never seen back of the envelope/layman math that showed it was even possible that the team actually lost money on 2020. TV money alone should have been enough.

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Originally Posted by Strikes Out Looking

And I'm sure Phil showed Bobby Nightengale their books (plus 2020 was a 60 game season with limited capacity which should not be the measure for 2022 or beyond- its apples and oranges).

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It also assumes that we can't figure out that their expenses were less in 2020 too.

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They are just so bad at Public Relations and should hire someone new to handle that.

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Originally Posted by LeatherPants

$40 million in loss revenue doesn't mean $40 million in losses, but I'm sure the usual suspects will disagree.

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Won’t get an argument from me.

It’s pretty hysterical that I take a pretty bland position like most owners who don’t have to publicly show their books will not be completely honest with the public about a teams finances, so any talk of it is just noise, and competent baseball staff is more important, or that the Reds aren’t going to make the new normal a $44-75MM payroll, or that fans are upset because the Reds got rid of familiar faces and they are letting that rage blind them from seeing that some of the moves had a fairly decent baseball motive even if there was a financial motive as well.

Those points are pretty bland. They shouldn’t get anyone labeled a troll, or a member of the ownership group, or a member of the ownership group’s family. Sorry it upsets so many people that I’d rather have competent personnel than gripe about how to spend another man’s money. Sorry I think the Reds have positioned themselves well this year to develop young talent at the MLB level. Sorry I think they will increase the payroll to more normal levels once the young talent establishes itself.

I really don’t think I’m saying anything too radical here.

I'll be trying to travel to San Francisco in June to see the Reds play the Giants

My decision has absolutely nothing to do with what the Reds did in the off season and everything to do with watching baseball live with my friends.

Bob of course will get a cut of that, but that's life and I have no control over that

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Originally Posted by westofyou

Bob of course will get a cut of that, but that's life and I have no control over that

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Semantic point: Well, yeah, you do.

That's kinda the whole thought process for those who are choosing not to give Castellini their cash.

Your mileage varies, of course, and that's cool. It takes all kinds to make this blue marble go 'round. But you have the choice to add to his coffers or not.

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Originally Posted by Bourgeois Zee

Semantic point: Well, yeah, you do.

That's kinda the whole thought process for those who are choosing not to give Castellini their cash.

Your mileage varies, of course, and that's cool. It takes all kinds to make this blue marble go 'round. But you have the choice to add to his coffers or not.

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Perhaps, but I'm not giving up baseball to piss in the wind and get my legs all wet over Bob Castellini's ownership of the Reds

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Originally Posted by LeatherPants

It also assumes that we can't figure out that their expenses were less in 2020 too.

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They are just so bad at Public Relations and should hire someone new to handle that.

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Isn't that Phil's job? Nepotism

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Originally Posted by Sea Ray

Isn't that Phil's job? Nepotism

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He's the Fredo of the family, they need a Michael.

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Originally Posted by LeatherPants

He's the Fredo of the family, they need a Michael.

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To take this further, they need to hire a Clemenza and let him run things. Michael can stay out of the family business, like he always wanted, and Fredo can just drive the Don around.

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Originally Posted by LeatherPants

To take this further, they need to hire a Clemenza and let him run things. Michael can stay out of the family business, like he always wanted, and Fredo can just drive the Don around.

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No wait, Clemenza is Krall. Tessio was always the smart one, HE needs to run things.

There. Now that's figured out.

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Originally Posted by westofyou

Perhaps, but I'm not giving up baseball to piss in the wind and get my legs all wet over Bob Castellini's ownership of the Reds

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I agree. Why should you give up a joy of life because of an idiot? If it's really a big deal to not give an owner money, buy your ticket from somewhere other than directly from the team.

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Originally Posted by westofyou

Perhaps, but I'm not giving up baseball to piss in the wind and get my legs all wet over Bob Castellini's ownership of the Reds

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Never understood people who allow someone else to effect their happiness. I will watch the Reds because I enjoy watching the Reds. I will go to games with my family because my girls want to go to the games. I will buy overpriced beer because I want to drink beer and watch a baseball game.

Owners are going to get their money whether or not I decide to go to a game.

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Originally Posted by LeatherPants

$40 million in loss revenue doesn't mean $40 million in losses, but I'm sure the usual suspects will disagree.

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That reminds me of a story about the Dodgers and at the end of the 1964 season Dodgers GM Buzzie Bavasi ran into owner Walter O’Malley. “Good year, considering we weren’t in the pennant race!” Bavasi said.

O’Malley growled, “The hell it was! We lost $2M!”

Bavasi nearly passed out. The Dodgers LOST money? $2M? Bavasi staggered into the office of VP Fresco Thompson and started talking about firings and bankruptcy and Thompson just began to laugh at him.

“You’re an idiot, Buzzy. The Old Man means that last year we made $6M. This year we only made $4M. In his mind that means ‘we lost $2M'"