150th Anniversary Barry Larkin Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds 150th anniversary Barry Larkin bobblehead. 

150th Anniversary Joe Morgan Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds SGA 150th Anniversary Joe Morgan bobblehead.

The 2019 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Are...

With the Cincinnati Reds celebrating their 150th anniversary season this year, the team has announced that they will be giving away seven bobbleheads that represent different eras of Reds baseball. Six of these bobbleheads are of Redlegs legends who have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So who is being featured as a bobblehead this year? Let's take a look. 

The first bobblehead that will be given out is a 150th anniversary Mr. Redlegs bobble. This will be given out on May 4 against the San Francisco Giants. This is the bobblehead game I am looking forward to the most as Mr. Redlegs is a timeless mascot who is synonymous with the team, and it makes perfect sense that the franchise wants to incorporate him into their 150th anniversary season celebration. 

The second bobblehead of the season is of Ernie Lombardi. This will be given out to fans when the Redlegs host the Dodgers on May 18. While this is the first time the Reds team is giving out a bobblehead of Lombardi, it is actually the second year in a row in which fans can attain a bobble of the legendary player as the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum gave out a Lombardi bobblehead last season. 

Third on the list of Reds 2019 bobblehead giveaways is Joe Morgan. This bobblehead will be given out when the Washington Nationals come to town on June 1. Considered to be one of the greatest if not the greatest second baseman of all time, it is a little shocking that this is only the second Morgan bobblehead the team has ever given out to fans with the first being distributed in 2004. The Reds Hall of Fame gave out a mini bobblehead of Morgan in 2012. I would expect a big crowd for this game as Morgan is a heavy fan favorite in Cincinnati. 

On June 15 against the Texas Rangers, the Reds will give out a bobblehead of local legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. The Reds have previously given out Larkin bobbles three times and the Reds Hall of Fame gave out a bobblehead of Larkin in 2014. The crowd for this game should be large too as Larkin played his entire career with his hometown Redlegs and is a huge fan favorite.

Tony Perez will have his bobblehead given out on July 27 when the Reds play the Colorado Rockies. The Reds gave out a single bobblehead of Perez in 2005, and he was featured as part of a triple bobblehead alongside Sean Casey and Joey Votto in 2017. Considering how scarce Perez bubbleheads are, this could be the hottest giveaway of the season.

On August 17, the Reds will give out a bobblehead of Johnny Bench when the St. Louis Cardinals come to town. I believe that Bench is the player to be featured the most as a bobblehead by both the Reds and the Reds Hall of Fame. Despite that fact, the Big Red Machine is held in high regard in Cincinnati and a bobblehead of Bench is sure to garner a big crowd.

The last bobblehead the Reds will give out in 2018 will be on September 7 when the Reds take on the Arizona Diamondbacks, This bobblehead will feature Ken Griffey Jr. who is not only a popular player in Reds Country but in all of Major League Baseball. The Reds have previously given out bobbles of Griffey Jr. three times with the most recent bobble having been given out in 2016. With Griffey Jr. being inducted into the Hall of Fame a few years ago, this bobblehead could rival the Perez one as most sought after stadium giveaway item for 2019.

Those are the bobbleheads the Reds will give to fans in 2019. All the featured players have already been immortalized as bobbleheads by either the Reds, the Reds Hall of Fame, or both. All of the bobbleheads except for Mr. Redlegs are being given out as two sets of three with each set representing three different eras of Reds history. These eras include the Crosley Field era, the Riverfront Stadium era and the Great American Ball Park era. A cool feature of these sets is that when they are put together, the backdrops will form the 150^thanniversary logo of the Reds.

While I am excited to add these 150^thanniversary bobbleheads to my collection, I am bummed that no current players are being featured. I would have loved to add bobbleheads of Jesse Winker, Amir Garrett, Jose Peraza, and Luis Castillo among others to my collection. The bobblehead I am looking forward to obtaining the most this season is Mr. Redlegs. He is a great mascot, and I love adding different Mr. Redlegs bobblehead variants to my collection. In conclusion, the lineup of Reds legends will make for a highly desirable series of bobbleheads that will make Reds fans happy.

1/29/19 Update:
Today the Cincinnati Reds announced that they will be giving out a bobblehead of newly acquired outfielder Yasiel Puig. Aside from the Mr. Redlegs bobblehead, the Puig bobble is the one I am looking forward to the most. Puig came to the Reds via a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is one of the most popular players in baseball and considering how the Reds currently only have him under contract for one season, having a Puig bobblehead game is a no brainer.

Joe Morgan Replica Statue Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Joe Morgan replica statue. 

Honoring a Legend

When thinking about the Cincinnati Reds, it is impossible to ignore the rich history of Major League Baseball’s first professional franchise. Many legendary players and coaches have etched their names into Reds lore, but few have had the impact on Reds Country or the game of baseball like Joe Morgan had during his time as a member of the Redlegs. His accomplishments with the team include All-Star game appearances, National League Most Valuable Player awards, and two World Series Championships just to name a few. He is also a member of the Reds Hall of Fame as well as the National Baseball Hall of Fame. To honor Morgan as one of the greatest players in the history of the Reds, the team unveiled a statue of him outside Great American Ball Park in 2013. Almost five years to the day that his statue was unveiled, Reds fans will have the opportunity to obtain a mini version of Joe Morgan’s statue for themselves.

On Saturday, September 8, the Cincinnati Reds will host the San Francisco Giants for a 4:10 PM game. The first 20,000 fans through the gates will receive a replica Joe Morgan statue to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the statue dedication. The real statue is gorgeous and does an excellent job of celebrating the best Reds second baseman in franchise history. I’m sure the replica version will be no different.

I cannot wait for this game. I am big Joe Morgan fan. He is my dad’s favorite player and is the reason I picked number 8 for my jersey during my little league days. The game itself is also part of a huge sports weekend for Cincinnati’s three big league teams. FC Cincinnati will play rival Louisville City FC later that night, and the Cincinnati Bengals will start their 2018 NFL season the next day against the Indianapolis Colts. Needless to say, it will be a big weekend for Cincinnati sports and a great weekend for Cincinnati Reds fans.

Cincinnati Reds 1975 Replica World Series Ring Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds 1975 Replica World Series ring. 

Cincinnati Reds Replica Pete Rose Statue Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds replica statue of Pete Rose.

Who Dey Draft 2017

The NFL Draft has come and gone and for the most part, the Cincinnati Bengals did a pretty good job with who they selected from the college game to join their team. In this post, I will list who the Bengals drafted and share my thoughts on the role each pick will have with the team.

The first pick was Washington wide receiver John Ross. The guy has electrifying speed and along side A.J. Green, the Bengals passing attack should be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.

Second was running back Joe Mixon out of the University of Oklahoma. On the field, Mixon could be one of the best running backs in the league and should help the ground game immensely. Off the field is another story. His incident in which he punched a woman in the face has followed him from college to the NFL, and it will be up to him to change how people perceive him.

Third was defensive end Jordan Willis. He played college football for Kansas State. Hopefully Willis can complement Carlos Dunlap and boost the pass rich for the defense.

The fourth pick was Carl Lawson out of Auburn. Like Willis, Lawson is a defensive end. I could see Lawson and Willis being used in a platoon like system on the defensive line to give them both some playing time and experience.

Fifth was wide receiver Josh Malone. The former Tennessee Volunteer should help bolster the offense as he has a combination of both size and speed. With Green now entering his seventh season in the league, Malone and Ross along with Tyler Boyd could be considered the next generation of bengals receivers.

Sixth was Ryan Glasgow, a defensive tackle out of Michigan. Glasgow is a key building block for the defensive line as he can both rush the passer and stop the run. Like Lawson and Willis, I can see Glasgow being rotated in and out of the defensive line.

Seventh was Memphis kicker Jake Elliott. Last year the Bengals had Mike Nugent. Need I say more?

The eighth pick of the draft was J.J. Dielman. He is a center out of Utah. The offensive line sucked last year and with both Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler departing the team via free agency, Dielman could see a lot of playing time on the line outside of the center position.

Ninth was Jordan Evans. He was a linebacker for the Oklahoma Sooners. With Rey Maulauga being released by Bengals in the offseason, Evans could be groomed to take his spot.

Brandon Wilson was selected tenth by the Bengals. He played cornerback at Houston. With Adam Jones in legal trouble and William Jackson III and Darqueze Dennard having a history of injuries, Wilson might get to showcase his coverage abilities this season.

The last pick for the Bengals was tight end Mason Schreck out of Buffalo. Tyler Eifert is notorious for his battles with the injury bug so Schreck might be able to compete for a backup tight end spot should Eifert get hurt again.

Those are the 2017 Cincinnati Bengals draft picks. Hopefully they can help the Bengals have a bounce back year in 2017 after the disappointing 2016 campaign. Maybe some of these players are the key pieces needed to finally give the Be gals a playoff win.

Who Dey!

Bobblehead Collection 2016

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows his entire bobblehead collection.

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With #14Forever Weekend Pics#Reds #SDvsCIN #LetsGoReds #MLB #CHCvsCIN pic.twitter.com/JZJ0335GZI

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 26, 2016

Lee May Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Lee May bobblehead from the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

Bobblehead Page Update

Bobblehead Page Update @ https://t.co/7szAEAxyiu With a New #Reds Bobble#bobbleheadaddicts #BobbleHOF #MLB #NBA pic.twitter.com/bO6vIQBw7q

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 4, 2016

Bobblehead Collection 2015

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows what he has added to his bobblehead collection through 2015.

My Redsfest 2015 Experience

Redsfest 2015 came and went this past weekend and like last year, I loaded up my Cincinnati Reds back sack with baseballs and spent my entire Saturday at the Duke Energy Center meeting former, current, and future stars of the Redlegs while soaking up everything that the annual December event had to offer. If you are a Reds fan and have not yet attended a Redsfest, then you are missing out on a fantastic experience. I have been multiple times and each year I have a blast. The event is a Cincinnati Reds fan version of paradise as it features awesome exhibits, opportunities to meet some of your favorite players, and pick up some sweet Reds memorabilia. The event takes place usually during the first Friday and Saturday in December. I was only able to attend on Saturday and even though I was only there for one day, I still had a great time. In this post, I will discuss some of my favorite elements of the 2015 edition of Redsfest.

My absolute favorite part of Redsfest is getting autographs. Despite only going on Saturday, I still came away with a pretty good haul by obtaining 13 autographs from 13 different former, current, and future Reds players on 13 different baseballs. I love getting to meet them and talk to them for a little bit while they kindly write their name on one of my baseballs. I was most excited to get the autograph of Joe Oliver. He was the catcher for the 1990 wire-to-wire World Series Championship Reds. You can see his autograph as well as the other autographs I obtained at Redsfest on the “Autograph” page.

Another cool element of Redsfest I enjoy is all the exhibits. There are a ton of things to see such as the World Series trophies, game used equipment and memorabilia, and interviews with past, current, and future Reds players. There is a lot to soak in and in order to get the full Redsfest experience, I recommend going both days. My favorite exhibit is the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum section as it features a massive amount of Reds history and chronicles the careers of some of the all-time greats to have ever put on a Reds uniform.

The atmosphere of the event is another fantastic feature of Redsfest as it seems that nearly everybody there is in a great mood. Everybody I talked to and interacted with was very pleasant, and the players I met genuinely seemed happy to be there. It is really cool to see a huge amount of people gathered in one place to celebrate Reds fandom, and it is even cooler that the players actually seem like they want to be there.

In conclusion, my experience at Redsfest 2015 was amazing. I always have a great time and this year was no different. Getting autographs, checking out the exhibits, and being immersed in a world in which Redlegs culture is abundant is always fun, and I cannot wait to go back. Hopefully I can go for both days next year and once again get lost in the world of the Cincinnati Reds.

Go Redlegs!

Photo Page Update

PHOTO PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #REDSFEST PICS #Reds #Bengals #WhoDey #LetsRoar #CINvsCLE #NFL #WWE pic.twitter.com/ULP5vZZeVy

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 6, 2015

Autographs Page Is Now Live

#AUTOGRAPH PAGE IS NOW LIVE @ http://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr #Reds #Bengals #WhoDey #LetsRoar #ATOBTTR #TNA #WWE #NFL #MLB pic.twitter.com/85j4y3qNHN

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 30, 2015