Queen City Sluggers Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Queen City Sluggers bobblehead. 

Gary the Lion Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an FC Cincinnati Gary the Lion bobblehead. 

Cincinnati Reds 150th Anniversary Ken Griffey Jr. Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds 150th Anniversary Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead.

Ted Kluszewski Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Ted Kluszewski bobblehead. 

FC Cincinnati Retro Bobble Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an FC Cincinnati Retro Bobble bobblehead. 

Kendall Waston Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Kendall Waston bobblehead. 

2019 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Bobblehead Preview

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is a great way to learn about the history of professional baseball's oldest franchise. With the team celebrating its 150th anniversary season this year along with the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum building undergoing a renovation this offseason, 2019 will be a year in which visiting the Reds Hall of Fame at least once is a must. Need another reason to check it out this year? The Reds Hall of Fame will be giving out a total of six bobbleheads with five of them being distributed on Saturdays and Sundays with price of admission from May through September.

The first bobblehead announced by the Reds Hall of Fame is if George Wright. George is the brother of Harry, the man credited with establishing the Cincinnati Red Stockings as the world's first professional baseball team in 1869. George played shortstop for the Red Stockings and was awarded the Clipper Medal in 1868 for being selected as baseball's best shortstop. He is a member of both the Reds Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and his bobblehead is exclusively being given out to 2019 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum members. I believe this will be the first bobblehead to feature Wright.

The series of Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead giveaways officially kicks off in May with a 100th anniversary celebration of the Reds' first World Series Championship when a bobblehead of Pat Moran will be given to fans. Moran was the manager of the Reds from 1919-1923 and guided the team to their first ever World Series Championship in 1919. As far as I know, this will be the first Reds bobblehead of Moran.

The second bobblehead will be given away in June and will celebrate the 75th anniversary Joe Nuxhall making his major league debut at the age of 15. Nuxhall was a fan favorite if Reds Country both on the field and in the radio booth as the longtime broadcast partner of Marty Brennaman. With Marty retiring at the end of the season, this bobblehead of "the Ol' Left-hander" should be a popular one with fans. This will be the third giveaway bobblehead of Nuxhall as the Reds gave out a dual bobble of Marty and Joe in 2003 and a bobblehead of Nuxhall as a player in 2004.

The July bobblehead will be the third of the series and will feature Gus Bell. He played for the Reds from 1953-61 and was a four time All-Star. He was later inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1964. Bell is the father of Buddy who was a former big leaguer who played for the Reds from 1985-88, and is the grandfather of current Reds manager David. This is the first Reds bobblehead of Gus that will be distributed to fans.

Vada Pinson is the fourth bobblehead of the series and will be given away in August. He played for the Redlegs from 1958-68 and helped the team capture the National League Championship Series in 1961. He was also named to the National League All-Star team in 1959 and in 1960 and won a Gold Glove Award in 1961. Pinson was inducted into he Reds Hall of Fame in 1977 and will have his first Reds bobblehead distributed this year.

The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum's final bobblehead giveaway of 2019 will happen in August, and in my opinion, they saved the best for last. The fifth bobblehead of the series is of Reds legend Ted Kluszewski. Known as "Big Klu," and for cutting the sleeves of his uniform because they were too tight around his massive arms, Kluszewski belted 279 homers and drove in 1,028 runs. He also helped lead the Big Red Machine to back to back World Series Championships as the team's hitting coach. Without a shadow of a doubt, the 1962 Reds Hall of Fame inductee is one of the most popular Reds players of all time and will finally be immortalized as a bobblehead for the first time ever this year.

Those are all the bobbleheads scheduled to be given out by the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. The lineup is loaded with Reds legends and aside from Nuxhall, features guys who have never been immortalized as Reds bobbles. I am very excited for the "Big Klu" bobblehead and cannot wait to get my hands on it. If you are a Reds fan, a bobblehead fan, or both, make you sure you visit the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum this season to add these bobbleheads to your collection.

2019 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Bobblehead Predictions

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum's bobblehead season has officially come to a close. 2018 was a good year for Reds Hall of Fame bobbles as new players such as Ernie Lombardi, Johnny Vanderbilt Meer, and Chuck Harmon were featured as bobbleheads. With 2019 being the 150th anniversary of the Cincinnati Reds and the 100th anniversary of the franchise's first ever World Series Championship, the Reds Hall of Fame has a plethora of legends to feature as bobbleheads. So who will the Reds Hall of Fame feature as bobbleheads in 2019? Here are my predictions.

My first prediction is Ted Kluszewski. "Big Klu is one of the most popular Reds players in history, and I am shocked that that he has not been featured as a bobblehead yet. Known for cutting the sleeves of his uniform because they were too tight around his massive arms, Kluszewski belted 279 homers and drove in 1,028 runs. He also helped lead the Big Red Machine to back to back World Series Championships as the team's hitting coach. I could go on and on about Klu's career and why he deserves to be immortalized as a bobblehead.

My second Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead prediction is Lou Piniella. Known as "Sweet Lou" to members of Reds Country, Piniella is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most popular managers in Redlegs history, arguably only second to Sparky Anderson. He took over as Reds skipper in 1990 and led the team to a wire to wire season that was capped off with an improbable sweep of the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. Combine that World Series Championship with his fiery attitude and it is easy to see why the former first base throwing Reds manager would make for an excellent bobblehead.

Third on my list of predictions is Edd Roush. Not only was he a key member of the 1919 World Series Championship Reds team, but he is also in both the Reds Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. During his first stint with the Redlegs, Roush never batted below .321 and won the National League batting title twice. He played with the team from 1916-1926 before coming back and retiring as a Red in 1931. In my opinion, Roush is a perfect choice that celebrates the franchise's 150th anniversary as well as the 100th of the team's first ever World Series title.

I predict that Fred Hutchinson will be featured as a bobblehead. "Hutch" became one of the most respected managers in Reds history and led the 1961 team to a National League Championship. Under his guidance, players such as Vada Pinson, Pete Rose, Leo Cardenas, Jim O'Toole, and Frank Robinson among others flourished and etched their names into Redlegs history. He is a member of the Reds Hall of Fame and his number, 1, has been retired by the team.

My fifth and final Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead prediction is Don Gullett. He was a key member of the Big Red Machine's pitching staff and helped the team reach the World Series in 1970 and in 1972 and helped them win back to back World Series Championships in 1975 and in 1976. During his nine year career, Gullett had a 3.11 ERA and totaled 921 strikeouts and 109 wins. He is a fan favorite and is an obvious choice to be featured as a Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead.

Those are my 2019 bobblehead predictions for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. I believe that these legends represent various generations of the Reds and will help the Reds Hall of Fame celebrate the 150th anniversary of the team. I cannot wait to see who the Reds Hall of Fame will feature as bobbles for 2019 and am excited to add some new bobbleheads of Reds legends to my collection.

2017 Cincinati Reds Bobblehead Predictions Part 2

Please note that this was written before any bobbleheads were announced.

With Redsfest just around the corner, I thought it would be an appopriate time to share my predictions for the 2017 series of Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads. One post will cover the line of nodders that the team will give away to fans during the season, and another post I will write will discuss the bobbleheads I think the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give out during 2017. Please note that these are just my predictions and not an actual list of bobbleheads the Reds are producing. In this post, I will discuss the bobbles that I think the Reds Hall of Fame will hand out to fans this upcoming season.

My first prediction is a bobblehead of Lou Piniella. The legendary manager of the 1990 wire-to-wire World Series Championship team has yet to be immortalized as a Reds bobblehead. To me, that is a huge travesty as the team won its first World Series since 1976 with Piniella at the helm. Since Piniella is more involved with the Reds organization now than in years past, hopefully this is the year Reds fans finally get a bobblehead of “Sweet Lou.”

Another Reds legend I predict that the Reds Hall of Fame will give to fans as a bobblehead is Johnny Vander Meer. Vander Meer is famous for being the only pitcher in MLB history to throw consecutive no-hitters, and he helped the Reds win the World Series in 1940. Vander Meer is another player whose lack of bobblehead from the Reds baffles me. Since he has not been immortalized as a bobble yet, I predict that this is the year we finally see the only man with back-to-back no hitters as a bobblehead.

Third on my list of predictions is Ted Kluszewski. “Big Klu” is another Reds legend who I thought should have had a bobblehead a long time ago. Known for cutting the sleeves off his jersey, Kluszewski was a widely popular favorite among Reds fans. After his playing days were over, Kluszewski became a hitting coach for the Big Red Machine and helped the team win consecutive World Series Championships in 1975 and in 1976.

My fourth prediction is Jose Rijo. The 1990 World Series MVP has yet to be featured as a bobblehead. Rijo’s incredible pitching during the 1990 World Series was key in propelling the Reds over the Oakland Athletics. Reds fans have not forgotten his contributions either as he received a great ovation at the 1990 World Series reunion game in 2015.

My fifth and final prediction is that the Reds Hall of Fame will give out a bobblehead of Aaron Boone. Boone was one of the biggest stars on the team during the late 1990s and early 2000s before he was traded to the New York Yankees. Boone was a favorite of mine when I was a kid, and the popular “Booooooooooone” chant echoed throughout the stadium whenever he came up to bat. The Reds never gave out a bobblehead of him during his playing days, so hopefully the Reds Hall of Fame rights that wrong this year.

Those are my predictions for the five bobbleheads the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give out to fans. Should my predictions prove to be true, I will be heading to the Reds Hall of Fame once a month to get each bobble. These are only predictions though, and no official bobblehead giveaway has been announced by the Reds Hall of Fame at the time that I wrote this. Until then, us Reds fans can only speculate and guess what kinds of bobbleheads the Reds Hall of Fame has planned for 2017.

Go Redlegs!

2016 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Predictions Part 2

Now that the 2015 season has come to a close for my beloved Cincinnati Reds, I think that now would be an appropriate time for some 2016 predictions. I am not predicting how the Reds will do next season but rather what bobbleheads I think the team will give out to fans. There will be two parts to this post. First will be the bobbleheads that I believe the team will give out, and second will be the bobbleheads that I believe the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give during the regular season.

For the most part, the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum tries to incorporate some sort of theme into their bobblehead giveaways. For example, last season was the 25^th anniversary of the 1990 wire-to-wire Cincinnati Reds world championship season and as a result, the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum gave out bobbleheads of players from that team. As far as I know, 2016 is not an anniversary year for the Reds so I have no idea what theme the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will have with their bobbleheads. Therefore, this list of predictions will have no theme and instead be a hodgepodge of legendary Reds figures.

I predict that the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will once again give out five different bobbleheads, and the first one to be distributed will be of 1990 Cincinnati Reds manger, Lou Piniella. “Sweet” Lou was one of the most popular managers in Reds history because of his fiery attitude and his guidance of the Reds to the 1990 World Series crown. I could not believe that he was not featured as a bobblehead this past year, and I think that the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will make up for that by featuring him as a bobblehead in 2016. Hopefully it will incorporate Piniella throwing a base!

Bobblehead number two will be of Johnny Vander Meer. Vander Meer is the only pitcher in history to throw back-to-back no-hitters and was part of the 1940 Cincinnati Reds World Series Championship team. He is without a doubt worthy of a bobblehead.

The third bobblehead will be of Fred Hutchinson. He was one of the most prolific managers in the history of the Reds as he helped usher in a period of winning baseball during a time in which getting into the playoffs was impossible when compared to today’s game, and he set the stage for the glory days of the Big Red Machine. He took the Reds to the 1961 World Series and had his number, 1, retired permanently by the team.

Fourth will be Jose Rijo. He was the MVP of the 1990 World Series, and his dominance on the pitching mound helped secure the fifth World Series crown in franchise history for the Reds. While he was not featured as a bobblehead last year, I believe that the Reds hall of Fame and Museum will make up for that in 2016.

The fifth and final bobblehead of 2016 for the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will be of Ted Kluszewski. He was one of the most popular players in Reds history and was known for cutting the sleeves off his jersey because his arms were so big. He was a coach under Sparky Anderson during the Big Red Machine era in the 1970’s during which he earned two World Series Championship rings, and his number, 18, was retired permanently by the Reds in 1998. I am shocked that “Big Klu” has never been featured as a nodder, and hopefully the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum rights this wrong in 2016.

Those are my Reds Hall of Fame and Museum bobblehead predictions for 2016. If my predictions are correct, then I will definitely try to head to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum to pick up every single bobblehead. Even if the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum goes with other Reds figures to immortalize as nodders, hopefully the people they choose will be fresh faces who have never been featured as a bobblehead. As a collector, I always hope for new people to be featured as bobbleheads as it makes collecting much more fun, and with an endless supply of Reds legends, the possibilities for great Reds Hall of Fame and Museum bobbleheads are mindboggling!