Cincinnati Reds 2016 Bobbleheads Review

In last week’s post, I wrote about the line of 2016 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum bobbleheads. In this week’s post, I will look at the entire line of 2016 Cincinnati Reds SGA bobbleheads. This was the first time since 2013 that I got every bobblehead that that team gave away to fans. This was a really good line of bobbles that the team gave away to fans, and you will see why I think that in this post.

The first bobblehead the Cincinnati Reds gave out this year was of Vottomatic, the superhero version of Reds first baseman Joey Votto. Had this been another bobblehead of Votto in a regular Reds uniform, I would not have added it to my collection but since he is in a pretty cool superhero outfit, I thought it would make a great addition to my bobblehead collection.

The second bobblehead given out was a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter Mr. Redlegs bobblehead. In my opinion, this is one of the coolest nodders the team has ever produced. It features the mascot of the team in an X-Wing, which is an awesome concept. I’m a big fan of both the Reds and Star Wars, and this bobblehead is the best of both worlds.

The third nodder of the year was a Cincinnati Reds / Seattle Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. double bobblehead. This was a special bobblehead that was given out during the Seattle Mariners vs. Cincinnati Reds game because of Griffey’s hall of fame induction. “The Kid” is one of my all-time favorite baseball players so adding this bobble to my collection was a no-brainer. It looks awesome and is easily one of the best bobbleheads of Ken Griffey Jr. that I have ever seen.

The fourth bobblehead that the Reds gave away to fans was of shortstop Zack Cozart. Cozart is one of the best defensive shortstops in Major League Baseball today and has been a staple on the defensive side of the ball for the Reds for the past few years. He routinely dazzles with amazing snags, and his bobblehead has been long overdue. Being a defensive star, the Reds obviously chose to have Cozart in a fielding stance. I think the bobblehead is very cool and is a great bobble debut for the Reds starting shortstop.

The fifth and final bobblehead of the year was of Eugenio Suarez. The Reds acquired Suarez from the Detroit Tigers last year and his batting power made him an immediate fan favorite. This past season he was the new starting third baseman and while he struggled in the beginning, he got better as the season progressed and has become a pretty reliable player on the defensive side of the diamond. This bobblehead features him swinging a bat though, and it makes sense considering how his power is what made him known among Reds fans.

In conclusion, the 2016 Cincinnati Reds SGA line of bobbleheads is awesome. It features new players and unique twists on players who have already had bobbles. I hope the Reds continue this trend of either adding a unique feature to a player who has already had a bobblehead or by issuing nodders of players who have never had a bobblehead. Based on this year’s series of bobbles, the Reds are heading in the right direction.

Go Redlegs!

Zack Cozart Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds SGA Zack Cozart bobblehead.

Bobblehead Page Update

#Bobblehead Page Update https://t.co/f6kg2Fon2e with a New #Reds Nodder#BobbleheadAddicts #BobbleHOF #LetsGoReds pic.twitter.com/L6z3BSX1Se

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 17, 2016

Duvall the All-Star

In a year that has Reds fan down in the dumps, one player has given Reds Country something to cheer about as he continues to grow and progress as a major leaguer. That player is Adam Duvall, and he is the lone Reds All-Star for 2016.

The Reds acquired Duvall from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for former Reds pitcher and fan favorite Mike Leake. As of now, it appears that the Reds got the better end of the deal as Leake and the Giants failed to make the playoffs last year while Duvall has continued to establish himself as one of the cornerstones of the future of the Reds.

As I write this post, Duvall currently has 22 homers and 59 RBIs. He is emerging as the next offensive powerhouse for the Reds and is garnering more fans every time he knocks a ball out of the park.  

I could not be happier for Duvall as he truly deserves this great opportunity to represent the Redlegs at the 2016 All-Star game. Of course I would love to see more Reds at the All-Star game, but aside from Jay Bruce and Zack Cozart, Duvall is really the only guy who deserves a spot on the National League roster. He is performing exceptionally well this season, and I hope he continues to get better and better. Congrats Duvall, and good luck at the All-Star game!

Go Redlegs!

Ken Griffey Jr. Double Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an SGA Cincinnati Reds / Seattle Mariners double bobblehead of Ken Griffey Jr.

Graphing at Reds Games

Being a diehard sports fan, I usually try to collect everything that deals with sports. I collect sports cards, bobbleheads, and other types of memorabilia. One of my favorite things to collect are autographs. I try to get tons of things signed by Bengals players at the various Bengals shows I go to during the season, and I am currently working on getting the autographs of some of the FC Cincinnati players. Some of the most challenging autographs to get are from Reds players. There are only a handful of Reds shows before spring training, and Redsfest only comes once a year. That means I have to try and get Reds autographs at games, and that is easier said than done. In this post, I will discuss how I attain signatures from Reds players at games.

Before I head to the stadium, I make sure I pack my bag with things to get signed, usually baseballs, and a small bag of sharpies and pens. I always bring extra in case one of the writing instruments I bring with me runs out of ink.

The gates to the game usually open an hour and a half before the game starts so arriving early is key. Once I get to the stadium, I head over to the first base line and usually try to stand at the end of the aisle that is next to the camera well that is by the Reds’ dugout. I have found that you can usually get quite a few autographs in this spot as players walking on and off the field pass this spot and other times players will walk over from the dugout and into the camera well and sign for fans that way.

When players comer over, you have to your item ready with a pen, hold it out, and hope they sign. Sometimes a lot of players sign, and other times nobody signs. Some guys like Joey Votto and Jay Bruce rarely sign, and others like Zack Cozart and Brandon Phillips sign pretty frequently. It is all a matter of luck.

I have managed to get quite a few autographs from players at Reds games. Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier, Shin-Soo Choo, Zack Cozart, Joey Votto, Billy Hamilton, and Raisel Iglesias among others have all signed things for me at games. It is fun trying to call players over and when you manage to get something signed, it’s a great feeling. I hope you found this post helpful and hopefully you can get some autographs the next time you go to a Reds game.

Happy graphing and go Redlegs!

Autograph Page Update

Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/oiRAWLHwPZ With 2 New #Reds Signatures#SEAvsCIN #MLB #ATOBTTR #NBA #NHL #NFL pic.twitter.com/Gv281DYSim

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) May 20, 2016

Cincinnati Reds 2016 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2016 season of the Cincinnati Reds.

2016 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads So Far

Even though Opening Day is not for a few months, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum are already promoting what bobbleheads they will be giving out to fans this season. At the time that this post was written, the Reds have announced four of the bobbleheads that they will give away and the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum have announced two of the bobbleheads that will be given to fans with the price of admission. In this post, I will share my thoughts on the nodders that have been revealed.

Let’s start with the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum bobbleheads. The bobblehead that will be given out during the month of April will be of legendary Reds pitcher Jim Maloney. This is an awesome choice for a bobblehead. Maloney had a great career as a Red and is more than deserving of his own bobblehead. I definitely plan on stopping by the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum to pick up this nodder.

The other bobblehead that the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum has announced is of Lee May. “The Big Bopper” is another fantastic choice for a bobblehead as he was a great player who helped the Reds reach the 1970 World Series, and he helped lay the foundation for the Big Red Machine that would dominate baseball throughout the 1970’s. This bobblehead is a must have for my collection.

The Reds have announced four bobbleheads that they will be giving out with the first one being a superhero bobblehead of Joey Votto. While I do find this bobblehead to be underwhelming as there are tons of Joey Votto bobbleheads in the world, I do plan on attending the game so that I can get it. Odds are that the bobblehead will be of Votto in some sort of superhero outfit instead of the typical Reds uniform, so I consider it to be different enough to add to my collection.

The second bobblehead that will be given out will be a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter Mr. Redlegs bobblehead. This sounds awesome. Even though I have three variations of Mr. Redlegs nodders in my collection already, a Star Wars Mr. Redlegs bobblehead is too good to pass up on so I will definitely be heading to the game to get it.

The third bobblehead the team will give out is a dual Cincinnati Reds/Seattle Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead. This bobblehead is another cool nodder that I will be adding to my collection. With “the Kid” most likely taking his rightful place in the Hall of Fame this year, it makes perfect sense for the Reds to capitalize on it and produce a nodder of him. The fact that it will feature him as both a member of the Reds and the Mariners is a cool idea, and I cannot wait to get it.

The fourth bobblehead is of shortstop Zack Cozart. I am excited about this bobblehead as it features a solid player on the team who has yet to be immortalized as a Reds SGA nodder. Cozart is an amazing defensive shortstop, so my guess is that the nodder will portray him making a great defensive play.

Those are the six Reds bobbleheads that have been announced, and aside from the Votto nodder, they all have me pretty excited. It is pretty much assumed that the Reds, who are currently in rebuild mode, will suck in 2016, so the need for awesome promotions to help drive fans to the games is at a high level. Based on the bobbleheads they have announced so far, they are on the right track.

Go Redlegs!

2016 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Predictions Part 1

Since 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.

After promoting a total of nine bobbleheads for the 2015 season, the number was later altered to eight after the final bobblehead was changed to a figurine. While eight is still a lot and the most that the Reds have ever given away in a season, the choice in players could have been better as a lot of them were repeats. With the team undergoing a youth movement and period of reconstruction, it is possible that the 2016 line will feature fresh faces as bobbleheads. I think that Reds will reduce the number from eight and go back to five bobblehead giveaways, and with that in mind, let’s begin with bobblehead number one.

The biggest event for the Reds in 2015 was the Major League Baseball All-Star Game as they were the host team for the game and its activities. Todd Frazier and Arolids Chapman both made the team, and Frazier won a dramatic Home Run Derby in front of an electric Cincinnati crowd. Therefore, bobblehead number one of the 2016 season will be a special Todd Frazier bobblehead in which is he decked out in the All-Star game uniform while holding the Home Run Derby trophy.

Bobblehead number two will be of Rasiel Iglesias. The undoubtedly 2015 Rookie of the Year for the Reds was the best pitcher in a young rotation. He flirted with a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves before giving up a hit in the 6^th inning, and he recorded over 30 strikeouts through three straight games. He is the future ace of this team, and I believe the Reds will capitalize on that by giving out a bobblehead of him.

The third bobblehead will feature Aaron Boone. Boone was one of the most popular players for the Reds during his time with the team, and with 2016 being an induction year for the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, I believe that Boone will be on the ballot and inducted. The Reds always feature a bobblehead of a Reds Hall of Fame inductee, and I believe that Boone will be the one chosen to be immortalized as a nodder.

Fourth is Zack Cozart. He was having the best season of his career in 2015 before an ugly knee injury ended his otherwise All-Star worthy campaign. He has been with the team since 2011 and the starting shortstop since 2012, and I believe it is time for him to be honored with a bobblehead.

The fifth and final nodder of the 2016 season will be Joey Votto, who had an incredible second half of the 2015 season. While I am not thrilled that this will be the final bobblehead, the Reds just do not have enough young stars on the roster that deserve a bobblehead, and based on what he did in 2015, I think the team will go to the “Votto well” once again.

Those are my predictions of the bobbleheads that the Reds will give out in 2016. While there is the potential for a lot of the new young players to be featured as bobbleheads, the fact of the matter is that those guys are not as popular with the fans as some of the older and more established players on the Reds, and when it comes down to who will be featured as a nodder, the main influence is whose bobblehead will result in the most ticket sales. If my predictions are correct, then I plan on going to the Iglesias game, the Boone game, and the Cozart game, as those are players who have never been featured as Reds stadium giveaway bobbleheads. I will go to the Frazier game only if he is in the All-Star uniform, and I will pass on the Votto game. Hopefully the Reds decide to go with players who have never been featured as bobbleheads so I can go to all of the bobblehead games!

Stay tuned for part two!