By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
with additional reporting by Mike Nelson, Go Radio
The annual Cincinnati Reds Caravan pulled into Grayson last week, with a stop at Prichard Elementary School. The mix of former, current, and prospective players discussed their time with the team, signed autographs, took photos with the children, and answered student and staff questions. The Reds caravan sends players across the tri-state region and into Indiana, visiting areas of “Reds Country” that are further removed from Cincinnati, but where the fans are no less enthusiastic.
This eastern leg of their tour, which visited parts of Kentucky and West Virginia, included former first baseman and member of the 1990 World Championship team Todd Benzinger, rookie pitcher Andrew Abbott, and minor league players Rece Hinds, Julain Aguiar, and Sal Stewart, along with VP of player development Shawn Pender and mascot Gapper.
Go Radio’s Mike Nelson spoke with the players about the importance of the tours, both for the team and for them personally.
“It’s great to me, because it gives me a chance every four or five years that I’m asked to do this, to connect with the younger guys and be that connection to the Reds and their history,” Benzinger told Nelson.
Benzinger, who helped the Reds secure that victory against the Oakland Athletics in the Reds second World Series sweep (their first was a four game win against the NY Yankees in 1976), remains humble about his time with the team though.
His part in that victory, he said, was “a minor part.”
“But,” he continued, “it was a 1990 World Championship, so I can tell stories about that.”
He said it was important for him that the new players understand that heritage, and it was good for him to remain connected to the team.
“They can learn from me. I learn from them. It keeps me connected. But the big thing is that they get a chance to see how big Reds Nation really is. When we come out here, and see the people go crazy, it’s such an energizing thing.”
Rookie pitcher Abbott echoed Benzinger’s thoughts about the infectious enthusiasm of the team’s supporters.
“I mean, it’s great,” Abbott said. “It’s great to see the support system outside of Cincinnati, because we’re always inside Cincinnati. We don’t really get to travel that much during the season (except for games), so it’s great to see the support from the kids, the parents, and whoever else that maybe doesn’t get a chance to come travel and see us. Or guys and girls that want to see us, and they have no way or can’t drive, for instance, with the kids and whatnot. So, it is great for us to be able to come down here and kind of give back to them for the support that they give us as players.”
That support means a lot to the team, Abbott said.
“We love every single one of our fans,” Abbott said. “I remember the sellouts we had during the 12-game win streak, and it makes our job a lot easier when we have the support like that.”
After leaving Grayson, the team had another stop on Friday evening at the Huntington Mall before making their way back to the Queen City.
You can find more information about the Reds Caravan online at www.mlb.com/reds/fans/caravan, or via our friends with Go Radio at https://www.wgohwugo.com/. You can also listen to the Reds games, and other local sports, live on Go Radio.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
