Friday, January 01, 1999

New uniforms to be unveiled at Redsfest

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BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

| About the new cap |

        The Reds want fans to be in midseason form this weekend when they attend Redsfest at the Convention Center.

        Reds managing executive John Allen has said that the team will seek feedback from the public when the team unveils its new uniforms on Saturday, Redsfest's opening day. The scheduled time for the Reds' models to hit the fashion runway is 11:15 a.m.

        Black, a color that has guaranteed marketing success for teams in various sports hungry to hawk their merchandise, will appear prominently in the team's new uniforms. The team's altered cap, which incorporates black but retains the familiar wishbone “C,” has been in stores since early December.

        Black never has been a major part of the Reds' uniforms in any era, though the team sported navy blue road uniforms in the early 1900s, then blue sleeves and caps in the late 1930s and '40s.

        Players even wore blue socks with red horizontal stripes in 1936 and had half-blue, half-red stirrups in 1940 — flouting their original “Red Stockings” identity.

        Navy blue also appeared in the jersey piping and in an oval patch as background for the “C Reds” logo during the early '60s.

        Fans attending Redsfest, which has drawn an estimated 10,000 each of the last two years, will have a lot to look at besides uniforms. Players, front-office personnel and announcers Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall will participate in programs on the main stage.

        Numerous players, including shortstop Barry Larkin, will man autograph booths, while the legendary Johnny Bench and others will be available for photographs.

Larkin will face fans Saturday for the first time since he was critical of the team and demanded a trade three weeks ago (STORY). Larkin will sign autographs from 11:30a.m. to 1:30p.m. Saturday.

IF YOU GO

        • When: 10a.m.-6p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

        • Where: Cincinnati Convention Center, Fifth and Elm streets downtown.

        • Admission: $6 adults, $4 children 12 and under. Available at door, through TicketMaster (421-REDS) or outside Cincinnati at (800) 829-5353.

        • Inside pitch: Redsfest is essentially a winter baseball carnival, enabling fans to hear, see and speak with their favorite Reds players and personalities. Fans can obtain autographs or photographs or listen in on clinics and brief talks.

        • Scheduled to attend: Steve Avery, Stan Belinda, Buddy Bell, Johnny Bench (Saturday only), Jason Bere, Aaron Boone, Marty Brennaman, Mike Cameron, Sean Casey, Dave Collins, Bill Doran, Harry Dunlop, Brook Fordyce, George Grande, Danny Graves, Ken Griffey Sr., Don Gullett, John Hudek, Tom Hume, Damian Jackson, Barry Larkin (Saturday only), Brooks Lawrence (Saturday only), Mark Lewis, Lee May, Jack McKeon, Denis Menke, Jon Nunnally, Joe Nuxhall, Ron Oester, Steve Parris, Pokey Reese, Jose Rijo, Reggie Sanders (Saturday only), Chris Stynes, Scott Sullivan, Eddie Taubensee, Brett Tomko, Pat Watkins, Chris Welsh (Saturday only), Gabe White, Todd Williams, Scott Winchester and Dmitri Young.

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