Reds likely to use Great American Ball Park for spring training 2.0

It sounds like GABP will be the destination for the Reds spring training 2.0.

According to Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams, who was interviewed on 700 WLW on Wednesday night, Cincinnati will be the likely destination for the team’s second round of spring training. The Cincinnati Reds, who typically use a shared facility with the Cleveland Indians in Goodyear, Arizona, will likely set up shop at Great American Ball Park.

Williams said that there are still a few hurdles to clear, it appears as though Major League Baseball would leave it up to each individual team to decide where their spring training will commence. If that’s the case, we’ll likely see the Reds stay in Cincinnati and work out at GABP.

Of course, the team would gain permission from the local and state government in order to have spring training at the ball park amid the coronavirus pandemic. Williams said, in the interview with radio broadcaster Tommy Thrall and TV analyst Jim Day, that the possibility for exhibition games with other teams exists, but there’s still much to be discussed on that front.

Speaking of Tommy Thrall and Jim, it appears that the Reds new radio and television broadcaster, along with “The Cowboy” Jeff Brantley and “The Craft Left-Hander” Chris Welsh, won’t be on the road with the team this season. According to Bruce Levine, a radio broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs on WSCR-AM, MLB announcers will be doing road games from their home ball parks via monitors.

WLW’s Lance McAllister had the brilliant idea to setup the radio broadcast from The Holy Banks Tavern and Grille with a $10 donation going to the Reds Community Fund. The Holy Grail seconded the idea, so we’ll have to wait and see where that might go.

The problem is, we’re still waiting for MBL and the MLBPA to come to an agreement on economics for the 2020 season. The NBA and NHL have come up with restart plans for their respective leagues, and it’s time for baseball to do the same. If the players and the league can’t figure this out, they risk alienating a huge contingent of baseball fans.