Castellini makes good on promise to city

[oldschooler]

[b][size="5"]Castellini makes good on promise to city[/size][/b]

[list][*]By Dennis Janson and Ian Preuth[/list]CINCINNATI - "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

Those were the words Bob Castellini left imprinted on the minds of Cincinnati Reds fans everywhere when he took over as owner of the club on Jan. 20, 2006.

The Reds owner was referring to a pillow in his home that had those words stitched on it.

Castellini used the phrase to describe the driving force of the new ownership. "If Reds fans ain't happy, ain't nobody happy," he said.

He promised to Reds fans they would do whatever it took to bring championship baseball back to Cincinnati.

Championship teams don't happen overnight and while it may have taken four years, it's been worth the wait for many Reds fans.

The team clinched its first playoff berth since 1995 last week when Jay Bruce hit a walk-off homerun against the Houston Astros. History will show you just get into the playoffs. You never know what can happen.

The National League Central champions will begin postseason play Wednesday in Philadelphia to take on the reigning NL champs.

Before the team embarked on its journey to Philadelphia, Castellini sat down with 9 News sports anchor Dennis Janson to talk about the ride to the top for the Reds.

[b]Janson[/b] - "You've been true to your God, you've been true to your family, you love your country and now you've made good on your promise to the fans of Cincinnati to bring winning baseball back here. You are four for four. Congratulations."

[b]Castellini[/b] - "That's a stretch Dennis, that is a stretch. When we started here we felt it was imperative to lay that out and let everybody know that we were here to play winning championship baseball. Not that people didn't already know that in the organization and that the previous ownership didn't strive to do that. I thought by going out on a limb, me personally, everybody else would understand that they were out there on a limb with me. So we were able to kinda, I think, coral everybody to the point where we know we have to win to sell tickets. We know we have to win to increase our fan participation and our fan experience. We know we have to win on the ball team so there we no...if comes. Everybody knew we were here to make this thing successful."

[b]Janson[/b] - "You have set a high bar for yourself and for everyone else here and I've talked with any number of people that said that the boss wants it this way and that's the way it is and they say it's not exerting power it's about making the product better. And they admire that, and they respect that. That's what he wants and we'll get it."

[b]Castellini[/b] - "It's a team effort. It's just not baseball over here and the business side over here. It's a combination of everybody working together and respecting what each other has to offer. You know so many times in a sports organization the sport, football group or the baseball group they are paramount. They are the king pins, they are the rock stars and that will always be the case. I will tell you with the Reds with Walt and Dusty especially leading the charge, they understand what the business side does for them. First of all they understand that if we can create enough top line we can afford to compete in a marketplace that has a lot more incoming generation than we do and always will. If we keep our eye on the top line more and more will we be competitive as far as compensations are concerned. And that just doesn't go for the players, that goes for the entire organization."

[b]Janson[/b] - "And speaking of that top line everyone laments, well not necessarily you, but people have talked about attendance. My contention is that people that are here are shown the best time that they can possibly experience and that will take care of itself over time."

[b]Castellini[/b] - "I agree with you Dennis. Look, personally I had a whole bunch of season tickets that would go without being used because people weren't asking for them. So I turned in half of them. Then we wound up buying the team I'm the first one to tell you that the greatest disappointment that a season ticket holder can have is to not have anybody want to go to the ballgame and use the tickets. So you have to change that and I think you are well on the way to doing that."

[b]Janson[/b] - "I suspect, and I asked you this when you took over the ball club, it was Jan. 20, 2006. Did you attend Reds game on Crosley field on Saturday's when kids got in for free."

[b]Castellini[/b] - "It was fun, you went down there with your teammates and you, you bet."

[b]Janson[/b] - "That's when you fell in love with the game? And big league baseball."

[b]Castellini[/b] - "Crosley field had a lot to do w/ the formation of my love for baseball."

[b]Janson[/b] - "Do you have a ball glove in your office?"

[b]Castellini[/b] - "No but I'll tell you a story about the first glove my father gave to me. We were playing some place, a knothole game, and we thought it was cool to leave our gloves out in the outfield. I was playing right field so I left my glove out there and the glove was gone. I never did that again."

[b]Janson[/b] - "How special is it to

you to have your family involved in meaningful roles in this organization?"

[b]Castellini[/b] - "Well it's very meaningful, my son Bob took up the banner of the Hall of Fame and did a great job chairing that organization and he's still very involved in it. My son Phil, when we first bought the team he came into my office, he was running one of our divisions. He said Dad, I'd like to go the reds and I looked at him and I, (he was running that division pretty well by the way) and I said over my dead body . You're not going over to the Reds and I drove home that night and I'm thinking about it and I start laughing at myself b/c I'm saying to myself if I'm 34 years old I'd go into my old man and say I'd like to go w/ the reds also. So the next day I called him in and I said OK you go on over there and see what you can do as far as the business side is concerned and it has worked out very very well but Phil, Phil, he earns his spurs. He's doing a great job.

[b]Janson[/b] - "Do you know how much it meant to all of the behind the scenes people at every level to be invited to the after party after the game last Tuesday night? One thing about you that I've noticed, is that you don't care what you look like when you laugh? You have a great laugh, great sense of humor and you just cut it loose.

[b]Castellini[/b] - "Denny: whatever, you're happy. Oh yeah, yeah....Dennis I was serious when we first bought the team. Baseball is fun. If baseball can't be fun then you shouldn't be involved. Think about it. It's a fun game, it's not a contact sport. It's a tough sport but it takes a lot of skill. And it's not violent and it's more ballet than it is boxing. It's a fun sport. These fellas are out there on first base. A fella gets walked and he's talking to the first baseman, it's not like get out of my way in this life, I don't want any part of it. It's a camaraderie thing, not that we tell our players to be overly friendly with the other teams but they know each other and they've played in the minors and they've played against each other and they respect each other and it's a fun place to be...out on that ball field.

[b]Janson[/b] - "Any unsung heroes that you would like to recognize when you have the opportunity like this?"

[b]Castellini[/b] - "It would be difficult to pick out any one person in the reds b/c they are all just doing a great job. Just a great job. Our ownership has been very patient, they all have ties to Cincinnati, most of them household names here they are not wanting anything but a successful season. Every season, and they've been terrific. And I think they are probably the most unheralded part of our franchise make-up. As far as personally, my wife of 44 years Suzy always keeps me on the straight and narrow. She's gotten to be a terrific baseball fan and she's been telling me what to do every night. And sometimes she's even right. But those would be the two areas where I would tell you that I've just had a tremendous amount of support. Seeing her in the clubhouse last Tuesday night, she was drenched as everyone was and she couldn't have been happier. She was just beaming, seeing that you'd realized that phase one of the fulfillment of your dream. Lucky man is right.

[b]Janson[/b] - "In summation it was back again on Jan 20, 2006 when we talked and you were well recognized in the business community and you had lived most of your life under the radar and you said I am about to go above the radar and see what that is like. How has that been?"

[b]Castellini[/b] - "It's a little bit of a challenge once in a while, but you have to make it fun. That's as much as part of the baseball challenge. And for the most part it has been alright. Get to know nice people like. You know there are a few of the unheralded folks that people don't recognize and enough. My son Phil is doing a great job. Make no bones about it. So this isn't nepotistic, he's just doing a great job. He's got a couple of people under him that are exceptional, Bill Rineberger in corp sales and Karen Forgess in communications and whatever has to do with relations with the press and so forth. Those two are doing a tremendous job to put the franchise first in the minds and hearts of Cincinnatians."

[b]Janson[/b] - "Well thank you for setting the tone. Thank you for your time and let this just be the start of even greater things."

[b]Castellini[/b] - "Great, thanks Dennis."




[url="http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/sports/baseball/reds/castellini-makes-good-on-promise-to-city"]http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/sports/baseball/reds/castellini-makes-good-on-promise-to-city[/url]

[The Scales]

I'm impressed with what they've done.
I also think the good times will stay a while and the prestige of the club will get back up.