Cincinnati Reds

The fan who went viral Tuesday night for executing a backflip in the ninth inning of a game between the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds has been charged with a crime.

Per court records obtained by Quinlan Bentley of the Cincinnati Enquirer, William Hendon was charged with criminal trespassing and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business. A judge reduced his criminal trespassing charge to a misdemeanor "at the behest of prosecutors, because he was wrongly charged with a felony," according to Bentley.

Video of the incident shows Hendon appearing to stop in the outfield to talk with a Guardians player before starting his run again, then stopping to perform a backflip as a security guard rapidly approached him.

After Hendon completed the backflip and started running again, the security guard tased him.

Bentley's story included an amusing exchange between Hendon and Municipal Court Judge William Mallory from the arraignment hearing on Wednesday.

"Everybody thinks you landed that backflip," Mallory said.

"I'm pretty sure I did," Hendon responded while still wearing the Reds jersey he had on Tuesday night.

According to Bentley, one of the court documents stated Hendon purposely impeded a public official's lawful duties and did so "with purpose to delay his arrest run from police."

Hendon pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was booked into Hamilton County Justice Center at 10:51 p.m. local time on Tuesday night and was held overnight without bond.

The 19-year-old Hendon is a sophomore at Ohio State. Bentley noted he is currently banned from Great American Ball Park and will be back in court on July 3 for a pretrial hearing.

The incident occurred prior to the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday night. The Guardians went on to win the game 5-3 in the first game of the season between the two in-state rivals.

Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz did his press conference on Wednesday in English, a first for the Dominican infielder.

"I think I'm doing a good job," he said, laughing.

"I practice every day, talking with the other guys," he continued, referencing his teammates, when asked how he learned English. "I just started with them, and I let it go. I like talking with the American guys because I create confidence. I don't need [translator Jorge Merlos] anymore."

When Merlos joked that he could leave, De La Cruz laughed and added, "He helped me a lot."

The whole situation impressed Cincy manager David Bell:

"He's incredibly thoughtful. He's humble, the way he listens and learns," he said. "It's amazing. I can't relate to that. The courage that takes, and just the respect that he has. ... It's impressive."

The 22-year-old De La Cruz is the centerpiece of the Reds organization after hitting .235 with 13 homers, 44 RBI, 67 runs, 35 stolen bases and a .710 OPS in just 98 games during his rookie season. And now he can speak directly to, and with, fans in English.

One of the best young players in the Cincinnati Reds' system will miss approximately half of the 2024 season.

The Reds announced that infielder Noelvi Marte was suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball's performance-enhancing drugs policy. Marte is the No. 1 overall prospect in Cincinnati's system heading into the 2024 season, per MLB.com's rankings.

The league's announcement revealed the suspension was for Boldenone, which is a banned substance.

Marte is the No. 21 overall prospect in the league and figures to have a bright future, although it will now be on hold following this development.

He appeared in 35 games for the Reds last season and slashed .316/.366/.456 with three home runs, 15 RBI and six stolen bases. The numbers underscored his ability to impact the game in a number of ways even in a small-sample size, as he can hit for average and power while bringing impressive speed to the table.

Marte last slashed .279/.358/.454 with 11 home runs, 45 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 92 games across three different levels of minor league play in 2023.

Cincinnati has a crowded infield with Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, Jonathan India and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, among others, but Marte had a chance to make the Opening Day roster prior to this suspension.

In fact, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com just projected him to be included on the Opening Day roster even though he was working his way back from a right hamstring strain.

Yet the Reds will have to move on without him when they start the campaign on March 28 against the Washington Nationals.

There probably aren't many Spring Training pitches that Hunter Greene has regretted throwing more than the one he did Tuesday.

As Sam Greene of the Cincinnati Enquirer shared, Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz fouled a pitch off Greene during Tuesday's practice. In an incredibly unfortunate twist for the pitcher, it ended up hitting and breaking his car window:

Greene might think twice about parking in the same spot in the players' lot in the future.

This happened as the Reds prepare for the upcoming season with high expectations in part because of the presence of young players such as De La Cruz and Greene. Cincinnati improved from 62-100 in 2022 to 82-80 in 2023 and surely has postseason-or-bust thoughts heading into 2024.

De La Cruz's ability to build on his rookie season that saw him slash .235/.300/.410 with 13 home runs, 44 RBI and 35 stolen bases will be key in those efforts, as will Greene's ability to improve on his 4.82 ERA from last year.

In a perfect world for the Reds, they will still be laughing about Tuesday's foul ball as they prepare for October baseball.

The Cincinnati Reds and infielder Jonathan India agreed to a two-year, $8.8 million contract to avoid arbitration this offseason, and any rumors the team was planning on moving him instead were apparently exaggerated.

Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported "trade rumors surrounding India were overblown all offseason. No player is untouchable, but the Reds wanted India to continue to set the tone in the lineup and in the clubhouse for the team in 2024."

India is signed with the Reds through the 2026 campaign, but there were plenty of trade rumors throughout the winter.

That there were rumors wasn't particularly surprising considering Matt McLain is someone who could take over as the starting second baseman, but president of baseball operations Nick Krall told him, "We don't want to trade you. That's just talk."

Even if he isn't the everyday second baseman, India is versatile enough to play first base, third base, left field or even designated hitter. That makes him valuable in a lineup that will have a crowded infield with Elly De La Cruz, McLain, Noelvi Marte, Jeimer Candelario and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, among others.

"I'm open to this," India said. "I'll train for it and do the best I can at those positions. Some of those are new. I've always been an infielder. We'll see how the outfield goes, but I'm up for the challenge. I just want to be on the field every day.

"That's all I can ask for. I want to play this game every way. It's my passion. I want to help this team win every day. I love competing and I love winning. That's my nature. I'm going to do everything I can to help."

Cincinnati is entering the 2024 season with playoff expectations.

It finished in third place in the National League Central at 82-80 last year, but the division as a whole may not be as difficult this year. The reigning-champion Milwaukee Brewers lost manager Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs and traded ace Corbin Burnes, among other moves.

Chicago got Counsell but hasn't made any other significant additions and may lose Cody Bellinger, who anchored its lineup in 2023 but remains a free agent well into February.

The opportunity is there for the Reds to make a jump and win the division, and India's ability to return to his form as the 2021 National League Rookie of the Year could play a big part in that. He slashed .244/.338/.407 with 17 home runs and 61 RBI last season while dealing with some inconsistency.

At least he doesn't have to worry about being traded as he looks to help lead Cincinnati to the postseason.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Don Gullett, who played for both the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees, died Wednesday. He was 73.

"Don dedicated 24 years to this franchise as a player, coach and minor league instructor," Reds CEO Bob Castellini said in a statement. "An anchor on the pitching staff of one of the greatest baseball teams in history, his contributions to our rich tradition, our city and his community will never be forgotten."

Gullett was selected by the Reds in the first round of the 1969 draft out of McKell High School in South Shore, Kentucky.

The left-hander debuted in 1970 and spent seven seasons in Cincinnati from 1970 to 1976. In 236 games (156 starts) for the Reds, he posted a 91-44 record, 3.03 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 777 strikeouts in 1,187 innings.

Gullett signed with the Yankees ahead of the 1977 season and made only eight starts during the 1978 campaign before a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder put an end to his career.

In 30 starts for the Yankees between 1977 and 1978, Gullett posted an 18-6 record, 3.59 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 144 strikeouts in 203 innings.

Between the Reds and Yankees, Gullett pitched in six league championship series and four World Series. He won three straight World Series titles from 1975 to '77, two of which came with Cincinnati.

After his playing career ended, Gullett returned to the Reds as a coach in 1990. He was the franchise's pitching coach from 1993 to 2005.

Gullett was elected to the Reds Hall of Fame in 2002.

Potential future Hall of Fame first baseman Joey Votto is reportedly generating interest on the free-agent market.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, three teams have shown interest in possibly signing the 40-year-old veteran.

Votto had some fun with that report on social media:

Votto has spent his entire 17-year MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds, but the organization declined the club option in his contract for 2024 and publicly bid farewell to him in November.

While Votto has struggled to stay healthy the past two seasons and has seen his production dip because of it, his overall track record is undeniable.

In 2,056 career regular-season games, Votto has slashed .294/.409/.511 with 356 home runs, 1,144 RBI, 1,171 runs scored, 459 doubles and 2,135 total hits.

Votto is also a six-time All-Star and one-time Gold Glove Award winner at first base and was named National League MVP in 2010 when he slashed .324/.424/.600 with 37 homers and 113 RBI.

Although Votto has never won a batting title despite hitting .300 or better in a season nine times, he has led the NL in walks on five occasions, in on-base percentage seven times and in OPS twice.

Votto has long been one of the most patient hitters in baseball, and even as his skills have diminished, that has remained true.

In 2022, Votto hit just .205 in 91 games, but he still had a .319 OBP to go along with 11 homers and 41 RBI.

Similarly, Votto had a career-low .202 average and .314 on-base percentage last season. He showed that he still has some pop, though, producing 14 home runs and 38 RBI in only 65 games.

Votto is not far removed from an All-Star-caliber season either, as he slashed .266/.375/.563 with 36 homers and 99 RBI in 2021.

At this stage in his career, Votto would likely be best utilized as a designated hitter, and it may even be best to put the lefty hitter in a platoon that sees him primarily face right-handed pitching.

Even in that type of limited role, Votto could still have some value since he is capable of working counts, grinding out walks and hitting home runs at a fairly regular clip.

It is fair to wonder if the Toronto Blue Jays are one of the teams interested in Votto, as he was born in Toronto and wouldn't have to be a key part of an already stacked lineup.

A World Series win is the one major accomplishment missing from Votto's résumé, and if he signs with a team and manages to win a championship, it could be the thing that assures him an eventual spot in Cooperstown.

Frankie Montas is heading to Cincinnati.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Saturday that the right-handed pitcher is heading to the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year, $16 million deal.

He is the second notable free-agent pickup for the Reds this offseason, joining infielder Jeimer Candelario. Montas has a career record of 37-35 with a 3.90 ERA and 612 strikeouts.

Montas was a hot commodity at the 2022 trade deadline and the New York Yankees were able to land him. That move did not work out too well for New York as Montas struggled with a 1-3 record and a 6.35 ERA for the remainder of that season before missing the majority of the 2023 season.

Still, Montas is a pitcher with a lot of potential and the low-risk nature of the deal for Cincinnati could be an opportunity for him to revive his career and also help the Reds take the next step.

Cincinnati had an up-and-down 2023 season, but it was a huge step in the right direction. Cincinnati lost 100 games in 2022 but improved to 82-80 last season and was alive in the postseason chase in late September.

However, the Reds looked like contenders to win the weak NL Central in the summer, so falling short of the playoffs was a disappointment from where the team stood at that time.

Still, the team is developing, and adding an arm like Montas could be the key that gets the Reds back to the playoffs.

George Clooney never made it to the Cincinnati Reds despite multiple tryouts, but perhaps he can "save" a franchise legend.

Joey Votto, who is a free agent after 17 years with the Reds, asked the famous actor to save him while comparing free agency to the movie Gravity:

Cincinnati declined Votto's $20 million club option for the 2024 season in November, and he addressed the decision and how important the city is to him in a video message:

There was a time when Votto was one of the best players in the league and surely someone who would have generated plenty of interest in free agency. He took home the 2010 National League MVP and was a six-time All-Star during his time with the Reds. He also led the league in on-base percentage seven different times.

Yet Votto is now 40 years old and coming off a season that saw him play just 65 games because of shoulder issues. He also wasn't exactly dominant in those games while slashing .202/.314/.433 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI for a Reds team that missed the playoffs.

It doesn't seem like many teams are rushing to add him to their roster, although he would be a veteran presence who still showed he had some power last year.

For now, though, he will continue to float on in free agency.