Reds identify Andrew Abbott as staff’s beginning pitcher for Opening Day

FEBRUARY. NEW TONIGHT BOY. IMPRESSIVE REPORTS ALREADY OUT OF RED SPRING TRAINING CAMP ABOUT CINCINNATI’S PITCHING. THIS SEASON. THEY WERE IN IT UNTIL THE FINAL WEEK OF THE YEAR, AND THEY’RE EVEN BETTER THIS YEAR. WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. TEN PLAYERS COMPETING FOR FIVE SPOTS IN THAT STARTING ROTATION. AND TONIGHT IN GOODYEAR, ARIZONA, SPORTS ANCHOR CHARLIE CLIFFORD MEETS WITH LAST SEASON’S STAR ROOKIE ON THE MOUND, ANDREW ABBOTT. WHEN YOU REFLECTED ON ROOKIE YEAR THE RED BEDS ARE BACK. THE WIN STREAK WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THAT RUN. THERE’S A LOT TO ENJOY ABOUT DAD WINNING 12 GAMES STRAIGHT WAS FANTASTIC. UM, YOU KNOW THE FANS, I THINK IT WAS GREAT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF JUST THE SUPPORT THAT CINCINNATI HAS. YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU SEE IT WITH THE BENGALS AND THEN YOU SAW WITH THE REDS DURING THE SEASON, YOU KNOW, A RANDOM TUESDAY GAME GIVES YOU 30,000 PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I NEVER I DON’T EVEN HAVE 30,000 PEOPLE IN MY HOMETOWN. SO LIKE THAT’S THAT’S A LOT. SO, YOU KNOW, IT’S JUST THAT SUPPORT KIND OF IT FEEDS US. IS THERE A STORY NOW THAT ROOKIE SEASON IS PUT TO BED THAT YOU QUIETLY LAUGH ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED BEHIND THE SCENES AS ROOKIE IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL? PROBABLY TOO MANY TO SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT. UM, BARTENDING A FLIGHT TO ANAHEIM. I MEAN, THAT WAS FUN. I LOVED IT, I LOVED THAT KIND OF CAMARADERIE. SO I’M ALL FOR IT. HOW WERE THE TIPS? GREAT. FANTASTIC, ACTUALLY. THE DRINKS. I DON’T THINK THEY WERE THAT GOOD, BUT I GOT TIPPED LIKE THEY WERE GOLD. I SAW SOMETHING VERY COOL. YOU DID THIS OFF SEASON, VIRGINIA PLAYERS WALKING THE LOCKER ROOM. I THINK THERE’S 200 SETS OF CLEATS, SPIKES. YEAH. IT WAS UH, IT’S GOING ON THERE. I DID, UH, I DID ONE SET OF CLEATS FOR THE PLAYERS, AND THEN I DID, UH, TURFS FOR THE COACHES. UM, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO GIVE BACK LAST YEAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY BEING IN THE BIG LEAGUES, YOU KNOW, IT COMES WITH A LOT OF BENEFITS. SO I WAS ABLE TO FINANCIALLY ACTUALLY DO IT. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE GUYS MEANT A LOT TO ME. THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY HELPED ME GET TO THIS SITUATION, YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF INSTILLED A PIECE OF THAT FIRE THAT I KIND OF PITCHED WITH EVERY DAY. HOW MUCH OF YOUR STORY HERE IN CINCINNATI ON FIELD SUCCESS, BUT ULTIMATELY HELPING PEOPLE? THAT’S HUGE. I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO BUY IN WITH THE COMMUNITY YOU’RE AROUND. UM, LIKE I SAID, THE FANS ARE A HUGE PART OF WHO WE ARE AS A TEAM. THE ENERGY WE HAVE, THE DRIVE WE HAVE TO COME TO THE FIELD EXCITED TO GO PLAY BASEBALL. YOU KNOW, THAT’S THAT’S A PART OF US AND YOU KNOW, I’M ALWAYS TRYING TO BE A GOOD FIGURE TO JUST TRY TO EVENTUALLY WHEN I HAVE KIDS OR SOMETHING TO BE LIKE, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU’RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, YOU’RE GOING TO DO IT WELL WITH RESPECT AND EVERYTHING. AND THAT’S WHAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS STRIVE FOR. CHARLIE CLIFFORD IN ARIZONA. AND HE’S GOING TO HAVE REPORTS THROUGHOUT SPRING TRAINING OUT OF ARIZONA COMING UP AT 6:00. HE’S GOING TO TALK WITH ELLI