![\"Kyle](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6YJGZO4PZJDY3ELHGIHOAWAG7A.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nThe first two batters reach, and up steps Kyle Schwarber, whom the Reds obtained in the off-season. His first mighty swing sends the baseball over the right-field fence, beyond the frenzy fans and bounces into the Ohio River.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the first of many \u201cSchwarber Splashes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reds 9, Cardinals 8. Drive home safe, fans.<\/p>\n
Nice dream, huh?<\/p>\n
But could it become a reality? Could the Reds outbid the other suitors and convince Schwarber, 32, a 2011 Middletown High School graduate, to return to his hometown?<\/p>\n
Even some of those who know Schwarber the best can\u2019t imagine the Reds investing the massive money needed to sign the power-hitting designated hitter.<\/p>\n
Mark Kerns, a retired MHS coach and teacher and one of the most optimistic people I know, said he sometimes lets his mind envision Schwarber in a Reds uniform.<\/p>\n
Then his mind breaks his heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cI regret it,\u201d he said. \u201cRealistically, it would be slim. History tells me no.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ron Groh, who coached Schwarber through his seasons playing with Middie Pride, a traveling baseball team, called signing Schwarber \u201ca big dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
That quickly the dream ends.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Reds don\u2019t have enough money,\u201d Groh said. \u201cBut I can still dream, I can still hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Schwarber\u2019s 10 Major League Baseball seasons, his teams have qualified for the playoffs nine times, including a 2016 World Series title with the Chicago Cubs, the team that drafted him in the first round out of Indiana University.<\/p>\n
Sure, he has played on some good, big-market teams, but many of his teammates have said he was the difference in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n
Groh sees the same thing from a distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t care who gets the glory,\u201d he said. \u201cHe wants to win. \u2018Whatever it takes\u2019 was our motto with Middie Pride. He learned that then and he still believes that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Four years ago, Schwarber, who had played with the Cubs, Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, signed a $79 million, four-year deal with the Phillies.<\/p>\n
That deal is about to expire and Schwarber, having a career year in the prime of his baseball life, could became a free agent.<\/p>\n
Let the bidding begin.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho will give me $75 million? Thanks Phils. OK, who will give me $85 million? Thanks Yanks. Do I hear $100 million?\u201d<\/p>\n
Who knows how much Schwarber\u2019s services will bring, especially if he continues hitting and the Phillies continue winning. Schwarber has been mentioned as a possible National League MVP.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Credit: David Jablonski<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Credit: David Jablonski<\/p>\n
He\u2019s hitting .249 with 43 homers and a league-leading 103 RBIs through games earlier this week.<\/p>\n
So every time a microphone is shoved in his bearded face, someone asks Schwarber about his future plans. <\/p>\n
He told the USA Today: \u201cWhen I first came into the big leagues with the Cubs, even when you make the playoffs and win the World Series the next year you think, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m gonna be here for forever. We\u2019re gonna be here for forever. We\u2019ve got such a great core.\u2019 <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then the business side happens, right? I think as a player, you want to make an impression, a lasting impression on a fan base and an organization. And I don\u2019t think that\u2019s something you take lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope I did it in Chicago. I hope I did it in Washington and Boston, for a short amount of time. And I hope, if this is it after the year, that I did that here.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has occasionally discussed the possibility of playing for the Reds.<\/p>\n
Schwarber told a reporter from The Athletic: \u201cI\u2019ve always said that at some point in your career, if you would ask the childhood Kyle what team you\u2019d like to play for, it would be Cincinnati,\u201d Schwarber said. \u201cI think those are natural thoughts, that it would be appealing. But you never know what happens in free agency. Going through it a couple of times now, it\u2019s an interesting scenario.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then during All-Star festivities, Schwarber shared his thoughts on signing with the Reds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019re young, they made some moves at the deadline, made some trades for some pieces that will be here for a while too,\u201d Schwarber to the Philadelphia Inquirer. \u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of things that Cincinnati should be happy about. I think the future here would be bright for them. Obviously (Terry Francona) is over there now, he\u2019s a guy who\u2019s had a lot of winning experience … there\u2019s a lot of things that are looking up here in Cincinnati.\u201d<\/p>\n
One day, hopefully soon, when the Reds fans look up, they will see a baseball off Schwarber\u2019s bat heading toward the river.<\/p>\n
Columnist Rick McCrabb writes about local people and events every Sunday. If you have an idea for a story, contact him at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first two batters reach, and up steps Kyle Schwarber, whom the Reds obtained in the off-season. His…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":111108,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[1558,363,2008,99],"class_list":["post-111107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-baseball","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-baseball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}