February 6, 2015
The 2014 Cincinnati Reds struggled under first year manager Bryan Price and finished with a disappointing 76-86 record. Part of Cincinnati’s struggles were tied to a quad injury suffered by first baseman Joey Votto and a facial fracture to closer Aroldis Chapman. Votto, who only appeared in 62 games, is a perennial National League MVP candidate and is bankable for .300 batting average and .400 on-base percentage when healthy. Third baseman Todd Frazier stepped up in Votto’s absence to lead the team in hits (163), home runs (29), and RBIs (80). Votto’s return will have residual effects in Cincinnati’s lineup as leadoff hitter Billy Hamilton will have more opportunities to score runs and steal bases. Chapman suffered a gruesome facial fracture during Spring Training, but returned and posted another solid season. Chapman saved 36 games and struck out 106 hitters in 54 innings. Cincinnati is hoping for another Cy Young-like performance from its ace, Johnny Cueto. Last season, Cueto went 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA. Cueto struck out 242 hitters in 243 innings.
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On TicketIQ, the average price on the secondary market for Reds Opening Day tickets is $225.38 while the get-in price is $95. Ticket prices for Opening Day 2015 are the highest over the last five Opening Days at the Great American Ballpark.
| Year |
Opponent |
Avg Price |
Get-in Price |
| 2015 |
PIT |
$225.38 |
$95.00 |
| 2014 |
STL |
$156.25 |
$40.00 |
| 2013 |
LAA |
$187.18 |
$83.00 |
| 2012 |
MIA |
$171.86 |
$69.00 |
| 2011 |
MIL |
$164.67 |
$65.00 |
| 2010 |
STL |
$147.20 |
$56.00 |
The higher ticket prices are linked to Cincinnati’s rivalry with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over the last few seasons, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have taken turns competing against perennial division champion, the St. Louis Cardinals. Big seasons from Votto and Cueto are keys to a playoff berth. Fans can only hope that Price learned a few valuable lessons regarding lineup structure and bullpen management during his first season as manager.
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