In Goodyear, Arizona, Cincinnati Reds players, coaches, and staff are participating in a team free throw tournament behind their player development complex. The event, organized by catcher Jose Trevino, features one-on-one brackets with distractions allowed to add fun. Manager Terry Francona praised the activity for building team personality.
Every morning behind the Cincinnati Reds' player development complex in Goodyear, Arizona, a basketball hoop serves as a spot for players to shoot before field work. Recently, the area has filled with hooting and hollering as the team holds a free throw tournament for several days. Players, coaches, and staff compete in one-on-one brackets, advancing through rounds in a lighthearted team-building exercise.
Catcher Jose Trevino leads the competition each morning, using a whistle to call players to the court while the entire team watches. Distractions are permitted as long as the shooter is not touched. For instance, earlier in the week, Spencer Steer disrupted Matt McLain's shots with an airhorn and silly string.
Participants have added flair to their turns. Miami native Sal Stewart wore a Dwyane Wade Heat jersey on Friday and made all three shots. The next day, he donned a "Lola Bunny" jersey from "Space Jam." Infielder prospect Leo Balcazar competed in a gorilla suit and defeated pitcher Hunter Greene in one round. "It was really good because I'm trying to do something different," Balcazar said. "It's like keeping pushing that energy in the team. I was trying to shoot it and I won."
Manager Terry Francona went 3-for-3 on his Saturday attempts and endorsed the event. "People might laugh at it on the outside," Francona said on Saturday. "But anything we can do like that – we had 'Reds Got Talent' last year – it’s all good. These guys work their [butts] off. Anything that brings personality to your team is a good thing."
Francona shared his own basketball past, recalling an invitation to an All-Star game between Pittsburgh city All-Stars and Beaver County All-Stars. He scored points while guarding David Kennedy from the University of Cincinnati, noting that everyone else in the game attended a major college except him.