C. Notes: Brady Singer's Florida Gators reunion, what players do with giveaway items

New York Times

27-05-2025

A total of 61 scouts representing all 30 MLB teams were at the University of Florida's Perry Field for the showdown between the Gators' Brady Singer and Auburn University's Casey Mize in April 2018.
Mize was the consensus No. 1 prospect in that year's draft and Singer was expected to go in the top 10.
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Among those in attendance were Dick Williams and Chris Buckley, the two members of the Cincinnati Reds' front office who would decide which player the team would take with the fifth pick that year. At the time, Williams was the team's president of baseball operations and Buckley was the director of amateur scouting.
Mize, who would indeed be taken No. 1 by the Detroit Tigers two months later, struck out 10 in seven innings, while Singer struck out eight in seven innings.
But it was Jonathan India who would steal the show, hitting a two-run home run off of Mize in the first inning to lead the Gators to a 3-2 victory over the Tigers.
'Off his splitter, cutter, whatever it was, it was something soft,' India recalled this spring. 'Line drive to left. It was a good one.'
Brady trying to put on a show, works a 1-2-3 first inning in front of the 6️⃣1️⃣ scouts we had check in for tonight's game.
Lots of 👀👀 on this matchup. #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/RdbJCoYIx8
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 26, 2018
India said he remembered seeing a row of radar guns behind the plate from his spot at third base, but he wasn't surprised. It may have been the most scouts he'd seen at the Gators' home field, but he was used to seeing a group of middle-aged men in polo shirts, khakis, hats and sunglasses pointing radar guns at the mound.
'They prepare you for that to begin with,' India said. 'Florida did a good job of disciplining you and telling you why they're doing it.'
After the game, Williams and Buckley went out to get drinks and India and his family happened to be at the table next to theirs. The Reds' contingent talked with India and his parents that night, a bonus for their scouting report.
That night, India went from a potential first-round pick to a player the Reds would take with the fifth pick in the draft. Singer would go to the Royals with the 18th pick that year.
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The two Gators have remained friends over the years and Singer knew the Royals had interest in acquiring India the last few years, so there was a hope that the two would be teammates again. While India is now a Royal, Singer is a Red. The two friends were traded for each other last November.
'It's insane,' India said this spring. 'He was trying to get me over here. When they traded for me for him, he couldn't believe it.'
The two friends will face off again Tuesday night in Kansas City. India has faced off against Singer six times, with a pair of singles, a walk and no strikeouts.
Every time the Reds have a giveaway item, players will find two of the items on the chair in front of their locker when they come to the ballpark. So what do they do with them?
'When I got a bobblehead, I got a ton of them because my parents wanted them,' utilityman Spencer Steer said. 'My family wants all of that stuff.'
Last year, the Reds gave away a Steer bobblehead, something everyone in his family wanted.
'It's weird, honestly,' Steer said. 'I dreamed of playing in the big leagues, but I never dreamed of having a bobblehead. It's kind of a weird moment, but cool for sure.'
Steer's twin brother is a big Star Wars fan, so he made sure to give him one of the Clone Trooper bobbleheads the team gave away for Star Wars night earlier this month.
Last year, the Reds also gave away replica jerseys with Steer's name and number.
'I just send a big box of that stuff home,' Steer said. 'It's like Christmas in summer.'
Closer Emilio Pagán has an office at home and he likes to group the bobbleheads together from the six different teams he's played on.
The rest of the giveaways go to family, friends or kids at church in Charlotte, N.C., where he lives in the offseason.
Unlike Steer, Pagán has never had his own bobblehead. While he's closing games for the Reds this year, middle relievers rarely get honored with bobbleheads.
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'I've never had one. It'd be sick to have one,' Pagán said, 'but I'm not going to hold my breath on it.'
Coming off a sweep of the Cleveland Guardians, the Reds dropped two of three in Pittsburgh against the last-place Pirates and lost two of three to the first-place Chicago Cubs after the bullpen couldn't hold on to late leads. The Reds bounced back with a holiday victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.
The Reds will finish their series in Kansas City on Wednesday before a day off Thursday, then a chance to gain ground against the Cubs in a weekend series at Wrigley Field.
• OF Jake Fraley (left calf tenderness) started his rehab assignment Sunday with the Triple-A Louisville Bats. Fraley was 0 for 4 Saturday with a strikeout and 1 for 4 with a home run on Sunday.
• IF Christian Encarnacion-Strand (low back inflammation) started his rehab assignment Sunday with Louisville, with a double and walk in four plate appearances.
• IF Noelvi Marte (left oblique strain) was expected to have an MRI on Tuesday. Originally scheduled for next week, the MRI was moved up because of the progress he's made.
• LHP Wade Miley (Tommy John surgery) gave up four runs on five innings, recording just two outs on 29 pitches. Last Tuesday, he threw a rain-shortened, five-inning shutout with two hits.
• RHP Rhett Lowder (right forearm strain, left oblique strain) had his rehab assignment paused after injuring his oblique last week. Lowder has been shut down completely for a couple of weeks and said it was too early for any kind of timeline, but he would not return soon.
Urbaez drives in CES to bring us within two! pic.twitter.com/t8h1bfHWjM
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) May 25, 2025
• Triple-A Louisville (24-26): 2B Francisco Urbaez had two hits Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Urbaez, 27, is hitting .323/.369/.457. Not only has he hit in 13 straight, he's had multiple hits in each of his last five games and in six of the last seven.
• Double-A Chattanooga (22-22): RHP Chase Burns faced the Rocket City Trash Pandas twice last week, beating them both times. In both games, he went five innings and allowed a run. On Tuesday, he allowed two hits, one homer, and struck out seven with a walk. Sunday, he allowed three hits, struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter. Since being promoted to Chattanooga, Burns is 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA, 45 strikeouts and three walks over 29 innings over six starts.
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• High-A Dayton (17-28): RHP Easton Sikorski is 2-1 with a 0.75 ERA in 12 appearances out of the bullpen, including five saves. Over his 24 innings, he's allowed just two earned runs (five total) with 36 strikeouts and five walks.
• Class-A Daytona (20-25): RHP Cole Schoenwetter struck out eight in four innings in Sunday's win. A fourth-round pick in 2023, Schoenwetter is 0-3 with a 7.90; while he has struck out 30 batters in 24 2/3 innings, he's also walked 27.
(Photo of Brady Singer: Denny Medley / Imagn Images)