Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Dates for the 2011 Reds Caravan will run Jan. 27-30, including a stop in Lexington on Jan. 30.

The Caravan — the Cincinnati Reds’ annual off-season goodwill tour — is scheduled to make 15 stops in four states over four days. The 2,600-mile-plus circuit will be split among three separate tours traveling simultaneously through Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia.

All stops are open to the public at no charge. Caravan participants will field questions and, time permitting, sign autographs. At each stop, the Reds will raffle off two tickets to the March 31 Opening Day game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Jay Bruce

Lexington is the final stop on what is billed as the Southern Tour. The Lexington visit is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 30, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at The Shops at Lexington Center.

Southern Tour participants include outfielder Jay Bruce (Saturday and Sunday only); Yasmani Grandal, 2010 first-round draft pick; Tom Browning, Reds Hall of Fame pitcher; Jim Kelch, broadcaster; Walt Jocketty, president of baseball operations and general manager; Phil Castellini, chief operating officer; and mascot Mr. Redlegs.

Before coming to Lexington, the Southern Tour will visit: Charleston (W.Va.) Town Center, 3:30-5:15 p.m., Jan. 27; Fannin Motors, Ashland, 7-9 p.m., Jan. 27; Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Jan. 29; and Greenwood Mall, Bowling Green, 3:30-5:30 CST, Jan. 29.

Western Tour participants include all-star second baseman Brandon Phillips; Devin Mesoraco, Reds Minor League Player of the Year; Marty Brennaman, Hall of Fame broadcaster; Bob Miller, vice president and assistant general manager; and mascot Gapper. Also, pitcher Matt Maloney will be on hand in Louisville.

The full Western Tour: Louisville Slugger Field, 6-8:30 p.m., Jan. 27; College Mall, Bloomington, Ind., 5-7:30 p.m., Jan. 28; Castleton Square Mall, Indianapolis, 10 a.m.-noon, Jan. 29; Stoops Automotive, Muncie, Ind., 6:30-9 p.m., Jan. 29; and Parrish Auditorium, Miami University-Hamilton, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Jan. 30.

The Northern Tour cast includes Manager Dusty Baker; pitchers Travis Wood (Thursday and Friday) and Homer Bailey (Saturday and Sunday); Jeff Brantley, broadcaster; Todd Frazier, minor leaguer; and mascot Rosie Red.

The Northern Tour: The Market on State, Athens, Ohio, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jan. 27; Grand Central Mall, Parkersburg, W.Va., 4:30-7 p.m., Jan. 28; National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (limited seating), 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Jan. 29; Lima (Ohio) Mall, 3-5 p.m., Jan. 29; and Polaris Fashion Place, Columbus, Ohio, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Jan. 30.

See reds.com/caravan for updates, maps and photos.

Had a chance to talk with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman when the Cincinnati Reds Caravan visited Lexington on Saturday.

Always delightful, Brennaman usually is optimistic at Caravan time.

Here’s some of what he had to say about the 2009 Reds.

Brennaman

“I’m optimistic. I know this time last year I was, and I was dead wrong about the team. Everybody seemed to be as one last year that they were going to be better. Now, fast-forward to a year later, I’m still optimistic, and a lot of the people become naysayers. It’s going to be interesting.

“I think they improved themselves behind the plate in Ramon Hernandez. I think they improved themselves in center field with Willy Taveras. They picked up a situational left-hander in Arthur Rhodes, who will help the bullpen.

“I think you have to look at this division before making some type of prediction. If the Cubs have improved themselves — and I’m not so sure they have — (and) if they are able now to go out and get (pitcher) Jake Peavy before the season begins, they will separate themselves even more from the rest of the division. But if you assume they’ve helped themselves. The only other team in this division who I think has (improved) has been the Reds. I don’t think Milwaukee has, Houston has, St. Louis has or Pittsburgh.

“It’s a different team from what we’ve been watching for the last however-many years because it’s a team that’s going to rely pretty much on pitching, defense and speed, and not feature the big home-run bats that they’ve been noted for all these (recent) years. They go into Great American Ball Park, and the park was built to take advantage of the power of Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. And it didn’t work out. So they’re going to strike off in a different direction, and I agree with that 100 percent.”

Read more from Marty in Sunday’s Herald-Leader.