Moose ready to 'bring a championship back'

CINCINNATI -- Newly signed Reds second baseman Mike Moustakas has been through his share of media scrutiny over the course of his career. He was in the national spotlight for several years as part of the Royals' nucleus that won the World Series in 2015, and later, he proved to be a valuable addition to a Brewers club that has had strung together postseason pushes in more recent times.

So answering questions, in bulk, from inquiring minds is nothing new to the newest member of the Reds' infield. It's fair to assume, however, his question-and-answer session on Friday will stand out as unique he's experienced as a Major Leaguer.

Presumably, Moustakas has not been asked on a regular basis in the past if he feels terrible when he goes home at night because "Moooooose" and "Boooooo" sound so similar that it's hard to tell what fans are yelling. It's also safe to say he's rarely asked about his favorite color, movie and musical group. Leave it to the kids to get right down to business, which they did, during the always-entertaining Kids Only Press Conference, a staple of Redsfest every year.

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The half-hour session, which took place on the main stage at Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, gave fans of all ages a glimpse into Moustakas's personality. But there was one big caveat -- only the tiny tots got to ask the questions.

For the record, Moustakas's favorite color is (obviously) red. His favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers, his favorite movie is Top Gun and his biggest inspiration in his life is his dad.

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And what about that "Mooooooose" chant that might be mistaken for something else slightly less pleasant?

"It's actually really nice," Moustakas said to an inquiring young fan, "because you can't tell if they're booing you."

Redsfest, a two-day baseball extravaganza attended every year by scores of current players and coaches as well as stars from Reds eras from the past, was Moustakas's first introduction to a loyal but postseason-starved Cincinnati fanbase that has been energized by the signing of the veteran infielder.

"It's been awesome," Moustakas said. "Being able to come over here and hang out with the fans ... fanfests are cool. I haven't been able to do this the last couple of years, so to be able to come out here and interact with fans is really awesome."

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As he was led around by Reds employees from station to station -- first to do a radio spot with the Reds' flagship station, then for the Kids Only Press Conference, then more autograph and photo sessions -- Moustakas was greeted with enthusiastic well-wishes from fans eager to welcome him to Cincinnati. Having started his career in Kansas City, also a Midwestern town and a modest sports market, Moustakas is able see the similarities between his first team and his new one.

“You can see how passionate these fans are, how much they want to have a winner in the city,” he said.

Moustakas hopes to do his part to deliver.

"You can tell how much fun and how much love they have for this team," Moustakas said. "It's not just with me, it's with every player that walks by. It's really cool to have that reception, have that love with the fans.

"There's people out there that have been Cincinnati Reds fans longer than anyone on this team has been a Cincinnati Red. It's been pretty cool see that and go out there and do whatever we can to go out there and bring a championship back."