On Monday night, Nick Castellanos stepped up to bat in Great American Ball Park like he had done hundreds of times before. But this time, the right fielder didn't wear the Cincinnati Reds uniform he donned during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Castellanos was a Philadelphia Philly.
Didn't matter. Cincinnati fans cheered him on anyway.
"He's always our favorite, it doesn't matter what team he's on," says Loveland native Katie Holtman, who brought her son, Parker, to the game to see Castellanos, his favorite player, for Parker's 4th birthday. The Holtmans were dressed in Reds gear, but held up a sign that read: "We miss you Nick" and "No.