CINCINNATI TOGETHER EACH YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR IS A LITTLE MORE SPECIAL FOR ONE PLAYER ON THE TEAM IN PARTICULAR, IT’S A HOMECOMING FOR ONE OF THE REDS CATCHERS. LUKE MALEY. WLWT NEWS 5 MEREDITH STUTZ IS LIVE IN GREAT AMERICAN BALLPARK FOR US WITH WHAT IT MEANS FOR HIM AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY PULLING FOR HIM. MEREDITH OH YES, WHAT AN EXCITING DAY FOR SO MANY PEOPLE. OF COURSE. HAPPY OPENING DAY EVERYONE FROM GREAT AMERICAN BALLPARK. IT’S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. AND THIS MORNING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LUKE MALY. HE COMES FROM EDGEWOOD, KENTUCKY, AND GRADUATED FROM COVINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. THAT’S ABOUT AS LOCAL AS YOU CAN GET. NOW, HE WAS TRADED TO THE REDS AS A PART OF A DEAL IN NOVEMBER FROM CLEVELAND. AND AS HE IS PREPARING FOR OPENING DAY AND OPENING WEEK HERE IN CINCINNATI, HE COMMENTED THAT, HEY, IT IS VERY COOL TO BE BACK HOME, BUT ALSO KNOWS THAT THERE’S A JOB TO DO. AND BEING VERY, VERY CAREFUL TO TREAT IT LIKE ANY OTHER SEASON BECAUSE THIS ISN’T LIKE A HOMECOMING. JOY. RIGHT? I MEAN, I’M HERE TO WIN GAMES, RIGHT? SO THURSDAY IS GOING TO BE COOL. I’M GOING TO EMBRACE IT. AND THEN WE’RE GOING TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT MENTALITY, NO SURPRISE AT LUKE’S OWN MATER, COVINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL LUKE GRADUATED 2009 AND WAS AN ABSOLUTE FORCE ON THE FIELD. FIRST AS A CATCHER, BUT ALSO AS A PITCHER. HOW ABOUT THAT? HE WAS NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR, ALONG WITH SETTING MANY RECORDS FOR RBI EYES AND HOME RUNS, JUST TO NAME A FEW. HIS COACH, BILL CRUMBLE BACK, CALLED LUKE THE GREATEST NORTHERN KENTUCKY PLAYER HE’S EVER SEEN IN HIS NEARLY 50 YEARS A CUP CAP. HE DESCRIBES LUKE AS AN OUTSTANDINGLY DEDICATED PLAYER AND SOMEONE HIS CURRENT PLAYERS STILL REVERE. ESPECIALLY NOW THAT LUKE IS BACK HOME. WELL, WE CERTAINLY HAVE AN OUTSTANDING CATCHER RIGHT NOW, AND HE LUKE’S LOOKS UP TO LUKE. AND OUR PLAYERS ARE VERY EXCITED TO GO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND, YOU KNOW, LUKE WILL BE BACK TO TALK TO OUR TEAM AND HELP OUR TEAM OUT WHEN THAT OPPORTUNITY ARISES. AND, YOU KNOW, HE’S A PART OF THIS PROGRAM. HE’S A COLONEL FOREVER. ISN’T THAT GREAT? EVEN AS HE MOVES FORWARD IN HIS CAREER, COMING BACK HOME. ALWAYS GETTING BACK TO HIS ROOTS AT CUB CASTLE. YOU CAN CATCH LUKE MAINLY IN HIS CATCHER’S GEAR, BUT ALSO WEARING THAT NUMBER, 22 REDS JERSEY THIS SEASON HERE AT GREAT AMERICAN BALLPA