CINCINNATI -- Hades might not exactly be experiencing a blizzard but social media recorded a seismic shift this week.
Reds radio broadcaster Marty Brennaman has an Instagram account.
Brennaman has been known to rail on various subjects and personalities in and around baseball throughout his previous 41 seasons calling Reds games for 700 WLW and the Reds radio network. One of his favorite targets has been social media. He has had an utter distrust and dislike of it and vowed never to have an account.
"Everybody knows what my position is on social media," said Brennaman Thursday morning at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum as the team's annual caravan was about to kick off. "Now I've got to eat my words."
Marty's career has been one that includes winning the Ford C. Frick from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, a 2005 induction into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame and induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame that same year. He's gathered quite a few accolades over the years as the voice of the Reds. He's opinionated and rather straightforward, characteristics that have made him beloved by many listeners while also turning others away.
No matter one's feeling about Brennaman, he could never be accused of being phony.
So why the change of heart? Why start an Instagram account? Flip-flopper?
Part of the reason is promotional with one of the Reds radio networks' long-time sponsors, Richter & Phillips Co. The bigger reason is Amanda Brennaman, Marty's wife.
"The valid reason I am on Instagram, or social media which I never dreamed that I would do in my life, is that my wife is working with one of our radio sponsors -- Richter and Phillips Jewelers -- to put together a pendent that fans will be able to register for over the course of the season. It's going to be a very nice, a very expensive pendent," said Brennaman. "(Amanda) came home from a meeting and said 'I've got a favor to ask of you.' Then she started and I said 'Not a chance. That is not happening.'"
Of course, it did happen.
Brennaman's account opened for operation on Jan. 20. His first photo was of him and Amanda.
He's adding photos by the day, including from Tuesday's Reds annual luncheon with radio affiliates and his travels with the caravan. He's learning as he goes.
"She's very strong," said Marty of his wife's influence over him. "I'm still not fully comfortable with how that thing operates. I took a picture yesterday of Seg (Dennison) and Jim Kelch and I cut their heads off and I put it on Instagram. Then I go back and do it again."
