Robert Castellini

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Robert Castellini is an American businessman from Cincinnati, Ohio and on January,19, 2006 he became the Chief Executive Officer of the Cincinnati Reds, leading a group that purchased a majority share of the franchise from previous CEO Carl Lindner, Jr..

Castellini is the president of Castellini Co., a fruit and vegetable wholesaler.

[edit] Background

Castellini earned a degree in economics from Georgetown University in 1967. He went on to earn his MBA from Wharton School. After graduating from Georgetown, Castellini became executive vice-president at the Castellini Group of Companies, and then in 1970 became president of the company until 1992. In January, 2006, Castellini was the head of a group who purchased the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. Castellini has been involved in baseball for over 30 years and once had a minor ownership stake in the Reds until it was sold in 1984. In 1989 he became a partner in the Texas Rangers and in 1993, the Baltimore Orioles. Castellini describes himself as a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Reds.

[edit] Ownership of the Reds

After the 2005 season, the Reds had endured 5 consecutive losing seasons, their longest such streak in 50 years, under the ownership of Castellini's father-in-law Carl Lindner. Castellini led a group that purchased the Reds from Lindner for $270 million, and in January, 2006, Castellini was named the CEO of the franchise. Castellini quickly became very popular with Reds fans due to his dedication to winning and down to earth approach, as well as his highly effective rhetoric. One of Castellini's first moves as CEO was the firing of unpopular General Manager Dan O'Brien on January 23, 2006. Wayne Krivsky accepted the position from Castellini on February 8, 2006. Castellini became known for his demand for winning baseball. He implemented a number of ticket specials for fans during the season to pack Great American Ballpark during key series and was very open with the fans and players about the workings of the front office. The Reds were more competitive in 2006, finishing in 3rd place in the NL Central at 80-82. In the winter of 2006, Castellini introduced new uniforms, emphasizing his value of the tradition the Cincinnati Reds hold.