8 Questions with Xavier (and Reds) Photographer Greg Rust
Jul 20, 2020
On the cusp of a new season, he’s one of the few people who will actually get to see the Redlegs in person
Greg Rust has seen a lot in his 40 years as a photographer.
As Director of Photography, he’s chronicled the evolution and growth of Xavier. He's also shot 25 years of Cincinnati Bengals games as the official team photographer. And, in 1990, he began shooting as the official photographer for the Cincinnati Reds baseball club.
This week he’ll begin his 30th season making pictures for the team at Great American Ballpark, and when the Reds start their season this Opening Night, only about 35 working media will be there to see it due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Rust will be one of them.
This year, we catch up with Greg to kick off the season, and we ask him about his time with the team.
How’d you get started with the gig?
I loved baseball – always did. It was my favorite sport and it still is. In 1990, I was friends with the Reds photographer and he called me one day and said he was leaving, so he said I should start working on them if I wanted the job. So eventually, the public relations people called me and I interviewed with them, and that went well. Then, ultimately, I interviewed with owner Marge Schott. She was there to approve me because she was such a micromanager. But I wasn't intimidated. I was in my early-30s and I had a job with Xavier. I didn’t have anything to lose. But I wanted the job because I was such a phenomenal Reds fan. Ultimately, I won her over and she and I forged a good relationship. I learned early on with her — you talked kids and animals. I had a horse and I’d just had a baby. So whenever I saw her, we always talked kids and animals and she liked me for that.
What is your favorite on-field memory?
Jay Bruce with the walk-off homer to clinch the division in 2010. The most fun was being in the clubhouse when they celebrate, and getting drenched with champagne. After Bruce's home run, I had to totally refurbish a lens because Homer Bailey opened a 24-ounce beer and sprayed it directly on me. Of course, Todd Frazier’s Home Run Derby in 2015 was pretty special. So you might wonder why I didn't say the World Series in 1990. Well, the World Series was kind of funny, because the Reds were in Oakland. I had a press pass, of course, but I was told I had to pay my own airfare and hotel, and I didn’t have the money for that. But I wasn't worried about it. We weren’t supposed to win, so I thought we'd lose a game or two and come back home and finish the series here. So as it turns out, I wasn't on the field when we won (laughs).
Who would be your favorite player and manager?
Sean Casey and Todd Frazier are my favorite players. Sean is the nicest human being I’ve ever met in my entire life and Todd is one step behind him. My youngest daughter took a liking to Sean, and when she was 5 or 6, he would give her signed baseball cards. One time he picked up a game-used bat and signed it for her. That’s the kind of guy he was. And Todd is just one step behind. Dusty Baker is my man, too. I was in his office one day, and he had a painting of a Native American on his office wall. It was the Shawnee warrior Tecumseh, and Dusty gave me a book about him to read. I have friends in the Cheyenne Nation, Dusty gave me a bunch of autographed balls for them. Turns out Dusty has Native-American blood on both sides, so we bonded over that. We went out West and visited my friends together, and we’ve cruised Yellowstone together and even gone fishing in Montana. He’s turned into a true friend.
Favorite picture you’ve taken?
It's from Opening Day 1992 — Manager Lou Pinella is getting interviewed by journalist Greg Hoard, who is leaning on the butt of an elephant. Lou is blowing a bubble, and it’s hilarious because it summed up those early years of chaos. It was just who we were. It was a circus. Runner-up would be Joey Votto’s walk-off grand slam on Mother’s Day in 2012 — it was a classic celebration shot and he liked it so much he had it blown up.
Why is Opening Day (or night) in Cincinnati so special?
The Reds were the first Major League team — so we’re always the first game to start the season. Now it’s changed with TV, just recently. But it became like a holiday, and because of that we always have the eyes of the world on us. That's just the way it’s been — Opening Day here is like nowhere else. And when Marge was here, they would get animals from the zoo, like elephants, which made fairly routine appearances at Reds Opening Day around that time. It just sums up what those early years were like.
What’s it like to shoot without fans in the stadium?
I’ve done it once so far and it was not bad. They pipe in sound — that murmur you hear throughout a crowd. Just sound. And they have somebody working the soundboard where people cheer when someone gets a hit. It’s just like watching a game. Photographers, like ballplayers, don’t listen to fans. Sometimes the crowd will harass you, but you’re focused on the action in front of you. Not having a crowd doesn't feel any different than a regular game — until you look around and you don't see anybody in the stands.
How do you go about your job differently because of COVID?
We’re just restricted to a certain area, but the camera angle isn’t too bad. We’re 10-12 rows back behind the dugout, so when you shoot, it's good because you’re not getting a whole lot of empty seats. My job is to market baseball through my photos, and that’s hard to do when there’s no one in the stands.
What is your prediction of how the Reds will fare this season?
On paper, it’s one of the best teams we’ve had in years, and that’s all I can say about it. The Reds have invested in some excellent players for this year. But whoever wins this year is going to have a big asterisk next to their name.
BONUS: Lastly, you have a World Series ring from your first year — 1990. Were you surprised Marge Schott let you have one, and where do you keep it?
You had to have someone put you on the list for rings, so the PR man who basically hired me got me on the list. After they gave the rings to every player, Marge came down the hall and gave mine to me. That was a very exciting day. I still wear it on special occasions but it stays in a safety deposit box. That’s my most cherished possession — how could it get any better for a Reds fan? You’re part of the team, and the Reds have always made me feel a part of it.
By Ryan Clark, Office of Marketing and Communications