Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson had an impressive debut in 2008, hitting .304/.413/.608 with six home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games. This off-season, he's not only working on his game but also on bigger issues.

As a member of the Class AAA Louisville Bats last season, Dickerson noticed how many paper cups the team went through during a game and did something about it, getting a sponsorship with SIGG bottles for each team and staff member to avoid wasting so much paper.

Now with the Reds, he's expanded the program to the big leagues. Dickerson and Astros pitcher Jack Cassel, a long-time friend, started their own company WePlayGreen.Org to help use their status as athletes to bring attention to environmental issues.WePlayGreen.Org went live on Monday and Dickerson did a Q&A with Clear Channel writer C. Trent Rosecrans.

CTR: Well, Chris, you launched WePlayGreen.Org -- what's the idea behind this and how long have you been planning this?

CD: The idea behind it is, we want to use professional athletes that are green-conscious to help raise awareness to fans about the importance of going green and to little by little implement eco-friendly ways of going about their own lives. I originally got started on the whole subject in the fall last year. I started watching documentaries and reading articles and different literature on the subject. I continued on with that in into the season, which led to me starting the recycling initiative in the locker room. The company itself was a result of the positive response I received from the front office and friends after the many articles came about with what I started. I then got called up to the Big Leagues and noticed that I had already acquired a couple of fan clubs. On the cardboard signs was the recycling symbol. It then got me thinking that fans do care about this and I felt that I could reach out to them as well as the other Major League teams.

CTR: I know you started this in the minors, what was the response like there?

CD: If was tough to get the guys into at first, but they came around soon enough. However, I think it had a big impact on the Bats, as they were looking to make a green impression for some years but the funding was cut short. I'm glad to say that now that I have departed, the entire stadium and front office are all GREEN. I like to think I played a part, but who knows?
 
CTR: Was the response any different when you got to the big leagues? And how long did you wait before you started talking to the guys about wanting to do that in the big leagues?

CD: I didn't say a word, I was just overwhelmed at that point and wanted to focus on playing baseball and stay out of the veterans' hair, so I kept quiet. Michael Anderson from the Reds' PR department approached me one day and told me that the exposure of this initiative had gotten back to SIGG. They wanted to donate 50 bottles to the team. Being so late in the year I thought it would be best to hold into next season so I would have time to introduce the initiative and get a feel if it would in fact be successful for the guys in the clubhouse. I am positive it will be.

CTR: Have you always been interested in environmental causes, or was there some sort of catalyst for this?

CD: Growing up in California I was always aware of the environmental issues that face our planet -- pollution of the ocean, air quality of Los Angeles, and recycling. When I was younger we had multiple bins in the house. A yellow box for recycling newspapers, blue trash can for recycling plastic and glass, green trash can for recycling any of the grass clippings and yard work, and a black trash can for general waste.

As I got older, I would take great interest in problems like the O-Zone layer and the "thing" they called global warming, but after I watched, "An Inconvenient Truth" I saw the severity of the problem and felt I could do something about it.

CTR: I know a big part of this was replacing paper cups and plastic bottles with reusable bottles and you've even secured sponsorship, it seems like a big part of the old saying, "think globally, act locally" -- what's the next task that you see in a baseball dugout and clubhouse?

CD: Besides the guys using their bottles during the game, I am hoping that we can work some type of system where we can have a recycling bin available for the grounds crews to sweep up and sort the paper cups and plastic bottles that are used during the game.

CTR: How'd you get hooked up with SIGG? Were you out working and calling companies?

CD: Through my research and an odd sequence of events, almost like Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, something or someone was trying to say something to me. One day at the airport, I saw the Time magazine's special environmental issue, "How to Win The War On Global Warming." Two days later a commercial involving a woman going to bed with a bottles of water, with the captions indicating that most people have a bottle of water by their bedside for a comfortable sleep. This caption read, "8 hours of good sleep". The next caption for the water bottle read, "=1,000 years in a landfill". I couldn't believe that it took that long to break down. Through research I found that even when the bottles does break down it emits carbon emissions back into the atmosphere, thus increasing greenhouse gasses. The following week in the airport I picked the month's issue of GQ and the first page I flip to is an ad for SIGG water bottles, Swiss engineered reusable water bottles, sleek aluminum, and tough as nails. This got me thinking, "How much plastic use can we reduce if we used these on a daily basis?". I sent a press inquiry to the company through their website letting them know what I was trying to accomplish, and if they would be willing to help by donating bottles for the team. Unfortunately, they were limited edition bottles that were designed by the Stop Global Warming Foundation. The proceeds from the bottles were to given to this fund and would not be able to be donated. This email was then passed to the upper management. They responded that they loved my efforts and would love to help in any way possible. A week later they sent 35 bottles, one for every player, coach, and staff member. The wheels were in motion. With all the success and the great response of the bottles and the initiative both SIGG and I agreed that this would be a great partnership, here we are, WEPLAYGREEN and SIGG in the battle against greenhouse gasses.

CTR: What are some of your immediate goals for this company?

CD: Immediate goals are to outfit all the Major League teams with the bottles as an alternative to using plastic. Working in conjunction with the efforts of the NRDC (Natural Resource Defense Council) to green baseball.

* Encourage kids and the community that support these teams to implement green methods into their own lifestyles. Reusable shopping bags, changing their light bulbs, recycling, taking the train, or riding one of the city's hybrid buses that are being rolled out all over the country.

Through our High School and University section: Encourage colleges and universities to follow weplaygreen's initiative to "greening" the fields of play and it's facilities.

* Encourage young athletes to start making a change for themselves, on the field, in their own lockerooms and dugouts. Doing projects in the classroom as well as extracurricular activities that involve eco-friendly causes.

* Recycling drives

* Recycling in the cafeteria and recycling their old sports equipment.

* We will also be putting an emphasis on literacy and writing composition when submitting their successful initiatives and explaining why  doing something for the environment is important.

We also have a donate section where fan and companies and can donate to the cause, as well will turn it back around and provide local high school and university athletic programs with recycling bins and reusable water bottles.

CTR:  What are the differences you've seen in the attitude toward environmental concerns in your Southern California home and here in Cincinnati?

CD: Like I said before, California has always been leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the country as far as environmental policy. 15 years ago there were recycling bins in front of everyone's house. Today, Toyota Priuses are popping up all over the place. (I recently rented one on a visit last month and I loved it and would highly recommend it to anyone. No, I don't have any tie-ins with Toyota...yet.) Most stores do not use plastic bags anymore, others encourage reusable shopping bags by offering discounts to those who bring their own bags to the supermarket. It's far and beyond any other efforts that I have seen. Then again, I haven't been to Seattle lately and I hear they are not too far behind. That's why I think that the efforts of GABP are groundbreaking in a sense. It is viewed a pinnacle of the city and what they have put into place is a great example for the city of Cincinnati could aspire to.

CTR: Your partner in this endeavor is Astros pitcher Jack Cassel -- how did you two decide to make this more than just a hobby?

CD: When I decided I wanted to build a company out of this, I knew I would need some help. Jack was the perfect candidate. We are both athletes that had environmentally conscious backgrounds growing up in the same area of Southern California, and had an interest in business and most importantly saving the world (haha).

I came to him and told him my plan to get athletes together to make a difference, and from there we just started bouncing ideas back and forth, the ideas came big and they came fast. Jack is a very smart guy, I am very creative, one thing led to another and the idea of WePlayGreen was born. We came up with a basis for what we wanted accomplish and who we could target to help our cause. We started to comprise a list of eco-conscious athletes. Bill Bray, Conor Jackson, Randy Wolfe (who has yet to jump on board). etc. etc.  We then got together with Dave Perron of the Prostate Cancer Foundation (responsible for the Father's Day wristbands and MLB's PCF Homerun Challenge), who I randomly ran into at the Arizona/USC game. I talked to him about what I was trying to do and had a very positive response. He invited us for a meeting in LA and discussed the inner workings of how a non-profit should operate and point us in the right direction. We left the meeting with great aspirations and a new-found vision of where we could go with this. It was then that we decided we would needed to put together the proper paper work and get a website up, weplaygreen was born.

CTR: Jack's brother, New England Patriot QB Matt Cassel, is certainly now a bigger name than he was when you guys started -- is he involved too?

CD: Absolutely, Matt and his success is something we built around. We got hats made for Matt to wear for the exposure and seem to work out. He was brought out on the court the other night in Boston in front of a standing ovation of 16,000 people, he happened to be wearing a WEPLAYGREEN hat.

Matt would have been involved no matter what though. He's a good friend of mine and we go way back to playing Pop Warner football at the age of 12. Being Jack's brother, I don't think he really would have had a choice.

CTR: Would you rather be known as the Environmental activist who plays baseball or the Baseball player who is an environmental activist?

CD: I would want to be known as an Environmental Activist that happens to be a baseball player. The reason for that being is I never wanted to be classified as just a baseball player, that when baseball is gone, that's all I had. I wanted to be academically inclined, experienced in corporate life, always bettering myself to be someone outstanding in case baseball ever left me. There is so much more to life than just baseball. I can attribute that to my mom, who is a corporate woman, and being around her drew a fascination about how this country works, how to build a company based on innovation, people skills and finding a product that makes a difference in people's lives. I am a closet nerd. I read business books, I watch the history channel and Modern Marvels, and I love to read about the inner workings of corporate America. Earth just happens to be in a state where the environment is in dire need of help. I wanted to be the one to contribute based on my love for the environment and business.
 
CTR: There seems to be an opening in left field going into spring training -- how excited are you to get to spring and win that spot?

CD: Very excited, it's always exciting to have the opportunity to prove yourself, I think its something that should everyone should aspire to. To compete, to open eyes, to let people know that you belong at the top.
 
CTR: You had a great year last year and it seemed to carry into the big leagues -- was the transition easier than you thought?

CD: Timing, it's all about timing in this game. I happened to get to the big leagues when I was swinging the bat really well. Big League pitchers didn't know much about me, I was able to make the proper adjustments when I needed so in turn I had some success. But I will say it is a great advantage having the type of Big League technology available to you all times. Your swing, the ability to watch your at bat immediately after you get back to the dugout, pitcher's tendencies and so on.

CTR: The knock on you for a long time was that you were a great athlete, but not a pure baseball player -- is there any truth to that? And how do you react to that?

CD: The truth is, I wasn't. I never considered myself a baseball player. When I was growing up I took every other sport seriously and baseball was always just something I played because it kept me busy in the springtime and it was something that would allow me to be around my friends. I always practiced football drills in the front yard, hockey in the driveway, basketball on the court in the backyard along with soccer. Baseball, however, I never really put the extra work in to excel at. Watching Griffey, I wanted to emulate him in the outfield and through my football prowess I was able to learn body control when diving our robbing home runs as if I were going up for a touchdown catch. But nothing like the other sports. So when I got to High School, all the guys on the team knew each other cause they had played Pony, or on some type of travelling All-Star team, but me, I used to quit All-Stars when hockey season came around.

So being a "baseball player" I was far behind. I gradually started to learn how to think at the plate, how to read pitchers, how to become a great baserunner. I continued to learn through college learning the ins and outs of baseball, but again getting by on natural ability. I took a lot of pitches, sometimes too many which went both ways as it does today. Lots of walks and lots of strikeouts. I didn't have a hitting coach in college so most of it I had to learn on my own or from older guys. Pro ball was different, as I moved up through the different levels I really had to learn on a crash course system -- make adjustments and make them quick. I learned, I got better, I excelled, I became a baseball player. I still have a lot of improvement to do, and I knew that the Reds didn't like to see it take so long, I knew they had to be growing impatient because both they and I knew that I was capable of so much more. Here I am today, still learning.

CTR: Was there something you did last off-season to improve your hitting this last year, or did things just come together?

CD: Working with Brook [Jacoby] last year is what really set things into motion. the drills and small adjustments, like swing path and learning how to use all fields with authority and creating backspin for carry. What we worked on seem to unlock doors to my true potential. We hit everyday, taking maybe a day or two off for two months. My swing felt amazing and gave me great confidence going into Spring Training.

I also indulged in the indoor swimming pool I had at my complex. Every morning I would take a half bat and swing underwater, strengthening my core and increasing my bat speed. And yes, it all came together in mid-May.

CTR: Finally, thanks for all your time, and what are your goals -- on and off the field -- for 2009?

CD: This is my shortest answer of the interview: To win Rookie of the Year, for Al Gore to come to a game, and to bring Cincinnati back to the winning days of that have been lost for too long.

What a great game to watch last night.

Honestly, I gained a lot of respect for the Buckeyes last night. They really showed up and played well. They were certainly the best defense Texas had played all season, and that gives more creedance to the idea that nobody in the Big 12 plays defense. But we'll see how that plays out on Thursday night.

Terrelle Pryor is going to be really good. I also liked how Todd Boeckman was used. That fade for the touchdown was a great, great call.

I also thought the Buckeyes might switch up their defense after the timeout because they'd been blitzing, blitzhing, blitzing that entire drive, and if a field goal doesn't beat you, keep 'em in front of you.

Oh well. Anyway, a really good game.

* That said, yet against Chris "Beanie" Wells is absent when his team needed him the most. He made that mistake against USC and last night he was gone in the second half after a brilliant first half. He plays, they win. I think it's as simple as that. But yet again, he was gone when his team needed him. If I'm an NFL team, I don't take him -- not with a four-game preseason, 16-game regular season and a possibility of four playoff games. Can't count on him.

* Check back later and I'll have a Q&A with Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson about his new company WePlayGreen.Org and some baseball stuff. Really good stuff from Chris.

* Nice game last night between Notre Dame and Georgetown, especially after Georgetown destroyed UConn. The Big East is going to be really fun. Wish we had a Big East-caliber team around here.

* Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll on J.C. Romero's suspension.

* Andy Pettite turns down the Yankees' 1-year, $10 million deal? Guess they can't cry poor...

* The Wall Street Journal has its best sportswriting of 2008 -- with the usual suspects. Seriously, it's tough to get better than Gary Smith.

* I'm gonna be excited to see what's up at MacWorld today. We'll see. (Yeah, I'm a geek)

* I don't think it's gonna be this:

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

* However, I'm not sure Steve Jobs himself can top my excitement after seeing SlingBox is coming to the iPhone. I'm gonna need to keep charged the entire time, but it's gonna be awesome.

* WiFi is on some planes now, and the New York Times reviews American Airlines' Gogo.

* Here's another year-end list: The Top 50 TV Episodes of 2008. This is the first instalment. I loved that Big Bang Theory. That show is improving. Also liked the Entourage finale. And they're right, I thought for a second it was done.

* The Washington Post reviews the DVDs of early Mystery Science Theater 3000

* NPR on why we still have to put up with Muzak.

* WOXY.com continues to rock -- the Heartless Bastards Lounge Act is up.

* Has anyone had absinthe since it's no longer illegal? The New York Times looks at the green stuff.

* UPDATE: well, as Aaron noted in the comments, I didn't mention last night's Broomball opener. Fair & Unbalanced went down 7-0. It wasn't pretty. And I had my usual fall for no reason at one point, and it was pretty -- stick went flying and everything. Anyway, it was fun. There's something cool about playing at Fountain Square.

Anyway, we're back at it next Monday at 8.

And the Enquirer has a Broomball blog from Fair & Unbalanced (most of the team members are Enquirer folk). Yes, I did manage not to have a cup check moment, which is always good. But I was wearing a cup.

The Bengals coaches will coach the North Squad at this year's Senior Bowl in Mobile.

The game is Jan. 24.

The players check in on Jan. 18.

Among the players scheduled to be at the Senior Bowl are four UC players: punter Kevin Huber, offensive guard Trevor Canfield and defensive backs Mike Mickens and Deangelo Smith.

From the Bengals:

The Bengals coaching staff today was named as coaches for the North squad in the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl. The game will be played at 7 p.m. (EST) on Sat., Jan. 24 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., with television coverage on the NFL Network.

The assignment is the second at a Senior Bowl for a Bengals staff led by head coach Marvin Lewis. Following the 2003 season, Lewis’ first as Bengals head coach, the Bengals coached the 2004 North squad in a 28-10 loss to the South, led by Marty Schottenheimer and the San Diego Chargers. This year, the South squad will be coached by Jack Del Rio and his Jacksonville Jaguars staff.

“Coaching in the Senior Bowl was very valuable to us in 2004, and we are excited to once again have this opportunity,” Lewis said. “The top talent is always going to be at this game, and there’s nothing like the evaluation you can get from actually coaching these players in practice and game situations.”

Lewis also coached in the 1998 Senior Bowl, as defensive coordinator on the Baltimore Ravens staff that directed a 31-8 victory for the South.

“The hands-on work you do gives you a great insight into how guys learn and understand,” Lewis said. “The work at a game like this is very fundamental, but it still can tell you a lot.”

This year’s game is the 60th Senior Bowl. The game originated in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1950, but has been played annually in Mobile since 1951. The South leads the series, 28-25-3. Three games (1991-93) were played with an AFC vs. NFC format, rather than North vs. South.

Senior Bowl practices are attended by general managers, head coaches, assistant coaches, scouts and other front office personnel from all 32 NFL teams. The Bengals’ contingent, including athletic training, video and equipment staff, will depart for Mobile on Sunday, Jan. 18.

No Bengals staff had coached in the Senior Bowl prior to 2004.

As of today, four players from the University of Cincinnati’s 11-3 Orange Bowl team have accepted invitations to play in the game for the North. The four are OL Trevor Canfield, DBs Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith, and P Kevin Huber. Other additions are possible.

The Senior Bowl is also a non-profit, charitable event which has donated more than $4.5 million to charity since 1989.

* In 2004, the Senior Bowl gave the Bengals coaches exposure to several players. The Bengals drafted three players from the Senior Bowl that year -- Keiwan Ratliff (2nd round), Madieu Williams (2nd round), Greg Brooks (6th round). All three of those players were on the South team coached by the Chargers staff. On the Bengals' North squad that year was Bengals punter Kyle Larson, who was signed as a college free agent.

The Williams picked turned out OK, but the Chargers that year coached the other team and did a much better job of scouting -- they selected Phillips Rivers, Michael Turner and Nate Kaeding from that game. Turner played on the North squad coached by the Bengals, who went on to select Chris Perry in the first round of the 2004 Draft.

Looks like Pat Burrell is headed to Tampa to play for the Rays.

That's one less option for the Reds in left.