Joe Morgan Watch

The Great American Ballpark has a brewpub out in left field called the Machine Room Grille, and it celebrates the great Reds teams of the 1970s. Why just "Machine Room Grille" and not "Big Red Machine Grille?"

Apparently, it's because of Joe Morgan. As much as I'd like to blame Morgan for all the ills in the world, I won't make anything up. This Knight-Ridder article from this week explains:

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the oddly named Machine Room Grille wasn’t named The Big Red Machine because the team and former star player Joe Morgan are in a dispute over who owns the trademark for the famous nickname of the Reds’ great 1970s teams. The Reds say they always planned to give the grille the name it has.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported exactly that, and it sounds like the Reds wanted that great guardian of the game to allow them to use the nickname.

Tom Wellington, an attorney at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, is assigned to the case. He told me both sides are discussing a settlement.

"I don't want it to be portrayed that there's a head-knocking here," said Reds chief operating officer John Allen.

"'Cause there really isn't. I know that, in conversations with Joe, we're in agreement. The Reds should never have to pay to use that trademark."

The Reds originally owned the trademark, but they let it lapse when owner Marge Schott was in charge. Morgan applied for the trademark in 1997, and he got it.

Morgan has never spoken about this issue.