Great American Dream

By Cincinnati Enquirer

What's Great American Dream about?

Great American Dream is the story of the path to the big leagues, following current Reds minor league second baseman Shed Long in his journey toward Major League Baseball. Long's journey is one taken by thousands every year and their stories all different, but travel a similar path from cities across the country all with the same dream.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

Great American Dream episodes:

09.25.2017
Episode 12: It ain’t over when it’s over
Even after the minor-league season ends, the work to get better doesn’t. Just days after celebrating a championship with Pensacola, Shed Long was on his way to Goodyear, Ariz., to start getting ready for the 2018 season.
09.11.2017
Episode 11: The call-up
It's as great as advertised.
08.28.2017
Episode 10: When the dream ends
Not all big-league dreams end in the big leagues. What happens when you fall short of your goal? Two former Reds minor-leaguers, Bo Lanier and Bryson Smith, tell their stories, one a decade removed from the game and the other...
08.14.2017
Episode 9: It’s not the years, it’s the mileage
In the minors, it’s not the years, it’s the mileage.
07.30.2017
Episode 8: Minor-league ripples
The trade deadline and the working-man athlete. Some stuff you just can’t control. A lot of stuff, in fact. When a blockbuster trade is made at Major League Baseball's trade deadline, a slugger or ace is heralded as the final...
07.17.2017
Episode 7: Moving on up... and down
Shed Long was recently moved up to Double-A Pensacola, a new start with a new team in a new city. Upward movement is always the goal, but the road goes both ways. As the Reds struggle in 2017, several players...
07.03.2017
Episode 6: Lasting bond of teammates
Life in the minor leagues can create bonds and relationships that last a lifetime. Promoted from Daytona to Pensacola, Shed Long is now playing beside close friend Blake Trahan in the Blue Wahoos' infield.
06.19.2017
Episode 5: The Dream before the dream
Before the minors, there is the draft. For baseball players in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, getting the call from one of 30 Major League Baseball teams in the three-day, 40-round draft is a dream. Finding those players...
06.05.2017
Episode 4: The strange color divide in baseball
It wasn't always this way. The Big Red Machine was one of the most racially diverse in any sport. But these days baseball is being called 'a white man's game' by some. If you look at the numbers of who...
05.21.2017
Episode 3: Language barriers
Everybody speaks baseball, but not everybody speaks English. No problema.
05.08.2017
Episode 2: Finding hits and a home and food beyond the PBJ
Shed struggled briefly but then found his swing. The living arrangements in the minors do prove a little complicated.
04.23.2017
Episode 1: Meet Shed Long
Meet Shed Long, a 21-year-old from Anniston, Alabama, who is starting for the high-Class A Dayton Tortugas in Daytona, Florida.
04.12.2017
Introducing Great American Dream
Coming April 24: Great American Dream is the story of the path to the big leagues, following current Reds minor league second baseman Shed Long in his journey toward Major League Baseball. Long's journey is one taken by thousands every...