GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- "The Mayor" will be the grand marshal of the annual Opening Day Parade in Cincinnati, but it is not the city's actual mayor, John Cranley.
This mayor is former Reds first baseman Sean Casey, who was named Friday as grand marshal of the 98th Findlay Market Opening Day Parade on April 3.
Casey, who earned his nickname because of his outgoing personality and friendly manner, spent 12 years in the Major Leagues and was a career .302 hitter. Most of those years -- from 1998-2005 -- were spent in Cincinnati.
Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2012, Casey currently works as an analyst for MLB Network.
The parade announcement was made in Cincinnati at Findlay Market with Cranley, Reds COO Phil Castellini and other dignitaries in attendance.
Past grand marshals of the parade in recent years have included several beloved Reds, including former manager Lou Piniella last year and previously "The Nasty Boys" trio of Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randy Myers, and also Dave Concepcion, George Foster and Aaron Boone.
One of the biggest and longest-running Opening Day traditions in the nation, the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade will begin at noon ET and make its way through downtown. The Reds will open the 2017 season vs. the Phillies at 4:10 p.m. ET at Great American Ball Park.