Blameless moments can be the most painful sometimes. The $53 million pitcher of the Cincinnati Reds gave a career performance in his first complete-game shutout against playoff-bound Chicago Cubs last night, pitching the first full-game shutout in a critical 1-0 win. But his post-game remarks have been controversial and not celebratory, and the question arises whether stars ought to talk publicly about fan loyalty during rebuilding seasons.

The incident unfolded after what should have been a triumphant evening at Great American Ball Park on September 18. Following a masterful nine-inning performance that nearly resulted in a no-hitter, the star pitcher chose to address the elephant in the room—empty seats overshadowing an exceptional display of pitching prowess.

“It was a lot of fun. Was just trying to stay in the moment. Wish there were a little bit more fans in the stands. But for the fans that were here, I’m glad I was able to put on a show for them and we were able to get a win tonight,” Hunter Greene said in the postgame press conference.

Greene, the team’s $53 million investment, dominated the Cubs through six and two-thirds innings without allowing a hit before Seiza Suzuki broke up the no-hit bid with a seventh-inning double. Greene struck out nine batters while walking only one, throwing 109 pitches in his career-best outing that improved his 2025 record to 7-4.

In the same press conference, when asked whether the team has been convincing enough for fans to show up for the rest of the Reds’ home stretch (against the Cubs and the Pirates), Greene replied, “We’re just trying to handle our business. The more support that we can get, obviously, the better. We’re already motivated enough for us to go out there and win. I’m not saying we can only win if we have fans. But you see the best teams that are winning and doing their thing. They have that atmosphere that they’re in. It’s something that we strive for, and hopefully we can bring that back.” 

Greene’s candid remarks about attendance have backfired among Cincinnati faithful, who interpret his comments as criticism rather than encouragement. While 18,532 fans attended the game, many of them were Cubs supporters who traveled from Chicago, making Reds faithful feel outnumbered in their own ballpark.

The moment is especially delicate as the Reds trail the last National League wild card position by 2 games and have only 9 games to go. Manager Terry Francona focused on Greene’s exceptional performance rather than addressing attendance concerns. “The thing that sticks out is it’s 1-0. If there’s a crack somewhere, we’re either still playing or talking about, ‘well, it was a good effort, but,'” Francona said. “There was no wiggle room. And boy, he pitched.”

Terry Francona‘s strategic silence on the attendance issue suggested an organizational awareness of the brewing controversy, but his diplomatic approach couldn’t prevent the storm that was already building on social media. While the manager praised his pitcher’s dominance, Cincinnati fans were preparing their own response to Greene’s comments about sparse crowds.

Cincinnati Reds Fans Blast Hunter Greene’s Attendance Comments

Francona managed to escape the controversy diplomatically, but supporters of the Cincinnati Reds took to social media and made the Greene remarks a call to years of disappointment. The passionate backlash revealed more about the underlying problems between the organization and its fanbase that go way beyond the attendance of one game.

“Lol, love you, Hunter, but this team hasn’t deserved fans in the stands at this point in time,” declared one supporter. The Reds’ current 77-76 record represents their first chance at .500 baseball since 2020, explaining why fans feel justified in their skepticism about supporting underperforming teams.

“Start with your owner and then GM,” responded another fan. The comment highlighted how the Reds’ reluctance to invest in premium free agents has left fans questioning management’s commitment to winning before players can demand fan loyalty.

The sharpest attack was made by old-time supporters who felt their decades of loyalty were rejected. “We showed up for 34 years, and the 35th year is the one he complains about,” citing the fact that the last World Series the franchise had reached was in 1990, and since then, the Reds have been a disaster in maintaining regular competitiveness.

“Why don’t the Reds attract fans like other teams in their market?” asked another user, pointing out that Cincinnati lags in attendance levels compared to its rivals in the region, such as the Cardinals and the Brewers, despite having the same market size. The Reds averaged 26,832 fans in attendance this season, while the Cardinals and the Brewers have averaged 27,581 and 32,409 fans, respectively.

“We found other places to go,” came another blunt response, reflecting how disappointed fans have redirected their entertainment spending toward other MLB teams or activities.

The pitching performance of Greene should be celebrated, but the sincere post-game statements showed the fragile interplay between expectations of players and the loyalty of fans in a team that was yet to achieve long-term success.