Despite the dreary weather, thoughts turned to spring and baseball when Mr. Redlegs, the Cincinnati Reds’ mascot, popped in at Batesville Intermediate School Feb. 28.

“He's hilarious!” shrieked one sports fan as the cartoonish character, as quiet as a mime, used body language to entertain three fourth-graders (J.P. Ehrman, Kevin Bedel and Derek Frank) and 15 fifth-graders, including one girl (Colton Lunsford, Justin Laswell, Joseph Panzer, Garrett Yorn, Jeremy Richardson, Jordan Meyer, Evan Hountz, Bryan Hoeing, Austin Prickel, Stanley Fryman, Dustin Powell, Connor Lunsford, Megan Denny, Jacob Adley and Reed Struewing) who gathered in the media center for a Literary Luncheon they earned by reading Matt Christopher sports books.

Like a springtime Santa, with that permanent gleeful smile, Mr. Redlegs spreads cheer wherever he goes. The mascot visits about 20 schools each year, "not as many as I would like," he confessed by note.

Media specialist Anne Amrhein, who teaches third-graders at Batesville Primary School and children at BIS and organizes the monthly lunches, offered attendees "ballpark junk food" – hot dogs, baked beans, potato chips and Coke. While some heaped their plates, others posed for individual photos with the celebrity guest, then they switched activities.

As students surrounded Mr. Redlegs, lots of laughter, hugs and thumbs ups – and at least one kiss – took place.

"I love baked beans," exclaimed Richardson, carrying a plate full of them.

After munching away, it was time for students to get his autograph. Whenever the curious kids asked Mr. Redlegs questions, the funny mime played charades in response.

Picking up a Coke bottle, Frank observed, "Whoa, we're already on our second liter!" When that ran dry, Amrhein sent them to the drinking fountain and offered extra chips. “Can I have some more baked beans?” wondered Richardson.

During normal Literary Luncheons, “girls can chit chat, but boys are done real fast so I always have extra stuff” for them to do, reports Amrhein. This month she laid out baseball Sudoku and math problems that, when solved, reveal which president started the tradition of throwing out the baseball season’s first pitch (William H. Taft). Students ignored those extra papers, so focused on the Reds’ representative.

“Did you like baseball when you were my age?" Powell asked. Keeping his silence, Mr. Redlegs scribbled, "Casey at the Bat."

“That poem is awesome!” agreed Yorn. Media clerk Gerri McKinney found it on the shelf and the visitor applauded. As the boys and girl scooted chairs toward him, he made Amrhein read the story while pantomiming the action. At the end, the mascot clapped wildly with the kids following suit.

As one student forlornly left, he said, “Thank you, Mr. Redlegs, you rock.”

He autographed the insides of a few baseball-themed Matt Christopher books for the media center.

It was hard for participants to tear themselves away from Mr. Redlegs. "I don't want this to ever end," said Powell.

After a group hug that involved a lively jump, they left, muttering, "Sweet!" and "That was so pro."