As a lifelong fan of baseball and now an active member of the Reds Hall of Fame 1869 Red Stockings Vintage Base Ball team, I participated in the Reds Opening Day parade for the first time. You're right Doc, it is a stitch in the fabric of Cincinnati Baseball. Yes, I have attended the OD parade multiple times in the past, but this was the first time I was a walking/jogging/high-fiving with the fans lining the streets participant. Wow! Nuff said on that. Then comes game time at the GABP. Sunshine, temperatures warming into the 60's, all the pomp and circumstance one could ask for at any sporting event and the fans excitement rose to fever pitch. Fans filled the GABP in record numbers to see the beloved Red Stockings, Redlegs, Reds of 2023 take on the Pirates of Pittsburgh. I'll leave it at "Hope springs eternal..." Then the last out was recorded on a called third strike and there was no joy in Mudville alongside the Muddy Ohio River. We do it all over again, this time for the KIDS, Saturday is KIDS Opening Day in Reds Country. Once again, hope will spring...and the sights and sounds of baseball will fill the air in Cincinnati.
My wife and I take the 78 to McMicken and then walk to a friend’s lot for brats and beer at 11A.M. with a spot to watch the parade. This year it lasted a little more than two hours. The entire day is such a celebration for the Queen City! Then we walk down to the banks and join friends and observe all of the people enjoying the day with a few beverages. We walk up to Fountain Square and watch some of the game on the big screen. Afterwords, we walk to Sixth and Vine to catch the 78 back to St. Bernard where we continue to enjoy the day and appreciate some of the good things in life. This trip also reminds us how important public transportation is for so many people. I sat next to a lady from Lincoln Heights and learned she is married to a good friend and coworker from Princeton City Schools. Getting out of your everyday routine is good for the soul as you see and hear life from a different perspective and vantage point !
Doc, if you already had the armored trucks stuffed with money and were waiting to be asked if you wanted to quadruple your investment in 17 years ... you surely wouldn't change your previous investment strategy to just give it away to the annual crop of "sorta good free agents". After all, you likely didn't get those trucks full of cash by spending it foolishly.
In my mind, the best signal that the Reds (or Bengals) are serious about winning is the hiring of an effective GM and providing him/her with a proper competitive budget. Cincinnati's major sports franchises have proven that nepotism in the GM's office is generally a poor long-term strategy. The next step is the right Manager (Head Coach) of the team.
Until then Cincinnati's unbridled pre-season optimism will fade away like yesterday's newspaper sitting in the rain and sun. And until then I will clap politely when the teams win more than they lose and I will look the other way when the minimal salary investment plan reaps its ugly results with another 62-100 season.
I see the current Opening Day parade as more a marketing thing and homage to the arrival of Spring rather than excitement for Redleg baseball. It's about celebrating the long awaited return of warm weather, of outdoor activities, of people working on their yards and picnicking and playing sports in fresh air and heartening breezes. I try not to let my jaded eye connect the parade, its participants, and hardworking organizers with the hollow, empty eyed, greedy owners of this current team. But all the Reds gear and paraphernalia worn amidst the seas of people before the game make me wanna stand in the middle of the crowd and yell; "Don't you people realize you're being taken? It's all just a scam. No more sleep walking. Don't support this fiasco. Wake up and demand ownership get out or invest more in the team."
You, the good people of Cincinnati, deserve so much more for your unrequited love. Let the Castellinis know it by ignoring their lousy product and demanding more. Don't let these greedy blasterds fleece us anymore. Enough, in this case, is more than enough.
Paul, always wanted to ask you this: why the Pirates? You grew up in Maryland, not far from Baltimore, where the O's were winning titles in your formative years when you would have chosen a team. Weren't all your friends O's fans? Did watching the '71 series make you a Bucs fan? Would love to hear how that happened; if not here, in a future column. Thanks.
Okay, I get it. I did go to one of their opening games years ago, though, and got a great pair of sweats in their beautiful purple and grey team colors. I do remember, there was no crowd to speak of. The Broncos were the only team that mattered back then.
I miss Johnny, Pete, Joe and Tony! I get a AAA team that will be lucky to win 70 games. Bob and his son - little phil - have ruined my passion for this great franchise. Sell the team Bob and fire little phil!
Hopefully Bob C has his son locked in the basement with his mouth taped shut. Budgeting to break even when your total payroll is less than what you receive from MLB Tv contract, sure, wink wink
It's Opening day; it's beautiful outside and it's almost Friday. So I'm calling a halt to my 3 day whinefest and allowing myself some nostalgia fueled feel-good. I'm sure by this time next week my cranky consumer self will be alive and unwell. But there's still a child in there, and if I don't let him out today, I'm only hurting myself.
There was a time I was laser focused on Opening Day - making sure I camped out to get tickets back in the day. I didn't miss one in person for years and years. Then I got married, moved to Columbus, had babies and, well, missed a few in person. But I made sure my kids witnessed the Opening Day parade in the flesh before they started kindergarten and schooled them in the importance of the Reds blood that they were born with (at least on my side of the family). Our son became a fanatic. We, unfortunately, watched the 2010 no-hit playoff game decked out in Reds gear at an ER where we were with our daughter.
She recovered just fine. The Reds? Well...
Fast forward to today. My husband and I might venture out of house to drive to the nearest Skyline for lunch to mark the passage of time, as JEJ would say. We'll flip on the TV about 4 and watch until we have to leave for Opening Night of my daughter's high school musical this evening (maybe with the new rules, or lots of strike outs and no hitting, the game will be over before we go!).
But, do I care if I miss more than the pomp and circumstance of some pregame and the first pitch? Not really. Our son will probably look up sparingly from his TicTok scrolling to "engage." Maybe.
As a Queen City native I will love the Reds until I die, but most days it feels like an heirloom, a glorious memory from a storied past. Our heritage and love deserve better care, but hope springs eternal on Opening Day - for maybe a few stolen moments, anyway.
As a lifelong fan of baseball and now an active member of the Reds Hall of Fame 1869 Red Stockings Vintage Base Ball team, I participated in the Reds Opening Day parade for the first time. You're right Doc, it is a stitch in the fabric of Cincinnati Baseball. Yes, I have attended the OD parade multiple times in the past, but this was the first time I was a walking/jogging/high-fiving with the fans lining the streets participant. Wow! Nuff said on that. Then comes game time at the GABP. Sunshine, temperatures warming into the 60's, all the pomp and circumstance one could ask for at any sporting event and the fans excitement rose to fever pitch. Fans filled the GABP in record numbers to see the beloved Red Stockings, Redlegs, Reds of 2023 take on the Pirates of Pittsburgh. I'll leave it at "Hope springs eternal..." Then the last out was recorded on a called third strike and there was no joy in Mudville alongside the Muddy Ohio River. We do it all over again, this time for the KIDS, Saturday is KIDS Opening Day in Reds Country. Once again, hope will spring...and the sights and sounds of baseball will fill the air in Cincinnati.
My wife and I take the 78 to McMicken and then walk to a friend’s lot for brats and beer at 11A.M. with a spot to watch the parade. This year it lasted a little more than two hours. The entire day is such a celebration for the Queen City! Then we walk down to the banks and join friends and observe all of the people enjoying the day with a few beverages. We walk up to Fountain Square and watch some of the game on the big screen. Afterwords, we walk to Sixth and Vine to catch the 78 back to St. Bernard where we continue to enjoy the day and appreciate some of the good things in life. This trip also reminds us how important public transportation is for so many people. I sat next to a lady from Lincoln Heights and learned she is married to a good friend and coworker from Princeton City Schools. Getting out of your everyday routine is good for the soul as you see and hear life from a different perspective and vantage point !
Doc, if you already had the armored trucks stuffed with money and were waiting to be asked if you wanted to quadruple your investment in 17 years ... you surely wouldn't change your previous investment strategy to just give it away to the annual crop of "sorta good free agents". After all, you likely didn't get those trucks full of cash by spending it foolishly.
In my mind, the best signal that the Reds (or Bengals) are serious about winning is the hiring of an effective GM and providing him/her with a proper competitive budget. Cincinnati's major sports franchises have proven that nepotism in the GM's office is generally a poor long-term strategy. The next step is the right Manager (Head Coach) of the team.
Until then Cincinnati's unbridled pre-season optimism will fade away like yesterday's newspaper sitting in the rain and sun. And until then I will clap politely when the teams win more than they lose and I will look the other way when the minimal salary investment plan reaps its ugly results with another 62-100 season.
Like a maroon, I'm wearing my Reds hat today and will watch the game. Here's hoping for a W.
I see the current Opening Day parade as more a marketing thing and homage to the arrival of Spring rather than excitement for Redleg baseball. It's about celebrating the long awaited return of warm weather, of outdoor activities, of people working on their yards and picnicking and playing sports in fresh air and heartening breezes. I try not to let my jaded eye connect the parade, its participants, and hardworking organizers with the hollow, empty eyed, greedy owners of this current team. But all the Reds gear and paraphernalia worn amidst the seas of people before the game make me wanna stand in the middle of the crowd and yell; "Don't you people realize you're being taken? It's all just a scam. No more sleep walking. Don't support this fiasco. Wake up and demand ownership get out or invest more in the team."
You, the good people of Cincinnati, deserve so much more for your unrequited love. Let the Castellinis know it by ignoring their lousy product and demanding more. Don't let these greedy blasterds fleece us anymore. Enough, in this case, is more than enough.
Paul, always wanted to ask you this: why the Pirates? You grew up in Maryland, not far from Baltimore, where the O's were winning titles in your formative years when you would have chosen a team. Weren't all your friends O's fans? Did watching the '71 series make you a Bucs fan? Would love to hear how that happened; if not here, in a future column. Thanks.
Cincinnati deserves better than the Reds and how this team is being run
Happy Opening Day! Never participated in the festivities when I lived in NKY, but many co-workers did and I loved the celebratory contact high.
Reds banner is outside, gift from my Reds crazy younger brother a few seasons ago, hanger fashioned by the guy on the couch.
I don't have any expectations for the season as a whole, but today the love is real.
Okay, I get it. I did go to one of their opening games years ago, though, and got a great pair of sweats in their beautiful purple and grey team colors. I do remember, there was no crowd to speak of. The Broncos were the only team that mattered back then.
I miss Johnny, Pete, Joe and Tony! I get a AAA team that will be lucky to win 70 games. Bob and his son - little phil - have ruined my passion for this great franchise. Sell the team Bob and fire little phil!
Hopefully Bob C has his son locked in the basement with his mouth taped shut. Budgeting to break even when your total payroll is less than what you receive from MLB Tv contract, sure, wink wink
It's Opening day; it's beautiful outside and it's almost Friday. So I'm calling a halt to my 3 day whinefest and allowing myself some nostalgia fueled feel-good. I'm sure by this time next week my cranky consumer self will be alive and unwell. But there's still a child in there, and if I don't let him out today, I'm only hurting myself.
“Passed Time”……..clever and foreboding.
Sigh. Go Reds!!!
There was a time I was laser focused on Opening Day - making sure I camped out to get tickets back in the day. I didn't miss one in person for years and years. Then I got married, moved to Columbus, had babies and, well, missed a few in person. But I made sure my kids witnessed the Opening Day parade in the flesh before they started kindergarten and schooled them in the importance of the Reds blood that they were born with (at least on my side of the family). Our son became a fanatic. We, unfortunately, watched the 2010 no-hit playoff game decked out in Reds gear at an ER where we were with our daughter.
She recovered just fine. The Reds? Well...
Fast forward to today. My husband and I might venture out of house to drive to the nearest Skyline for lunch to mark the passage of time, as JEJ would say. We'll flip on the TV about 4 and watch until we have to leave for Opening Night of my daughter's high school musical this evening (maybe with the new rules, or lots of strike outs and no hitting, the game will be over before we go!).
But, do I care if I miss more than the pomp and circumstance of some pregame and the first pitch? Not really. Our son will probably look up sparingly from his TicTok scrolling to "engage." Maybe.
As a Queen City native I will love the Reds until I die, but most days it feels like an heirloom, a glorious memory from a storied past. Our heritage and love deserve better care, but hope springs eternal on Opening Day - for maybe a few stolen moments, anyway.
Keep Phil away from TV cameras and party favors of all sorts, and regardless of the final score, today should be great.