LIVIN' ON THE AIR IN CINCINNATI

Game 5: Reds 10, Pirates 5
WP: Brian Moehler (1-0),
LP: Joe Beimel (1-5)

Home Runs: Kevin Young (Pit, 13), Brandon Larson (Cin, 2), Todd Walker (Cin, 6), Kelly Stinnett (Cin, 1), Adam Dunn (Cin, 20), Brian Giles (Pit, 28)
Enquirer Story

One last swing by Cinergy Field (ne Riverfront Stadium), home of the Reds for many years. Next season, they're slated to move into the brand-new Great American Ball Park (it's named after an insurance company...yecch, but at least it sounds better than "Cinergy"). Unfortunately, Riverfront was the ultimate cookie-cutter multipurpose stadium and had no significant quirks, or anything memorable. A couple years ago, the Reds put in grass and knocked out the centerfield bleachers to liven it up a little, but it's still not a park that anyone has on their must-see list.

The most notable thing about Cinergy Field is the quality of the teams they've put on the field. The Big Red Machine of the 70s was baseball's last true dynasty until the Yankees opened the checkbook in the mid-90s. Bench, Morgan, Rose, Foster...it's never really been the same since. Reds fans (and, yes, this is a broad generalization) tend to be enthusiastic but quiet. Maybe it's the polite Midwestern spirit (but that doesn't explain St. Louis). Maybe it's the spirit-crushing fact that the only other team in town is the Bengals. Or maybe it's something else -- but I couldn't find any current, updated Reds fan sites. And I looked!

The Reds' website has some computer-generated views of the Great American Ballpark; at a glance, it looks like most of the other new parks. Check the view from Section 524 to see the neat riverfront (Hey! That would be a good name!) view from the upper deck.

A couple game notes: Brian Moehler, just traded from Detroit, got the win. That makes him 1-0 in the National League; his stats in the AL don't transfer to his new team. Considering they have interleague play and all, why not? Also, it seems I missed the return of Ken Griffey Jr.; he sat out Wednesday after his first two games back from an injury. Griffey's tenure in Cincy has been tumultuous. he came in a trade from Seattle to his more-or-less hometown of Cincinnati, touted as the greatest player in the league. He's been injured, less than happy, and the opinion in Redtown seems to be that the trade was a mistake. It would have been interesting to see the fans' reaction to him taking the field.

After the afternoon game, it's time to cross the Ohio River and head down into Kentucky. The Slugger Museum awaits!

Day 11: Lafayette to Louisville, via Cincinnati
Mileage Today: 277.5
Cincinnati Weather: 76°, sunny
States: Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky
Route Traveled: I-65 south to Indianapolis, I-465 southeast around Indy, I-74 and I-75 southeast to Cincinnati, I-71 into Kentucky and south to Louisville.

Reds/Cinergy Field Facts
First Game: 6/30/70 vs. Atlanta
Capacity: 39,000
Greatest Moment: 9/11/85. Pete Rose singles into left field to break Ty Cobb's all time hit record.
Retired Numbers: 1 (Fred Hutchinson), 5 (Johnny Bench), 8 (Joe Morgan), 18 (Ted Kluszewski), 20 (Frank Robinson), 24 (Tony Perez)
Reds Sites: see above. Here's a tribute to the stadium from the Dayton Daily News, though.

Posted by michaelf at July 24, 2002 10:58 PM