Built on the banks of the Ohio River Great American Ball Park offers views of Kentucky and riverboats rolling by. The Reds were the first professional baseball team, this is honored with a mosaic as you enter the main gate entitled “The First Nine”. The Reds Big Red Machine era is also honored with a mosaic as well as a rose garden containing 4,192 roses and two smokestacks with seven baseball bats on each, hat tips to Pete Rose’s hit total and jersey number.
It’s been 12 years since my visit to the Queen City. I’ve been planning this trip since September when the 2016 schedule was released (My Christmas Day). The ride from Lebanon was pretty boring although I did have the opportunity to visit Rachel’s old home in Barnesville, Ohio.
The Reds and Mariners played their second of a three game series. Felix Hernandez shut the Reds down for 6 innings and got the win behind Leonys Martin and Franklin Gutierrez home runs. The Reds looked awful sending the 38,200 in attendance home unhappy.
After the game I walked through downtown Cincinnati and found what might be the best ice cream in America, Graeters. It’s a must visit if you’re in town. Hopefully the Reds will play better on Sunday.
Last season I decided I would revisit a few Ballparks within Road Trip distance from my home in Lebanon, PA. It would give me a few days to clear my head and watch some baseball. The first installment of my Ballpark Nerd Retreat, took me to Rogers Centre in Toronto for two one-run games between the Jays and Braves. Tomorrow morning I am headed 502 miles west to Cincinnati for Reds v. Mariners @ Great American Ballpark. My first visit since September 2004 when the Reds lost to the Cubs. There wasn’t much energy in the Ballpark that weekday night; I hope the Mariners and dual Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead brings out a hardier crowd.
Ballpark Nerd Rank: 13
Opened: 2003 Capacity: 42,319
Schedule and Promotions
Seating Chart, Ticket Prices & Ballpark Nerd Recommendations
Getting to the Park
Address: 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Ballpark Nerd recommends staying downtown and walking to Great American Ballpark. Cincinnati’s Metro bus system serves the area as well. [Read more…]
September 16, 2004: Cincinnati, Ohio
I have been following the Cincinnati Reds since I dominated the PlayStation 2 world in 2002 with EA Sports’ Triple Play Baseball. Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns were young star outfielders coming into their own, but what drew me to the Reds was the presence of Ken Griffey, Jr. In his prime, Junior made the most difficult game in the world look easy. His return to his hometown was great for the game of baseball. He signed a long-term contract that would defer money, paying him far after his retirement. Junior’s signing was yet another great moment in Cincinnati baseball history. The Cincinnati Reds’ history dates back to 1869 when they were called the Cincinnati Red Stockings, making Cincinnati home to the first professional baseball team. Junior’s return to Cincinnati revitalized baseball in the Queen City; interest in the team grew as fans began to see the nucleus of a winning team. This excitement was only amplified when the Reds opened Great American Ballpark in 2003. Great American Ball Park provided Cincinnati with a first-rate ballpark to call its own, drawing fans from far off places like Brooklyn, New York. [Read more…]
