Recaps – Ballparking It

Busch Stadium: It’s Nice to #StayHome

Social Distancing Day 30 (written mostly on Day 29) …

I’ve now gone almost an entire month without human interaction (with the exception of a brief exchange about ketchup with the Schnucks cashier on Day 17).

I’m watching a thunderstorm out my apartment window and thinking back to another stormy day – my trip to Busch Stadium, Ballpark No. 6.

And in the context of a stay-at-home order, when some people feel trapped at home and others miss wherever they consider home to be, this already multilayered homecoming tale takes on extra meaning.

No Place Like Home

I spent a good chunk of the first day of summer 2019 indoors at Ballpark Village waiting out a rainstorm. I didn’t mind. After five straight away games in 2018, I needed home-field advantage, even if it meant a long day of sitting and waiting.

It was my return to the place where I watched my team win a World Series, where I tasted my first ballpark hot dog, the gravesite of where I saw my first MLB game (old Busch) and where I fell in love with baseball.

This particular Friday (June 21) not only marked the return of summer and the return of me to my beloved ballpark but also the return of a Cardinals legend, a hero-turned-villain-turned-hero-again, to the place he once called home.

Albert Pujols spent 11 years in St. Louis, where he won two World Series, played in three, made nine All-Star Game rosters and was named National League MVP three times.

Then he left.

Going into this game, he had played seven and a half seasons for the Angels and hadn’t faced the Cardinals in St. Louis over that span … until June 21, 2019.

It was a series I (like most Cardinals fans) had anticipated for nearly eight years – first out of anger and a desire for revenge, then out of respect and a need for closure.

Ballpark #6

The game itself, a Friday-night matchup with the Los Angeles Angels, was a bit overshadowed by the magnitude of what it meant – a game with such a draw that it brought my brother back on a nearly four-hour, red-eye flight after moving to Oregon.

It was a hot ticket that drew a big crowd with even bigger ovations. And before the game, I had intended to have a big day in St. Louis. The weather said otherwise, so I skipped the Arch and sheltered in place with my family at Ballpark Village for nearly five hours.

While waiting out the thunderstorm, we ate at the Cardinals Nation restaurant and explored the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, where I noticed this quote among an entire wall of quotes at the start of the museum.

“We’ve got the best fans in St. Louis. A lot of people want to come and play in St. Louis because of the way the fans treat us.”
Albert Pujols

The quote from a man who chose to leave provided the perfect backdrop for his own reunion with those fans years later.

After a deep dive into Cardinals history, we ate more food (snacks) at the Budweiser Brew House (but I also had to save room for a hot dog in the ballpark).

After much eating, standing, sitting, waiting and eating again, we bought ponchos, walked to the the stadium and made our way to our seats (section 447, row 9) for what was about to be a magical night.

Roller Coaster of Big Moments

The rain let up about an hour before game time as if it knew we had an important engagement that couldn’t be postponed.

The first time Pujols came out of the dugout to stretch, I didn’t notice him on the field. Neither team had taken batting practice, and the tarp had been removed only minutes earlier. But I heard the roar of the crowd and caught on as it grew louder (or maybe because my brother told me).

It’s one of those snapshots in time I wish I could relive, screaming along with thousands of people who once felt betrayed by their one-time hero who was now simply stretching before a game. The second booming ovation came when the starting lineup was announced.

But the third ovation was the loudest … and brought a roller coaster of emotions.

Unfortunately, Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha had already given up a run and had a man on third when Pujols came up in the first inning.

Despite the less-than-optimal game situation, we (all 48,423 of us) went from annoyed to ecstatic, greeting Pujols with an ovation that was as long as it was loud and resulted in the most touching moment of the game – a hug with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

Pujols flew out to deep center. (I was relieved. If he was going to get a hit, I wanted it to be with no one on.)

Minutes later, Matt Carpenter led off the bottom of the first. Like Pujols’ extended at-bat, spurred by a crowd that wouldn’t stop cheering, Carpenter’s plate appearance was also interrupted. But this time, it wasn’t the crowd.

An ominous message played over the loudspeakers telling everyone to head to the concourse in a monotone (borderline eerie) voice similar to the National Weather Service messages that play on the radio during severe storm warnings.

But it didn’t say what kind of emergency was happening, and we knew it wasn’t weather-related.

Fans started filing toward the concourse in orderly fashion, impressive for how panic-inducing the situation felt. (Unspeakable thoughts like bombs and shootings raced through my head.) Luckily, before it was my row’s turn to leave, the public address announcer told us it was a false alarm, so everyone sat back down.

Game on.

In a matter of minutes, nearly 50,000 people went from frustration with a starting pitcher to pure adoration of a former superstar to thinking our lives might be in danger and back to wanting to win a ballgame again.

Game Highlights

The Cardinals ultimately ended up winning 5-1, but the box score took a back seat to the moments that made up the game. (And no, I wouldn’t look back on this game as fondly if the Cardinals had lost.)

Along with probably 30 minutes worth of Pujols ovations and a game-stopping emergency alarm, a couple other notable things happened (as in I literally made note of them on my phone).

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit a foul ball out of the stadium during his second plate appearance. (Think about that … out of the stadium.) He pulled the ball down the third base line and over the upper deck, making him the only player known to have accomplished this feat in the stadium’s 14 seasons.

And Wacha (a career .093 hitter) got a rare single to right field to add to a solid night on the mound, giving up just one run on five hits over six innings of work.

Left fielder Marcell Ozuna was the hero of the night (aside from Pujols obviously) with three hits and three RBIs, including a solo home run.

We showed our appreciation every time Pujols came to the plate, especially after his infield single in his last at-bat of the night and when he subsequently came out for a pinch runner.

That moment may have been the final time I ever see Albert Pujols play in person. And if it is, this time, he left on good terms.

Busch Stadium’s Where My Heart Is

Away games are fun, colorful and new, but after watching the Cardinals exclusively on the road for five straight games, it felt nice to click my Keds together and end up back at Busch Stadium.

There’s something refreshing about cheering along with your own family and 48,000 fans all wearing the same colors, wanting the same thing.

I’m still going to follow that yellow brick road that leads to the other 29 stadiums, but home will always be my happy place.

Twins: Target Field

My second of 30 ballparks brought me to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, for an interleague meeting with the St. Louis Cardinals, dollar hot dogs and a whole lot of sunshine.

Game Day Conditions

The Twins game was only about one month after our inaugural road trip to Cincinnati, but the weather was about as different as possible … sunny, hot, barely a cloud in the sky, what most people probably think of as baseball weather. However, after a long winter that overstayed its welcome well into mid-April, this game marked the first time this year I spent multiple consecutive hours in the sun.

Game time was 80 degrees, and the temperature reached the upper 80s, which I would not have guessed for a May game in Minnesota. I wasn’t quite in midsummer form for tolerating the sun and accompanying heat (and by the looks of all the fans flocking to guest services for free sunscreen and a little shade, I was not the only one).

Note: Although it’s not right on the river, Target Field is the only other baseball stadium (the other being my home team’s ballpark, Busch Stadium) that’s in an MLB town on the Mississippi, so I felt like I had something in common with Twins fans.

Game Day (May 16, 2018)

My brother and I had driven to the Twin Cities area the night before the Wednesday afternoon game, so we had a (relatively) short drive to the ballpark on game day. No Uber for us this time … we navigated our way to Target Field ourselves (well, with the help of Waze).

There are parking garages conveniently located right around the stadium. Did I struggle with figuring out how to get into them, drive past the entrances a few times times and start to freak out a little? Sure. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t convenient. Plus, we got a few cool views of the ballpark as I drove somewhat aimlessly around it.

Skybridge from Parking Garage — Skybridge from parking garage to Target Field (me driving aimlessly)

Once we finally parked (at the very top of one of the garages), we made our way down to ground level and crossed the street to the stadium.

Target Field is unlike any ballpark I have ever seen, and I’m still not certain whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It kind of looks like someone is launching a missile off its roof (more so in the photos than in person), and with all that limestone, it doesn’t really scream baseball to me.

Regardless of whether or not the building itself looks like a baseball stadium, fans are treated to plenty of baseball history as they make their way to the entrance.

The Twins’ World Series, American League and division championship banners caught our eyes as we walked toward the stadium, so we took a brief detour to see what they were all about. The banners on the stadium to the left of (what I would call) the main entrance made their way clockwise around the building in chronological order.

1987 World Series Banner — 1987 World Series banner

I took a minute to mourn the Cardinals’ 1987 World Series loss to the Twins from the year before I was born, which I mentioned in my Target Field preview.

But I bounced back quickly when I saw the Kent Hrbek statue … not because I recognized Hrbek (I didn’t) but because I clearly enjoy posing with statues.

And yes, I realize Hrbek helped the Twins win the World Series at my team’s expense and that I basically (unintentionally) look like a cheerleader hanging out with him, but I don’t really have strong feelings about the Twins, and I’m all for getting lost in baseball history, regardless of the team (although I can maybe think of one exception).

After the Hrbek detour, I got distracted by this street banner of the game’s starting pitcher, Lance Lynn … mostly because I appreciate him as a former Cardinal and goofball and a little bit because he was struggling going into the start and would maybe be what the Redbirds needed to get back on track. (Sorry, Lance.)

Lance Lynn Banner — Still a Lance Lynn fan

My brother and I then made our way back to where we started and to what I would call the front of Target Field. Unlike our first ballpark (Great American Ball Park with the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum), the Twins do not have a museum, at least not in building form. They do, however, proudly display their history outside the ballpark in an area called Target Plaza, but more on that later.

We entered Gate 34 (named after Twins Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett) from the Target Plaza area. Security was quick. We were there early, and there wasn’t much of a crowd at that point. (Gates open 90 minutes before the game Monday through Thursday and two hours prior to the game on Friday through Sunday.)

Gate 34 at Target Field — Me and brother entering Target Field

View from Inside Gate 34 — View immediately inside Gate 34

Once inside, we explored a little and made our way to our section (126), which happened to be where the Cardinals were stretching and signing autographs. Batting practice was over, but we probably still could have gotten autographs if we tried.

Pitchers Matt Bowman (I think) and Brett Cecil

I have to give a shoutout to pitcher Michael Wacha, who stuck around to sign autographs for pretty much every fan who asked. What a guy. (Side note, so many Molina shirts.)

Wacha Wacha — Nice-guy Michael Wacha signing autographs

We then made our way to the dugout, which doesn’t have quite as much character as Cincinnati’s but still offers nice views of the ballpark. We chose the third base side, which is the away team dugout.

Twins Away Dugout — Me and my brother at the Twins away dugout

After our dugout stop, we walked around the concourse some more, checked out the team store and took photos from about every angle of the stadium. (And unlike our first ballpark adventure, this time, we took advantage of the escalator.)

Escalator — T.C. Bear pointing up the escalator

Ticket from Target Field's inaugural game — My brother and this cool ticket from Target Field’s inaugural game

Me pointing — Me being either A) bossy or B) indecisive

To me, the two best views are looking out at the Minneapolis skyline and looking in toward home plate. (I think skyline views in ballparks are always some of the coolest features, and this one is no exception.)

My absolute favorite feature of the ballpark (and the one that to me, feels like it screams baseball) is this old-timey image of Minneapolis and St. Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi River that sits atop the stadium in center field. (I think I mostly like that it is both vintage-looking and geographically accurate in that the Mississippi does in fact separate the Twin Cities … plus, the whole friendship thing. Adorable.)

Minneapolis and St. Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi River

Once the game started, we stopped exploring and stayed in our seats (other than to make a few trips to the concession stand and Guest Service Center.) Again, I’m not much of a roamer when there is baseball to watch.

Play Ball! — Play ball! View from section 126, row 9, seats 7 and 8

The day’s menu? Dollar hot dogs and bottled water. And with all that money I saved on my $1 dog (because the Twins have $1 hot dogs every Wednesday in 2018), I was able to splurge on this Chocolate Malt Cup … which I guess is technically malt-flavored ice cream rather than actual malt? I’m no expert. Either way, it was delicious, and so was my hot dog. Plus, the frozen treat was fantastic on one of the first steamy days of the summer.

Chocolate malt — Chocolate Malt Cup time

During the game, we enjoyed some between-innings entertainment from the Twins mascot (T.C. Bear) and a race by an odd assortment of misfits, which included the Target dog.

The yellow one (above) was so far ahead that you can’t even see the other runners (below) in the same photo.

Between all the entertainment and snacking, I managed to secure my second passport stamp for my MLB GameDay Pass-Port book. Unfortunately, I forgot the book at home (and I couldn’t find any in the team store), but the lady at the guest services booth stamped a random Twins business card for me. Problem solved.

Plus, I got my second first-time visitor certificate of the season. I picked it up before the game on the upper level. Unlike the Reds, the Twins staff does not print a custom certificate and instead, hands you a colorful blank certificate for you to fill in later. While this was slightly more eye-catching than the plain Reds one, I preferred the custom printed, official-looking Reds certificate.

(I also got a free Twins magazine with a scorecard and other info that I admittedly still haven’t read.)

Passport stamp and first-game certificate after the game

Game Highlights

It wasn’t pretty, but the Redbirds came away with a 7-5 win in a game that lasted just shy of four hours. (I had no idea the game was that long until I looked up the duration weeks later. It was over an hour longer than our previous game, but I actually prefer the longer games when I’m visiting a new stadium.)

As predicted, Lynn wasn’t sharp, but neither was Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. Both pitchers had early exits, and the game was decided by the bullpen. Bud Norris got the save, and flamethrower Jordan Hicks picked up his second win of the season.

Game Summary

MLB GameDay Pass-Port summary page for Twins game

Target Plaza

As I mentioned earlier, the Twins don’t have a traditional museum, but they make great use of the area outside the ballpark with Target Plaza. If you’re in the Minneapolis area, I suggest you visit. It’s basically a free outdoor museum, featuring the Twins Hall of Fame, year-by-year rosters, several statues and one of my personal favorites, this giant glove.

Giant Glove — Giant glove at Target Plaza

I also highly enjoyed the Kirby Puckett statue and accompanying quotes from the 10-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer. (I loved reading quotes for all the statues. That was one of my favorite parts of Target Plaza.)

As good as the first quote is, this next one might be my 5-foot-0 self’s new quote to live by.

There are other statues as well, including this Twins ball.

And I couldn’t pass up a photo opportunity with the Twins mascot, T.C. Bear. (I wouldn’t have been able to tell you their mascot was a bear before this game.)

Our last stop in Target Plaza was the Twins Hall of Fame, which spans the bridge across I-394.

Twins Hall of Fame, Torii Hunter — Twins Hall of Famer Torii Hunter (possibly my favorite Twin … I don’t remember Puckett firsthand)

After the game, we sought out some food (and more importantly, air conditioning) at The Loon Cafe, just a few blocks east of the ballpark.

I had a Southwest turkey sandwich, and my brother had a grilled skinless cajun chicken breast sandwich. Mine was OK, but I’m still jealous of his beautiful chicken sandwich (below). The Loon, as I’ll now call it, is heavy on the Twins theming, and it’s known for its chili, which is served at Target Field.

Two Down, 28 to Go

Overall, Target Field offered up a great baseball experience. Was it the most unique or charming baseball experience of all time? Probably not. Did it check all the boxes for a great game day experience? I’d say so. To me, the inside of the park is more impressive than the physical appearance of the ballpark from the outside, but Target Plaza truly feels like baseball.

Target Plaza is 100 percent worth the (free) experience. Go. I can’t say that enough. Even if you’re not going to a game, just walk around and take in the Twins history … FOR FREE. But if you’re in the area anyway, I also recommend you catch a game … and eat a hot dog, especially if it’s a dollar dog Wednesday.

Check back for a full Target Field photo gallery and for my adventures to other Twin Cities destinations, including the Mall of America. (When in Minnesota, am I right?)

Shoutout to two of my great friends (and their adorable daughters), who let us stay at their place throughout the trip. I appreciate it a whole lot and miss you guys. Thanks for hosting.

Reds: Hall of Fame and Museum

I couldn’t get the full experience of visiting Great American Ball Park without stopping at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

How else would I know what the inside of a baseball feels like or what players wore to stay warm in 1904? (I’m not being sarcastic. I found all of it fascinating.) As professional baseball’s first franchise, the Reds are not short on history.

Big Red Machine celebration in the Great Teams Room

The Reds haven’t had a winning record since 2013 and are on pace for one of the worst seasons in MLB history, but they’ve been around in some form since 1869 and have their share of World Series championships with five (1919, 1940, 1975, 1976 and 1990).

(In fact, they won a World Series in my lifetime before my beloved Cardinals did, not that my 2-year-old self bothered to notice back in 1990. I’m sure I was more concerned with how Arial was going to escape Ursula or what Michelle Tanner was going to do next.)

The Hall of Fame and Museum sits right in front of Great American Ball Park, so my brother and I decided to explore the museum before entering the stadium. Adult admission is $10, and my experience there was worth at least that much.

My first stop at the museum was getting a pic with this guy.

Meet Mr. Redlegs — Me with statue of Mr. Redlegs

I’m glad I did because although the Reds apparently have FOUR mascots (Mr. Red, Mr. Redlegs, Gapper and Rosie Red), I got a picture with zero of them. This statue of Mr. Redlegs is the closest I came. (Why four mascots? And how in the world did I miss all of them???)

After saying hi to the Mr. Redlegs statue, we walked into the lobby area, purchased our tickets and got our first view of the actual museum.

Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Lobby — View of museum from lobby

A big chunk of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to uniforms, which I loved because throwback uniforms are some of the most iconic visual representations of what baseball looked and felt like throughout the years.

The first room takes guests back all the way to 1869 with a Red Stockings replica jersey and also features a collection of jerseys from other decades and other teams from around the league.

1869 Replica Uniform — 1869 Red Stockings replica uniform

From there, fans can step into the Palace of the Fans Theater. (Unfortunately, we did not because the next video wasn’t showing for a while, and we were slightly crunched for time. I regret missing out.)

After bypassing the theater, we made our way to one of the most intriguing areas of the museum, a stairwell with a wall covered in baseballs, each representing one of Pete Rose’s MLB record 4,256 career hits.

From what I have read online since going, this section also features a rose garden outside the window, showing where Rose’s record-breaking 4,192nd hit landed, but I don’t remember seeing it. (Maybe it was too early in the year for roses??? Or maybe I’m just not very observant … probably the latter.)

I was interested to see how the Reds treat their disgraced legend, but it looks like he holds a special place in their Hall of Fame, which I guess is deserved considering his accomplishments on the field.

Pete Rose's Career Hits in Baseballs — Baseballs representing each of Pete Rose’s 4,256 career hits

The upper floor offers a look at Cincinnati’s past ballparks, including this cool light from Crosley Field (home of the Reds from 1912 to 1970).

Crosley Field Light — Crosley Field light

After checking out the old ballparks, I got the chance to step inside the dugout with Reds Hall of Fame managers Sparky Anderson (1970-78) and Bill McKechnie (1938-46) in statue form.

And from that experience, I realized I would make one heck of a manager.

Dugout Exhibit Me in the Hall of Fame dugout

Fans can also see how fast they throw, find out what the materials inside baseballs throughout history feel like (pretty stringy) and see how Reds players have stayed warm throughout the years. (I especially enjoyed this part because as someone who is always cold, I’m a big fan of bundling up.)

Speaking of bundling up, the second floor also features a Kids Clubhouse where kids can literally slide into home (down an actual slide) and try on kid-sized baseball jerseys. I took advantage of my height (or lack thereof) and threw on the Jason LaRue jersey in honor of his time as a Cardinal, which I discussed in my Reds preview. It fit.

This next room doesn’t necessarily have as much historical significance as some of the other exhibits, but what it lacks in history, it more than makes up in charm.

The museum also dedicates an area to broadcasting, and this is where I made my most interesting discovery of the visit. (It may be worth mentioning that I once worked in media relations in college athletics, which probably has something to do with how fascinating I found this.)

Apparently, prior to the late 1940s, most away team radio broadcasters were not actually at the games they were announcing. Instead, they relied on someone to send shorthand messages in Morse code via telegraph, while someone at the radio station typed the description of the play-by-play to be read on air. (Simply fascinating.)

Old-School Broadcasting — Telegraph broadcasting for road games

There’s also a radio booth where fans can record their own calls of special moments in Reds history. (Unlike the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, you can’t listen to the original calls first … so it was pretty much a fail on our end.)

The final room before the Hall of Fame is the Great Teams Room. There, you can celebrate with the “Great Eight” members of the Big Red Machine. (I didn’t … because I felt weird doing it in my Cardinals sweatshirt. I wasn’t there to start any fights.)

The Big Red Machine (the 1970s Reds) basically owned the ’70s with two World Series titles, four National League pennants and six division titles during the decade. The “Great Eight” were the starting position players from the World Series championship team (Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Ken Griffey Sr., Tony Perez, Dave Concepcion, George Foster and Cesar Geronimo).

1975 World Series Trophy — 1975 World Series trophy

World Series Swag — World Series swag from the ’70s

After taking in all the history and learning just how much the Reds dominated in the 1970s, we finally stepped into the Reds Hall of Fame, home to Reds greats, like Bench, Griffey (Jr. and Sr.), Morgan and Rose.

Reds Hall of Fame List — Partial Reds Hall of Fame list

One of my absolute favorite parts of the experience was watching Reds fans soak in the history of their team. Now I know how I must look when I’m at the Cardinals or Illini Hall of Fame.

I’m not trying to be dramatic, but seeing the looks on Reds fans’ faces, old and young, maybe visiting for the first time, was kind of inspiring. I actually got a little teary-eyed at one point. (Disclaimer: I’m a crier. I cry for pretty much every emotion … joy, sadness, anger, shock, nervousness, you get the idea.)

But try telling me this doesn’t make you feel something.

I love history, and I love baseball. If you love either of those, make sure to put the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum on your to-do list next time you’re in Cincinnati.

There’s still more to come from Cincinnati, but first, take a look at the Hall of Fame and Museum photo gallery below. And if you missed Part 1, check it out now for a recap of my rainy day at Great American Ball Park.

Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Photo Gallery

Old-Timey Reds Batter — Me and an old-timey Reds batter

1935 Cardinals Jersey — 1935 Cardinals jersey

Reds' 1920s Jersey, Socks, Cap — 1920s Reds jersey, socks, cap

Reds' 1919 Road Cap — 1919 Reds road cap

Saves Leader Danny Graves — Reds’ all-time saves leader Danny Graves

Reds Ticket Booth Items — Vintage Reds ticket booth items

Retro Yearbooks and Ticket Sign — Retro yearbooks and ticket sign

1956 Cardinals Road Jersey — 1956 Cardinals road jersey

Cardinals Swag — 1956 Cardinals road jersey sign

1970s Opponents' Jerseys — 1970s opponents’ jerseys

Reds' Opponents' Jerseys in 1970s — Reds’ opponents’ jerseys in 1970s

Reds Owners — Reds owners through the years

Reds Memorabilia — Reds leadership memorabilia

1892 Reds Scorecard — 1892 Reds scorecard

Big Red Machine Sign — Big Red Machine “The Great Eight” sign

1976 World Series Trophy — 1976 World Series trophy

1990 World Series Trophy — 1990 World Series trophy

Reds' World Series Trophies — Reds’ World Series trophies

Reds Hall of Fame Entry — Reds Hall of Fame entry sign

Pete Rose Plaque — Pete Rose plaque in Reds Hall of Fame

Ken Griffey Jr. Plaque — Ken Griffey Jr. plaque in Reds Hall of Fame

Reds: Great American Ball Park

For my first of 30 ballparks for turning 30, my brother and I headed to Cincinnati for a Saturday afternoon matchup between the Cardinals and Reds at Great American Ball Park. The forecast looked almost as bleak as the Reds’ rocky start to the season, but I wasn’t about to let a little rain stop me.

welcome to gabp — Welcome to Great American Ball Park!

Game Day Eve (April 13, 2018)

A majestic bald eagle christened the Ballparking It journey with a dramatic flyover somewhere on Interstate 74 in rural Indiana. I wish we would’ve had our cameras ready, but when the speed limit is 70 and you’ve never seen a bald eagle in the wild before, you’re not necessarily anticipating it.

(But really, how American is a bald eagle flying over your vehicle on your way to your first of 30 MLB stadiums … which coincidentally, happens to be called Great American Ball Park? Come on.)

We arrived at our hotel (the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter in Covington, Kentucky) on Friday evening and spent the rest of the day scoping out the area and checking out the ballpark from afar.

Cincinnati sits right on the Ohio River, which defines the Ohio-Kentucky state border, and the ballpark overlooks the river and northern Kentucky shoreline in right field. The location offers beautiful views from inside and maybe even better views outside from Kentucky.

We took advantage of those views the evening we arrived and every subsequent chance we got.

gabp across ohio river — Great American Ball Park across the Ohio River

night night gabp — Nighttime view of Great American Ball Park and John A. Roebling Bridge across the Ohio River

Game Day (April 14, 2018)

We left our hotel on Saturday morning with the intention of walking to the stadium by way of the John A. Roebling Bridge (pictured above), a suspension bridge that opened in the 1860s and is more than a 1,000 feet long. Sadly, the bridge was closed for repair, so we took an Uber instead. The ride was about 6 minutes.

Great American Ball Park generally opens 90 minutes before each game, which in our case, had a 1:10 p.m. ET start. (Opening times vary for a few games this season.)

We got to the ballpark a little before 11 a.m. to explore the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum before the stadium doors opened. The museum opens at 10 a.m. on game days and off days throughout the season and is a few steps west of the ballpark.

With so much Reds history, the Hall of Fame and Museum deserves a post of its own … so more on that at a later time. I do HIGHLY recommend visiting it if you’re going to a Reds game or if you’re in Cincinnati and like baseball at all whatsoever. The experience is well worth the $10 admission fee.

The rain rolled in at some point while we were in the museum, and I was pretty thankful to have an umbrella for the day.

I normally wouldn’t bring an umbrella to the stadium for fear of blocking someone’s view, but we had noticed the night before how few fans were in attendance … and I wasn’t about to invest in a Reds poncho.

A statue of Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench greets fans as they enter the stadium. (Bench ended up being relevant to our game in an interesting historical coincidence that I’ll explain later.)

Security and the ticket area are on par with what I expected (metal detectors, bag-checking areas, etc.), and everyone involved was exceptionally nice.

The stadium, which opened in 2003, reminds me of an old-school amusement park. I don’t know if that’s the look it was going for, and I’ve seen it described as modern, but for some reason, its white beams and poles remind me of Coney Island.

We were handed our very own Tucker Barnhart bobbleheads at the gate.

My theory is the Reds decided to troll Cardinals fans and eight-time Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina by presenting Barnhart’s 2017 Gold Glove Award before the game and handing out a bobblehead to commemorate it. (Sigh.)

Our first stop in the stadium (after a quick peak at the tarp-covered infield) was the Kroger Fan Zone, located outside the concourse on the first base side.

The Fan Zone is uncovered and features baseball-themed carnival games, a Reds Statue of Liberty (pictured below), a kids’ whiffle ball field, a concert stage and food stands, including Frisch’s Big Boy, Porkopolis and Skyline Chili.

With all the rain and wind, my brother and I decided it wasn’t the right time to try Skyline Chili, which I think was the right call for the conditions, but I regret not trying Frisch’s.

skyline in fan zone — Skyline Chili in the Kroger Fan Zone

After exploring the Fan Zone, we made our way back inside and down to the field to check out the views behind the home dugout. No one checked our tickets at this point, but I’m guessing the staff lets people down to take photos (and get autographs when it’s not raining) early before the game.

me at dugout — Me behind the Reds dugout

reds dugout gabp — Me and my brother behind the Reds dugout

We explored the concourse and team store and ate hot dogs under a tiny overhang. In hindsight, we could have eaten downstairs, but we weren’t that familiar with our surroundings.

(For example, we were so unfamiliar that we took the stairs EVERY time we went up or down a level before and during the game. We finally took the ramp on our way out, but we never used the escalator. So. Many. Steps.)

Great American Ball Park offers a variety of hot dog options in addition to Skyline Chili.

reds basic hot dog gabp — Nathan’s all-beef frank at Great American Ball Park #BasicHotDog

I had a Nathan’s all-beef frank, and my brother had a Kahn’s hot dog. I paid $12.25 for the frank and a Cherry Coke. The all-beef frank was pretty good, not the best I’ve ever had.

(My biggest regret of the day was buying that Cherry Coke when it was slightly chilly and raining pretty steadily. I’m not even a huge soda drinker.)

We took in the views of the Ohio River from the concourse before making our way to our seats, section 521, row E, seats 11 and 12, which were in the lower section of the upper deck, just left of home plate.

umbrellas in seats gabp — Me and my brother in our seats at Great American Ball Park

The Reds game day crew makes great use of the smokestacks in center field. The smoke itself is cool but is nothing compared to the fiery flames that shoot out every time a Reds pitcher strikes out an opposing batter. (I unfortunately did not get a photo of the fire.)

Like many teams, the Reds have a variety of scoreboard games. The traditional ball-under-hat game features a ball under a plate of Skyline Chili spaghetti rather than under a baseball cap, which is an interesting concept but slightly gross when you really think about it.

My favorite in-game promotion between innings was without a doubt, Redzilla, a rapid-fire, souvenir-launching ATV with more than 50 barrels that can blast T-shirts into the upper deck with ease. I unfortunately was so in awe that I didn’t get a decent video or photo (not because I was enjoying it with my own eyes but because I accidentally didn’t press record on my phone when I thought I did … oops).

I’m the type of fan who doesn’t want to leave my seat at any point during the game, but I made an exception to make a team store purchase and visit both fan accommodation stations.

The nice lady who sold me my hot dog earlier in the day had told me about a certificate I could get for being a first-time visitor at Great American Ball Park. You can get these certificates for free at fan accommodation, which happens to be right outside and below the section where we sat.

After picking up my free certificate, I made a quick run to the team store on the lower level of the stadium to buy a Major League Baseball GameDay Pass-Port. I had spotted it in the store before the game, and (because it takes me hours, sometimes days … months … years to make a decision) I had finally decided to purchase one in the sixth inning.

The GameDay Pass-Port tells you where you can get special stamps at each of the 30 MLB ballparks. We stopped at a fan accommodation station, this time on the lower level, to get my first stamp.

We made it back to our seats in time for the seventh-inning stretch, and I stayed there for the rest of the game. My bro slipped out to get some nachos, which he kindly shared with me.

They weren’t my favorite nachos of all time, but I am fond of almost anything with jalapeños. They definitely weren’t bad.

My favorite walk-up song of the day and one of my favorite moments of the day in general was when Alex Blandino (I think), who had come in to play short in the seventh, batted to James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” in the eighth. I could not stop laughing, especially at how well it fit with his scoreboard video intro. (Side note, I had no idea that song had three “man’s” in the title until now.)

Game Highlights

The game itself was a bit of a blowout. The Reds aren’t good, more like historically awful so far this year, as evidenced by their manager getting fired soon after our weekend in town.

The Cardinals won 6-1 with only a bit of trouble in the ninth, when Jordan Hicks gave up two hits and a walk to load the bases. He got out of it, and the Reds stranded the bases loaded. The Cardinals took the third of what turned out to be a four-game sweep in the Queen City.

cards defeat reds gabp — Cardinals win 6-1

Cardinals infielder Greg Garcia served up the in-game excitement for the day with two home runs, both off starter Brandon Finnegan, who had just come off the disabled list. Garcia also had a double before the day was done.

garcia hits 2 home runs — It’s a hit, big boy! (Greg Garcia’s second home run of the day)

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the platoon second baseman in his fifth year in the big leagues, Garcia had seven home runs in his first four seasons, so he basically reached his yearly quota during this game.

We didn’t know it at the time, but a little history was made at Great American Ball Park that day. On Tucker Barnhart Bobblehead Day, a celebration of the current Reds catcher, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina passed Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Bench on the all-time innings caught list to rank 13th.

And now is as good of time as any to mention that Reds fans HATE (or at least love to boo) Molina. I have a feeling it still has to do with that not-so-minor altercation from 2010 I mentioned in my preview. (Way to stick it to your haters, Yadi.)

More history was made during this series when the Cardinals premiered their home run conga line during the Thursday game and continued in our game after both of Garcia’s bombs.

I’m not sure which affected attendance more, the rain or the Reds’ record, but the stadium, which holds 42,271, was less than half full at 19,213 (and that might have been tickets sold rather than turnstile … not sure how they calculate it).

Game Summary

One Down, 29 to Go

Our first of 30 was a huge success. I’m 1-0 cheering on the Cardinals on this adventure, and the forecasted thunderstorms stayed away. Plus, we got through nine innings without a rain delay (but not without plenty of rain).

I discovered Great American Ball Park is an accurate description, but the fans were so sparse and down on the Reds that I almost felt bad wearing my Cardinals sweatshirt … almost.

gabp seats — Me and my brother at Great American Ball Park

leaving reds ballpark gabp — Me leaving Great American Ball Park

Check out my Great American Ball Park photo gallery at the end of this post, and stay tuned for more on Cincinnati as I explore the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum and wrap up my stay with a trip to Newport Aquarium and Skyline Chili.

skyline chili taste — Me trying a Skyline Chili 4-Way with beans

Great American Ball Park Photo Gallery #1stof30