It's always a day of celebration when a new ballpark opens in this great nation of our (unless you live in Miami where the owners believe in screwing the hard working citizens of the city to make a buck while providing the fans with a team that's sub par). Cookie cutter stadiums from the 70s and 80s have given way to retro stadiums reminiscent of the golden era of baseball. The massive and overwhelming concrete bowls of Riverfront, Three Rivers, Veterans and Busch were soon replace by intimate ballparks such as Camden Yards, Jacobs Field, Coors Field and Arlington. When the Reds left Riverfront at the end of 2002 (then known as Cinergy Field) to move into Great American Ballpark, it was a expected to be a new day, a new beginning for a team that had fallen on tough times and was no longer an annual contender in the post season. While that hasn't necessarily panned out, it has brought back the feel of classic baseball along the riverfront in the Queen City.
Great American Ballpark hosted it's first Reds game on March 31, 2003. On a day that was to celebrate a new beginning for baseball for Cincinnati, it was a complete disaster as the Reds lost to Pirates 10-1. The Reds lone run in the game came about in the bottom of the third when Jimmy Haynes was walked in. Anyway, to celebrate the momentous occasion, the Reds handed out these souvenir balls to the fans in attendance. While not the greatest of stadium giveaways, it is a nice change of scenery from the bobbleheads that have been commonplace within the recent decade. Definitely a keeper for my collection.
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