ANDERSON, Ind. —
Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park is four years old now. I can’t believe it took us this long to make it to a Reds game there, particularly with a daughter living in the burbs.
So we vowed to pay a visit to Great American this summer. And Sarah and Eddie had been wanting to work in a nearby getaway as well. Rachel and Rob agreed, so the eight of us ordered seats for a Friday night game last month.
Along with Sarah, Eddie and LeeAnn, we worked in a visit to the Newport Aquarium the day before, and all of us went to the zoo the following Saturday and one of the nearby flea markets in Monroe, Ohio, before our return Sunday. Needless to say, we were all pretty tired.
Great American Ball Park is close to where old Riverfront Stadium was and not far from Paul Brown Stadium where the Bengals play. Unlike the cookie-cutter Riverfront, it’s built for baseball with all the atmosphere of the retro ballparks in vogue nowadays.
Parking is the big negative. A parking garage is in the works, but now either you park in a downtown garage or where we parked in a lot across from Paul Brown Stadium. The tab was $10 a car, and we had about a 10-minute hike to Great American.
There are plenty of concessions, and like all ballparks, they are pricey. But we opted for a somewhat secluded eatery down the right field line where the hot dogs, popcorn, drinks and such were all $1. And we still had money to shell out $5 a pop to the roving vendors for a pop or ice cream later.
We’d been hoping we’d get a chance to see the Reds’ rookie phenom Mike Leake pitch, but no luck, it was erratic Aaron Harang instead. But Harang survived a couple of difficult innings and rode the Reds’ prolific hitting to a 10-3 victory over the cross-state rival Cleveland Indians.
The crowd thinned out as the Reds’ lead mounted, but most of us stayed to the end. That’s because it was fireworks night. And we weren’t disappointed. The 30-minute pyrotechnical display was reminiscent of awesome fireworks shows we’d seen on the Ohio River on past Labor Day weekends. And later we found out the same people put it on. Figures.
Cincinnati traffic patterns are atrocious at rush hour, so leaving the game wasn’t much fun. It took about 45 minutes to get onto I-75 going north, although traffic moved once we actually were on the interstate heading for Monroe.
On the way home that Sunday we got a glimpse of the remains of the large statue of Jesus (it’s been derisively called “Touchdown Jesus”) that recently was struck by lightning and burned at a church along the highway near Monroe. Nothing left but the framework. I understand the church plans to rebuild it, this time with something fireproof.
Jim Bailey’s column appears on Wednesday. He can be reached by e-mail at jameshenrybailey@earthlink.net.
Columns
Related Photos
-
Jim Bailey
Discussion
Jim Bailey: Take me out to the great American ball game — and more
- Columns
-
-
Primus Mootry: Memorial Day should make us remember as well as connect
Memorial Day is past, but we should not forget to remember. And unless we more fully grasp our connection to the people of the world, we are lost.
-
Jim Bailey: Build a better sneaker and you'll probably get sued
People who are gullible enough to fall for colorful and appealing advertising campaigns have an out: Sue the illegitimati.
-
Maureen Hayden: Readers weigh in on low voter turnout
A couple of columns ago, I posed a question about why most Indiana polling places on primary election day had so few customers.
-
Jim Bailey: Jim Carter made football a respectable sport at AHS
When I first came to Anderson in 1951, Jim Carter had been named head football coach at Anderson High School. At that time, football at AHS was little more than an activity to get out of the way to make room for basketball season. The Indians were known to play two games in the same week to shorten the season.
-
Scott Underwood: Help us with book about local athletes
Over the years, Madison County has been blessed with more than its share of extraordinary athletes. Through their feats on the field of play, they’ve brought us excitement and inspiration.
-
Howard Hewitt: 'Pink' wines growing in popularity
Those silly looking pink wines in your favorite wine shop or liquor store are gaining respect through robust sales.
-
Nancy Vaughan: Tomorrow starts today
The United Way of Madison County's 2011 annual report seeks to recognize the individuals and organizations that contribute their resources to support investments and activities to increase the education, income and health of all who call Madison County home.
-
'Big Joe' Clark: Problem isn’t the cost of education, but its quality
We must spend less time focusing on how to bring the price of an education down and more time figuring out how to bring up the quality of that education.
-
Maleah Stringer: Not everyone is an animal lover
Not everyone is an animal lover and they should not have to be around animals if they do not want to be. It’s on the same line as the fight between smokers and non-smokers.
-
Verna Davis: Church and state — separation or silence?
It’s time we realize, as Charles J. Chaput says, that “exiling religion from civic debates separates government from morality...That road leads to politics without character.” It’s time we realize that it’s time to speak up. The future of our country depends on our doing just that.
- More Columns Headlines
-
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing
Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s
Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
Mother of Allegedly Abused Girl Denies Claims
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
