Saturday night, my dad and I made a quick jaunt up I-71 to Cincinnati to watch the Reds play the Milwaukee Brewers [1]. Here are my notes:
- Watching two bottom-dwelling teams duke it out can almost be as exciting as watching two pennant contenders. In the case of the Reds and Brewers the absence of good pitching from either team made for a fun night with lots of runs scored. The Reds lost, but thankfully neither me nor my dad are die-hard Reds fans—although we did pull for them last night
- If, for example, you were managing a baseball team with a struggling pitcher who has: 1.) already given up 4 runs, 2.) has loaded the bases, and 3.) has just walked in a run; it would be a good idea to call the bullpen before you let him pitch to the batter who already homered in the previous at bat. It might just save you a grand slam…
- While it wasn’t exactly a sellout crowd, the homeless people were out in full force as you walked from the parking lot to the stadium. Most were just sitting on the sidewalk with their hand-scribbled cardboard signs labeled “homeless.” One man was a little more unconventional, holding up a sign that declared:
WHY LIE? I WANT BEER
Apparently, the “honest” approach didn’t fare too well, as he only had about $0.75 in his collection plate.
- The Great American Ballpark is a nice venue for a baseball game, and makes the old (now demolished) Riverfront Stadium feel like a paisley couch on shag carpet. The presence of future hall-of-famer Ken Griffey, Jr. made the trip appealing, but last night Griffey did what he’s done since he’s been to Cincinnati, which is virtually nothing.
- Concessions have always been expensive at major league baseball games, but Cincinnati’s prices almost rival movie theaters in their tourist-trappings. $9.25 bought me a Dr. Pepper and a hot dog called the Big Red Hot. Thankfully, the restrooms are still free.
That’s all for this edition of Travelogue. Play ball!