Great American Ball Park

History

Planning and funding

In 1996, Hamilton County voters passed a ½% sales tax increase to fund the construction of new venues for both the Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). According to the lease agreement, the Reds owed $2.5 million in rent annually for years 1–9 to Hamilton County, and owe $1 annually for years 10–35 of the contract. The Reds and the Bengals had previously shared occupancy of Riverfront Stadium, but by the mid-1990s, they complained that the multi-purpose stadium lacked amenities necessary for small-market professional sports teams to compete and each lobbied for venues of their own. Nearby Paycor Stadium broke ground in 1998 and was opened on August 19, 2000.

Design and construction

Great American Ball Park was built by the architectural firms HOK Sport (now Populous) and GBBN at a cost of approximately US$290 million. It is located on the plot of land between the former site of Riverfront Stadium (currently, The Banks mixed-use development) and Heritage Bank Center (previously, U.S. Bank Arena, previously Riverfront Coliseum). The limited construction space necessitated the partial demolition of Cinergy Field. It was fully demolished on December 29, 2002.

2015 All-Star Game

The ballpark hosted the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The Reds put in $5 million for improvements, which included two new bars and upgraded concession stands.

Lowest attendance record

The Reds set the lowest attendance record (not counting 2020) on April 17, 2023, at Great American Ballpark, due to the cold weather. The attendance number was 4,967 fans. Temperatures were near 30 °F (-1 °C), which is not normal for April weather, let alone baseball weather. Fans were seen in the stands holding blankets and drinking hot coffee, which can be bought at most concession stands. The Reds defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, by a score of 8–1.

Features

The original address of Great American Ball Park was 100 Main Street. However, after the death of former pitcher and longtime broadcaster Joe Nuxhall in 2007, the address was changed to 100 Joe Nuxhall Way. A sign bearing Nuxhall's traditional signoff phrase "rounding third and heading for home" is located on the third base side exterior of the park. The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is adjacent to Great American Ball Park. In honor of Crosley Field, the Cincinnati Reds' home park from 1912 to June 1970, a monument reminiscent of the park's infamous left field terrace was built on the main entrance plaza on Joe Nuxhall Way; statues of Crosley-era stars Nuxhall, catcher Ernie Lombardi, first baseman Ted Kluszewski, and outfielder Frank Robinson are depicted playing an imaginary baseball game. The distance to center field is the exact same distance as the distance to center field at the Reds' former home, Riverfront Stadium.

The Gap

Power Stacks

The Spirit of Baseball

A 50-foot-by-20-foot (15 x 6 m) Indiana limestone bas relief carving near the main entrance features a young baseball player looking up to the heroic figures of a batter, pitcher and fielder, all set against the background of many of Cincinnati's landmarks, including the riverfront and Union Terminal. Local designers and artist created the piece between 2001 and 2003 with concept, design and project oversight / management by Berberich Design. The illustrative artist was Mark Riedy, the sculptors of the scale model used for fabrication were Todd Myers and Paul Brooke with fabrication by Mees Distributors.

Mosaics

Just inside the main gates off the Crosley Terrace are two mosaic panels measuring 16 ft wide by 10 ft high. The mosaics depict two key eras in Reds history: "The First Nine", the 1869 Red Stockings who were the first professional baseball team in history with a record of 57–0 in their first season and "The Great Eight", the famous Big Red Machine that won back-to-back World Series in 1975 and 1976. The mosaics were created between 2001 and 2003 with concept, design and project oversight / management by Berberich Design. The illustrative artist was Mark Riedy. These mosaic panels are made of opaque glass tiles and were produced in Ravenna, Italy by SICIS.

Scoreboard

The scoreboard was replaced in 2020 with a larger videoboard as part of a general overhaul of the videoboards in Great American Ball Park. The sponsorship banners on the right side were replaced with additional video space. All of the videoboards throughout the facility are capable of showing high dynamic range (HDR) content, thus making it the first MLB facility with a fully integrated HDR video system.[[File:Great-american-ball-park.jpg|thumb|Great American Ball Park at night]]

Home Run Deck

If a Reds player hits the "Hit Me" sign located between the Power Stacks located in right field, a randomly selected fan will win the red Toyota Tundra pickup truck located on top of an elevator shaft approximately 500 ft from home plate beyond the center field fence, which is valued at approximately US$31,000.

Crosley Terrace

As a nod to Crosley Field, the Reds' home from 1912 to 1970, a monument was created in front of the main entrance to highlight the park's famous left-field terrace. Bronze statues of Crosley-era stars Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Robinson (created by sculptor Tom Tsuchiya) are depicted playing in an imaginary ballgame. The grass area of the terrace has the same slope as the outfield terrace at Crosley Field.

4192 mural

A three-piece mural on the back of the scoreboard in left field depicts the bat Pete Rose used for his record-breaking 4,192nd hit and the ball he hit in . This was replaced with new banners in 2015 as part of the All-Star Game upgrades.

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum

Located on the west side of Great American Ball Park on Main Street, the Hall of Fame and Museum celebrate the Reds' past through galleries and extensive use of multimedia. The Hall of Fame has been in existence since 1958, but did not previously have a building.

Rose Garden

Adjacent to both the stadium and the Reds Hall of Fame is a rose garden that symbolizes Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd hit. It was strategically placed here because the ball landed around this area in Riverfront Stadium. The garden is visible from a stairwell in the hall of fame displaying the number of balls that Rose hit. This was replaced with a different marker as part of the construction of the 1869 Pavilion in 2019.

Fan amenities

Nursing suites

For the 2015 season, Great American Ball Park became the first MLB ballpark to feature a suite designed exclusively as a place for mothers to feed and care for their babies. Reds COO Phil Castellini, a father of five, says he felt compelled to do his best to provide a worthwhile solution after stadium officials told him an increasing number of women were asking where they could nurse their children at the ballpark. The suite has five glider chairs, diaper-changing stations, a restroom, a kitchenette, refrigerator, lockers, and televisions showing the game. It's located on the Suite Level near the Champions Club elevators. A second nursing suite was added as part of the addition of the TriHealth Family Zone on the former site of Redlegs Landing.

Sportsbook

For the 2023 season, the Reds partnered with BetMGM Sportsbook to introduce on-site sports betting. The BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park is located in the Machine Room, and features three betting windows and 15 self-service kiosks, in addition to a full-service bar and food options.

Notable non-baseball events

Concerts

Other events

• On October 31, 2004, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush held a campaign rally in Great American Ball Park.
• On April 27, 2008, a memorial service for Staff Sergeant Keith Matthew Maupin was held at Great American Ball Park.

Milestones and notable moments

Opening day (March 31, 2003)

Other firsts

Attendance records

Bold indicates the winner of each game.

References

Bibliography

• Leventhal, Josh, Take Me Out to the Ballpark: An Illustrated Tour of Baseball Parks Past and Present. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2006.
• Stupp, Dann, Opening Day at Great American Ball Park. Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2003.

References

1. "I can tell you that graphic isn't up to date no matter when it was posted. Field was changed to 💯 Kentucky Bluegrass in November 2019 by me, my staff, Moster Turf, and @TheMotzGroup".
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3. [http://www.projectgrid.com/projectcontactsnew.cgi?241+0 Contacts for the Great American Ballpark/Reds Stadium (DL)]
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