It was a hot, sunny day in the middle of June. I was seven years old, and riding in the car with my dad and grandpa. We were on our way to the Cincinnati Reds vs. San Francisco Giants game. My interest for the sport of baseball was in its early stages. This was the first game that I had ever been to, and it was also the game that I decided on my favorite team.
The game was scheduled to start at 1:05pm. Because of this, we left the house around 9:00am to pick up my grandpa. He lives in Mount Sterling, so he was right on the way to Cincinnati. When we arrived to pick him up, he had breakfast waiting for us. The first thing he said to me when I walked in to greet him was that nobody could never go to a Major League Baseball game with an empty stomach. On the table waiting for us, was a huge plate with eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and a tall glass of orange juice. My grandpa knew that this was my favorite breakfast. After we were finished eating, it was off to the game with the two most influential men in my life.
The car ride there was even enjoyable. It was full of great conversation between my father, grandpa, and I. To pass time, we even played a game of “I spy.” This was my favorite game to play during trips. Everything was going smoothly on the drive down until the car started to shake and we noticed we had a flat tire. When we pulled the car over all I could smell was rubber. The tire had completely blown out and we were riding on the rim. Luckily, we noticed it right when it happened, and the rim wasn’t bent too bad. Getting this flat tire was actually a good thing and a memorable time. My grandpa worked for Chevrolet his whole life and had me get out of the car to teach me how to change the tire. After our tire change and delay, we finally got back on the road again.
When we finally arrived in Cincinnati, the weather had made a drastic change and the sky was filled with rain clouds. The city was beautiful; it was the first time I had been out of Columbus. While pulling into the stadium, my grandpa was telling me about the many Reds fans tail gaiting in the parking lot. He informed me that this is where all the “die-hard” Reds fans spent their time before the games. Boy, was he right. Even with the rain clouds in the area, there were still many Reds fans in the area. They were all decked out in red clothes and face paint. The people there varied from young children to older men and women. This is what America’s past time is all about. These Cincinnati Reds fans were really a special group of fans. While at the tailgate party, I ate an enormous amount of chips and hot dogs. This is what my grandpa said you were supposed to eat during baseball games. Ever since he told me this, I have made it a point to grab a hot dog and a bag of chips during each and every Cincinnati Reds baseball game. After we ate, it was time for the fans to line up outside the stadium. We walked into the stadium, and to my surprise we were sitting directly behind the dugout. It was time for the opening pitch.
It was almost like a dream come true sitting there. We were so close to the big leaguers watching them do their thing. The first player that I saw was Barry Larkin. He was signing autographs. My grandpa pulled a ball out of his pocket and told me to go down and try and get it signed. I was at the end of the line and the game was about to start so just when I started to walk back to my seat, I heard, “Hey kid I can get one more.” I couldn’t believe what I just heard. My grandpa told me that it didn’t surprise him a bit because he was known for being a classy ball player.
After the mayor of Cincinnati threw out the first pitch the game was under way. Starting for the Reds that day was John Smiley. I can remember him taking the mound and having a huge chew in the right side of his mouth. The game started out very boring; actually, it was a pitchers duel. My grandpa told me that these games always turn into nail biters at the end. At the end of the 6th inning the score was tied 0-0 and no team had come close to getting anything going. They did the 7th inning stretch, and I can remember seeing the whole stadium stand up and start singing. I had never heard or been told of this before the game.
In the 8th inning a Giants player hit a foul ball two rows above us. The ball struck a woman in the side of the head. I can remember looking up for the ball and seeing her get hit. She had a bump the size of a baseball instantly. The medics had to come because the ball had given the lady a concussion. I never knew sitting and watching a baseball game could be so dangerous. When the game resumed it was the bottom of the 9th and Barry Larkin was up to the plate. Now, he was my new favorite player because he had signed my ball; so one could bet I was up screaming for him. The count was 3-1 when he got a fastball that he hit to the left field foul post. It was almost a perfect ending seeing my new favorite player hit a walk off homerun.
After the homerun they had fireworks to celebrate the victory. I can remember hearing the first one go off and I thought it was a gun shot. When leaving the game my grandpa put his arm around me and told me this was one of the best games he had ever been to and that he was glad that I had the chance to be there with him. Ever since that day trip to the ball field, I will never support any other team besides the Cincinnati Reds.
