Staples Out...Reds Open the Season....

After 19 days of wearing a bit of the Boris Karloff look, I finally drove to Lima yesterday afternoon....and a quick snip or two later, the medal was out of my neck....just a nice gray hair cover over the 2 1/2  inch or so scar on the right center side of my neck.  Doc Dox says "no shaving" over that for awhile...."use a trimmer".  Mostly due to the Plavix blood thinner I am taking...damn I hate that stuff.   Frankly I hate all four medications I am taking, but for now, will stay the course.  Blood work coming early next month, then we will see how things shake out.  For now I'm just glad to be staple free.

Back to the ball diamond tonight, Garry and I at Van Wert for a Western Buckeye League game with Ottawa Glandorf as the visitors.  Then off Good Friday tomorrow, and then Sam, home for the Easter Break from Ohio State, will join me at Celina for a JV Double Header at the main diamond, with artificial turf at Montgomery Field on Saturday.   I will work my second game behind the plate that day....and hope for the best.  Once done there, we will join the family that is in town, including mom and Mike back from Florida, at sister Marty and brother-n-law Pat's place, for a Saturday Easter get together.

Opening Day, Cincinnati Style____

For many years the Cincinnati Reds would be alone in the National League on the Opening Day of Baseball Season.  Well alone, along with a rotating opponent....Cincinnati, being the oldest professional baseball team, would open the NL season at home on a Monday in early April.  In the American League, the old Washington Senators, would open, usually accompanied by the sitting President, who would, more often than not, toss out the first ball.  {Has anybody viewed that sissy in the White House today, try to toss a ball?...Gawd, what a pathetic piece of work}

But in the world of professional sports, Tradition be dammed!  After the bean counters and Cable TV got involved,   The Reds, still got to open on a Monday, and be at home,  but they weren't alone.  The Senators were gone as well, so the AL was SOL.  Then along came ESPN, and they insisted the opener be on Sunday Night...after one year in Cincy, it then rotated.  The Reds would still open at home on Monday....but now even that is gone.  After a few games in Japan, the official opener was in Miami last night, a Wednesday no less...Miami?  Now that there is a real traditional site for MLB {insert sarcasm icon}...and the Reds would wait until Thursday.

So now the Reds, still opening at home, but no longer alone, or even close to being the first game, will open late this afternoon, at Great American Ball Park, with Miami?  Who, after getting thumped in their new stadium by St. Louis last night, will fly to Cincinnati today and open at 4:05pm.  The good news is, youngest son Hal was given a early birthday present by wife Lisa, and they will be attending the opener.  

In years past, I attended the opening day game on a regular basis.  The first time was in 1975, when the Reds went on to win the World Series...the temperature was in the upper 70s if I recall.  The coldest opening day I remember attending was back in 1992 I believe, when I sat in the upper regions of Riverfront Stadium....looking out over the Ohio River, the neon sign flashed 35 degrees, as a mix of rain and wet snow came down.  I believe me and Bill Clem were seated one row from the top...talk about cold, damn cold it was.

I also attended opening days in Cincinnati where I was seated in the heated press box,  those being back in my broadcasting days.  It was always more fun however, to be out in the seats with the crowd, raising Hell and drinking $4, then $5, and now $8 beers...how stupid can a beer drinker be?    At least in the press box, the swill in the cups was free.....

I have not attended Opening Day in at least 15 years....maybe some day again, but really, opening day is for the young and foolish...those who still enjoy the crowds, the pushing, the yelling, and paying big bucks for watered down American Lager Beer.  Don't get me wrong, I still love baseball, still root for the Reds....but I am not so foolish to believe that those playing the game, or those paying the salary for guys like Joey Votto, just signed by the Reds to a tune of $252 Million for 12 years, really give a rat's behind about me, you, or Joe in the 53rd row up....

But Regardless....let's Play Ball!

back later>>>>

Photos-Metal gone, but the reminder of the surgery, and some gray neck hair will remain....and The Cincinnati Reds and Multi Millionaire First Baseman Joey Votto open up the 2012 Season today at Great American Ballpark.