A Field of Dreams?
A personal farewell to Cinergy Field and Riverfront Stadium

By Rodger Pille

After 32 years, memories of Cinergy Field (a.k.a. Riverfront Stadium) include Junior's first home run as a Red.

You always remember your first stadium. It's a lot like your first car, your first kiss, your first whatever. You remember it fondly, often making it seem better in your memories than it really was. That's the funny thing about memories.

And so, as we begin the last season in Cinergy Field -- originally Riverfront Stadium -- I can't help but look back with Pete Rose-colored glasses and remember the good times there.

Being a baseball fan, proud and true, my recollections of the White Ashtray on the River are all about the Cincinnati Reds. Sure, there were some good football memories there. The Freezer Bowl. The Ickey Shuffle. Even the Buddy LaRosa High School Football Classic brings back nice thoughts about a few great gridiron moments in the stadium's tenure.

But -- to quote Field of Dreams -- "the one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again."

No, Cinergy Field is not a "field of dreams." As a matter of fact, it's a crappy concrete bowl that's being torn down after barely serving 30 years. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are three times older and a million times more beloved.

But, for at least one Reds fan, there were days it felt like the best stadium in the world. And so, with fondness, permit me this trip down memory lane.

Best Moment, Hands-Down -- 4192: A home-grown kid named Pete stepped to the plate in the twilight of a storied 24-year career. The sold-out crowd stood and stomped in anticipation. The swing. The liner to left. The joy. Everything Pete Rose did afterwards could never blemish the moment he broke Ty Cobb's career hits record.

Best Moment, a Close Second - October 1990: One of the great David and Goliath stories in sports. The Reds were supposed to be just a speed bump on the heralded Oakland A's road to coronation. A young right-hander named Rijo and a few other guys got in their way. Sure, we experienced only Games One and Two at Riverfront, but watching replays of Todd Benzinger squeeze that pop foul off first base to win it in Game Four doesn't get old.

Worst Moment, Personal - Hot Dog Parker: Dave Parker used to like to snap his glove on routine fly-balls. It was an unorthodox and highly unsafe way to catch a ball, our Little League coaches said. So when those coaches took our team to a Kid Glove game in 1985 and watched Parker lose the game for us in the ninth by dropping a lazy fly, it was a lesson for life. God, I hated that man that year.

First Homer: In its first game, on June 30, 1970, Hank Aaron christened Riverfront Stadium with one of his record blasts.

Welcome to the Jungle: Long before the place was dubbed "the Jungle" by the hard-hitting Bengals of the 1980s, the Reds hosted the 1970 All Star Game. On July 14, Rose was Charlie Hustling around third to score the winning run. Only an American League catcher stood in his way. Ray Fosse, meet Pete Rose.

Photo: John Fox

After 32 years, memories of Cinergy Field (a.k.a. Riverfront Stadium) include Junior's first home run as a Red (tickets) and the 1990 World Series upset of Oakland.
Most Exciting Player for an Unexciting Reds Team - Glenn Braggs: You knew, coming to the ballyard circa 1991-92, that the Reds would probably lose. But watching the colossal Braggs break through the fence, dive into the stands or break a bat on his back was worth the price of admission.

Saddest Day - Opening Day 1996: Sure, you get upset and sad when your team loses. But all that sports hysteria was thrown quickly into reality check when umpire John McSherry collapsed behind home plate that day. He would never get back up.

Best Personal Foot-in-Mouth Moment: It was Aug. 17, 1999. The Reds were knotted in a 12th-inning tie with the Pirates. With two on, manager Jack McKeon woke up and called on Chris Stynes to pinch hit. "Isn't there anyone else?!" I shout in desperation. Stynes' shot sailed over the left-center wall, and the Reds won. The team bounced on home plate. McKeon called it the turning point in that magical season.

Why We Still Hate Him: The scrappy, young Eric Davis slid hard into third during the July 22, 1986 game against New York. Mets third baseman Ray Knight took exception and gave Davis a shove. A bench-clearing brawl ensued. The Reds went on to lose, and now Knight is back in a Reds uniform.

I Went to a Fight and a Baseball Game Broke Out: Thank God for Rob Dibble, who kept us entertained after the winning karma left. My personal favorite: June 24, 1992 against the Astros. The two teams had already built a healthy distaste for one another that season. So when a brawl broke out, Houston coach Ed Ott found Dibble and put a chokehold on him. It was the only time Dibble was ever silenced. Ever.

Best "Do the Right Thing" Moment: The rumors had more than materialized. Everyone knew coming to the park on the weekend of July 22, 2000 that Barry Larkin would likely be traded to the New York Mets. So with each plate appearance, the fans gave Barry heartfelt thanks for a great career. They say the outpouring of love motivated Reds CEO Carl Lindner to sign Larkin for the rest of his career. It was the right thing to do and a wonderful sign that sometimes, just sometimes, the front office listens to the fans.

Best Moment in the Junior Era: On Opening Day 2000, the excitement and flatout fan giddiness over seeing Ken Griffey Jr. in a Reds uniform outshined the lousy rainy day and watered down beers we had to stomach to see it.

Second Best Moment in the Junior Era: Going to every single game that first week finally paid off, as I was able to see Junior smack his first homer for the Reds on April 9, 2000. Better yet, some blue seat guy was leaving and gave me his ticket stubs so I was able to see it up close.

Biggest Crowd: Game 5 of the 1975 series, on Oct. 16. They say it was the largest crowd (56,393) ever to see a baseball game in Cincinnati. The Sheriff, Don Gullet, threw a 5-hitter. Reds won 6-2.

Smallest Crowd (That I Can Remember): Oct. 6, 2001. It was the second game of a Saturday double-header in a forgettable season. Those of us who stayed had to keep reminding ourselves, "This isn't Montreal. This isn't Montreal."