Special Edition- Great American Ballpark: Home of the Cincinnati Reds
If you have done your baseball homework, you should know that the Cincinnati Reds are the oldest MLB team that is still around. The team claims to be the first professional baseball team to ever exist. So it goes without saying that when I was walking into Great American Ballpark there was an insurmountable amount of history packed into the park.
As a quick summary, the Cincinnati Reds were established all the way back in 1869 as the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The team was by far the best baseball team in the nation. Without a proper league, the Red Stockings traveling all across the country for competition. In fact, in 1870-71, the team won 81 consecutive games. The Red Stockings were the talk of the town wherever they went and fans always showed up to games to see how their hometown team held up against a powerhouse group. It got to a point where the opposing teams had no hopes in winning rather the team was looking to see how little they could lose by.
Fast forward roughly a century and a half later, the Reds host their games in Great American Ballpark, a 43,500-seat stadium. The park has great views and some local food favorites.
Location/ Scenery/ Amenities (4.2/5)
The location of Great American Ballpark was second to none in the city of Cincinnati. I'm not saying that this is the best view in baseball by any means but the team did the best they could in a city that I have always felt is outdated, old, and dirty. From the outfield seats, you get a great backdrop of the Cincinnati skyline. From behind home plate (and down the baselines) you are treated to a view of the RiverBoat Deck in center field that also serves as a large group space. Beyond the outfield is the Ohio River which fans can view in the outfield concourse.
There is no shortage of group spaces in Great American Ballpark with the aforementioned RiverBoat Deck, Budweiser Bullpen Deck, AltaFiber Connections Skybar, Swift Party Barn, and the Lexus Dimond Club.
The concourse was pretty wide which helps accommodate large crowds and the amenities were nothing to complain about either.
Food (3.5/5)
The food at Great American Ballpark was very middle of the road in my opinion. There was a plethora of local specialties such as Skyline Chili, United Dairy Farmers, and LaRosa's Pizza. I chose to go with the Skyline Chili Coney ($6.00) which was good but wasn't anything special. I would've like to see more interesting ballpark creations in addition to these regional chains.
Entertainment (4.2/5)
Finally, I thought the entertainment aspect was done pretty well too. There were multiple mascot races and the pyrotechnics were pretty cool as well. Beyond that, there could've been more done with this but it was still enough for me at the end of the day.
Sam's Score: 79.3/100
Overall, Great American Ballpark is definitely worth a visit. I've never been a big fan of the city of Cincinnati but I try to not let that affect my review. The surrounding areas of Great American Ballpark are filled with restaurants and parking was pretty reasonable if you are willing to walk half a mile or so. All in all, if your team is in Cincinnati, I recommend you stop by and enjoy a day at Great American Ballpark.
