Crosley Field

[grampahol]

Does anyone remember having gone to the old park as a kid? A few must have I'm sure while a few of you barely remember Riverfront Stadium. 
I remember going at around 5-6 years old with the folks of course. The outside reminded me of an old warehouse.
https://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/crosley-field/
But the things that really stick in my memory were a few things.. The sound of people's feet stomping on the floor of the wooden bleachers (I guess it was a rallying thing back then), the grass seemingly super bright green and the old black beer vendor yelling, "ICE COLD BEER!".. My dad bought a few and I remember being terrified of the guy reaching over me not because of his race, but his deep LOUD voice. Man, that dude had a set of pipes.. I thought people must have heard him as far away as Dayton. LOL
I also remember the bullpen being right on the field in foul territory. I've always wondered how many pitchers and/or catchers got hurt by foul balls back then. The on deck circles were mere inches from the circle around home..  Different times I guess. Now bullpens are way, way out beyond the outfield in most parks.. 

[*bengalfan74*]

(01-28-2019, 11:47 PM)grampahol Wrote: Does anyone remember having gone to the old park as a kid? A few must have I'm sure while a few of you barely remember Riverfront Stadium. 
I remember going at around 5-6 years old with the folks of course. The outside reminded me of an old warehouse.
https://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/crosley-field/
But the things that really stick in my memory were a few things.. The sound of people's feet stomping on the floor of the wooden bleachers (I guess it was a rallying thing back then), the grass seemingly super bright green and the old black beer vendor yelling, "ICE COLD BEER!".. My dad bought a few and I remember being terrified of the guy reaching over me not because of his race, but his deep LOUD voice. Man, that dude had a set of pipes.. I thought people must have heard him as far away as Dayton. LOL
I also remember the bullpen being right on the field in foul territory. I've always wondered how many pitchers and/or catchers got hurt by foul balls back then. The on deck circles were mere inches from the circle around home..  Different times I guess. Now bullpens are way, way out beyond the outfield in most parks.. 

Crosley field was before my time. My first game was at Riverfront like 72 but I still remember the vendors yelling. A lot has changed since then as well.

[*Go Cards*]

Went to Crosley as a boy with father and remember the opening of Riverfront too.

[Goalpost]

I was there as a 7 or 8 year old. In those days you could watch batting practice. My brother and I sat with my parents along the 3rd baseline and watched it. I remember someone pulling a foul ball into a different section near us where the bleachers were empty and my brother and I took off only to have an usher yell at us. We went back to my parents bummed out and 5 minutes later, the usher tapped us on the back and gave us the ball.

[grampahol]

(01-29-2019, 11:46 AM)Goalpost Wrote: I was there as a 7 or 8 year old.  In those days you could watch batting practice.  My brother and I sat with my parents along the 3rd baseline and watched it.  I remember someone pulling a foul ball into a different section near us where the bleachers were empty and my brother and I took off only to have an usher yell at us.  We went back to my parents bummed out and 5 minutes later, the usher tapped us on the back and gave us the ball.

The ushers actually did their jobs back then ..

[fredtoast]

Before my time. I became a Reds fan in 1973. I remember hearing on the news all about the Reds playing in the '72 series, but I didn't really follow the team until the next season.

Crosley Field was the first major league park with permanent lights for night games. They were added sometime in the 30's during the depression.

[J24]

There is replica in blue Ash with 400 seats from the original stadium.

[Bengalsrob]

I did, went with the I.O.O.F. Lodge, I was 11. Tony Perez signed my program for me as he went down into the tunnel. Couldn't hardly understand him, nor him me, but he was so nice, and looked HUGE to me at that age. It was the 3rd from last game played by the Reds there. I still can't seem to fathom how the "new" stadium(Riverfront) is long gone now too.

[guyofthetiger]

Went to Crosley in 1968 with my family. I remember Pete Rose playing in Center Field and the flag pole inside the park there. Who can forget the big white wall? I sure can't.

[grampahol]

(01-30-2019, 01:52 AM)guyofthetiger Wrote: Went to Crosley in 1968 with my family. I remember Pete Rose playing in Center Field and the flag pole inside the park there. Who can forget the big white wall? I sure can't.

Longines watches anyone? They were a regular feature on the old scoreboard back in the day. I never owned one, but my Grandfather did...probably just because they were featured there. LOL  My grandfather lived and breathed Reds baseball. I'm pretty sure he would have been happy to disown all of us if he could have adopted Johnny Bench. 

[Stewy]

Crosley was before my time, but I've been to a couple hundred (no lie) games at Riverfront.


However.....
I have an interesting Crosley Field story as told by my grandfather.

He was attending a game in 1933 (he was 22) against the St. Louis Cardinals.  He was behind the visitors dugout.  He kept pestering the players for a ball during the game.  They kept ignoring him, but finally the manager told one of the players to give him a ball.  The player told my grandfather to go get him two hot dogs and he'd give him a ball.  My grandfather got the hot dogs and the was handed a ball, and it was signed by almost the entire team.

It is a red and black stich Spalding ball (last year the leagues had different balls) including the signatures of Dizzy Dean (beginning of career) and Rogers Hornsby (end of career).  In the 1980's my grandfather wrote to the baseball hall of fame to offer them the ball for free.  They never replied to his letter.

It passed to my father and then to me.  It's sits in a protective container in a cardboard box on my desk at home.  I've taken it our twice to look at it.  I don't like exposing it to light since the ink from the pen is fading.  I should probably try and re-offer it to the baseball HoF.

[McC]

The terrace in left field, Siebler Suits giving out suits to anyone who hit the part of the Superior Linen that advertised the suits, the Goat Path, the Sun Deck/Moon Deck.

Went to a few games there as a kid. Last game I went there with my dad and grandpa, we sat right behind the third base dugout and a lady got hit square in the face with a line drive foul ball.

[fredtoast]

(01-30-2019, 04:08 PM)Stewy Wrote: Crosley was before my time, but I've been to a couple hundred (no lie) games at Riverfront.


However.....
I have an interesting Crosley Field story as told by my grandfather.

He was attending a game in 1933 (he was 22) against the St. Louis Cardinals.  He was behind the visitors dugout.  He kept pestering the players for a ball during the game.  They kept ignoring him, but finally the manager told one of the players to give him a ball.  The player told my grandfather to go get him two hot dogs and he'd give him a ball.  My grandfather got the hot dogs and the was handed a ball, and it was signed by almost the entire team.

It is a red and black stich Spalding ball (last year the leagues had different balls) including the signatures of Dizzy Dean (beginning of career) and Rogers Hornsby (end of career).  In the 1980's my grandfather wrote to the baseball hall of fame to offer them the ball for free.  They never replied to his letter.

It passed to my father and then to me.  It's sits in a protective container in a cardboard box on my desk at home.  I've taken it our twice to look at it.  I don't like exposing it to light since the ink from the pen is fading.  I should probably try and re-offer it to the baseball HoF.

I'll give you THREE hot dogs for it.

[grampahol]

(02-01-2019, 02:42 PM)McC Wrote: The terrace in left field, Siebler Suits giving out suits to anyone who hit the part of the Superior Linen that advertised the suits, the  Goat Path, the Sun Deck/Moon Deck.

Went to a few games there as a kid.  Last game I went there with my dad and grandpa, we sat right behind the third base dugout and a lady got hit square in the face with a line drive foul ball.

I remember seeing that once there as well.. Might have even been the same game.. We sat behind 3rd a few times.. I do remember getting scared shitless by foul balls myself..