Runnin' with the Reds
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by user Kevinsecaur
Opening Day has always been like a holiday here in Cincinnati. The first game of the season for baseball’s first professional team is a huge tradition, a rite of passage of sorts in the Queen City. I’ve never really understand why an entire city rallies around its baseball team for one day then pretty much forgets about it and begins the countdown to Bengals season shortly thereafter, but tradition is tradition. Who am I to argue?
In honor of Cincy’s Welcome to Spring pseudo-holiday, I kept a running diary of the Reds-Cubs Opening Day tilt. Here’s what went down:
1:50 p.m. – We’re just about twenty minutes away from the first pitch of the season, so let’s take care of a couple housekeeping items before we begin:
First, Aaron Harang gets the ball for the Reds while Carlos Zambrano will start on the hill for Chicago. In an occurrence which I assume is pretty rare nowadays, these are the same two Opening Day starters for the same two teams in the same ballpark as a year ago.
Next, I’m at work currently. That means I’m watching the game on TV on mute, listening to the radio and trying to get some work done. Starting at 3:00, I’ll be watching the game on mute while listening to Sean Hannity on the radio and trying to listen to Marty and the boys when I get a chance. Good think I’m not afraid of multitasking.
Finally, I was going to write a column on the new Reds radio broadcast team, but there wasn’t anything left to say. It’s great, I love it, I don’t know what else to write. In case you didn’t know, the voice of the Reds Marty Brennaman is joined in the booth this season by his son Thom Brennaman and former Reds reliever Jeff Brantley. Brantley is fantastic, especially his color commentary and in-game analysis. Not to be forgotten, the Old (read: senile) Lefthander Joe Nuxhall will be a part of the broadcast team in a very limited role this season.
2:04 – Last year on Opening Day, President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Great American Ball Park. This year, the honor goes to … Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. A little bit of a downgrade in terms of notoriety, I’ll admit, but the city is celebrating a record year. A record for number of homicides committed in Cincinnati in 2006. So the mayor has that going for him, at least.
2:15 – Harang winds and deals to Cubs CF Alfonso Soriano. Soriano swings and misses, and the 2007 Major League Baseball season is underway.
2:19 – With Derek Lee at the plate and a 3-2 count, we see the very rare automatic ball four. Apparently, an umpire caught Harang put his hand/fingers to his mouth (yum) while on the mound. That’s an automatic ball and results in a walk. Lee takes first base.
2:20 – On the next pitch, Lee is off and running and is gunned down at second by David Ross. Harang gets an unconventional 1-2-3 inning, and the Reds are coming to the plate.
2:25 – After Ryan Freel leads off the game with a four-pitch walk, Adam Dunn hits an absolute laser into the sun deck in right field. It’s a two-run home run and just like that, after two batters, the Reds have jumped out to a 2-0 lead.
2:28 – Ken Griffey Jr. singles to left in his first at bat of the season. Any word on why Junior is wearing a long-sleeved shirt? It’s 77 degrees and not a cloud in the sky in Cincinnati right now.
2:42 – Marty informs listeners that the Reds radio trivia game is called Gangster or Gangsta. Upon learning this, Thom seems delighted – a little too delighted actually. Settle down, fellas, it’s game one of 162. Both teams go down 1-2-3 in the second.
2:53 – Mark DeRosa gets the Cubs’ first hit of the afternoon, a single to lead off the third inning. Later in the inning, Soriano singles off Edwin Encarnacion’s glove to put runners on first and third with two out. Harang strikes out Matt Murton swinging to avoid any damage.
2:57 – Dunn’s up again and swinging at the first pitch … and he hits a towering fly ball! That ball is deep! And that ball is outta here!!! Are you kidding me?!? Dunn has homered twice in two at bats and Cincinnati is on top 3-0.
3:20 – Harang gets himself in another mini-jam in the fourth and again pitches his way out of it. Aramis Ramirez and Jacques Jones got on first and second with one out followed by a Michael Barrett fly out to right. A wild pitch moves the runners up a base with two down. Harang proceeds to walk DeRosa to load the bases before getting Cesar Izturis to pop up and end the inning. Still no runs allowed but Harang has looked hittable the last two innings.
3:23 – Alex Gonzalez hits an absolute screamer for an infield hit. The ball hit the plate, bounced once in the infield, and then I think it actually spun backward toward home. Hey Alex, were you using a Louisville Slugger or a pitching wedge on that one?
3:27 – Thom Brennaman informs us that ex-UC basketball coach Bob Huggins and his wife are on hand for Opening Day at GABP. He goes on to say the Huggins’ are sitting next to Nick Lachey. I’m genuinely sad I couldn’t be there to overhear that conversation.
3:35 – With Murton on first, Lee bloops one to center. A charging Freel dives … but cannot make the play. He scrambles to his feet and throws WAY wide of third base. I mean, that throw wasn’t even close. Not only is Murton in safely at third but he scores on the throwing error. Lee gets two bases due to the error and ends up at third. The Cubs get an unearned run and now trail 3-1.
3:41 – Dunn is up to lead off the fifth, and I am legitimately giddy. Zambrano walks him on five pitches; smart move, sir.
3:49 – After hitting Brandon Phillips with a pitch and giving up a single to Junior, Zambrano walks Scott Hatteberg to force in a run. Gonzalez follows with a sac fly to left, and the Reds have a four-run lead.
3:56 – Cubs coming to bat in the top of the sixth, and I’m starting to wonder how much Harang has left in him. I know he’s yet to give up an earned run, but Chicago is starting to hit him and his pitch count is getting up there.
4:09 - …And Harang retires his seventh straight Cubs hitter to effectively shut me up. Hang on, I gotta stretch. Back in a minute.
4:29 – All right, I’m back. Pete Rose has made an appearance in the Cincinnati television booth and now joins Marty, Thom and Joe in the radio booth. First of all, I thought this guy was banned from baseball. Did something change and I missed it? Second, why does Pete Rose always look like he’s about five minutes removed from being passed out in front of a slot machine somewhere in Atlantic City? Wait … what? Because he is? Oh, oh I guess that makes sense then.
Meanwhile, Kirk Saarloos has come in to pitch the top of the eighth. Harang’s final line: 7 innings pitched, 1 run, 0 earned, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Pretty damned impressive. Saarloos gives up a hit to Lee but pitches a scoreless eighth.
4:37 – Josh Hamilton pinch hits to lead off the Cincinnati eighth and is robbed of a base hit by Murton in left. The GABP crowd gives Hamilton quite an ovation, especially for a lineout. You think people in this town are pulling for Hamilton to succeed? Count me among them.
4:42 – Hamilton stays in the game as a defensive replacement, and David Weathers is on to try and close this one out for the Red Legs.
4:46 – And this one belongs to the Reds! With apologies to Marty, I had to do it. Weathers gives up a hit but no runs in a clean ninth. Final score: Cincinnati 5 – Chicago 1, and a total game time of just two hours and 31 minutes. Sign me up for that any day. Well, you can only play ‘em one at a time, so I guess 1-0 isn’t such a bad way to start.
