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GaryMrMets

02-22-2003, 09:21 PM

Reds Sell Out Opener at New Ballpark

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Reds' first regular-season game in their new ballpark is a sellout.

The 42,256 seats for Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 31 at Great American Ball Park sold out in an hour, team spokesman Rob Butcher said.

The game is scheduled to be the third played at the ballpark. The Reds open their new home with two exhibition games against the Cleveland Indians on March 28-29.

Tickets for those games and the Reds' remaining 80 regular-season games go on sale next Saturday.

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03-20-2003, 11:45 AM

by Chris Haft @ MLB.com (http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cin/news/cin_news.jsp?ymd=20030317&content_id=222734&vkey=spt2003news&fext=.jsp)

Reds open doors to fans

Club expects 150,000 to tour new ballpark March 22-23

Fans will have the opportunity to tour the Cincinnati Reds' new home literally from top to bottom this weekend when the club proudly stages the Great American Ball Park Open House, presented by RE/MAX.

The Reds anticipate crowds totaling 150,000 for the event. Gates will open at 8:30 a.m. ET Saturday and close at 8 p.m. ET, with Sunday's hours extending from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

A dedication ceremony will launch Saturday's activities at 9 a.m. ET. Reds broadcaster Chris Welsh will host the ceremony, which is expected to last an hour. Representatives from the Reds, the Ball Park's builders and Hamilton County will participate in the festivities. Everyone in attendance will receive a commemorative poster, courtesy of Great American Insurance, as they leave the park.

The public will have the rare opportunity to take self-guided tours of the $280 million structure. Though fans are encouraged to take as much time as they need, each tour is designed to last approximately 45 minutes. Tours will begin at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, with the last tour scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. Sunday, tours will run from noon to 4:30 p.m. ET

Fans will have the option of selecting one of two routes for the tour, though both will begin at Crosley Terrace, the Ball Park's "front door" located at Second and Main Streets. Fans will see the Reds' clubhouse, both dugouts and indoor batting tunnels, as well as virtually all seating areas -- from the exclusive Diamond Club seats behind home plate, to the concourses behind first and third base, and to the outfield, where the Sun/Moon Deck in right field will remind longtime Reds fans of Crosley Field, where the team played from 1912-1970. The Batters Eye Pavilion, a three-tiered party suite in center field, will also be a featured stop on both tours.

"It's a pretty extensive tour," said Jennifer Green, the Reds' special events manager. "People will get to see things behind the scenes they won't normally see. We've tried to provide the maximum exposure to the ballpark without compromising the integrity of the field. This is the opportunity to show the people of Hamilton County where their tax dollars went."

Some 800 volunteers will be on hand to guide the anticipated throng that, understandably, will need help finding its way around the 42,000-seat facility. The Reds spent 32 years in now-demolished Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field after vacating Crosley Field.

"We've worked hard to make sure it's a pleasant experience," Reds chief operating officer John Allen said.