On Friday afternoon, we picked the kids up early from school and headed to Cincinnati for Redsfest. If you have never been to the annual celebration of baseball during the winter months, it is well worth the time and money. Opportunities for autographs and pictures with players are just some of the attractions.
There are games for kids of all ages and more Reds memorabilia than you can possibly imagine.
The Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati serves as the home of Redsfest. The event is well planned and executed to perfection. There is a main stage that serves as the location for question/answer sessions, game shows and concerts. My wife really enjoyed the dating game show.
The kids got their picture taken with Ryan Hanigan and Chris Dickerson. They also participated in story time with Jeff Brantley and Marty Brennaman. Even with Reds employees rushing him to his next appearance, Brantley still took the time to take a picture with the kids.
Some of the other activities that the little ones took part in were an inflatable bounce house, speed pitch, running home to first and taking batting practice on the whiffle ball field. They also got to participate in the kids question/answer session.
My daughter inquired about the player's favorite ice cream while my son was pleased when Joey Votto told him he, too, plays Mario Kart Wii.
I like to walk around and look at the memorabilia. I am not really into autographs like I was when I was a kid. I mostly enjoy seeing old programs, pictures and collectibles.
This year was special because the Reds paid tribute to the 1990 World Championship team. I remember that summer like it was yesterday. I was 14 years old and had loved the Reds my entire life. Watching the team you invested so much emotion in win the sport's biggest prize can only be described by actually experiencing it.
Lou Piniella, Eric Davis, Billy Hatcher, Tom Browning, Hal Morris, Todd Benzinger, Glenn Braggs, Ron Oester, Chris Sabo, Herm Winningham, Joe Oliver, Scott Scudder and Barry Larkin were all present at Redsfest. Larkin signed autographs for over two hours.
The best part for me was telling my kids all about each player. It was great to share my childhood memories with my children. My daughter even said she didn't need to ask the players any questions, because I knew all of the answers. Baseball is something that is shared by families across generations. I got to do just that on Friday night.
I can't wait for Opening Day!
Read more in The Wight Pages .
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments