We strolled down to Great American Ball Park a little before 2pm the day before Opening Day, our plan being to see the Reds Hall of Fame. We deliberately chose to get into town early so we could visit the Hall of Fame the day before the game, and avoid the crowds. It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day, the day that should be tomorrow, and on our way there, we passed dozens of red-shirted fans heading back from the ballpark. When we turned the corner and were about to head for the Hall of Fame, we noticed that the gates to the ballpark were open and people were walking out.

We returned to the Hall, and made our way back to the second floor to continue the chronological exhibit. We moved on to 1930-1970, enjoying the exhibits, learning some things (“I did not know Jason Varitek caught FOUR no-hitters!”), laughing at some others (“I cannot believe they have the pine tar bat!”), and going “OH [...]

I started wondering when I would be baseball-savvy enough to appreciate a trip to Cooperstown since around the middle of the 2007 season. It was tentatively on the books for 2008, and I started actively campaigning for this trip in 2009 once we were done with baseball and almost through nursing our heartbreak. At the [...]