Location in Ohio Location in the United States | |
Address | 100 Joe Nuxhall Way |
---|---|
Location | Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
Coordinates | 39°5′51″N84°30′24″W / 39.09750°N 84.50667°W |
Public transit | Connector at The Banks Metro TANK Red Bike |
Parking | 850 spaces |
Owner | Hamilton County |
Operator | Cincinnati Reds |
Capacity | 43,500 (2021–present) 42,319 (2008–2020) 42,271 (2003–2007) |
Record attendance | 44,599 (2010 NLDS, Game 3) |
Field size | Left Field – 328 ft (100 m) Left-Center – 379 ft (116 m) Center Field – 404 ft (123 m) Right-Center – 370 ft (110 m) Right Field – 325 ft (99 m) Backstop – 55 ft (17 m) |
Surface | Kentucky Bluegrass [1] |
Construction | |
Broke ground | August 1, 2000 |
Opened | March 31, 2003 |
Construction cost | US$290 million ($480 million in 2023 dollars [2] ) |
Architect | HOK Sport/GBBN Architects |
Project manager | Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. |
Structural engineer | Geiger [3] /THP Ltd. [4] |
Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc. [5] |
General contractor | Hunt Construction Group, Inc. [6] |
Main contractors | RLE Construction, Inc. [7] |
Tenants | |
Cincinnati Reds (MLB) (2003–present) |
Great American Ball Park is a baseball stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds, and opened on March 31, 2003, replacing Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium), the Reds' former ballpark from 1970 to 2002. [8] Great American Insurance bought the naming rights to the new stadium at US$75 million for 30 years. [9] [10] [11]
In 1996, Hamilton County voters passed a ½% sales tax increase to fund the construction of new venues for both the Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). [6] According to the lease agreement, the Reds owed $2.5 million in rent annually for years 1–9 to Hamilton County, and owe $1 annually for years 10-35 of the contract. [12] The Reds and the Bengals had previously shared occupancy of Riverfront Stadium, but by the mid-1990s, they complained that the multi-purpose stadium lacked amenities necessary for small-market professional sports teams to compete and each lobbied for venues of their own. [13] Nearby Paycor Stadium broke ground in 1998 and was opened on August 19, 2000.
Great American Ball Park was built by the architectural firms HOK Sport (now Populous) and GBBN at a cost of approximately US$290 million. It is located on the plot of land between the former site of Riverfront Stadium (currently, The Banks mixed-use development) and Heritage Bank Center (previously, U.S. Bank Arena, previously Riverfront Coliseum). The limited construction space necessitated the partial demolition of Cinergy Field. It was fully demolished on December 29, 2002. [14] MSA Design [15] has been the Official Architect of the Cincinnati Reds since 2009.
The ballpark hosted the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The Reds put in $5 million for improvements, which included two new bars and upgraded concession stands. [16]
The Reds set the lowest attendance record on April 17, 2023, at Great American Ballpark, due to the cold weather. The attendance number was 4,967 fans. Temperatures were near 30 degrees, which is not normal for April weather, let alone baseball weather. Fans were seen in the stands holding blankets and drinking hot coffee, which can be bought at most concession stands. The Reds defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, by a score of 8–1.
The original address of Great American Ball Park was 100 Main Street. However, after the death of former pitcher and longtime broadcaster Joe Nuxhall in 2007, the address was changed to 100 Joe Nuxhall Way. A sign bearing Nuxhall's traditional signoff phrase "rounding third and heading for home" is located on the third base side exterior of the park. The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is adjacent to Great American Ball Park. In honor of Crosley Field, the Cincinnati Reds' home park from 1912 to June 1970, a monument reminiscent of the park's infamous left field terrace was built on the main entrance plaza on Joe Nuxhall Way; statues of Crosley-era stars Nuxhall, catcher Ernie Lombardi, first baseman Ted Kluszewski, and outfielder Frank Robinson are depicted playing an imaginary baseball game. [17] The distance to center field is the exact same distance as the distance to center field at the Reds' former home, Riverfront Stadium.
A 35-foot-(10.7-m)-wide break in the stands between home plate and third base called "The Gap" or "Gapper's Alley" is bridged by the concourse on each level (see photo). Aligned with Sycamore Street, it provides views into the stadium from downtown and out to the skyline from within the park.
In right center field, two smokestacks, reminiscent of the steamboats that were common on the Ohio River in the 19th and early 20th centuries, flash lights, emit flames and launch fireworks to incite or respond to the home team's efforts. When the Reds strike out a batter, fire blows out of the stacks beginning with the 2012 season (previously, steam was spewed out following a strikeout). Fireworks are launched from the stacks after every Reds home run and win. The seven baseball bats featured on both smokestacks symbolize the #14 of Pete Rose. [18] [19] On May 15, 2015, a part of the top of the right smokestack caught on fire during the 6th inning of a Reds game, caused by a loose propane valve, causing smoke to be blown across the field, several sections of seats to be evacuated, and the Cincinnati Fire Department being called to put it out. No one was injured. [20]
A 50-foot-by-20-foot (15 x 6 m) Indiana limestone bas relief carving near the main entrance features a young baseball player looking up to the heroic figures of a batter, pitcher and fielder, all set against the background of many of Cincinnati's landmarks, including the riverfront and Union Terminal. Local designers and artist created the piece between 2001 and 2003 with concept, design and project oversight / management by Berberich Design. The illustrative artist was Mark Riedy, the sculptors of the scale model used for fabrication were Todd Myers and Paul Brooke with fabrication by Mees Distributors.
Just inside the main gates off the Crosley Terrace are two mosaic panels measuring 16 feet (4.9 m) wide by 10 feet (3.0 m) high. The mosaics depict two key eras in Reds history: "The First Nine", the 1869 Red Stockings who were the first professional baseball team in history with a record of 57–0 in their first season and "The Great Eight", the famous Big Red Machine that won back-to-back World Series in 1975 and 1976. The mosaics were created between 2001 and 2003 with concept, design and project oversight / management by Berberich Design. The illustrative artist was Mark Riedy. These mosaic panels are made of opaque glass tiles and were produced in Ravenna, Italy by SICIS.
At 215 feet (66 m) wide by 40 feet (12 m) high, the scoreboard is the ninth largest in Major League Baseball. This scoreboard was originally built by the Trans-Lux company in 2003, and featured a monochrome scoreboard in addition to a smaller color videoboard, as well as 5 banners for sponsors. After the Trans-Lux company collapsed in 2008, the Reds paid $4 million to install a new, LED scoreboard and HD video screen from Daktronics in time for the 2009 season. [21] The scoreboard was replaced with a full-color videoboard as part of these renovations and was capable of showing HD video. The sponsor banners were moved to the sides of the scoreboard, and an additional one was added. The scoreboard clock was originally a replica of the Longines clock at Crosley Field, [22] but has since been modified. [23]
The scoreboard was replaced in 2020 with a larger videoboard as part of a general overhaul of the videoboards in Great American Ball Park. The sponsorship banners on the right side were replaced with additional video space. All of the videoboards throughout the facility are capable of showing high dynamic range (HDR) content, thus making it the first MLB facility with a fully integrated HDR video system. [24]
If a Reds player hits the "Hit Me" sign located between the Power Stacks located in right field, a randomly selected fan will win the red Toyota Tundra pickup truck located on top of an elevator shaft approximately 500 feet (150 m) from home plate beyond the center field fence, which is valued at approximately US$31,000.
As a nod to Crosley Field, the Reds' home from 1912 to 1970, a monument was created in front of the main entrance to highlight the park's famous left-field terrace. Bronze statues of Crosley-era stars Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Robinson (created by sculptor Tom Tsuchiya) are depicted playing in an imaginary ballgame. The grass area of the terrace has the same slope as the outfield terrace at Crosley Field. [17] [22]
A three-piece mural on the back of the scoreboard in left field depicts the bat Pete Rose used for his record-breaking 4,192nd hit and the ball he hit in 1985. This was replaced with new banners in 2015 as part of the All-Star Game upgrades.
Located on the west side of Great American Ball Park on Main Street, the Hall of Fame and Museum celebrate the Reds' past through galleries and extensive use of multimedia. The Hall of Fame has been in existence since 1958, but did not previously have a building.
Adjacent to both the stadium and the Reds Hall of Fame is a rose garden that symbolizes Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd hit. It was strategically placed here because the ball landed around this area in Riverfront Stadium. The garden is visible from a stairwell in the hall of fame displaying the number of balls that Rose hit. This was replaced with a different marker as part of the construction of the 1869 Pavilion in 2019.
For the 2015 season, Great American Ball Park became the first MLB ballpark to feature a suite designed exclusively as a place for mothers to feed and care for their babies. [25] Reds COO Phil Castellini, a father of 5, says he felt compelled to do his best to provide a worthwhile solution after stadium officials told him an increasing number of women were asking where they could nurse their children at the ballpark. [26] The suite has 5 glider chairs, diaper-changing stations, a restroom, a kitchenette, refrigerator, lockers, and televisions showing the game. It's located on the Suite Level near the Champions Club elevators. [27] A second nursing suite was added as part of the addition of the TriHealth Family Zone on the former site of Redlegs Landing. [28]
For the 2023 season, the Reds partnered with BetMGM Sportsbook to introduce on-site sports betting. The BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park is located in the Machine Room, and features three betting windows and 15 self-service kiosks, in addition to a full-service bar and food options. [29]
Date | Artist | Opening act(s) | Tour / Concert name | Attendance | Revenue | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 4, 2011 | Paul McCartney | DJ Chris Holmes | On The Run Tour | 41,256 / 41,256 | $4,158,146 [30] | This was his first Cincinnati appearance in 18 years. |
June 28, 2014 | Beyoncé Jay-Z | — | On the Run Tour | 37,863 / 37,863 | $4,250,931 [31] | [32] [33] |
July 19, 2014 | Jason Aldean | Miranda Lambert Florida Georgia Line Tyler Farr | Burn It Down Tour | 39,196 / 39,196 | $2,632,614 [34] | |
June 16, 2018 | Luke Bryan | Sam Hunt Jon Pardi Morgan Wallen | What Makes You Country Tour | TBA | TBA | |
August 4, 2018 | Zac Brown Band | Leon Bridges | Down the Rabbit Hole Live | TBA | TBA | |
September 10, 2021 | Billy Joel | — | Billy Joel In Concert | 42,013 / 42,013 | $5,148,301 [35] | |
July 15, 2022 | Def Leppard Mötley Crüe | Poison Joan Jett Classless Act | The Stadium Tour | 34,877 / 34,877 | $4,729,190 [36] | The show was initially scheduled for July 2, 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
July 26, 2023 | P!nk | Grouplove KidCutUp Brandi Carlile | Summer Carnival | 40,800 / 40,800 | $6,912,375 [37] | |
July 25, 2024 | Foo Fighters | Pretenders L7 | Everything or Nothing at All Tour | |||
August 22, 2024 | Green Day The Smashing Pumpkins | Rancid The Linda Lindas | The Saviors Tour | |||
Statistic | Player(s)/Team |
---|---|
First game | vs. Pittsburgh Pirates |
First hit | Ken Griffey Jr. (a double) |
First home run | Reggie Sanders, Pirates |
First Reds home run | Austin Kearns, later in the same game |
First ceremonial first pitch | George H. W. Bush |
First at-bat | Kenny Lofton (a ground out) |
Statistic | Details | Date |
---|---|---|
First grand slam | Russell Branyan | July 21, 2003 |
First playoff game | Game 3 NLDS | October 10, 2010 |
Fastest pitch ever | Aroldis Chapman zipped a fastball past Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen that registered 106 mph on the Great American Ball Park scoreboard. However, MLB.com's Pitch/FX tracker clocked the throw at 105. | April 18, 2011 |
Clinching division | Home Run vs. Houston Astros by Jay Bruce | September 28, 2010 |
First inside-the-park home run by the Reds | vs. Toronto Blue Jays by Drew Stubbs | June 17, 2011 |
Longest home run | Outfielder Adam Dunn hits the longest home run in Great American Ball Park history against José Lima and the Dodgers. The distance was 535 feet. The ball landed in the Ohio River, considered part of Kentucky. [38] | August 10, 2004 |
1,000 hits | Second baseman Brandon Phillips records his 1,000th hit with a home run against the Cleveland Indians | July 1, 2011 |
All-Star Game Hosted | American League @ National League | July 14, 2015 |
No-hitter | Reds pitcher Homer Bailey pitched the first no-hitter in the history of Great American Ball Park, beating the San Francisco Giants 3–0. | July 2, 2013 |
First no-hitter by a visiting pitcher | Jake Arrieta no-hit the Reds while pitching for the Chicago Cubs, who won 16–0. (This was the most lopsided no-hitter in Major League Baseball since Aug. 4, 1884, when the Buffalo Bisons' Pud Galvin threw an 18-0 no-hitter against the Detroit Wolverines.) | April 21, 2016 |
Bold indicates the winner of each game.
Highest attendance at Great American Ball Park | ||||
Rank | Attendance | Date | Game result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 44,599 | October 10, 2010 | Reds 0, Phillies 3 | 2010 NLDS, Game 3 |
2 | 44,501 | October 9, 2012 | Reds 1, Giants 2(10) | 2012 NLDS, Game 3 |
3 | 44,375 | October 10, 2012 | Reds 3, Giants 8 | 2012 NLDS, Game 4 |
4 | 44,142 | October 11, 2012 | Reds 4, Giants 6 | 2012 NLDS, Game 5 |
5 | 44,073 | June 2, 2023 | Reds 4, Brewers 5(11) | 2023 Regular Season, Zac Brown Band Post-Game Benefit Concert 4ALS (Regular season record) |
6 | 44,063 | March 30, 2023 | Reds 4, Pirates 5 | 2023 Opening Day |
7 | 44,049 | March 28, 2019 | Reds 5, Pirates 3 | 2019 Opening Day |
8 | 44,030 | March 28, 2024 | Reds 8, Nationals 2 | 2024 Opening Day |
9 | 43,878 | March 30, 2018 | Reds 0, Nationals 2 | 2018 Opening Day |
10 | 43,804 | April 3, 2017 | Reds 3, Phillies 4 | 2017 Opening Day |
11 | 43,683 | April 4, 2016 | Reds 6, Phillies 2 | 2016 Opening Day |
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division and were a charter member of the American Association in 1881 before joining the NL in 1890.
The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the 37-foot-2-inch-high (11.33 m) left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. The wall is 310 feet (94 m) from home plate and is a popular target for right-handed hitters.
Minute Maid Park, rebranding to Daikin Park on January 1, 2025, is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 and is the home ballpark of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball. The ballpark has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 luxury suites with a natural grass playing field. It was built as a replacement for the Astrodome, the first domed sports stadium ever built, which opened in 1965.
Citizens Bank Park is a baseball stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the city's South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Home to Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies, the stadium opened April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular-season baseball game nine days later, with the Phillies losing to the Cincinnati Reds, 4–1. It is named after Citizens Financial Group.
Oracle Park is a ballpark in the SoMa district of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). The stadium stands along San Francisco Bay; the section of the bay beyond Oracle Park's right field wall is unofficially known as McCovey Cove, in honor of former Giants player Willie McCovey. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's current name was purchased by the Oracle Corporation in 2019.
Riverfront Stadium, also known as Cinergy Field from 1996 to 2002, was a multi-purpose stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 through 2002 and the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1970 to 1999. Located on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, the stadium was best known as the home of "The Big Red Machine", as the Reds were often called in the 1970s.
Petco Park is a ballpark in San Diego, California. It is the home of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). The ballpark is located in the East Village neighborhood of downtown San Diego, adjacent to the Gaslamp Quarter. Petco Park opened in 2004, replacing San Diego Stadium as the Padres' home venue, where the team played from their inception in 1969 to 2003.
American Family Field is a retractable roof stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Located southwest of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Brewers Boulevard, it is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers. It opened in 2001 as a replacement for Milwaukee County Stadium. The stadium was previously called Miller Park as part of a $40 million naming rights deal with Miller Brewing Company, which expired at the end of 2020.
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second (1937) and third American Football League (1940–41). It was not the original home of the current NFL franchise of the same name: the home of those Bengals in 1968 and 1969 was nearby Nippert Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Crosley Field was on an asymmetrical block bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue, Dalton Avenue (east), York Street (north) and McLean Avenue (west) in the Queensgate section of the city. Crosley has the distinction of being the first major-league park with lights for playing night games.
Palace of the Fans was a Major League baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1902 through 1911. The ballpark was on an asymmetrical block bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue, York Street (north) and McLean Avenue (west).
Fifth Third Field is a Minor League Baseball stadium in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The facility is home to the Toledo Mud Hens, an International League team and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
Busch Stadium is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the home of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. It has a seating capacity of 44,383, with 3,706 club seats and 61 luxury suites. It replaced Busch Memorial Stadium and occupies a portion of that stadium's former footprint. A commercial area dubbed Ballpark Village was built adjacent to the stadium over the remainder of the former stadium's footprint.
Nationals Park is a baseball stadium along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals. Since its completion in 2008, it was the first LEED-certified green major professional sports stadium in the United States.
The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is an entity established by Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds franchise that pays homage to the team's past through displays, photographs and multimedia. It was instituted in 1958 to recognize the career of former Cincinnati Reds players, managers and front-office executives. It is adjacent to Great American Ball Park on the banks of the Ohio River. Currently, the Hall of Fame section is home to 81 inductees. These inductees include players, managers & executives who were involved in Cincinnati's baseball legacy, which dates back to 1869, the year the original Cincinnati Red Stockings took the field. Inductions take place every other year.
Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park is a baseball park in Houston, Texas. It is the home field of the Houston Cougars baseball team. Several iterations of the ballpark have existed. The current stadium holds 5,000 people, and opened for baseball in 1995. With a 1,500 square foot Daktronics video board, Schroeder Park features the second-largest scoreboard in college baseball. Since its opening, Schroeder Park has hosted several notable college baseball events. In February 2016, the University of Houston announced that, as a response to a large donation to the baseball program, Cougar Field would be renamed Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park.
Reds Legends of Crosley Field is a group of bronze sculptures by artist Tom Tsuchiya, located at the main entrance of Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. The sculptures represent four Crosley Field era Cincinnati Reds players: Ted Kluszewski, Ernie Lombardi, Joe Nuxhall and Frank Robinson. These players were selected by a fan vote conducted by the Cincinnati Reds.
Events and tenants | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | Home of the Cincinnati Reds 2003 – present | Succeeded by Current |
Preceded by | Host of the Civil Rights Game 2009 – 2010 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Host of the All-Star Game 2015 | Succeeded by |