Reds Legends of Crosley Field

Last updated
Reds Legends of Crosley Field
Reds Legends of Crosley Field rev.jpg
Artist Tom Tsuchiya
Year2003-2004
Type Bronze
Location Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati

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. [1] [2] The sculptures represent four Crosley Field era Cincinnati Reds players: Ted Kluszewski, Ernie Lombardi, Joe Nuxhall and Frank Robinson. [3] These players were selected by a fan vote conducted by the Cincinnati Reds. [4]

Contents

Kluszewski's statue was unveiled on Opening Day, March 31, 2003, to coincide with the official opening of Great American Ball Park. The statues of Nuxhall and Robinson were dedicated in the summer of that year. [4] Subsequently, Lombardi's statue was unveiled on June 27, 2004. [5]

Description

The statues depict the four players interacting with one another in an imaginary ball game at the "Crosley Terrace", a stylized representation of the infield of Crosley Field. [6] [7] The sculpture group depicts Joe Nuxhall pitching to Frank Robinson, who is swinging the bat at home plate, while Ernie Lombardi crouches behind home plate, ready to catch the ball; and Ted Kluszewski observes the action from the on-deck circle. [7] This unique presentation has been praised by both critics and the public alike. [7] [8]

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References

  1. "In Baseball's Bronze Age, Statues are Becoming Bigger Part of the Landscape". The New York Times. 2011-09-21. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  2. Stupp, Dan. Opening Day at Great American Ball Park, p. 58. Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2003. ISBN   1-58261-724-4
  3. "Statue of Big Klu big Hit with Little Klu". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 2003-01-04. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  4. 1 2 "Reds Unveil Nuxhall Statue". Major League Baseball.Com. 2003-07-20. Archived from the original on 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  5. Kelly, Kevin (June 28, 2004). "Pirates add insult to injury". The Cincinnati Enquirer . pp. C1, C7 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Robinson Hits Cleanup at Crosley Terrace". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 2003-09-26. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  7. 1 2 3 Pahigian, Josh, & O’Connell, Kevin. “The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip, 2nd: A Fan's Guide to Major League Stadiums”. P. 201. Lyons Press, 2012. ISBN   978-0-7627-7340-4
  8. "Baseball's Best Statues, Statues by Ballpark". Wezen-Ball. 2010-03-02. Retrieved 2012-07-19.

39°5′51″N84°30′24″W / 39.09750°N 84.50667°W / 39.09750; -84.50667