Major League Baseball Tour 2016 – Great American Ball 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, a feature that began 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.

The Spirit of Baseball.

A 50-foot-by-20-foot (15-by-6m) 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.

The Mosaics.

Just inside the main gates off the Crosley Terrace you will find two mosaic panels measuring 16 feet wide by 10 feet 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.

The Panoramas.

Panoramas of downtown Cincinnati, Mt. Adams, the Ohio River, and Northern Kentucky are visible from most of the park.

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

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.

Rose Garden.

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.