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View Full Version : Why are you a Reds fan??



joshnky
09-14-2006, 10:11 AM
Since the tone of this board has once again gone downhill I thought I'd throw out this question. Why did you become a Reds fan and why have you stuck with them? I really started following the Reds because they were the closest team and players like Barry Larkin really got me hooked. There have certainly been some bad years recently but I've stuck with them because thats what fans do. This season has certainly given me reason to hope for next year and I think the Reds will have a legit chance to compete with a few moves this offseason. I've enjoyed the improvements of our pitching staff and look forward to what the minors have to offer over the next few years.

What about you?

NPCoach
09-14-2006, 10:14 AM
Started with vague memories of the BRM but definitely got into them at the tail end of their run. Always loved Pete and his style of play. Early 80's was tough but I was hooked in again when Davis, Larkin, etc. came up and I have been a glutton for punishment since. :thumbup:

scounts22
09-14-2006, 10:45 AM
My uncle got tickets to a game through his work when I was about 6 and both of our families went. I'm from a really small town, so a visit to Cincinnati was a big deal for me. Once I was there, I was hooked. I loved everything about it: the big buildings, the stadium, and mostly the players and the game. I grew up with Barry Larkin and remember names like Kurt Stillwell, Nick Esasky, and my first-ever favorite, Paul O'Neil. I've been a Reds fan in Indian territory ever since!

RedFanAlways1966
09-14-2006, 10:48 AM
Blame my parents. Baseball is the family's #1 sport. And the family has been Southern Ohio products since the mid-1800's. Born and raised this way! :)

RollyInRaleigh
09-14-2006, 10:50 AM
Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Lee May, Tommy Helms, Bobby Tolan, Alex Johnson, Woody Woodward, Darrel Chaney, Chico Ruiz, Jim Stewart, Fred Whitfield, Jim Beauchamp, Pat Corrales, Ted Savage, Jim Maloney, Jim Merritt, Gary Nolan, Gerry Arrigo, Clay Carroll, Wayne Granger Tony Cloninger, Pedro Ramos, Al Jackson, George Culver, Jack Fisher, Dave Bristol, Jim McIntyre, Joe Nuxhall, Ed Kennedy, Pee Wee Reese, Vern Benson, Jimmy Bragan, Harvey Haddix, Hal Smith, Bernie Stowe, Bill Cooper, Paul Sommerkamp............................the 1969 Cincinnati Reds.

In the spring and summer of 1969, the Cincinnati Reds caught my fancy. Topps bubblegum cards, a Regent baseball glove, a Rawlings Little League baseball, a high bouncing pink rubber "Spaldeeeen" ball, a garage wall, a small transistor radio with "Jim and Joe on Reds radio, a new RCA console color TV in the living room with Ed Kennedy and Pee Wee, my first trip to Crosley Field after going with my dad to Humphries South Side Pharmacy in Huntington to purchase the tickets, the wonder of the prettiest green grass I had ever seen, my first smell of the mixture of beer, hotdogs, popcorn and peanuts, Ronnie Dale on the organ, Smitty's band, and the enduring memory of Paul Sommerkamp's voice over the loud speaker, "Batting first.........., the right fielder.............,Pete..... Rose................................, Rose.

I was hooked for a lifetime.

redsupport
09-14-2006, 10:52 AM
dom zanni and don zimmer

ThatPitchIsDunn
09-14-2006, 11:02 AM
Barry Larkin. The way the guy played the game on offense and defense, he drew me in from the start. He still is my favorite player of all time, hands down. It probably helps that I was only 10 when I got to see Games 1 and 2 of the 1990 World Series in person. Game 2 is still the most exciting live game of any sport I've ever been to. I think that got me hooked, and the memories of summer nights laying in bed listening to Marty and Joe on WLW still stick in my head, sometimes inexplicably so. Does anyone else remember the night Jeff Reed hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to tie a ballgame? Who knows what year or who against, but that excited "Well hit, center field!" is just part of what's great about following this team. Marty's gotten a bit grumpy in the past few years, but we as Reds fans are lucky to have such a great announcer call our boys all these years.

George Anderson
09-14-2006, 11:10 AM
It basically started with the 1975 World Series. I was only seven years old and I remember liking baseball at the time but really wasnt a fan of any particular team. But when Cesar Geronimo caught the flyball for the final out and after witnessing the celebration that followed, the Cincinnati Redlegs had a fan for life in me. Since that time I have been an absolute die hard reds fan thru the good times and bad. One of my favorite early memories was actually catching a foul ball off Johnny Bench (my favorite player) in 1978. No kidding, I was in absolute shock for 24 hours that I was in possession of a ball hit by my idol. In fact I remember my mom didnt send me to school the next day I was so wigged out!!

When I was young I started to collect cards, posters, pictures, books, anything Reds related. When I moved out of my parents house I covered every single wall in my house with items I had collected over the years from the Reds. Now that I am married our house decor has drastically changed:( , but I am now in the process of moving my collection to my basement in my new house. Even now every Christmas or Birthday I can pretty much gaurantee I will get one or two items Reds or baseball related.

I remember the 1990 season and being so thrilled after hours upon hours of trying to get thru to Ticketmaster that I finally got World Series albeit nose bleed seats in right field. I remember paying quite a bit of money (which I didnt have at the time)for the NLCS and World Series, time off work, money for the travellodge in Covington for several nights and not doubting for a second that this was money well spent.

I remember going to the first Big Red Machine reunion in Dayton sometime around 1992, standing in line for HOURS just to get the chance to meet my childhood heros and not doubting for a second this was time well spent.

I can sum it all up real easy that even now as a 38 year old man with a wife and 2 kids, I still get the same excited, giddy feeling going to Cincinnati to watch the Reds that I did as a seven year old watching Geronimo catch the final out. Where else can ya go that makes ya feel like a kid again???

Jr's Boy
09-14-2006, 11:20 AM
As a child I loved Pete Rose and the Big Red Machine.

Chip R
09-14-2006, 11:28 AM
It's cheaper than crack. ;)

terminator
09-14-2006, 12:29 PM
Definitely something I got from my dad.

The first year I was truly a Reds fan (old enough to really follow it), the Reds lost 101 games and I still loved them. It's all been better than that since then.

guttle11
09-14-2006, 12:31 PM
I'm a masochist.

elfmanvt07
09-14-2006, 12:32 PM
I would have to say it came from my father. He's a diehard Reds fan, and has passed that train on to me. He attends 10 or so games a year (he lives in Tennessee.) I kinda picked up on it from him. Although, believe it or not, where I live in Virginia, it's the closest team geographically to me. Go Redlegs!

Ltlabner
09-14-2006, 12:49 PM
Because I started going to Reds games in 1976 and they were really the only team I got to go see live as a child.

redsmetz
09-14-2006, 01:59 PM
I would have to say it came from my father. He's a diehard Reds fan, and has passed that train on to me. He attends 10 or so games a year (he lives in Tennessee.) I kinda picked up on it from him. Although, believe it or not, where I live in Virginia, it's the closest team geographically to me. Go Redlegs!

I would be willing to bet that there was a Reds radio affiliate somewhere nearby too, right? Maybe Bristol TN/VA? I hope the Reds work on expanding the network.

BoydsOfSummer
09-14-2006, 02:06 PM
my Deoxyribonucleic acid dictates it

SunDeck
09-14-2006, 02:11 PM
I'm from Cincinnati. My family got off the boat, moved to Price Hill and we've been around there ever since. I've never thought about being a fan of any other baseball team. Ever.

uks2h
09-14-2006, 02:28 PM
Ken Griffey Jr. and I'm from Central Kentucky.

paulrichjr
09-14-2006, 04:25 PM
My Grandmother lives in London Ky which is 2 hours from Cincy. Going there as a kid when the Reds had just won 2 championships and everyone loved them made it easy to fall in love with them.

My Grandmother worked for a bakery that had season tickets in the first row of the green seats so I got to go sometimes. Wow that was awesome for an 8 year old.

I also thought it was cool that the team was partially owned at that time by a Schott (Marge was her name I think :D )which just so happened to be the last name of my Grandmother and well also my mother.

zombie-a-go-go
09-14-2006, 04:30 PM
My relentless pessimism needs an outlet.

RichRed
09-14-2006, 04:59 PM
I tried sticking needles in my eyes but I enjoyed it too much so I thought I'd try something more painful.

But seriously folks, I vaguely remember the end of the Big Red Machine and back when you only got to see one game a week on TV, the Reds were on quite a bit and I loved watching those guys hit the ball. Started listening to Marty and Joe on WLW - I got the signal all the way in Virginia Beach - and I've been hooked ever since.

I'll always love the Reds, even though they don't always seem to love me back.

redsupport
09-14-2006, 05:19 PM
I thought Mike McQueen was a movie star

OnBaseMachine
09-14-2006, 05:24 PM
Why are you a Reds fan??


Sometimes I ask myself the same thing.

RichRed
09-14-2006, 05:32 PM
I thought Mike McQueen was a movie star

Well he did make a Great Escape from Atlanta.

redsupport
09-14-2006, 05:59 PM
I was a reds fan because of the shrewd trade that brought them Gary Pyka for Mike Caldwell. Caldwell must have won over 100 games for the Brewers but could not break into the Reds roatation. But thats OK because the trade of Charlie Liebrandt to the Royals for Bob Tufts made up for that. But thats Ok because the trade of Jeff Montgopmery to the Royals for Van Snider made up for that

Falls City Beer
09-14-2006, 06:02 PM
It's cheaper than crack. ;)

I got to tell you: Gameday and Redszone are some seriously cheap entertainment.

:cool:

Falls City Beer
09-14-2006, 06:04 PM
Pyka

You seem to relish medical terms: isn't pica some disease that causes people to eat dirt and poop, etc?

2001MUgrad
09-14-2006, 06:10 PM
Dad's a Reds Fan I guess.

Can't quit pulling for them.

I also love self-torture.

vaticanplum
09-14-2006, 08:01 PM
I also love self-torture.

Now there's a slogan!

Don't go to the trouble of torturing yourself: Let the Reds do it for you!

redsupport
09-14-2006, 08:36 PM
Rich Okeefe and Gary Pyka were the payment for Caldwell

redsupport
09-14-2006, 08:37 PM
I forgot pica is what happens when lead is ingested.

RFS62
09-14-2006, 09:21 PM
These guys and their buddies.

KronoRed
09-14-2006, 09:24 PM
JR and Red is a nice color

paintmered
09-14-2006, 09:30 PM
Rich Okeefe and Gary Pyka were the payment for Caldwell

de la Hoz? Is that you?

Jefferson24
09-14-2006, 09:32 PM
Watched Bench play when I was a yound kid and loved the Reds since. I started following more closely in the 80's. I liked Davis and Larkin. I didn't follow the Reds too closely in 1990, my second year of college (I was following something else closely at that time :luvu: & :drink: ). I regret not being a better fan in my 20's. Trying to do better now. I have always rooted for the underdog and the Reds usually fit that bill.

Go_Cats_Go!
09-14-2006, 09:55 PM
J24, same for me. I got hooked with baseball cards and the Reds in the Summer of 75, and have been a fan ever since.

Jefferson24
09-14-2006, 10:08 PM
J24, same for me. I got hooked with baseball cards and the Reds in the Summer of 75, and have been a fan ever since.

Yeah, I collected the cards. I still have a bunch of Bench's. Sold the rookie though, bought a 9mm with the money. Weird thing to trade a baseball card for, I guess. I used to have some nice ones. Several Ripkin rookies, Bonds rookies but they're long gone now.

I guess the cards were a big way for kids to relate to the game back then. Very rarely were the Reds on TV where I lived (around Peoria Illinois). I could only get 700 WLW after 8 or so at night, so limited radio. No internet of course, no cable at our house either. Weren't the 80's great? But we did have cool music, just no information super highway. The backs of those cards were our only way to look back in time and try to imagine what the BRM years were like. I was born in 71 so the best years had come and gone before I knew too much about the game. Those were good times though. I just wish I would have hung on to all those cards!

BuckWoody
09-14-2006, 10:13 PM
I was old enough to understand the game and really start liking it right around the time that the Machine started to form. It’s the team I watched when my dad took me to baseball games as a kid. I will love them forever.

redsfan1966
09-14-2006, 10:15 PM
I grew up in the mid 70s so the Big Red Machine was a big reason...but also because I remember always being a baseball fan first as a youngster. Living in Columbus Ohio also made it easy to be a fan...other than the Buckeyes at that time...what was there??? I also was a big fan of the radio broadcasts with Marty and Joe...and listening to them also made me, for better or worse, a big fan of 700 WLW, even to this day...it was rather odd for a young teen to be a big Gary Burbank fan...but, what the heck...I will always be a Reds fan...from World Series' (going to the first two games in 1990 was a blast) to 61-101 seasons...I always feel that making the trek to Cincy is a treat...even if the team isnt doing well...from doing things before and after the game from visiting the WLW studios to attending other events after Reds games---(Cyclone hockey games, or Jim Rome tour stops)...I love the city of Cincinnati...

machineguy
09-14-2006, 11:07 PM
I got hooked in the early years of the BRM and loved the drama of the 72 Series. I went to a game the next fall and saw Hank Aaron trying to catch the Babe Ruth Home Run train. I loved the way the Reds destroyed the opposition in the playoffs and WS in 1976. I knew the Nasty Boys bunch was special and was thrilled when they took it all. Even 1999 was fun until the Mets beat them.

lo ryder
09-14-2006, 11:40 PM
I was born in 1967. My little league career started in 73 and then came some of the best teams in history, The Big Red Machine. I caught for 5 years and guess who I emulated?