out of town fans

[KC2135]

Hey, guys I was wondering how all the non-Ohio people on here became Reds fans. I was a huge Griffey fan growing up (that's why I started playing little league), and of course when he was traded to Cincy I followed him. I decided that I wanted to learn more about the history of my team, so I read The Machine, and fell in love with that team( Johnny Bench is from Oklahoma just like me). I watched a documentary on the 1990 team, then went out and bought Eric Davis' book (really good). Also being from on the borcer of Oklahoma/Texas I love the Cowboys, so I sorted was introduced to the Reds by Deion Sanders. I was also wondering if you have any trouble with any of your friends messing with you for liking the Reds instead of the hometown team. Anyway sorry for the topics just like to know im not the only one loving the Reds from another city. If anyone can give me some excuses to take a "family vacation" to Cincinnati that would be much appreciated Anyway let's here your stories

[Spazzrico]

I did live in Cincy for 10 years, but I grew up in Louisville. My mother and her entire family are from Cincy and of course Louisville was the Cincy market. I had the good fortune of becoming a fan of baseball and the Reds just prior to the 1990 season, and that of course is what cemented me for life. I used to go to sleep during the summer listening to Marty and Joe on AM 790. And then I'd read the box score in the morning. And I hated West Coast swings because I usually couldn't stay up to hear the end of the game and had to wait an extra day to find out because the paper wouldn't have it either. And since the whole city wasn't talking about the Reds the wait was excruciating. Now I'm in SC and the internet has improved my connection to the Reds in ways I couldnt' have imagined 15 years ago.

[NJReds]

I grew up not far from New York City. My dad was more into horses than baseball. I didn't have someone to guide toward being a Yankees or Mets fan. My best friend was a Reds fan (his family was from Ohio.) We used to play wiffle ball and stick ball copying the batting stances of various members of the Big Red Machine.

A few years later I moved out to the San Francisco Bay Area, but always remained a Reds fan. Now I'm back on the East Coast, and I try to get to at least one of the games when they're in town to play the Mets. I've also made a few summer road trips to Cincinnati over the years.

[bounty37h]

I am from NC, so no "local" MLB team. My dad is a Tigers fan; my family lived in Detroit, Pburgh, Cincy before I was born here in NC. My dad taught me the history of the game as a kid through baseball cards and stories. I loved Johnny Bench, and thought the catcher was the coolest position, so began to follow the Reds.

[LexRedsFan]

Originally from Somerset, Ky. Still pretty solid Reds country with a decent fanbase for the Braves, Cards, and Yanks. (Always)

[tomnuetten]

as a german you have no connection to baseball at all

but a brother of my grandfather immigrated to the us (during world war 2) and lived in cincinnati... he even had a big bar who sold more beer in the city than crosley field and the bengals stadium...

my mother kept contact with our us family and so I decided to visit my (grand) cousins who I never saw before... I watched football and baseball and fell in love with the reds... now I stay awake at night (due to the 6 hour time difference) and watch the reds play (win )

hope I can visit my family (and watch a reds game) soon...

[Jamz]

I'm from Ontario, Canada. I grew up watching WKRP in Cincinnati with my uncle and my mom. It just kind of stuck my whole life. Didn't really follow the team closely all the time, but was always a fan. It definitely helps that the best Canadian player in the world plays on the team.

Can't wait until this summer...I'm really trying to save up some money to take a trip down and see a game.

[Mr Larkin]

I am from southwestern Virginia. For some reason, our little area had a lot of Reds fans. Our local AM radio station was a Reds station and I remember in the spring going to bed listening to the Reds on the radio. My mom and dad were not baseball fans and had no idea why I was listening to the radio, but they didn't try to stop me.
I was a kid during the Big Red Machine and grew up loving Bench, Rose, Foster, Morgan, etc. CF Geranimo was one of my personal favorites. I always thought playing CF for the Reds would be the ultimate job.

[dkamberi25]

As a kid baseball was not one of my favorite sports, but I did find my way to all 4 of the 4 major North American professional team sports. I started noticing the Reds around the time they won the 90 World Series so that is how I assume I first started likeing them. As a kid players that I remember liking and trying to emulate when playing were guys like Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Paul O'Neill, Jose Rijo and Bip Roberts. As I got a little bit older I started following baseball less and less and didn't really come back till the Reds traded for Griffey. I started to follow the Reds again and got used to the new guys. By the time the transition occured from the older Griffey, Dunn teams to the current team is when I really became a big Reds fan.

[SunDeck]

as a german you have no connection to baseball at all

but a brother of my grandfather immigrated to the us (during world war 2) and lived in cincinnati... he even had a big bar who sold more beer in the city than crosley field and the bengals stadium...

my mother kept contact with our us family and so I decided to visit my (grand) cousins who I never saw before... I watched football and baseball and fell in love with the reds... now I stay awake at night (due to the 6 hour time difference) and watch the reds play (win )

hope I can visit my family (and watch a reds game) soon...

Do you know the name of the bar, by chance?
If your great uncle owned a large bar in Cincinnati, he very likely would have known my great grandfather, who owned a couple as well.

As for my story, I may be out of town, but I just consider myself to be waaay out on the west side. Grew up in Delhi, Price Hill.