Crosley Field video

[Spitball]

I lived in Cincinnati in the mid to late 1960s. We went to Crosley Field often to see games. It was a special place for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXKyOa4DKmE

[SunDeck]

It's really a shame, the location of the place really made it impossible for anyone to think they should ever keep Crosley, I-75 carved right into its outfield and the west end being what it was. Just think if it had been in OTR; it would still be in use, as venerated as Wrigley and Fenway, probably the jewel of downtown.

[SidneySlicker]

I never realized how much space there was between home plate and the backstop at Crosley. I bet many pitchers didn't dare throw a wild pitch there with someone on base.

[Always Red]

Great video, thanks for posting.

Crosley was a magical place for me; it's where I was first introduced to the game, and I loved every minute I spent there. I was 9 when they moved to Riverfront, so my memories of Crosley are starting to fade a bit.

OTR? If Crosley were originally built in OTR, they would have burned the place down during the 70's, had it still been around.

Like most of the ballparks built way back then, Crosley was built on the cheap. There was relatively little money in baseball back then. Were it still around today, we'd be clamoring for a new place, I think. And it would smell of urine and Ibold cigars!

[SunDeck]

I disagree. If you are referring to the riots of the 60's, they were in Avondale. OTR suffered a constant spiral of deterioration, for sure, but my argument is that Crosley being there instead of the west end would have created a different history for the ballpark. But yes, baseball did not have much money back then and Crosley ended up in the cheaper neighborhood. Maybe had the club not moved from the Bank street location, it would have been different as well. Had it survived to the late 80s it would be a monument to the game, especially if the BRM had played out their run there. For sure, the place was a pit and players hated it. But then, Fenway and Wrigley aren't exactly state of the art either.

[cumberlandreds]

Very good video. Thanks for posting.

Crosley was just before I started followng baseball. So I never attended a game there. I do remember going past it on the interstate after it had been closed. You could still see the field well and the signs for the sections. It looked really lonely just sitting there empty.
You have to love those concession prices. 25 cents for a hot dog. Sign me up for about half dozen of those.
Today is the 78th anniversary of the first night game in MLB history, May 24, 1935. I can remember attending a game ar Riverfront in which they marked 40th anniversay with a big fireworks show after the game. I know it scared my little nephew to death and it, for one of the rare times, sparked my dad to tell war stories from his time Germany on the way back home after the game.