Best moment as Reds fan

[Josh]

2010 season my wife and I got to go to our first Reds game and Sam LeCure's debut against the Astros was in like the second inning and I noticed a sign on the cup holders that said something about a lucky row and then all the sudden people all dressed up and waving ballons and blowing wistles was at our row and said your row is todays lucky row and said if any of the Reds hit a home run that inning we won a free slice of Larosa's and BP stepped to the plate and smoked a homer lol. Of corse the best part was we won fifteen to six but my first game was an awesome experience!!

[goreds2]

As was pointed out, last thread was a downer. So outside of World Series victories, what are your favorite memories as a Reds fan? And to make it more challenging, you had to be there to see it for yourself.

See line one of my signature.

[nux fan]

acquiring Andy Kosko

[BRM13]

I've been going to games whenever I lived in Cincinnati (or within a couple hour drive) since 1971. So, I've got a number of 'best' moments that I witnessed in person. Some that leap to mind, roughly in order:

1. As a small kid I saw Johnny Bench beat the Mets (and Tom Seaver was still in the game I think) with a walk off homerun in the first game of the 1973 playoffs.

2. Took my son to the Jay Bruce clinching homerun game. Growing up I thought big time excitement happened at Reds games all the time. As an adult I figured I better get him down to see something, before his entire childhood slipped by without him seeing anything like that in person. It was absolutely electric down there.

3. I saw George Foster hit a red seat homerun (in 1978?). I also saw Foster hit 3 homeruns in a doubleheader around that time.

4. Ray Knight/Eric Davis brawl at 3rd base (in 1986?). I took a bunch of basically non-baseball fans from college to that game. They wanted to see Cincinnati and why I liked baseball so much. I don't think they really liked the baseball too much, but they came away very entertained despite that. It turned out to be a classic game. Lefty reliever Jesse Orosco wound playing right field for a bit between stints on the mound in extra innings if I remember it right.

5. I saw Adam Dunn hit a ball pretty much into the Ohio river one night (about 2006?).

6. Saw Aroldis Chapman in 2010 throw sliders in the low 90s that were fully 12-13 mph below his fastball. Major league hitters looked like bad little leaguers. Ridiculously entertaining.

7. A thrilling come from behind win in September 1999 featuring an Eddie Taubensee homerun. The stadium was only a third full or so, but it was shaking. Tremendous atmosphere, tremendous year. I had just moved back to Cincinnati after many, many years away and managed to get down to half a dozen games in the last two months of that fantastic season.

8. In retrospect, I saw a lot of amazing things in the 1970s that I completely took for granted...Reds/Dodgers games in front 50,000+, Tom Seaver near his peak, Rose stretching singles into doubles and going first to third with a head first slide, Concepcion deep in the hole bouncing one to first. I saw all those things multiple times, so they didn't register at the time as great moments. With 40 years of games under my belt, I see how remarkable they were. In later years Eric Davis near the fence (or dominating on the base paths!) is the thing that comes closest to the pretty much daily excitement/dominance of the Big Red Machine.

9. Oh, yeah. In 1999 I was overall champion of a fantasy league where the major prize was that I got to throw out the first pitch at a Reds/Cubs game. That actually goes way up the list, in no small part because no one ever believes me...Btw, I threw a strike. I have witnesses.

[will5979]

1. Game 6 of the 90 NLCS, seeing the Reds win the pennant was very special.
2. Game 3 of the 95 NLDS.
3. Opening Day 2002 watching Larkin score the winning run on a headfirst slide in the bottom of the 9th.
4. The last time I saw Larkin play in May 2004, he hits a HR, the Reds win 5-3.
5. The only time I saw Pete Rose play. I was maybe 6 or 7 years old, but when he came to bat I knew he was a legend.

[Ohioballplayer]

Had to be Pete's 4192, that was frekkin awesome.

If you are talking about personally (at the game)

September 16th 1988 - Tom Browning pitches a perfect game, 72 out of a 100 were strikes, this was a birthday present (i was born on the 15th)
Best personal moment at a reds game.

2nd - Dunners game winning homerun on opening day (cant remember the year)

[Old NDN]

I've posted parts of this in various threads in past years, but here's my favorite: When I was 14, my dad took me to Crosley Field to watch a Reds-Dodgers game. An IF for the Dodgers was a guy named Marv Breeding, a former American Legion teammate of my uncle's, in Alabama. I had met him a few years earlier when I tagged along to their Legion games. He had just been traded to the Dodgers from the Orioles, so I sneaked down by their dugout to say hi. He was shocked to see me, and actually remembered me! He was kinda embarrassed when I asked him to autograph my glove. He also introduced me to Moose Skowron (sp). A great day, for sure!

We had settled into our seats behind 1B and I was really basking in all that had transpired, to the point of not really following the game closely. Joe Nuxhall was pitching, Maury Wills batting. Wills sliced a line drive foul that headed our direction. I stood up instinctively, to see where it was headed.....right at me!! I threw my glove up defensively, catching it, as it knocked me down into my seat. Dang it stung!! Everybody started pounding on me, congratulating me. When I took the ball out of my glove, it had a big gob of spit/tobacco juice on it! Ushers came, took my name etc. and a few days later received an "Honorary Contract" (which I still have) in the mail. When the spit dried, it left an obvious "dark" spot on the ball. What a great day at the Ballpark!!

Years later, I had the opportunity to share this story with Nuxie, over a couple of beers. He readily admitted to throwing the spitter, and said the last one he threw was to Richie Allen, in Philly, and it still hadn't landed!

Sorry to be so long, but this thread has brought back some great memories!

[nux fan]

executing a sacrifice bunt by julian javier

[Helms1]

Tommy Helms helping my Little League team because he knew my dad. Hence the name and a young man that became a life long Reds Fanatic.

[gedred69]

Some great ones posted, many I was there for. Bench's HR in the bottom of the 9th in '72 playoffs. Sat through hrs. of rain. Foster Red-seater that I swear was still on the upward arch when it hit the seats. My brother and me there remembering Dad when Bruce hit the '10 division clincher. But the best was 2nd game '76 World Series, with my Dad when Catfish walked---- I believe it was Foster, to get to Perez. As the Dog walked up to the plate the stare-down between them gave me chills. 1st pitch, game over.

[DaytonFlyer]

I was at the game when Pete Rose shoved the umpire. We were in the green seats in the outfield... still remember my dad just finding whatever trash he could and throwing it onto the field.

No, I'm not proud... but it was memorable.

[RedsfaninMT]

The mention of red-seat home runs brings up one of my favorites. Davey Concepcion hitting one into the red seats in left field. As I recall, he had two that game. I always used to carry a little transistor radio to listen to the call as I watched the game, with tiny earpiece inserted in my ear. I remember Marty (at least I don't think it was Joe), saying "I do not believe it, I do not believe it. Folks, Davey Concepcion has just taken ???? into the upper deck of red seats in left field.

The specifics might be off, but he did hit a red seater.

[jhu1321]

No doubt Jay Bruce's division clinching home run in 2010. Was in a log cabin in Tennessee watching on vacation. A coupe of beers during the game helped add to my enthusiasm!

[nux fan]

when bob lee relieved bill kelso!!

[OGB]

The only Opening Day I've ever been to was 2005. The weather was absolutely serene that day. Pedro Martinez started and was pretty dominant for 7 or 8 innings. The Reds went into the ninth down by two. Adam Dunn hit a rocket shot to center with one on to tie the game. The next batter was Joe Randa who smokked one into the left field seats for the win.

I can't remember many details about the game, but I was there the night Jose Rijo made his first appearance as a reliever after sitting out several years with injuries. I can't recall ever seeing someone get a longer, more emotional standing ovation just for walking onto the field. I'm fairly certain he went six up, six down in that appearance, too.