Crosley vs. Riverfront

[Ltlabner]

For those who have seen a game at Crosley, which stadium did you like better, Crosley or Riverfront?

What were the pros and cons of each stadium?

I started going to games in the mid 1970's so I can't weigh in on the issue. However, I'm reading a book on baseball and it shows Crosley after it was shut down and the city of Cincinnati was using it to park impounded cars. Very sad.

I was going to include the "Palace of the Fans" but desipte popular opinion, no one on Redszone is that old. ;)

[Rob Dicken]

I wish I had seen Crosley Field. My dad has been to all 3 stadiums, and he said that GABP is great, but Crosley was THE ballpark. It was a place you could go, sit down, not have a bad seat in the house, and enjoy a baseball game like it was MEANT to be played.

Advertisements weren't streamed over a Jumbo screen every 5 minutes, hot dog's were like .50 cents or less, beers were a buck (and not the usual $5-7 they charge now).....

It's sad the way they put it to use after Riverfront being erected. :(

[Chip R]

I was going to include the "Palace of the Fans" but desipte popular opinion, no one on Redszone is that old. ;)

You would be incorrect. ;)

[BuckWoody]

I never got to see a game at Crosley which is one of my great sports regrets. Even if I may have been too young to remember much of it, I'd still like to be able to say I'd seen a game there.

I do remember driving right past it on I-75 on our way to Riverfront before they tore it down so at least I have actually seen it. I can remember at the time thinking how glad I was we weren't going to that old yucky place and instead were going to our shiney new stadium. Silly kid.

[redsupport]

Crosley field was superior, it was worth a couple of runs a year to watch other outfielders fall when attempting to ascend the incline, only vada pinson could do it successfully

[reds1869]

Advertisements weren't streamed over a Jumbo screen every 5 minutes, hot dog's were like .50 cents or less, beers were a buck (and not the usual $5-7 they charge now).....

Not to be rude, but $1 in 1960 is about the same as what they charge for beer now.

http://www.cjr.org/tools/inflation/index.asp?cent=19&dec=6&year=0&amount=1&year_to=2002&submit=Convert%21

[RollyInRaleigh]

I saw one game in Crosley on August 31, 1969, and it still is vivid in my mind. I was 8 years old. I thought that I had gone to heaven. My dad, my grandfather, my uncle and myself drove from Huntington, WV to Cincinnati in my dad's 1968 black Ford LTD. My dad purchased the tickets from the only place in Huntington that sold them, Humphrey's Southside Pharmacy. I remember parking and walking up to the ballpark. My dad bought me a Centennial Edition yearbook that had Pete Rose, Alex Johnson, Johnny Bench, Tommy Helms, Tony Perez and Lee May on the cover. I still have it. My grandfather bought me a Reds cap, and later on, I talked my dad into buying me one of the plastic batting helmets. We sat behind homeplate in the second deck. I could see everything, and the sound of those fastballs hitting the catcher's mitt were so distinct. Bob Gibson pitched for the Cardinals and Jim Merritt for the Reds. The Reds won that game against the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-5. Johnny Bench and Tony Perez had homeruns for the Reds, but the highlight was a triple by Pete Rose in the 7th inning with the signature head first slide into third base. I still remember it like it was yesterday.

I watched many games in Riverfront stadium through the 70's, 80's and 90's and while I always loved the excitement that was generated there through those years, it couldn't hold a candle to that one game in August of 1969 at Crosley Field. I would love to be able to watch another game there. It was a beautiful old ballpark with lots and lots of character. The terrace, the scoreboard, the sun and moon deck. What a place! I feel very blessed as a lifelong Reds fan to have been able to see my first game in that wonderful old ballpark with the three men who most influenced my life. God rest all of their souls, including Crosley.

[redsupport]

wayne granger got the save as the Reds defeated bob gibsob, of course alex johnson got his usual three hits, a great pick up for Dick Simpson

[westofyou]

When it opened Redland (Crosley) had the most area in the outfield in MLB.

Multipurpose stadiums had the soul of an Eric Carmen solo record.

The week it opened, this post cards were moving around town... note the streetcars... folks in Cincinnati might not know... but that's called.."Public Transportation"

http://www.deadballart.com/redszone/redland_postcard.gif

When they knocked it down this was the first swing of the wrecking ball, operated by Pete Rose Jr.

http://www.deadballart.com/redszone/firstblow.jpg

[919191]

As you are driving south on 75 towards downtown, can you see any landmarks from the road from Crosley? I've never been sure exactly where it is, other than knowing the streets it was on, and that is pretty much meaningless to me.

Is the area betweeen downtown and therre safe? I am going to be there for the Cardinal series mext month, and I will probably go out for a run or two while there. Are the neighborhoods safe late in the morning along that route for a prety much defenseless runner?

[BuckWoody]

There is a really cool site called Where's Crosley Now (http://www.crosley-field.com/). It will tell you all you need to know about how to find out exactly where Crosley was in relation to the current street layout. You can follow the directions and stand right where home plate was. There are all kinds of Crosley photos and other really cool things on the site. :thumbup:

Here's an example of some of the superimposed pics they use to help guide you:
http://www.crosley-field.com/HP/superhpns.jpg
http://www.crosley-field.com/HP/lookback3.jpg
http://www.crosley-field.com/HP/carsxs.jpg

[SunDeck]

Went to Crosley once, and my memory of it is a lot like Randy's. I was only a kid, but there definitely was something special about it. Everything seemed close. It was crowded, loud, personal.
Riverfront had some of those qualities- anyone remember the band that played between innings, or the organ? Nevertheless, Crosley remains my first Reds memory and therefore it is strong. And the astroturf always seemed bad to me.

Now, this from my dad:
Crosley was great when he was a kid, but that was when you could take the streetcar down to the park. His aunt owned a "boarding" house and tavern across from Crosley and his grandfather owned a bar in lower Price Hill. He'd go to the bar on the 33 to have lunch, then walk through the West End to Crosley to meet his dad at his aunt's bar, who was usually finishing his truck driving shift around the time the game started. His recollection of Crosley was that it was a defining part of the neighborhood, a lot like I imagine Wrigley is. Everything revolved around games. Traffic couldn't move through, everything pretty much stopped, but it was kind of fun because it was an event every day.

My dad didn't mind Riverfront at all because he said that it was the right time for the transition away from Crosley. Once I-75 was conceived, it was clear that the West End and Crosley were done. And in that context, he has always said the same thing, that the last ten years of Crosley were pretty awful. Crime, heat, tough parking, smelly toilets, the place had really lost it's luster for people of his generation by the time Riverfront was opened.

[crazybob60]

I asked this very question to my Papaw tonight and he very quickly responded Riverfront due to the fact of the size and he like the bigger Riverfront better than the smaller Crosley, yet that is the only reason he gave though.

[Far East]

Been to Crosley, Riverfront, and Great American.

Loved the Crosley grass over the original Riverfront's turf. Particularly enjoyed how close you could get to the relievers in the pullpens down the foul lines.

Curiously, I preferred (grassy) Riverfront to G. Am. while the new park was under construction and those Riverfront OF seats were gone, opening up the view over the OF fence and removing the wrap-around bowl look of all of those cookie cutter parks that we all probably grew to hate.

[SteveJRogers]

I asked this very question to my Papaw tonight and he very quickly responded Riverfront due to the fact of the size and he like the bigger Riverfront better than the smaller Crosley, yet that is the only reason he gave though.

BAH! Your Papaw doesn't know squat about how baseball should be viewed by the attending public! ;)

Riverfront, good for football, good for concerts, baseball...Well if you want to call the Reds of the 70's a "machine" then I guess it fits! :D

[Chip R]

As you are driving south on 75 towards downtown, can you see any landmarks from the road from Crosley? I've never been sure exactly where it is, other than knowing the streets it was on, and that is pretty much meaningless to me.

Is the area betweeen downtown and therre safe? I am going to be there for the Cardinal series mext month, and I will probably go out for a run or two while there. Are the neighborhoods safe late in the morning along that route for a prety much defenseless runner?

That is a good web site to go to if you want info on Crosley. As for spotting it from I 75, you will see a big sign that says Roy Taylor Uniforms on your right. That is the general area of where it is at. As for that part of town being safe, you will probably be OK. It is right by the main post office and Union Terminal. You would probably be safer if you follow Central Parkway once you hit it from downtown then keep following that till you get to Ezzard Charles Drive. You will be right by a police station so that may provide a little comfort for you. Then just go towards Union Terminal and you will be in the general area. Have fun. :)

I do not know if you know this or not but they have a replica of Crosley Field up in Blue Ash right off of 275.

[redsupport]

crosley was superior because Milt Pappas pitched there

[westofyou]

crosley was superior because Milt Pappas pitched there
Dave Skaugstad too.

[WVRedsFan]

I've been to all three parks and I liked Crosley the best.

First, it was the first MLB stadium I'd been to. I've documented this in other threads. I was 13 or 14 when I first attended Crosley. Dad used to either get seat at Humphrey's in Huntington (he worked for the railroad and frequented Huntington--amazing isn't it Randy?) or at the park and he always got field level seats.

You sat right on top of the field in Crosley. While stadiums today are more elevated, Crosley was much less elevated, so you had worse sight lines, but you actually got close to the players. I can recall seeing Fred Hutchinson cuss as he went out to get a pitcher and Frank Robinson say the "F-word" when striking out--from 7 rows back! Fans seems so much more enthusiastic in those days and the crowd noise was loud. I miss that. I also miss that more people were into the game in those days, but I'm getting off topic.

Although GAB is roughly the same dimensions (in the outfield) as Crosley, it played much bigger--except down the right field line. I saw Gordy Coleman hit a shot into the sun deck there that was awesome to a kid, but it was only a little over 300 ft. as homeruns go. Junior would have 50 by now in that stadium. But to center and right, they had to paint a line on the wall (the wall was tall) so that you could hit a homerun there.

The seats were very narrow. I wasn't a huge kid at 14, but the fit was tight. Dad was a small man too, but we marvelled that some of the heavier folks looked like they were poured into their seats. The place was old and somewhat smelly, but the level of cleanliness was much better than Riverfront. The sound of the organ, the voice of Paul Somerkamp, Frank and Vada, Wally Post and Coleman, Purkey, Jay, and O'Toole--that was the attraction. Good players and an intimate setting.

I attended my last game at Crosley in 1969 and have grieved everyday since. Only the opening of GAB had made me feel better.

I attended the second or third game ever played in Riverfront. It was so modern and impressed me at the time. Wide space behind the seats, lots of room between rows, and artificial turf. Why in the name of Elvis Presley was I so impressed? I have no idea. As the years went on, I grew so tired of Riverfront. By the time it morphed into Cinergy, the thing smelled and you couldn't buy a field level seat anywhere near home plate (that's one thing I never figured out. With a capacity of over 50,000, you just couldn't get good seats. At Crosley and GAB, there wre less seats, but I have never failed to get good field level seats). Everyone wore those silly plastic straw hats and they replaced the organ with a brass band. Yuck. I ejoyed the Reds' success at Riverfront-Cinergy, but not that wart on the landscape place. Good riddance.

When they announced GAB would be built to nearly the dimensions of Crosley, I got excited. A baseball stadium where football would never be thought of--wonderful. I made the trek to Cincinnati the first season and was immediately totally impressed. It reminded me of Crosley. All that was missing was the ancient scoreboard and Frank, Vada, Purkey, Jay, and Maloney. No gimicks (except those rediculous smokestacks--thank you John Allen) and intimate baseball again. I liked Crosley, but GAB is just a tad below it. Seats are wide, sight lines are better, and the food is miles better.

Now if we could just have Hudy and Burger beer. And three starters like Purkey, Jay, and O'Toole (and throw Maloney in for good measure).

[SunDeck]

As you are driving south on 75 towards downtown, can you see any landmarks from the road from Crosley? I've never been sure exactly where it is, other than knowing the streets it was on, and that is pretty much meaningless to me.

Is the area betweeen downtown and therre safe? I am going to be there for the Cardinal series mext month, and I will probably go out for a run or two while there. Are the neighborhoods safe late in the morning along that route for a prety much defenseless runner?

The area where Crosley was located is 100% industrial now- there is nothing of the original neighborhood left there. Nothing. And it is not necessarily a great neighborhood to be in if you're not familiar with the turf north of Ezzard Charles, either. But, mainly I think it would be dissappointing for you.

If I were downtown and wanted to run, I'd go over to KY, or maybe out Eastern Ave. I think a lot of people do run, going from Sawyer Point out to Theodore Berry Park. Eventually they will be connected along the river...and maybe they already are.

[919191]

I do not know if you know this or not but they have a replica of Crosley Field up in Blue Ash right off of 275.


Yeah, I went there a long time ago- there was an old timer's game there and Rose played in it. Due to the suspension, players coouldn't where MLB sanctionded uniforms. I'm guessing this was 1992 or so. I was kind of disappointed in the replica, actually.

[GAC]

Crosley. Far more fan friendly over the cement mausoleums.

Riverfront was built for reasons of.... accomodating greater fan numbers, astro turf and the evolving game. I sometimes wonder how well the BRM would have performed/succeeded if RF had never been built, and they played in Crosley?

Funny how those, 30 years later, are all being torn down, and teams are going back to a retro style, more fan friendly. ;)

[RedsFan75]

Crosley holds a special place in my heart as it's where I fell in love with baseball and the Reds. I can't top WV's descriptions because he's dead on with what I remember about it. Riverfront was new and shiny and such a fresh gleaming "jewel" in the crown of the queen city, :) that everyone loved it. I never really liked the turf, and I never liked the feeling I got when I went into the Red seats. I always thought I was going to fall. Great American has a bit of the feel of Crosley and I like it better than Riverfront.

[RED59]

I too have fond memories of Crosley. I attended about 15 games as a kid and college student at UC. I have some fond memories of sitting in the Sun Deck and harrassing Roberto Clemente as Bill Virdon turned around to grin at us. Memories of Vada Pinson hitting a walk off homer in the 10th inning.
But as much as I grew to hate the aging Riverfront stadium, it was time to replace Crosley with something new. Many of the memories seem to deal with the concept of baseball as it used to exist. We forget the aging infrastructure and the need for something new and exciting.

[tsj017]

The thing we have to remember about those old parks is that at the time they were being replaced, people didn't look at them the way we do now. All they saw at the time were crumbling old structures, in decaying neighborhoods, with no parking. The concrete bowls of the 60s and 70s were shiny and new--the future! Astroturf! You could play baseball AND football in the same stadium!

Only when the old parks were gone did people start to realize that they had qualities that the concrete bowls lacked.

I never saw a game at Crosley. Obviously, it was aesthetically more pleasing than Riverfront. However . . . Riverfront was Crosley Field to my age group. That's where we saw our first games. Riverfront was baseball to us. (Having the Big Red Machine playing there in our youth didn't hurt, either.) When we tell our children and grandchildren how baseball used to be, we'll be telling them about Riverfront.

I like GABP, but I do miss the ugly concrete bowl. :cry:

Also, you'll never improve on the ease of getting into and around in Riverfront. Sometimes, I wonder what the designers of GABP were thinking. Didn't they know the main gate, the first base concourse, etc. would be bottlenecks?

I halfway expect a wave of nostalgia for the concrete bowls once they're all gone and every team has a retro-type park. "Remember what baseball was like when we were kids? Circular, featureless stadiums with Astroturf! That's how baseball was meant to be!" And then we'll start building the concrete bowls again, to replace the retro parks. :evil: