I was only seven years old in 1970 when I started following the Reds. In fact, I remember very little about that season until the opening of Riverfront and, of course, the All Star game at the new stadium. That was when I really started becoming enamored with baseball and, in particular, with the Reds. I don't have any memories of Crosley Field. I know some of you folks started following the team well before I did and probably attended many a game at old Crosley.
Any memories about Crosley that you would care to share with those who may not know a whole lot about the Reds' former home?
I love this short old clip of Crosley . The video is from June 6, 1970, only a month or so before the Reds moved to Riverfront. The first Reds' game I attended was about a year and a couple months after this Reds / Mets game shown in this video . One thing I love about this video is seeing a young Tom Seaver(RIP) warming up before the game and Nolan Ryan signing autographs. Love seeing Big Klu coaching over at first and the Big Bopper, Lee May, manning first base.
I think ball parks like Crosley had so much character and personality. In some ways, the cookie cutter stadiums like Riverfront , Three Rivers, Veterans were cold and impersonal compared to places like Crosley.
I hope you enjoy the clip. It's only a little over three minutes in length. I appreciate any stories or information you can share with me about this glorious old ballpark.