Day 28: Blue Ash Sports Complex Replica Stadiums

Back on June 16, 2009, before the Cincinnati Reds game Dad and I went out to the Blue Ash Sports Complex in Blue Ash, Ohio, to see the replica baseball fields they have there. Since we were not going straight to the game from there we let Mik stay at Grandpa’s while we went to the Blue Ash Sports Complex. While dragging him to experience all the current MLB ballparks is a must, we have been lenient with him not having to truly experience the extras such as him staying in the car at the Field of Dreams.

The main field to see at Blue Ash Sports Complex is the Crosley Field replica. Crosley Field is where the Cincinnati Reds used to play from 1911 through 1970. The replica in Blue Ash recreates Crosley Field’s original dimensions for the outfield. It also includes a replica of the outfield wall and scoreboard. Most of the original Crosley Field has been destroyed, but one of the original ticket booths is here and I believe the scoreboard and/or the clock on the scoreboard might be original. I think some of the seats are from the original Crosley Field as well. Lastly, if you look inside the window of the ticket booth you can see the original outfield wall sign for the 366 foot part of the wall.

Of course, visiting Blue Ash Sports Complex is not exactly the same as the original Crosley Field, however, it is way better than just the home plate plaques that honor many demolished ballparks. It also serves as a great ball field for youth baseball games. It really gives the feel of what the field was like, except for all the seating and concourse.

Along the back of the bleachers on the 3rd base line there are plaques representing different former Reds players that have played in the Reunion games at the Crosley Field replica park. This includes Ken Griffey, Tug McGraw, and Pete Rose.

At the Blue Ash Sports Complex there is also a field that has the dimensions of the Reds’ Riverfront Stadium, which they used after Crosley Field and before their current ballpark (Great American Ballpark). The Riverfront one is not anywhere near as interesting as the Crosley Field replica, but it is kind of cool that they have recreated its dimensions as well.

Kj’s Baseball Collection: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

At the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum I got a souvenir baseball that has the museum’s logo on it. The ball is mostly just a plain white baseball. The logo is located on one side. It is actually a rather interesting logo. It has Jackie Robinson batting as the central aspect of the diamond shaped logo.

Some of Mik’s Photos of the Trip

Dad downloaded photos from Mik’s camera the other day and e-mailed me the ones he thought were good. Mik has not taken much since he spends most of his time just playing his PSP, but he had some good ones on his camera. It includes some Dad took of Mik.

The first is of Mik throwing a fit outside AT&T Park as he got inpatient waiting for the park to open.



The next two are ones he took in the Redwoods when we went on the Stout Grove Trail.


The last two are from when we went on the Christmas Carol Train Tour. They are both from the end of the train. The first is of Dad and me and the last one is of Mik trying to roll away while Dad takes a photo of him by the fireplace. Mik was not happy about Dad using his camera that day because that was the day Dad forgot his at the kabin.

Game 15: Getting Stuck in the Wheelchair Lift at Progressive Field

Before the game at Progressive Field we spent almost an hour in Heritage Park. There is a good amount to see, but really not that much. Most of that time was spent getting down to the different levels of the little terraced area. They have two wheelchair lifts to get down to the two lower levels of it. To get down to the first we had to track down an usher with a key to operate the lifts.

Getting down to the next level was not too hard to start to do since the usher hung around. Actually ended up there did not work out so fast, though. Almost to the bottom the lift stopped and Dad and Mik ended up stuck in there until a maitenence guy came and got it to go down. Basically the lift platform is out of alignment and it rubbed against the bottom door hitting the lock and locking up the lift. They were only stuck for about 15 minutes and it really was not that bad of experience. Of course, I did not mind at all since I was not actually stuck, but even Dad and Mik did not mind much, as they knew they were working on it all along. Not just in this incident, but throughout the experience at Progressive Field the staff were very friendly and helpful.

As we were exploring the bottom level and before going back up out of the Heritage Park they brought us three Indians baseball caps. The caps came in handy for Mik and Dad since the sun actually came out after the game had a 20 minute rain delayed start. Mik really thought the hats were cool, but he does not want to get stuck in any more lifts if he can help it even if he does get free stuff. Not that it was the first time that has happened, as wheelchair lifts tend to have trouble like that quite regularly.

Game 15: Milwaukee Brewers 9 @ Cleveland Indians 8

We got to the park a little after they opened the one gate that lets you into a small part of the park opened at 4:30pm. At least that part included some good food, since Mik was really hungry. It also included the area called Heritage Park, which is a three level area that honors the Indians that are in the Baseball Hall of Fame and other significant players and moments in Indians history. We ended up in this area until they opened up the rest of the park at 6pm, but more on that in a whole separate post later, as that experience deserves its own post. It was something that could have made the ballpark the worst, but actually in the end at least Mik has declared Progressive Field the best park so far.

The game was definitely the best one we have seen so far. Perhaps almost the best game I have ever seen in person, however, the walk off home run by Zimmerman in the Nats Opening Day game at their new park last year still rates the top game experience for me. The Brewers took an early 3-0 lead with one run in each of the first three innings. The Indians then scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th to tie it up.

The Brewers again took the lead in he 7th by scoring 3 runs and increased their lead to 8 to 4 with a run in the top of the 8th. The Indians again made it only a 3 run deficit with a run in the bottom of the 8th, but the Brewers then tacked on another run in the 9th. So going into the bottom of the 9th the Indians were down 4 runs (8 to 4). With one out they scored on a double after getting a single and walk. Then the bases ended up loaded and Garko hit a 3 RBI double to tie up the game, but he tripped and ended up being tagged out for the second out of the inning. The game went into extra innings. The winning run came for the Brewers in the top of the 11th with a sac fly.

Even Mik got into the game, as he is a little bit of an Indians fan since he was an Indian in his first year of Challenger Little League. He did mostly play his PSP and he did want to leave at first when it went into extra innings, but he ended up putting his PSP away by the 11th and actually watched the game. He was even rooting for the Indians to at least tie it up in the bottom of the 11th even though he wanted to hit the road and that would happen sooner if the inning ended without the Indians scoring.

He is actually sort of getting into the trip. At least he is looking forward to the next game. Besides the Dbacks game, going to a game at an old park like Wrigley Field is the one thing that has him excited. Perhaps that is because we keep showing him things like where the home plate for now gone parks are and the dilapidated League Park we drove by in Cleveland. He wants to see what an old field that is actually kept up looks like.

Mik’s Mini Bat Collection: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

At the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Mik got a bat with the Museum’s logo on a natural colored mini bat. The logo is in simply in black ink on the bat, but it is not just a simple logo. The logo includes a ballplayer in the middle of it.

Baseball Museum 5: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Since the Negro Leagues Museum did not open until 12pm on Sunday and we had the afternoon game that day (June 14, 2009), instead of going before the game, we ended up going to it after the Kansas City Royals game. We got there around 4:30pm and it closed at 6pm. It worked out to be just about enough time to see it, but barely. At least it did work out and we did not miss it entirely because it was worth seeing.

The exhibit is mostly a timeline history of colored people playing baseball. Of course, the main focus is on the Negro Leagues, but it follows the history from the 1800s through to African Americans beginning to be allowed into the MLB and causing the downfall of the Negro Leagues. The exhibits have a lot of information and a good amount of artfacts and such.

For the most part the images and things display make sense and are explained by nearby signs. However, quite a few items seem interesting, but have absolutely nothing to explain their significance. It seems they have stuffed too much stuff in this small exhibit and ran out of space to put signs to explain some of the things, which is a shame because some of the cooler looking things seem entirely insignificant because they have nothing identifying them.

At the end of the time line history there is several rows of lockers. The lockers are like a sort of Negro Leagues Hall of Fame, although I am not positive they call it that. Most lockers have the uniform of the player and a plaque telling about their contribution to professional baseball. There is also a display of baseballs signed by people that played in the Negro Leagues including many on Negro Leagues Museum balls, which were signed specifically to be in the museum.

Overall this was a great museum to visit. There is so much packed into it that it really does take some time to get through. I know we did not even really see it all even because we were kind of rushing to get done before 6pm and get some things at the gift shop. Mik even liked the little theater they had with a documentary playing.