Ballpark Overview: Great American Ball Park

It's a mission of mine to travel the country and take in a ball game at every Major League Baseball park. It's a goal shared by many in this country and I recently completed a trip to Cincinnati to see the Reds take on the Giants at Great American Ballpark. It was the 17th park I have been to and on the way home I decided that every park I go to, I might as well share my thoughts on here. In the few hours I spent at the park I could not see everything, but here were some things I took away.

The ballpark is built right on the Ohio River and is the second park that has been built in the general area. Riverfront Stadium was constructed on the same ground, but Great American Ballpark has been the Reds' home since it was erected in 2003. With beautiful views of the river and the Cincinnati skyline surrounding the park, GABP is nestled nicely in the downtown area. Restaurants, bars and other attractions are just a block away and there is plenty to do besides catch a game.

However, catching a game is definitely something you won't want to miss. With any team, the atmosphere at the park is better when there's a winner on the field and that's exactly what the city of Cincinnati has right now. With stars like Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, the crowd is energized and there is a buzz around the park. From the standpoint of pure baseball, you will see a good team on the field.

While sitting in your seat make sure to take in all that park boasts from the smokestacks in center field to the large scoreboard that sprawls out over the left field bleachers. The smokestacks give the park a nice touch as they represent the steamboats that would make their way up and down the Ohio River in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. During the game they emit fireworks when a Reds players hits a home run and blow flames when a Cincy pitcher records a strikeout. The scoreboard in left is the sixth largest in the MLB.

Around the concourses there are plenty of games and activities for kids to take part in which makes the park very family friendly. Make sure to check out the statues in Crosley Terrace when you enter the park. The four statues honor the four greatest players to call Crosley home. Once inside, make a point to see the two large mosaics that pay homage to the "The First Nine" of the 1869 Red Stockings and "The Great Eight" of the famed Big Red Machine.

Another neat feature is the Reds Hall of Fame on the park's west side. Inside, the club honors the top players in their history and there is plenty to read and learn. Inside the Hall of Fame is a large wall with baseballs from top to bottom that represent each one of Pete Rose's hits. Just outside the window is the Rose Garden that shows the general area where Rose's record-breaking hit landed years ago in Riverfront Stadium.

Also, if you're going to a ball game then you obviously have to grab a bite to eat. Of the parks I've been to I'm not sure there has been a better selection of concessions. Frisch's Big Boy and LaRosa's Pizza dot the concourses and there is also a Kroger market, a sushi market and a slushie stand with more flavors of slushie than you can imagine. 

There is plenty of history to be appreciated at Great American Ball Park and it's a great place to take in a game. I would definitely say it's one of the best parks I've been to and a place that you should make a point to travel to. A beautiful park, good food, plenty of history and a great team. It doesn't get much better than that.