You wanna know ’bout that Cincinnati Reds camp? Well, lemme tell ya, it ain’t just some fancy-schmancy city slicker thing. It’s the real deal, where them young fellas learn to play ball like them big league fellas. They learn to hit, they learn to throw, and they learn to run them bases like a scalded dog!
That camp, it cost a pretty penny, yeah, I heard it’s somethin’ like $425, plus a little somethin’ extra. But let me tell ya, for that kinda money, they get a whole heap of learnin’. I heard it’s like 30 hours of watchin’ them coaches teach them boys how to play. And they get to go to four Reds games! Four! Can you believe it?
They even get a special day, a V.I.P. day, they call it, at that big ol’ ballpark. They get to meet one of them real Reds players. Imagine that! Shakin’ hands with one of them fellas you see on the TV. That’s somethin’ special, that is.
Now, spring trainin’, that’s a whole ‘nother story. It’s like a sneak peek at the whole darn season. Folks get to go down there and watch them Reds boys get ready for the big time. And it’s a whole lot closer than a regular game, you see them fellas up close, almost like you’re right there on the field with ’em. It’s somethin’ for a real baseball fan, that’s for sure.
- They say you can bring some stuff to the ballpark.
- Like them soft coolers, you know, the ones that ain’t hard.
- You can put food in ’em, and drinks, too, long as they ain’t got no alcohol.
- And they gotta be in them plastic bottles, the kind that ain’t open.
- You can bring them little purses, too.
- And bags of food, if you wanna.
And that Goodyear place, that’s where they go for that spring trainin’. It’s down south, where it’s warm, even in the winter. They got everything you need to know ’bout that Cincinnati Reds Spring Training down in Goodyear. I heard it’s real nice down there. Good place to get outta the cold and watch some baseball.
But, you know, sometimes things don’t always go as planned. I heard tell that one time, they started that three-week camp, and then, boom! Just ten days in, somethin’ happened, and they had to stop. Ten days! Can you believe it? That’s like bakin’ a pie and takin’ it outta the oven before it’s done.
And then there’s that other place, they call it the “alternate site.” Sounds fancy, don’t it? But it was quiet there. Real quiet. No folks watchin’, no cheers, not even that fake noise they sometimes play on the TV. And there weren’t any of them little league games, neither. Just them players, practicin’ and practicin’, waitin’ for their chance.
Them Reds, they’ve had some good players over the years. Real good pitchers, like that Billingham fella, and Ross Grimsley, and Gary Nolan. Strong arms, them boys had. And that bullpen, that was somethin’ else. Clay Carroll, Tom Hall, and Pedro Borbon, they were the ones to watch. They could throw that ball so fast, it’d make your head spin. And one time, they had a great season, 95 wins, and only 59 losses. They were tops in their division, way ahead of them Pittsburgh Pirates.
You know, them Cincinnati Reds, they been around a long, long time. Since way back in 1882, I reckon. That’s a long time to be playin’ ball. And they won them World Series things, five times! 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, and one other time I can’t rightly recall right now. That’s a lot of winnin’, ain’t it?
So, that Cincinnati Reds camp, it’s more than just a camp. It’s a part of somethin’ bigger. It’s part of that long history of them Reds, and all that baseball. It’s where them young fellas learn to be like them big league players. They learn to hit that ball hard, throw it fast, and run them bases like the wind. It’s all part of the game, you see. It’s all part of that Cincinnati Reds.
And that’s all I know about that Cincinnati Reds camp. It’s a good thing for them boys and for baseball lovers, no matter where they’re from.
