Opening Day is a special day in Cincinnati, no matter who is on the Reds roster.
Just three times since joining the National League in 1890 have the Reds played the first game of the season away from the Queen City: in 1966 due to rain and in 1990 and 2022, both due to a schedule altered by an offseason lockout. Although not actually legislated in baseball’s rulebook regarding scheduling, it has become the unofficial standard for the oldest professional baseball franchise in America to begin the season at home.
Hours before first pitch, the Findlay Market Parade — first held in 1920 — sparks the festivities with a massive celebration down Race Street, about a mile north of the ballpark, as team alumni and other local figures welcome the new season. This year, 44,030 then made their way into a sold-out Great American Ball Park to witness the Reds claim their first victory of 2024, a comfortable 8-2 win over the Washington Nationals.
But while the Cincinnati crowd likely would’ve been buzzing Thursday afternoon regardless of who was on the mound or in the lineup, the makeup of the 2024 Reds unquestionably gave this season’s first game a different kind of energy – especially in relation to where the organization was a year ago.
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