Muscle Sport Magazine

Bring Back Cincinnati Reds Opening Day

Wikipedia Commons/Labeled For Reuse

Baseball is a sport where tradition has special meaning. There is something special about how it has retained some of his quant qualities through over a period of time covering nearly one and a half century. So on this disappointing day when we all should be celebrating the dawn of yet another season, one of those old time aspects should be back on the map and can be as early as the 2021 campaign.

The COVID-19 Chinese Virus has delayed the start of the current baseball season and today would have been the always highly-anticipated Opening Day. Regardless of what the pundits predict, each and every team has a shot on these glorious days with 0-0 records. No one has any idea when the green light will be given and there has been talks about trying to keep the 162-game regular season schedule, albeit with more doubleheaders and going deeper into the fall.

But even in a shook up season that this, how much better would it have been if the Reds opened a day everyone else in Cincinnati?

This was the case from 1876 through 1989 when the Reds were awarded this honor since they have been recognized as the first professional team. It was always a given and fans of whoever they hosted would get to enjoy it, as well. Spring unofficially began when the Reds Opening Day starter took the pitcher’s mound.

But that went by the wayside, as many things have with baseball. The designated hitter, Interleague play, Wild Card playoffs, etc. have all been introduced and it is pretty much split right down the middle in regards to people who favor or despise them.

Another change has been MLB opening the season in an international location, which is completely irrational and takes away from our National Pastime in so many ways – the fans attending the team’s opener, the starting time of the games (which have been two-game series the vast majority of the time since the teams flew half way around the world) that cause the television viewers to either wake up at an ungodly hour to watch the game (such as when it is in Japan) or miss it. This has ben the case on eight occasions since 1999.

For purists of the game, MLB giving the Reds the season opener at home would be a small but important way of separating it from the other sports and a reminder of yesteryear.

One last area of major importance: A MATINEE! Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN is not the right way to get a new season underway.

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