The World According to Renshi

Today is a day of excitement and optimism for every fan of major league baseball – IT’S OPENING DAY!!!!

I have been a fan of the Cincinnati Reds for as long as I can remember. My mom would stay up all hours of the night keeping book on all the games – including their West Coast trips! My dad was a branch manager for Burger Beer and as such we went to lots of games and I have more Joe Nuxhall autographs on bar napkins than anyone on earth!

I was born in 1960 so I don’t remember the 1961 World Series against the Yankees – but I was perfect age for the Big Red Machine era. From 1970 to 1978, when I left home for college, The Reds played in 4 World Series (winning 2) and played for the National League pennant 6 times!!! What a GREAT time to be a baseball loving kid in Cincinnati, Ohio!

Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Davy Concepcion, Ken Griffey, Don Gullet, Pedro Bourbon and on and on…. So many great players and great announcers like Al Michaels and Marty Brenneman and the Old Lefty – Joe Nuxhall – to me it was the greatest team ever assembled. Imagine a small market team with that roster today…. not possible.

So – today is Reds Opening Day – and it is a celebration. The Findley Market parade is spectacular every year. Tens of thousands of fans cheer the new season full of promise and hope. If you’ve never been to Reds Opening Day – you’ve got to go.

Here’s the old left-hander rounding third and heading for home – good night everyone.