Loading ...April 17, 1889: Six weeks before North Bend, Ohio native Benjamin Harrison is inaugurated as President, the Reds lose, 5-1 to St. Louis on Opening Day.
Reds fans were greeted by a gaily decorated ball park and an orchestra concert before the opening game of the 1889 season. This marked the first time the club treated Opening Day as a festive occasion. Over 10,000 people attended, including the full Cincinnati Orchestra which provided the musical entertainment for the early arrivals. Six days prior to the opener, the Enquirer reported that “no lady will be admitted to the opening championship game without an escort. One escort, however, is privileged to bring two ladies, but no more.”
All “Reds trivia” posts come from Greg Rhodes and John Snyder’s fabulous book, “Redleg Journal” (see link for purchasing) and I am using it’s material with Greg’s permission.
Thanks again to Greg Rhodes for permission to use his material.
I remember it well. I was still smarting after voting for Grover Cleveland. He won the popular vote and lost the electoral college. Serves him right. He couldn’t even carry his home state of NY. Nonetheless, I had five days to get my keister to Oklahoma. There’s a land grab about to start and I had to get me some. Good times.