
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
Last year, Harvey discovered baseball, and quickly became, well, obsessed.
Parents know: when kids get into something, they really get into it. As a result, I have an encyclopedic knowledge of construction equipment, bearded dragons, Uno, and now, as it were, baseball—specifically Reds baseball.
To be fair, I have 40 years of Reds fandom under my belt. I remember the 1990 World Series and I met Reds pitcher Tim Layana when I was 6. In high school, I spent Friday nights in the top-6 stands, cheering on the A-Team (I ran into Aaron Boone on the escalator at the Newport AMC when I was 17, and it remains one of my favorite core memories). I was standing in Newport when Riverfront Stadium was imploded on a cold December day, and I attended the first Opening Day at Great American Ball Park.

Photograph by Sarah McCosham
But the level of knowledge that my 10 year old has amassed in the last six months is incredible—like, Rain Man level. Ask Harvey who won the 1909 World Series, and he’ll tell you it was the Pittsburgh Pirates. Harvey’s favorite player is Johnny Bench, and he can rattle off stats, records, and positions the same way most recite the alphabet. Don’t bring up the Yankees or the Cubs, however—like any tried-and-true Reds fan, he has a deep distaste for both.

Photograph by Sarah McCosham
For Christmas this year, we decided the best gift for our baseball fan was Reds season tickets. Both Tony and I, along with our parents, will be attending a dozen games with Harvey in 2025. And Harvey has big plans for the Reds—he believes they can make it to the World Series. (He’s the best kind of fan, in my opinion.)
As part of the season ticket package, we got passes to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, so over Christmas break, we went downtown to check it out. It was a big (ahem) hit with Homerun Harvey, who gobbled up First Nine’s trivia about the 1869 Red Stockings along with info about Hall of Famers like Johnny Bench and George Foster. He spent lots of time studying the game bats on display, bats from 49 of the top 50 hitters on the Reds’ career home run list (players Harvey all knew, of course).

Photograph by Sarah McCosham
Most thrilling for Harvey was the Marty & Joe Broadcasting Exhibit, which puts fans of all ages in the sports booth where they can record their own radio highlight. Harvey is the kind of kid who will definitely be bringing along a radio to the games (to hear the commentary, of course), and was in his element.

Photograph by Sarah McCosham
My other three enjoyed the Hall of Fame, too—Julian and Pearl posed for baseball cards and Mary got a kick out of the various bobbleheads. I’m always in awe of the “wall of balls” that features balls for all 4,256 of Pete Rose’s hits.
As a longtime Cincinnati resident, it’s easy to take for granted what’s been here all along. The Cincinnati Reds, have, quite literally, been here all along, and at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, fans of America’s pastime can immerse themselves in our city’s most beloved team, even in the offseason. Play ball!
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, downtown
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