Features of Great American Ball Park
The Gap. A 35-foot-(10.7-m)-wide break in the stands between home plate and third base called "The Gap" is bridged by the concourse on each level (see photo). Aligned with Sycamore Street, it provides views into the stadium from downtown and out to the skyline from within the park.
Power Stacks. In right center field, two smokestacks, reminiscent of the steamboats that were common on the Ohio River in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, flash lights, emit flames and launch fireworks to incite or respond to the home team's efforts. When the Reds strike out a batter, fire blows out of the stacks beginning with the 2012 season (previously, steam was spewed out following a strikeout). Fireworks are launched from the stacks after every Reds home run and win. The 7 baseball bats featured on both smokestacks are meant to symbolize Pete Rose, who wore number 14, since Major League Baseball has restricted his number from being displayed along with other Cincinnati greats.
The Spirit of Baseball. A 50-foot-by-20-foot (15 x 6 m) limestone bas relief carving near the main entrance features a young baseball player looking up to the heroic figures of a batter, pitcher and fielder, all set against the background of many of Cincinnati's landmarks, including the riverfront and Union Terminal. The piece was sculpted between 2002 and 2003 by local artists Todd Myers and Paul Brooke.
The Mosaic. A mosaic paying tribute to two legendary Reds teams: the 1869 Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team, and the 1975 Big Red Machine club that won the first of two consecutive World Series, are just inside the main entrance.
The Panoramas. Panoramas of downtown Cincinnati, Mt. Adams, the Ohio River and Northern Kentucky are visible from most of the park.
The Scoreboard. At 217 feet, 9 inches (66.4 m) wide, the scoreboard from Daktronics is the sixth largest in Major League Baseball, and the 15th largest in the United States out of all LED screens. The Reds paid $4 million to install a new, LED scoreboard and high definition video screen in time for the 2009 season. The scoreboard did not add any size from the previous, just added HD quality. The scoreboard clock was originally a replica of the Longines clock at Crosley Field, but has since been modified.
The Toyota Tundra Home Run Deck. If a Reds player hits the "Hit Me" sign located between the Power Stacks located in right field, a randomly selected fan will win the red Toyota Tundra pickup truck located on top of an elevator shaft approximately 500 feet (150 m) from home plate beyond the center field fence, which is valued at approximately $31,000.
Crosley Terrace.
As a nod to Crosley Field, the Reds' home from 1912–1970, a monument was created in front of the main entrance to highlight the park's famous left-field terrace. Bronze statues of Crosley-era stars Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Robinson (created by sculptor Tom Tsuchiya) are depicted playing in an imaginary ballgame. The grass area of the terrace has the same slope as the outfield terrace at Crosley Field.
4192 Mural. A three-piece mural on the back of the scoreboard in left field depicts the bat Pete Rose used for his record-breaking 4,192nd hit and the ball he hit in 1985.
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. Located on the west side of Great American Ball Park on Main Street, the Hall of Fame and Museum celebrate the Reds' past through galleries and extensive use of multimedia. The Hall of Fame has been in existence since 1958, but did not previously have a building.
Riverboat Deck. A private party area located above the batter's eye.
Center Field. The dimension of 404 feet (123 m) in center field is a tribute to the same center field dimension in the Reds' previous home, Riverfront Stadium.
Riverfront Club A glass encased restaurant on the third level of the stadium that serves upscale food and has views of the field and the river.
Rose Garden Adjacent to both the stadium and the Reds Hall of Fame is a Rose garden that symbolizes Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd hit. It was strategically placed here because it was in around this area where the garden is, is where in Riverfront stadium that the ball landed. This garden is visible from a stairwell in the hall of fame displaying the amount of balls that Rose hit.
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