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7/22, 7:10 p.m.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds, Cinergy Field
(Or, "Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grendades.")


Box score | Recap
R H E
Pirates
Reds
2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 0
6 12 0
5 14 1

Jeff and Steve's first (and only) visit to Cinergy Field was crammed with almosts:

  • Jeff ALMOST caught a batting practice home run ball hit by Pirates OF Brian Giles. But he wasn't paying attention when the ball bounced approximately nine inches to his right.
  • Steve ALMOST picked up a home run ball hit by Pirates OF Brian Giles. But he couldn't get past Jeff and his copy of Reds Magazine when the ball bounced approximately nine inches to Jeff's right.
  • Jeff ALMOST got a sweet series of pictures of Reds OF Adam Dunn hitting a home run. But he had gone to buy his girlfriend a t-shirt, which he ALMOST found.
  • Pirates OF Craig Wilson ALMOST looked like a Major League Baseball player. But he struck out looking twice and - miraculously - misjudged a line drive that was hit directly at him.
  • And in the bottom of the ninth, Sean Casey ALMOST saved the day for the Redlegs and won the game with a pinch-hit, two-out, two-run home run. But he only managed to get the ball to the warning track in right-center.
Of course, it wouldn't ever have come to that critical juncture if Reds pitcher Ryan Dempster hadn't given up a hit to - you guessed it - ALMOST every Pirates starter.

Cinergy Field is kind of bland, but complaining isn't really worth it - construction of the Great American Ballpark (can't even tell that's a corporate sponsorship, can you?) is taking place a mere five feet behind the outfield walls. Dunn's homer, in fact, landed in the midst of all that

Cinergy Field is now flanked by the new Great American Ballpark, the construction of which can be seen in left center field.

construction. (Yes, they're working on a new ballpark in Philly too, but Jeff and Steve hated The Vet enough to complain.)

Their only real gripe with Cinergy was the near absence of smoking restrictions, something that they also encountered in Pittsburgh. "Apparently, the Surgeon General hasn't been able to penetrate the South with his anti-smoking message," Steve suggested. Jeff pointed out that


The Reds' Adam Dunn. 		Ohio isn't really in the South, but then Steve pointed out that there were enough Rednecks in Cincinnati to allow it to qualify. This may surprise some of you, but Jeff and Steve have found fool-proof evidence to bolster their case.Exhibit A: The man with the mullet who yelled - seriously, this is a direct quote from a real fan at a real baseball game - "you suck, dude!"

Your witness, counsel.
In any event, neither he nor Jeff could recall having seen a SMOKING PERMITTED sign anywhere on the planet.

Finally, it took our dynamic duo approximately twenty-six and a half hours to get to the parking lot and find their car. As a result, they were a little too antsy to sit in the car just to wait in traffic, so they pulled off to a remote corner of the parking lot and played a little guerrilla wiffle ball homerun derby. (Wiffle ball webpage coming soon!)

P.S. Also, Jeff and Steve ALMOST ate their weight at Waffle House. But they had to save room for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, which were available at the convenience store next door.
The Reds' Ken Griffey, Jr., fresh off the disabled list tonight, rips a signle in the bottom of the ninth to give the Cincy fans hope of a comeback.

The Reds' Sean Casey ALMOST hits a game winning homerun in the bottom of the ninth as redneck faithful look on.
The Reds' Austin Kearns

The Pirates' Adam Hyzdu

The Reds' newly acquired Ryan Dempster ALMOST pitched like a pro.


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