Cincinnati Reds 2017 Opening Series Announcements
141st Opening Day in Cincinnati — Monday, April 3 — Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 4:10 pm (gates open at 2:10 pm)
• Reds Community Fund Charity Block Party: The sixth annual Opening Day Block Party kicks off at 11 a.m. on Joe Nuxhall Way, Freedom Way and Walnut Street. Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Anheuser-Busch, LaRosa’s, Buffalo Wings & Rings and Queen City Sausage. Live music from The Naked Karate Girls. Additional Block Party partners include St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Budweiser, Beringer Wine, Rumpke and Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine. All proceeds benefit the P&G Cincinnati MLB Youth Academy. For more information, please visit reds.com/BlockParty.
• 98th Findlay Market Opening Day Parade: Reds Hall of Famer Sean Casey will serve as the Grand Marshal, with select current Reds scheduled to make an appearance.
• Military Appreciation Ceremony: Five local veterans will be honored on the field during pregame ceremonies in salute to their service and the sacrifice of all who have served and continue to serve in our Armed Forces.
• American Flag: Over 100 men and women from the Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union Local 48 will hold a giant 150-foot by 300-foot American flag in the outfield during pregame ceremonies.
• In Memoriam: Prior to the singing of the National Anthem, the Reds will pause to remember the lives of several members of the Reds family who passed away during the offseason, including Rick Steiner, a longtime Cincinnati resident and member of Reds ownership.
• National Anthem: Marlana VanHoose from Denver, Ky. will perform the National Anthem. This will be the third Opening Day in a row to feature Marlana singing the National Anthem.
• Flyover: The pregame flyover will be performed by two F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 112th (one-twelfth) Fighter Squadron “Stingers” from the 180th Fighter Wing Ohio Air National Guard Base in Toledo, Ohio.
• Ceremonial First Pitch: David Joyce, President & CEO of GE Aviation will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Catching the pitch will be Joe Allen, GM of GE Global Operations — North America.
• Honorary Captain: Sean Casey will serve as the Honorary Captain of the Game.
• Kroger First Responder: Adam Rich of the Deer Park-Silverton Joint Fire District will be honored as the Kroger First Responder of the game. Kroger and the Reds will honor a local first responder at all 81 home games this season.
• Toyota Tundra Sweepstakes Ceremony: Eight lucky finalists who entered the Toyota Tundra Sweepstakes will be recognized on the field at the end of the first inning. After a spin of the prize wheel, one of the finalists will win a 2017 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4x4 truck.
• God Bless America: “God Bless America” will be performed by vocalist Staff Sergeant Kelly Perry of the United States Air Force Band of Flight, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, during the 7th inning stretch.
Information on Opening Day activities can be found on the free MLB.com Ballpark App.
Wednesday, April 5 — Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 7:10 p.m. (gates open at 5:40 p.m.)
• 2017 Reds Calendar: The first 20,000 fans will receive a 2017 Reds Team Calendar, presented by Kroger.
• First Pitch: University of Cincinnati head football coach Luke Fickell will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.
• Game Ball Delivery: Miss Ohio USA 2017 Dinaleigh Baxter and Miss Ohio Teen USA 2017 Emma Karle will deliver the official game ball.
• Honorary Captain: Tim Ashburn, from Saint Marys, GA (formerly of Lexington, KY) will serve as the Honorary Captain of the Game. Tim was the Reds winner for the 2016 MLB Fans of the Year Award presented by Esurance.
Thursday, April 6 — Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 12:35 p.m. (Opening Series presented by Cincinnati Bell)
• Senior Citizen Special: For select games this season (including April 6) senior citizen fans may purchase select non-premium tickets at half-price in advance of game day only, presented by St. Elizabeth Healthcare. Each ticket includes free same-day admission to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum: reds.com/Seniors. (Exclusions apply. Subject to availability.)
• Business Day Special: For all 12:35 p.m. weekday Paycor Business Day Special games, get a View Level seat loaded with $10 in concession credits for just $20: reds.com/SkipWork
• Thirsty Thursdays: For all Thursday home games, fans can purchase a $30 package that includes a Field Box ticket and a $10 concession credit valid for food and beverages. Available only at reds.com/Thursday.
Upcoming Highlights:
• Big League Weekend at GABP, April 7 & 8: Ten local high school baseball teams will play games at Great American Ball Park on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8 during “Big League Weekend.”
- Friday, April 7: Badin vs. Moeller, 5 p.m.; Anderson vs. Turpin, 8 p.m.
- Saturday, April 8: Hughes vs. Withrow, 10 a.m.; Harrison vs. Oak Hills, 1 p.m.; Highlands vs. St. Xavier, 4 p.m.
Big League Weekend is part of the sixth annual Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase presented by Cincinnati Children’s Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics and features 84 high school baseball and softball teams from Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Southeast Indiana and Dayton playing a total of 47 games from April 1–24. For more information, please visit Reds.com/HSShowcase.
• Kids Opening Day, April 15: Arrive early for the second annual Kids Opening Day presented by Frisch’s Big Boy on Saturday, April 15 before the Reds take on the Brewers at 1:10 p.m. Activities to include:
- Reds players walking the red carpet (starting approx. 10:30 a.m.) as part of the free block party at The Banks
- Mr. Redlegs, Mr. Red, Rosie Red, and Gapper joined by Cleatus from FOX Sports Ohio and many more mascots
- Face painters and carnival games in the Kroger Fan Zone
- All kids 14 and younger will receive a Reds cap, thanks to Frisch’s Big Boy
- For more information, please visit Reds.com/KidsOpeningDay
