$20 More in My Joey Votto Jersey Fund!

I haven't posted for a few days, so catching up today. The Reds beat the Astros last Saturday 12-9, and Joey Votto was 4 for 4 with 2 RBI and 3 runs.

Last night the Reds beat the Detroit Tigers 6-5 on a bottom of the 10 inning safety squeeze perfectly executed by Wilson Valdez and Miguel Cairo. I was at the game with my wife Tammy, and sat in the Diamond seats at Great American Ball Park, 4th row behind home plate. What a great vantage point to have to witness a game-winning suicide squeeze!

Joey Votto hit a 3-run home run to dead center in the bottom of the 3rd, 1 run and 3 RBI in the game.

New foursquare Badge, The ESPN Foam Finger Badge!

I'm on a bit of a hot streak. Yesterday I unlocked the Man v. Food Nation Badge, today I unlocked the ESPN Foam Finger Badge.

I have looked at several blogs to try to figure out how I actually earned the badge. I know when I earned it. My wife Tammy and I went to the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies Baseball game tonight at Great American Ball Park. When I checked in on fourquare, I got the badge.

To get the badge I know you have to be following ESPN on foursquare.

The game tonight was nationally televised on ESPN. As best as I can figure if you check-in to a venue that ESPN has left a tip for (and they have left a tip for Great American Ball Park) you earn the badge. I think...Or it may have something to do with the fact that an ESPN event (Monday Night Baseball) was going on there.

ESPN Foam Finger Badge

ESPN Foam Finger

Your voice is raspy. Your legs are sore. Your team couldn’t do it without you. High five, you’re a true sports fan.

Unlocked by jiresell on Mon Aug 29, 2011 at 6:49 PM at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH.

 Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds

Brandon Phillips! Winner, Winner Cardinals Dinner! Reds Win! 7/15/11

What a way for the Reds to start their post All-Star break run to the National League Central Division Title! Brandon Phillips hits a two-run, walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the St. Louis Cardinals!

Brandon Phillips Greeted at Home! (Associated Press)

My wife Tammy and I went to the game at Great American Ball Park tonight. We were both there for the brawl between the Cardinals and Reds last year. Tonight's game was an emotional roller-coaster for me, but boy was it nice to see Brandon Phillips stick it to the Cardinals tonight!

One game at a time. Let's go Reds!

Remember Reds' fans, keep those (Pete) Rose-colored glasses on!

My Blackberry Addiction Got Me in the Cincinnati Enquirer!

Not in a bad way-DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE!

After attending Opening Day at Great American Ballpark, I saw a Tweet from the Cincinnati Enquirer asking for people to respond if they were annoyed with cell phone coverage in the ballpark.

I responded, and now I am newsworthy! Click the link below:

Stadiums rush to improve cell phone reception

Opening Day in Cincinnati-"And This One Belongs to the Reds!"

This year it was my youngest son Michael's turn to go to the Cincinnati Reds' Opening Day with me. Cincinnati's Opening Day traditions are unlike any other in baseball.

Michael and Me at Great American Ballpark Today

It begins with the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade in downtown Cincinnati. Cincinnati Reds' Hall of Famer Joe Morgan (one of my all-time favorites) was this year's Grand Marshall. Over 190 bands, dance groups, floats, politicians and businesses marched in the parade, which followed a route from Findlay Market in the Over The Rhine neighborhood past Fountain Square, a total of 2 miles.

Of course Great American Ballpark was sold out for the game between the Reds and the Brewers. The sun was out, which made the 45 degree temperature quite bearable.

(The Enquirer/Cara Owsley)

The Reds won the game 7-6 in the bottom of the 9th on a walk-off 3-run homer by catcher Ramon Hernandez! It was a great way to end an Opening Day Game. Maybe this will lead to a wire-to wire World Championship like the 1990 Cincinnati Reds. My son Michael posted this on his Facebook Page:

Michael Sell

Best Reds game of my life. Perfect way to end opening day. Walk off by Hernandez. Unbelievable.




He is right!

Ramon Hernandez Greeted at Home Plate in the Bottom of the 9th

You can read all about the game on the Reds website:
Hernandez's Heroics lift Reds on Opening Day

Pete Rose at Opening Day 2011

It wouldn't be Opening Day in Cincinnati without a Pete Rose sighting in the ballpark. The crowd got a glimpse of Pete Rose in the 3rd inning, and he of course drew a big cheer.

I love Pete Rose, but the jacket and hat...someone needs to dress that guy!

The best lines about Pete's outfit were from Scott Van Pelt's (ESPN anchor and radio host) Twitter posts:

notthefakeSVP Scott Van Pelt 

Pete Rose.....transcendent http://twitpic.com/4fer6m

notthefakeSVP Scott Van Pelt 

Worth one more look @ ole Chuck Hustle just murdering fools in his Lid lifter get up (no annoying channel id) http://twitpic.com/4fesbx

notthefakeSVP Scott Van Pelt 

What happens to a dude? You just wake up one day and go- where's my clown hat and my Joseph and the amazing techincolor dreamcoat jacket at?