There’s no flyover scheduled for opening night this year like there was last year, but the celebration of the first night game of the season continues to be something the Cincinnati Reds are trying to turn into something special.

We all went last year and had a great time. This year, it’s even on a Saturday, so no one has any excuses not to attend. It’ll be cold, you say? Well, the Reds are even providing a fleece blanket to deal with that. So quit complaining and get your ass down to the ballpark to be entertained by the undefeated, division-defending Cincinnati Reds.

The game starts at 7:10pm EDT, but the gates open at 5:10pm EDT. Here’s the full list of events.

• Players in the Fan Zone: Pregame meet and greet with current Reds players, Cirque du Soleil “OVO” performers, Reds House DJ “DJ Sab” and more in the Fan Zone from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• First Pitch: Pro Football Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
• Fleece Blanket: The first 20,000 fans will receive a Reds Fleece Blanket, presented by Chiquita.
• Gold Gloves: 2010 NL Rawlings Gold Glove winners Bronson Arroyo, Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen will be recognized during pregame ceremonies.
• Rusty Griswolds: 80?s cover band The Rusty Griswolds will perform from a stage on the right field porch during inning breaks and after the game.
• Game Ball Delivery: The Budweiser Clydesdales will deliver the official game ball.
• Skydiving Team: Team Fastrax Skydiving Team will perform during pregame ceremonies.
• Fireworks: The Rusty Griswolds will play live during the post-game fireworks show featuring Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks.

Also, if you’re interested in getting up close and personal with those Budweiser Clydesdales, their stables will be open to the public from 2-5pm EDT.

I hope to see a full house tonight.

All right, gang, the 2011 baseball season is underway, and it’s high time to start predicting how teams and players will perform.

First off, the whole Cincinnati Reds team. They can easily be projected to finish the season at 162-0, a historic, never-before-done feat. Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Pirates are on pace for the same mark.

Strangely, the Reds don’t project to have any starter win a single one of those 162 games, as the bullpen will get every single win. On the plus side, at least none of the starters are projected to have any losses.

As for players, Joey Votto looks to be even better this year than last. Based on his performance so far, we can expect a whopping 162 home runs from him and 324 runs batted in. He’d seem like a shoo-in for MVP were it not for teammate Ramon Hernandez who, in addition to those 162 home runs, is on track for an unbelievable 486 RBI. Votto will have a better slugging percentage, at 2.6 to Hernandez’s 2.2, so it’ll be up to the voters to decide.

Perhaps the best projection, though, comes from that of the St. Louis Cardinals. The 2010 MVP runner-up, Albert Pujols looks like he’ll have the worst contract year in the history of contract years. Based on his performance, we can predict a batting average of .000, and, in what will surely break the record, he will ground into 486 double plays.

The Cardinals are on pace to go winless on the season and also to lose 162 players to the disabled list. It’s going to be a rough year in St. Louis.

Today was a nice win, but it doesn’t blot out the shining weakness that was a strength just a few weeks ago: the starting pitching. Volquez, as #1 starter is expected to absorb something like 220 innings. How is he going to do that when his pitch count is usually in the mid 50s by the 3rd inning?

Bronson Arroyo (he of the golden hair and rubber arm) is struggling with some kind of upper respiratory problem that had doctors scratching their heads, leading to tests. Inititally the tests were for something bizarre called ‘Valley Fever’ but then suddenly the much more well-known Mononucleosis (aka Mono) became the final prognosis. If you know Bronson like I know him, you know he is on his yacht during the offseason, somewhere in the Flordia Keys or thereabouts.

Bronson, as an athlete, is unfortunately insulated from independent news outlets such as this one. He probably relies on getting his information from the Main Stream Media aka MSM. That can be deadly. The MSM will have you believe the Oil Spill is a thing of the past and you can eat Atlantic Lobster at $9.99/lb. Nevermind the countless independent reports citing oil just beneath the sand, of insane amounts of aerial Corexit spraying, and of vast die-offs of marine life. So forgive me for thinking that Bronson maybe inhaled some of this poisonous vapor cocktail while patroling about on the SS Curveball.

The good news is that he is under treatment and out of that toxic environment. If anything, Arroyo has proven to be a resilient character having never touched the DL as a Red, if memory serves me correctly.

Nontheless one must be concerned at the state of the starting pitching staff. Arroyo is recuperating from illness, Cueto has a mystery arm ailment, and Volquez can’t keep his pitch count at reasonable levels to last deep into a ballgame. I almost forgot that Homer Bailey is gone for an unspecified time period, and is not even throwing a ball these days.

The good news is the Aroldis Chapman is lurking in the shadows. You’d think this would be the opportune time to stretch him out as a long reliever and prepare a transition to the starting rotatation. Things would be looking mighty good at that point and might even have Pete Rose looking more cheerful than this:

As always, be sure to stockpile food, water, firearms, gold and silver coins, and alternative medicines…. and like that old cop on Hill Street Blues used to say: “Stay Safe Out There.”

AND GO REDS!

THC REED
Red-Hot-Mama.com Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI, OHIO – It’s time for Reds baseball, and this season, fans can watch the Reds on FOX Sports Ohio AND get a great deal to head to Great American Ball Park and take in a live game.

In partnership with the Cincinnati Reds, FOX Sports Ohio is excited to announce Ticket Tuesday, a special ticket promotion that will be offered to viewers every Tuesday Reds game all season long.

Fans who tune into Reds games on Tuesdays will learn of a special ticket deal offered by FOX Sports Ohio and the Reds. It will be a limited time offer only available during that Tuesday’s telecast. Each new Tuesday Reds game on FOX Sports Ohio will bring a new exclusive ticket offer.

The first Ticket Tuesday will be next Tuesday, April 5th, when the Reds take on the Houston Astros at 7pm at Great American Ball Park. Tune in to Reds Live Pregame Show at 6:30pm to learn of the first limited time ticket offer. Viewers can also visit www.foxsportsohio.com during the game for details.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brewers (0-1)	3	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	6	9	0
Reds (1-0)	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	4	7	12	1

Boxscore

Yes. That is the Cincinnati Reds team I grew to know and love from 2010. Welcome back, boys of springsummer.

The Reds opened the season against the Milwaukee Brewers today. I’ll recount it to you as I recounted it to my 9-year-old son when I picked him up from after-school care.

Edinson Volquez started, and the first Brewers batter he faced hit a home run. The Reds were down 1-0. The second batter Volquez faced hit a home run. The Reds were down 2-0. By the time the first inning was over, the Reds were losing 3-0.

When it was their turn to bat, Drew Stubbs led off with a hit. A couple of batters later, Joey Votto drove him in with a sacrifice fly. The Reds were losing 3-1.

Volquez allowed another run in the 2nd, but then settled down, for the most part. The Reds were losing the whole game. Going into the bottom of the 9th, the score was 6-3.

Brandon Phillips led off with a single. Joey Votto followed with a walk. Scott Rolen came to bat and grounded to third base. The fielder went to tag Phillips, but missed, and Rolen was safe at first. Jay Bruce, MVP in training, came to the plate and struck out.

But the Reds still had two more outs left.

Jonny Gomes hit a deep drive that was caught on the warning track, but Phillips tagged up and scored. 6-4. Two outs.

Ramon Hernandez came to plate representing the winning run and hit a deep drive to right field. Somewhere, I could hear Joe Nuxhall screaming, “Get out of here, baseball!” And it did. The Reds won, 7-6.

Dang, that was a good game. I’d forgotten what I’d enjoyed so much about this team. And here it is, all back for the next half a year. I have a feeling it’s going to be a great year.