They’re Trying to Build Replica of Crosley Field in Cincinnati
City Manager Marvin Thompson wants to turn a baseball field under construction in his Cincinnati suburb into a replica of Crosley Field, the former home of the Cincinnati Reds.
Thompson, 35, attended Reds games at Crosley Field, which was torn down after the Reds moved to Riverfront Stadium in 1970.
“We decided that as long as we were building a field with the dimensions of Crosley, why not give it a little pizzazz?” Thompson said.
He said he misses Crosley Field.
“There was a lot of nostalgia there,” he said. “I have a lot of memories of it and a lot of people share that.”
“When we were having the field graded, we said, let’s put the outfield terrace in. We were going to put an outfield fence in anyway, so we figured, why not one like Crosley? The same thing with the seating.”
The Blue Ash field surface is almost complete and is to open for play in May. City officials said a separate fund-raising committee and campaign must be established to collect the money necessary to duplicate Crosley’s 14-foot outfield wall, five-story scoreboard and a grandstand.
If enough money is raised, other Crosley features also would be reconstructed: A backstop, right-field sun deck, dugouts and bullpens.
“With $300,000 to $400,000, we could erect a replica which would really give people the feeling of being in Crosley,” said James Pfeffer, the city’s director of administrative-recreational services.
“There’s no way to duplicate it exactly,” he said. “But with a five-story-high scoreboard complete with clock, and a 14-foot-high outfield wall, it will definitely re-create the feeling.”
Already in place at the site is the raised platform of earth around the farthest reaches of the outfield at the base of what will be the wall. At Crosley, it was called the “terrace.” It began about 20 feet from the wall and gradually sloped up to the wall, where it reached a four-foot grade.
The terrace at the Blue Ash field won’t be quite as steep.
“These kids aren’t being paid like the pros to learn how to play that slope,” said Bud Acus, Blue Ash recreation director.