There are crowds when a baseball game, hockey game, and soccer game are happening on the same spring day in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. There is excitement, rippling through the queue to get into the park, when it’s Funko Pop! MLB night at the Great American Ball Park. Fourteen-time All-Star Johnny Bench (catcher for Cincinnati Reds 1967 – 1983) is the marketing team’s choice to turn into an exclusive vinyl figure with a disproportionately large head!

This is a collectable – or will be one day, once it’s “on the market.” In the bottom right corner of the box, on the protective plastic that surrounds the figure, there’s a shiny silver sticker that says “*Official* Major League Baseball.” So, we know it will be of value one day, right? The MLB logo — you know, the sleek profile of the helmeted player swinging the bat at an incoming ball — is imprinted on the sticker, numbered BCH19100622,

We see fans with bags containing 5 (or 15) of the figures of Johnny, stacked neatly in the same direction, like a baseball lineup for the National Anthem. Some of the fans, and their collectable toys, are leaving the stadium as we enter the ballpark. The next morning, the figures will be (and are!) on Ebay selling for $20, $50, and $100 a piece. See — it’s a collectable! Johnny is thought by some, already, to be the greatest catcher of all time, by some.

I’d rather stay for the game — and I do, with my figure in tow!

I’ve learned, in the last decade, that getting to the stadium early is part of the fun – not because of the kiddie play area or beer garden, though those do have their target audience, but because of the meticulous rituals around final preparations for the game! Gates open an hour before the game starts and there is still a lot to do. The grounds crew is busy!

Chalk lines are being laid down, the sandy infield is being sprayed down, adjustments are made to the pitcher’s mound, and then it’s time for the ceremonial first pitches! Before you hear “Play Ball!” the National Anthem is sung, and a first responder if recognized for their service – at this game it is an Army veteran from the Persian Gulf War. As a special treat, an American bald eagle is released from the outfield, landing on the arm of a keeper from the Cincinnati Zoo, just as the final notes are sung – “home of the brave!” It was a moving experience and a great start to the game.

Upon first entering the park we did a loop of the stadium, just to take it all in and see what was going on. We stopped at a mid-level platform — a handicap seating areas that doesn’t have any patrons yet — to admire the field from behind home plate and snap a few photos. “Can I help anyone here?” was what the usher asked, when we had overstayed our welcome. “Oh, are we not supposed to stand here?” “Well, I was trying to be polite about it – I let you stay here for 10 minutes.”

It had not been that long! Well, okay – we’re a group of talkers, so maybe it had been that long.

I’ve written about it before, but isn’t the food at the ballpark one of the top reasons to go to a game?

It’s not because the food is gourmet, nor because you can’t get it anywhere else. It’s even because the preparation of the food is labor intensive. Certainly it’s not because the food has nutritional value! Ha ha! But it’s distinctly American. Many folks are moved to chow down just because the hotdogs and peanuts are traditional ballpark fare. Don’t forget the Cracker Jack! Indulging creates a sense of nostalgia.

As a casual baseball fan who is a vegetarian, I have to say that the entertainment venues are trying to accommodate a variety of consumers — at Great American Ball Park there are veggie dogs at section number 118, 416, and 425 if you are willing to wait in the long hotdog line to get one. I did find a salad (with chicken I could pick off) and a snack of hummus and pretzels, at a convenience store-style food stand.

My options were in a refrigerated case, surrounded by cases and cases (and cases) of overpriced alcoholic beverages. Even with $34.99 for a bottle of wine you could get for $7 at the local Kroger. . . you guessed it – there was an especially long line at the checkout counter.

Imagine how crowded the concession stands, bathrooms, and souvenir shops would be if the stadium were at maximum capacity!

There is also local fare available, from Cincinnati Skyline Chili to La Rosa’s pizza, with its sweet(er) red sauce. A word of caution: there is a major size difference from one slice of cheese pizza to the next, and the concession stand workers don’t appreciate it when you open several boxes to find the largest one. It’s likely a health code violation, or some COVID precaution. So, judge the size of the slice by the weight of the box!

Finally, you’ll be delighted (or horrified) to discover that there is an “All you can eat!” option for just $25. That stand happened to be at section 529, just beneath our seats, so I saw a lot of action every time I passed by. The deal includes unlimited soda, popcorn, peanuts, chips, and up to 5 hotdogs. That is a lot of food! With the popularity of Dime-a-Dog nights I’m not sure why they limit this deal to just 5 hotdogs, but that’s still an abundance of food, for an individual or group.

I truly and sincerely try hard not to food-shame others. It’s honestly not a bad deal, comparing it to the other prices around the ballpark. An entire family could take advantage of this option, as long as someone was willing to spend much of the game standing in line in the concourse. An individual might also light up at this opportunity, if they are not concerned about their sodium intake. I heard quietly muttered next to me: “Just because you can. . . doesn’t mean you should.” If I’m honest, I have to agree. Proceed with caution!

At the other end of the spectrum, I am surprised and pleased that the ballparks allow fans to bring food and sealed drinks into the park. This means you can eat as much or as little of foods that are as healthful, or lacking in nutritional value, as you like. It also creates a more equitable and inclusive environment for those who cannot afford concession stand prices, or simply don’t want to be price-gouged. Hopefully this policy continues to be in place for years to come, in our consumer-driven culture.

Before wrapping up I should mention that the Reds won the game, on this beautiful spring night!

There were fireworks, an enormous multi-barrel T-shirt cannon that drove around the stadium at the end of the game, loud music and cheering, and an interview with the player whose 3-run home run won the game for the Reds. It was an exciting game, with a fairly aggressive player who wasn’t shy about stealing bases (Jonathan India) and more pop fly foul balls than I’ve seen before, launched into the stands by the White Sox.

Join me on my next adventure,

~ Kat

Related Links:

Cincinnati Reds: https://www.mlb.com/reds

Funko Pop!: https://funko.com/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1MajBhAcEiwAagW9MYvA3LnNlnbQ5nGy-qUG51UYF1lzi2J1TfoIJVkYOc98rw9iLm24iRoCUbcQAvD_BwE

Johnny Bench: https://johnnybench.com/