Memorable Moments at Riverfront Stadium/ Cinergy Field

All Star Game: 1970 & 1988

World Series: 1970, '72, '75, '76, & '90

Braves' Hank Aaron 714th homerun on April 4, 1974

Tom Seaver's no hitter vs. the Cardinals on June 16, 1978.

Pete Rose's 4,192 hit on September 11, 1985.

Home of the Big Red Machine of the 1970's.

More Ballpark Items

Riverfront Stadium
Cincinnati, OH

After three decades of existence, Riverfront Stadium, home of the Big Red Machine, is now only a memory. A new stadium for the Cincinnati Reds was first discussed in 1948, but it was 20 years before ground was broken for a new stadium. After the American Football League awarded Cincinnati a football team, the Cincinnati Bengals, a new stadium on the Ohio riverfront was built. On February 1, 1968, groundbreaking took place for the stadium. The

stadium was named after it location, Riverfront Stadium. From 1970 until 2000, the stadium was a circular multipurpose, cookie cutter stadium that had a capacity of 52,952 for baseball and 59,754 for football. Astroturf was chosen as the stadium surface so the field could be converted from baseball to football faster than using grass.

The stadium had four levels of seating, each color-coded from the field up: blue, green, yellow, and red. The lower field box seats for baseball from home plate to the left field foul line were moved on wheels so the field could be converted to a football gridiron. The scoreboard was located above the centerfield seats in the upper deck. Fans entered the stadium on the plaza level and had to walk down ramps to get to the field (blue) level of seats. The stadium itself was originally surrounded by a large three level parking garage, which could accommodate 2,500 cars.

The first baseball game was played at Riverfront Stadium on June 30, 1970, when the Reds battled the Atlanta Braves. Until 1995, Riverfront Stadium underwent few changes. In 1996 the naming rights were sold to Cinergy Corporation. Riverfront Stadium was renamed Cinergy Field. The Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL  moved out of the stadium at the end of the 1999 season. In 1998, the Reds announced that a new ballpark was going to be built next to Cinergy Field. In order for construction to begin, approximately 14,000 seats from the outfield were removed after the 2000 season. For two seasons. four tiers of seats extended from the left field foul pole to homeplate, to the right field foul pole, and around to right center field.  The bullpens were relocated to behind the right field wall. With the removal of 14,000 seats, the Reds installed natural grass, replacing the Astroturf. For two seasons, Cinergy Field looked like an actual ballpark. Fans received excellent views of the Ohio River and the surrounding area when they went to a Reds game. Fans were also able to see Great American Ballpark rise beyond the outfield wall. The last game ever at Cinergy Field/Riverfront Stadium was on September 22, 2002. The stadium was demolished on December 29, 2002 and the site is part of Great American Ball Park.
 

Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field Facts and Figures

 
 Click to Enlarge Pictures