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About the bookCincinnati will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 2019! Read Randy Freking's history of every Reds Opening Day. The hoopla indeed started with a parade!
Cincinnati’s unique Opening Day traditions – from 1869 to the present – have evolved from canaries at the ballpark entrance, Tally Ho parties marching to the game, and the Findlay Market parade to today’s mega holiday that involves the entire region. This book chronicles the evolution of the spectacle and local, national, and worldwide historical events that occurred on the special date and sometimes directly affected Opening Day. |
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This 350-page book with stunning color pictures and rarely seen historical photos will appeal to Reds fans anywhere and anyone else interested in Cincinnati history. As Enquirer columnist Tim Sullivan noted “Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of Cincinnati had better show up on Opening Day.” An easy read that will surprise even the most avid fan, you will learn why and how Cincinnati regards Opening Day as a “notch below Christmas.”
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A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund.
Order Today!This book will make a great holiday gift for every Reds fan! It tells the story of how the spectacle of Opening Day has evolved over the last 150 years, amid historical events that have occurred on or around several of the Opening Day celebrations. It includes photos and news accounts from as far back as 1869 – pictures you’ve likely never seen and stories that will fascinate you!
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SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
New Book on Reds Opening Day: Often when a writer does a great job exploring the topic of his book, reviewers made a statement something to the effect that the last word has been said, that there is no need to ever opine on the subject again; certainly no need to ever write another book on the topic. Despite the motivation to praise a job well done, such sentiments are not really true. There’s always something more and/or different to say, and Randy Freking’s new book on Opening Day in Cincinnati proves it.
I myself, the author of more than 20 baseball books and the owner of one of the largest baseball book collections anywhere, would have surmised that there was no need for another Opening Day book after baseball book superstars Greg Rhodes and John Erardi published “Opening Day: Celebrating Cincinnati’s baseball Holiday” in 2004. And I would certainly have been loathe to try to follow in the footsteps of Messrs. Rhodes and Erardi. But Randy Freking, a lawyer by day, had no such compunctions. And there’s a good reason for that.
Randy, you see, is one of those uber-crazy Reds’ and Opening Day fans who’s there at every Reds Opening Day, with as many of his loved ones as can make it. In a real sense, Randy is part of the history of Opening Day in Cincinnati, so it’s his own story he tells in the book. Of course, the event is a huge story and so the personal part of it takes up a small part of the canvas, but Randy’s love for the day and his dedication to it comes through on every page.
The best summary of the book I could relay is provided by Freking himself, who says, “My goal has been to summarize the evolution of Opening Day traditions in the context of events that were happening in Cincinnati, the nation, and the world. It was delightful to find out that Opening Day has been surprisingly impervious to the kind of cultural transformation that has affected so many of our societal institutions. Cincinnatians have worked hard to protect the unique and treasured spectacle represented by Opening Day.” I think Randy would agree with me about the philosophy we adopted at Spitball Magazine, right at the beginning: “Politics divides people; baseball unites them.”
The main difference between Freking’s book, entitled “Cincinnati’s 150-Year Opening Day History,” and the Rhodes-Erardi book is that the latter focused on the games and the outcomes, while the former focuses on the cultural … all the traditions of the Day, the spectacles involved (especially the Findley Market parades), the first-pitch throwers, the parties, the personalities, and the thousands of fans who are the ones who really make the Day special. The Freking book is also crammed with photos (many in color) and newspaper cartoons that lend interest and historical flavor to the enterprise.
The big similarity between the two books is that both take a year-by-year approach, with Freking’s effort providing us with an update of an additional 14 years. All in all, “Cincinnati’s 150-Year Opening Day History” is a big winner, a book about which, to paraphrase Marty, we might say “And this one belongs to Reds’ fans.” The oversized soft cover book is from Cincinnati Book Publishing and retails at $29.95 (soft) and $39.95 (hard).
- Shannon, Co-founder and current Editor-in-Chief, of Spitball Magazine
I myself, the author of more than 20 baseball books and the owner of one of the largest baseball book collections anywhere, would have surmised that there was no need for another Opening Day book after baseball book superstars Greg Rhodes and John Erardi published “Opening Day: Celebrating Cincinnati’s baseball Holiday” in 2004. And I would certainly have been loathe to try to follow in the footsteps of Messrs. Rhodes and Erardi. But Randy Freking, a lawyer by day, had no such compunctions. And there’s a good reason for that.
Randy, you see, is one of those uber-crazy Reds’ and Opening Day fans who’s there at every Reds Opening Day, with as many of his loved ones as can make it. In a real sense, Randy is part of the history of Opening Day in Cincinnati, so it’s his own story he tells in the book. Of course, the event is a huge story and so the personal part of it takes up a small part of the canvas, but Randy’s love for the day and his dedication to it comes through on every page.
The best summary of the book I could relay is provided by Freking himself, who says, “My goal has been to summarize the evolution of Opening Day traditions in the context of events that were happening in Cincinnati, the nation, and the world. It was delightful to find out that Opening Day has been surprisingly impervious to the kind of cultural transformation that has affected so many of our societal institutions. Cincinnatians have worked hard to protect the unique and treasured spectacle represented by Opening Day.” I think Randy would agree with me about the philosophy we adopted at Spitball Magazine, right at the beginning: “Politics divides people; baseball unites them.”
The main difference between Freking’s book, entitled “Cincinnati’s 150-Year Opening Day History,” and the Rhodes-Erardi book is that the latter focused on the games and the outcomes, while the former focuses on the cultural … all the traditions of the Day, the spectacles involved (especially the Findley Market parades), the first-pitch throwers, the parties, the personalities, and the thousands of fans who are the ones who really make the Day special. The Freking book is also crammed with photos (many in color) and newspaper cartoons that lend interest and historical flavor to the enterprise.
The big similarity between the two books is that both take a year-by-year approach, with Freking’s effort providing us with an update of an additional 14 years. All in all, “Cincinnati’s 150-Year Opening Day History” is a big winner, a book about which, to paraphrase Marty, we might say “And this one belongs to Reds’ fans.” The oversized soft cover book is from Cincinnati Book Publishing and retails at $29.95 (soft) and $39.95 (hard).
- Shannon, Co-founder and current Editor-in-Chief, of Spitball Magazine
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"This one belongs to the fans! Randy Freking’s history of Cincinnati’s unique Opening Day heritage is a fascinating review of the traditions surrounding the local holiday. Randy has done something that is one of a kind among the thousands of books about baseball. He has woven our baseball traditions in the context of historical events surrounding Opening Day and truly tells the story of why Opening Day is so important to Cincinnati Reds fans.”
- Marty Brennaman, Hall of Fame Baseball announcer and voice of the Cincinnati Reds since 1974 |
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"Cincinnati’s 150-Year Opening Day History: The Hoopla Started with a Parade perfectly intertwines Cincinnati’s Opening Day traditions with significant historical events surrounding the event. From the Civil War to the age of Trump, the issues, characters, the successes and challenges of America have swirled in all directions. Amid all the change, baseball and Opening Day have remained relatively constant. Randy Freking ‘s perspective about Opening Day traditions reflects the unique history of Cincinnati’s most cherished holiday.”
- Willie Cunningham, longtime Cincinnati radio and television talk show host |
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"It's why you take your kids to Opening Day and why they take their kids. Randy Freking captures the hope, joy and history that make Cincinnati's Opening Day so special. He reminds us of why we love our team and our town. It's about pride, it's about family, it's about belonging to something bigger than yourself."
- Carol Williams, anchor of WCPO-TV Channel 9 for 30 years |
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"For being a ‘legal beagle’, Randy Freking shows great bite as a chronicler of his other passion, Cincinnati Reds baseball and more specifically, Opening Day. His engaging love letter embracing Cincinnati’s preeminent place in the national pastime is a perfect sidebar on the team’s return to prominence. It clears the bases as well as the docket.”
- Dennis Janson, retired Channel 9 sports anchor and member of the University of Cincinnati Journalism Hall of Fame |
About the Author
Randy Freking is a lifelong baseball fan. Randy is a long time veteran of Opening Day in Cincinnati, having attended every one since 1967!
He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Sue, and they are proud parents of four children. A lawyer by occupation, Randy is the author of “The Real Employee Handbook” (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012) and the “ABA Consumer Guide to Employee Rights” (American Bar Association, 2015). He is listed in every edition of “Best Lawyers In America” since 1994.
He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Sue, and they are proud parents of four children. A lawyer by occupation, Randy is the author of “The Real Employee Handbook” (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012) and the “ABA Consumer Guide to Employee Rights” (American Bar Association, 2015). He is listed in every edition of “Best Lawyers In America” since 1994.