The Reds are on track to "set a Great American Ball Park record" for season-ticket sales, "thanks in large part" to hosting this year's All-Star Game, according to Steve Watkins of the CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER. The Reds are "tracking to sell the full-season equivalent of just more than 16,000 season tickets this year." The ballpark opened in '03, when the Reds "set the previous season-ticket record of 15,648." This year’s total "represents an increase" of more than 10% from the 14,500 season tickets the team sold last year. Fans who buy half-season or full-season ticket packages are "guaranteed the opportunity to buy tickets to the All-Star Game," as are fans who "renew 20-game packages." The season-ticket increase "gives the Reds a leg up on hitting their goal of drawing 2,513,000 fans this season." That would mark a 1.5% "increase from last season’s attendance of 2,476,000," and would "break the GABP record of 2.49 million fans" set in '13. Ticket prices "didn’t change much this year," as virtually "all of the non-premium seat category prices stayed the same for season-ticket holders" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/1).
HANG ON SLOOPY: In Cincinnati, Tom Groeschen notes the Reds "will honor" the '14 national champion Ohio State Univ. football team at their April 8 opener. The OSU team and coaches will "accept the first-ever 'Reds Country Athletic Achievement Award' during pre-game ceremonies." Members of the OSU team, coaches and administrators "will hold a giant American flag in the outfield during the singing of the National Anthem." OSU coach Urban Meyer and players also "will offer up simultaneous ceremonial first pitches" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/2).
