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Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > March > 30 > Entry

Reds Opener: Punishing Bud Selig, praising Ruth Lyons

By Chick Ludwig | Sunday, March 30, 2008, 10:27 PM

PUNISHING BUD SELIG

===COMING TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008: THE MYSTERY OF EX-BENGAL FRED WILLIS; AND IT’S NO APRIL FOOL’S JOKE===

Of all the Rites of Spring — the NCAA Tournament’s “Final Four,” the Masters, Kentucky Derby and Indy 500 — I cherish Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds the most.

With the Findlay Market Parade, the pregame festivities and the game itself, it’s a time of celebration in the Queen City, which closes for a “city holiday” as kids and adults play hooky from school and work in observance of baseball’s annual rebirth.

It’s like magic. Too bad Major League Baseball and its puppet for a commissioner, Bud Selig, disagrees.

For decades, the first pitch of every major league season took place in Cincinnati. Then Selig came along and destroyed that sacred tradition by force-feeding us Sunday night garbage on ESPN and season-opening series in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Japan.

It’s shameful.

“The Reds were the team that opened the season, and that should’ve remained the case as the oldest franchise in the game,” said St. Louis native Carl Moritz, an editor for the venerable Sporting News, the 122-year-old “Bible of Sports.”

“They deserve that. Their fans deserve that. It just spoke of the tradition, the passion for the game that Cincinnati’s always had. It was always a return to the roots and tradition of baseball. and to have that stripped away just isn’t right.”

Today, I will cheer Findlay Market Parade Grand Marshal Cesar Geronimo, sing the National Anthem with Kathy Wade, marvel at the fly-over of F-18 jets from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 224, cry at the introduction of the Joe Nuxhall, Chief Bender, Bob Howsam and Bob Purkey families and cringe at Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune’s ceremonial first pitch.

And I’ll curse Selig, who is Ebenezer Scrooge masquerading as Mother Teresa.

PRAISING RUTH LYONS

From Rick in the ‘Nati: “I, too, am a ‘second generation’ Ruth Lyons/Bob Braun fan. I can recall the “Rally” song and many other memories. In fact, I have her Christmas LP. For my 12th birthday, my mom took me to the Bob Braun Show, and I was awarded with 4 tickets right behind home plate (the Riverfront equivalent of Diamond seats!), an atlas courtesy of Stacy Storage and Moving, and a $10 bill. HUGE!! Bob Braun spoke to me on camera, and I remember talking about the fact that Pete Rose got his 2,000th hit the night before. Good times! By the way, I am a lifelong fan of “Days of our Lives” in part because mom or grandma always had it on after the 50-50 Club! It’s awesome that you’re now in the “blogosphere” and I’m glad you now have an outlet to riff on a variety of topics. It hurts my brain to have to think of the Bengals all the time. The drama associated with that team is exhausting! Go Reds! Go X! For the love of God, draft an O-Lineman!!!!

—-The Chickster’s response: This is my huge email of the day! Thanks for your support of my O-Lineman theory!

From Keith in the ‘Nati: “We didn’t have Ruth Lyons in Chicago, but my grandmother would watch Mike Douglas every day. Occasionally, she would let me catch an episode of “Dark Shadows” if she deemed me as being good that day. She also had a pot of coffee going all the time. Fun stuff!”

—-The Chickster’s response: Dark Shadows! I loved that show. Spooky. Eerie. Fascinating.

From Teri in the ‘Nati: “Hey, Chick: Loved the 50/50 article. How about Mary Ellen Tanner and Ruby Wright? I also remember my Gram watching the show and telling me how ‘very handsome that Bob Braun is.’ Now I am aging myself (56 in August). What about the microphone that she held that look like a nosegay (flower bouquet)? What was the name of the band? Cliff something or other. It was great looking down memory lane. Thanks for the article!”

—-The Chickster’s response: Mystery solved. It was “Cliff Lash and the 50-50 Club Band.”

From “Aunt Kathy” in the ‘Nati: “I also have many wonderful memories of Grandma and the Reds as do your cousins — my boys. We often talk about the “good old days” and Grandma’s chili, Tang and baking. Tim and Brian will talk on and on about being with Grandma and listening to the Reds games and how she taught them to keep score with what was going on each inning. It is officially spring with Opening Day and the Reds and remembering Grandma Ludwig. How sweet it is!”

—-The Chickster’s response: Thanksgiving Day & Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house are priceless memories! Kathy, I love you!

From Touchdown Tim: “I don’t remember Ruth Lyons because I didn’t grow up here. But sometime in the early to mid 1970s we got cable and Channel 5 in Cincinnati. For some reason I got hooked on Paul Dixon and Bob Braun. So I remember all about the Ruth Lyons Christmas Fund. The thing I remember most about Bob Braun was one year he visited the Bengals’ training camp in Wilmington. They let him put the pads on. I guess they put a few plays in for him. On one, he was a running back and the play was a sweep. They pitched him the ball and he was running around the end and out of no where came Bill Bergey and just crushed him. I will never forget that. Question: Can Marvin right this ship or are we headed back to the 3 and 13 days?”

—-The Chickster’s response: The only thing funnier than Bob Braun’s not-so-smash single “Hard Lovin Annie/ Love Comes And Goes” was his semi-tough football career. And, yes, I firmly believe Marv will get past the .500 hump and make Bengals fans proud again.

From Rebecca in West Carrollton: “I can remember my mother watching the 50-50 Club everyday. She went several times to the show in Cincinnati. When I was 16, I finally got her to take me. I got to go with her several times to see Ruth. We thought she was great. She had very interesting people on her show and she was a big Reds fan. She was always talking about the Reds game and remained behind them win or lose.”

—-The Chickster’s response: I’m deeply touched by your email. You have memories of Ruth Lyons that will last a lifetime.

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