WE WERE THERE

Can you feel the excitement ready to explode from the fans?!

A few weeks back I had requested tickets for Tuesday because by then we'd be finished with our basement and we could do something on a weeknight that didn't consist of paint, stain or power tools. Little did I know how much this one game would mean!!

We left Meredith with a friend because she has not gotten to the point where she enjoys going to the games (not yet!) and this was too important to have to walk her around the stadium. If the Reds beat the Astros they were going to be the 2010 National League, Central Division Champs! We were all pumped up for the game, as well as layered up with Reds gear so that we wouldn't freeze. We weren't going to leave until it was all over!

Ninety percent of the pictures taken on the post are courtesy of Kevin. I can not be left responsible for taking pictures at such a momentous event. They'd all be blurry, or only of a players feet. This is a picture of Aroldis Chapman coming onto the field. He didn't disappoint. He came in and blew away Houston! Evidence of this:

I love it! They played the theme music of the Top Gun movie and whenever he threw a pitch 100-miles-an-hour or higher they put it up on the jumbotron. (If you can't read the bottom line it says, "I feel the need...the need for speed!")

Chapman got the side out with no damage done and now it was our turn--Rally Time! We were tied at 2 going into the bottom of the ninth.

Although a bit chilly, Louie--wearing his Jay Bruce #32 jersey--put on his rally cap!

Jay really needed a hit. He was 0-3 on the night and this was the biggest game for his team of his young career. One pitch. One swing of the bat. One ball landing on the lawn in centerfield, at least a 400-foot shot. Not too shabby.

The already standing crowd was electrified! Screams and shouts of exhilaration could be heard from every corner of the ballpark while the Redlegs emptied the dugout to tackled Jay at home. And then it came: BRUUUUUUCE! The pitchers and catchers ran out of the bullpen to meet their teammates. It was one huge mess of guys that reflected what everyone in the stands was feeling. We won! We finally did it!

Even though it was way past the boys bed time, we stayed in our seats to watch replays of the homerun and the aftermath on one side of a split screen, and then saw what was going on in the players' lockeroom on the other half. How often we see other teams celebrate in this manner, their lockers covered in large sheets of plastic to protect their stuff from the exploding bottles of bubbly, and now it was our turn!

I took a picture of Kevin and the boys outside the stadium with a picture of Scott Rolen in the back. (I apologize for the graininess of the picture but I wanted to lighten it up so you can see the stadium!)

We were lucky enough to park near Fountain Square, where thousands of fans came to extend the celebration into the night. It was such a neat thing to see, to be a part of.

Watch this. He knew it was gone the moment the ball left his bat.

It's a great day to be a Cincinnatian.