CINCINNATI - Opening Day in Cincinnati is about much more than baseball.
It's a holiday that dates to the late 19th century that's celebrated with a colorful parade that winds through downtown and elaborate pregame ceremonies on the field. People with or without game tickets flock to street parties, tailgating gatherings and park picnics.
There's usually an amnesty for truant students and workers who make suspicious sick day requests.
Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman (BRIN'-uh-muhn) says there's nothing else like it in baseball. Historian Greg Rhodes says it is a tribute to a community's love for its baseball team that grew out of a scheduling quirk into the city's "baseball holiday."
People are getting ready for Monday's events and the opening game with the Los Angeles Angels.
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Online:
http://findlaymarketparade.com/Cincinnati_Opening_Day_History
