The city of Dayton, Kentucky has made their love for the Cincinnati Reds official. On Thursday, Feb. 27, Mayor Ben Baker declared Opening Day a city-wide holiday, encouraging citizens to get out and engage in the day's festivities.
Baker explained in the proclamation several reasons why this day is so important to their city, mentioning historic ties as well as the game's intrinsic values as reasons behind his decision.
"The sport of baseball has been an integral part of City of Dayton with origins dating back to the 1850s when Riverboat Captain Henry Pudder introduced the game and established a baseball club by the name of 'The Eagles of Brooklyn,' " the document states.
The proclamation continues: "Dayton is the birthplace and home to seven former Major League Baseball players which include Lee Tannehill, Jesse Tannehill, Bill Schwartz, Johnny Gonding, John 'Chick' Smith, Bill Kissinger, and Todd Benzinger."
The proclamation also talks about the "valuable life lessons" baseball teaches, like teamwork, perseverance, camaraderie, leadership and sportsmanship.
The Reds' Opening Day is Thursday, March 26. It kicks off with the 101st Opening Day parade before their game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Sign up for CityBeat's weekly newsletters to get the latest on Cincinnati culture, dining, music, news and things to do delivered right to your inbox.
