The Reds’ 2022 season admittedly wasn’t the greatest, but sometimes heroes appear right when you need them. During a home game on April 26, Jacob Kingsley caught a pop-up foul ball while holding his infant son Shepherd, who was strapped to Kingsley's chest in a baby sling. The ball blooped backwards on the third-base side, where Kingsley nonchalantly reached up with one hand and plucked it from the air as he fed little Shepherd a bottle. It was the play of the game — and probably even the season at that point. Not to be outdone, another fan at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park caught a ball in his beer cup about a month later. Both men made the national highlight reels and helped dour Reds fans through a major team drought.

Here are the 2023 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for Sports & Recreation.

1. Soccer City
2. Town and Country Sports Health Club
3. Wall2Wall

1. Schmidt Boat Ramp and Ballfields
2. Riverside Park
3. Westside Sports Park

1. 700 WLW-AM
2. FOX Sports Ohio
3. WCPO-TV

1. Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
2. YMCA Camp Ernst
3. Clifton Cultural Arts Center

1. Cincinnati Rollergirls
2. Florence Y’alls
3. Dayton Dragons

1. Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino
2. FanDuel Sportsbook
3. Betfred

1. University of Cincinnati football
2. Xavier University men’s basketball
3. Ohio State University football

1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. FC Cincinnati
3. Cincinnati Cyclones

1. Sawyer Point Park
2. Camargo Racquet Club
3. The Club at Harper’s Point