“Play ball!” That was music to the ears of fans, players and management alike once MLB teams finally took the field on April 7 after a 99-day pause, delaying the start of the season by a week. The league had been in hibernation since team owners had forced a player lockout after a prior collective-bargaining agreement had expired. The Major League Baseball Players Association and MLB team owners finally adopted a new CBA with slightly better incentives for players, which led to implications for the 2022 postseason as well as the seasons ahead. As part of the deal, there’s now an expanded playoff format that sees 12 teams (six per league) in the hunt instead of 10. Will that help the Cincinnati Reds? Who knows. But the extra playing time means there’s always a chance. mlbplayers.com.

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