What: Reds Hall of Fame and Stadium tour plus "Build a Baseball Team" extra inning program
When: Friday, September 15, 2006 9 AM ARRIVE BY 8: 50 AM!
Cost: $6 for children, $7 for adults children under 3 are free
Organizer: Laura Riesenberg

Of course I got out of the house late. Miss Sophie needed a jacket and there wasn't one to be found anywhere. She finally ended up with a rain jacket, but it put us 15 minutes behind schedule. Not to fret...we made it to the Hall of Fame by 8:55 AM!

What an absolutely AWESOME time. The extra inning program was absolutely engaging and involved using math skills to build a team and stick to your budget. Each group was given an actual MLB team's budget (ajdusted for the fact that they were only buying 9 players and not the full roster a team would carry). The great thing was that none of the kids realized that they were sitting through a 90 minute lesson in math! The amazing thing was that the team with the lowest budget ended up with the best team (a little luck was involved, but I don't want to ruin that for anyone else who attends the program).

Following the program we toured the Hall of Fame. It is great, so hands on and engaging. We ate lunch and then were given a tour of Great American Ballpark. Will was EXTREMELY fussy as we went on the tour
and it just killed my back to carry him (I really need to bring a sling with me on outing like this as he is still small enough to sling but too heavy to just carry outright). It is so neat to see the places in the ballpark that you don't get to see on a regular visit.

The Reds season is almost over, but one of the moms is hoping to get a deal of tickets so we can attend the last day game of the season.

Here are the details:
Schedule: 9 AM- 10:45 AM "Build a Baseball Team Program"
10:45 AM-12:15 PM Tour of Hall of Fame
12:15 PM -12:45 PM Lunch (pack your own picnic lunch)
12:45 PM-1:30 PM Return to Hall of Fame
1:30 PM -2:45 PM Stadium tour

The Red's Hall of Fame and Museum is a Palace for the Fans! With the formation of the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, professional baseball and America's passion for the sport were born, and grew, right here in Cincinnati. Now, for the first time, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum offers fans of the Reds, and of baseball, the first comprehensive look into the sport's heralded past. Nowhere else are fans able to see as complete of a collection of artifacts from the first professional baseball team and its rich history in the major leagues. And nowhere outside of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., are baseball fans treated to such an amazing visual history of the World Series and Opening Day. The Reds Hall of Fame, which opened to the public Sept. 25, 2004, is just west of Great American Ball Park, the home of the Cincinnati Reds, along Cincinnati's riverfront. The facility features more than 16,000 square feet of exhibit s

Our tour will begin with our EXTRA INNING PROGRAM:
Build a Baseball Team Geared towards 3rd - 8th grade (all ages welcome to participate!)We need your help! In this math-focused program, you must work with your fellow students to create the next championship baseball team. Using budgets and statistics from Major League Baseball, compare players' strengths, weaknesses and salaries to assemble a nine-man team. Then, present your team in a "press conference" and use math to figure out whose team is the best! Who would have thought the economics and mathematics of baseball could be this much fun?! 90 minutes in length

DIRECTIONS TO THE REDS HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is located on the west side of Great American Ball Park along Main Street.

From I-75 southbound: -Take the Second Street exit on the left toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.

From U.S. Highway 50 eastbound:-Take the Second Street exit on the right toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.From I-71/I-75 northbound:-Take the Second Street exit on your right after crossing the Brent Spence Bridge.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.

From I-71 southbound:-Take the Third Street exit on the left toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street.-Turn LEFT onto Second Street.From U.S. Highway 50 westbound (Columbia Parkway):-Take the Sixth Street exit on the right.-Turn LEFT onto Sycamore Street.-Turn RIGHT onto Third Street.-Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street.-Turn LEFT onto Second Street.

From I-471 northbound:-Take the Third Street exit on your right after crossing the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. -Take Third Street to Walnut Street. -Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street. -Turn LEFT onto Second Street.

PARKING FOR THE REDS HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUMThe parking garage underneath Great American Ball Park can be accessed from the Pete Rose Way entrance (at the corner of Pete Rose Way and Broadway) or the Mehring Way entrance (facing the Ohio River). Once inside the garage, follow the signs for the Hall of Fame and Museum to access the elevator and stairwell that leads to the Hall of Fame entrance. Parking is $4 per vehicle. Nearby parking is also available on Third Street (parking meters).