From prayers to pennants, John Allen left his signature Tuesday on his first Opening Day.
The Reds' managing executive arrived at Cinergy Field at 7:45 a.m. to begin the club's bid to draw 2 million fans for the first time since the 1994 strike visited havoc on the game.
Deposed CEO Marge Schott, suspended from making day-to-day decisions, had her run of the field during pregame ceremonies. But by then Cinergy was awash in Allen's handiwork:
- Flags painted on top of the Reds' dugout bearing pennant years.
- A noon memorial and a plaque unveiling for the umpires' room honoring John McSherry, the umpire who died on the field at last year's Opening Day.
- Slick yearbooks and media guides, absent in a Schott era when press notes were casualties of thrift.
- A freshly carpeted Reds' locker room, complete with four cable TVs; a video room with five monitors, and a modern weight/workout room.
- Season-ticket holders wearing Reds' sweat tops sent when they signed up.
- Johnny Bench dressed in his Reds' No. 5 for the first time since he hung it up in 1983 and began the trek to Cooperstown.
''We didn't think too much about all the banners, it was the smell of the locker room,'' said Bench, back in the fold as a special consultant to General Manager Jim
Bowden. ''They've re-done the locker room with TVs and tape machines and that helps. That's the good stuff that's changing with John Allen.
''If everybody wants baseball to be back, you accentuate what the positives are.
''This had to move in a direction. John Allen and Jim Bowden have chosen basically a
direction to bring the team back to the integrity of the Cincinnati Reds as far as history.''
Allen is banking on history to help the Reds into the future. On the day Bench returned to Cinergy, the Reds' Web site made its debut on the Internet. It's believed baseball's first team is the first to have a CD-Rom.
''It's a start,'' said Allen as he walked through the ninth largest regular-season crowd (54,820) in Cinergy history. ''It's encouraging that we sold out all the standing-room onlys. But it's only one day. We won't know if (they've come back) until about midseason.
''We're not going to win everybody back overnight.
Each of the 28 cities is going to have a different story ... The renaissance in Cincinnati of baseball will be quicker probably than in some other cities because of the great fans.''
On Tuesday, there were staples leftover from Allen's quick fixes last season.
Mr. Red played with the newest fans. A jazz band blared. The
organ, reserved for special days and Sundays, cranked.
In the third inning, Allen draped his suit coat over his arm and roamed the red seats asking fans what they want.
''Thank you for the job you're doing,'' said a fan, slapping him on the back.
''Great idea,'' said another, pointing to his jersey that said ''Season Ticket Holder.''
''I like the organ for family days but remember the rock music,'' said another.
Allen leaned over a railing to ask some people where they were from. A few minutes later he stood up: ''They're college students on spring break. Maybe we ought to hit some campuses next year.
''Its a telltale year (for baseball),'' Allen said. ''I hope to see attendance up. I think two million is a reasonable goal.''
Other brainstorms for '97:
- The Reds' new sound system, a computer laptop, makes it debut at the next homestand.
- An entertainment group has been signed up for about 35 dates, including all weekend games, and it will go through the stands with balloons and games, and toss T-shirts into the crowd.
Allen ventured onto the plaza to greet people before the opener and check out the new recording of stadium rules: ''The old one was such a monotone.''
The new one may be a tad enthusiastic.
''Sounds like Yogi Bear,'' a fan said.
It was the only discouraging word Allen heard all day.
OPENING DAY PHOTOS
GAME STORY
BOX, RUNS
WHOA, BABY! WHAT A DAY FOR SMILEY
LOVE IS IN THE AIR OPENING DAY
TRIPLE A WON'T TARNISH POKEY'S DAY Paul Daugherty column
BOUNCES WILL ADD WRINKLES FOR REDS Tim Sullivan column
MR. RED COULD GIVE BASEBALL A BIG HEAD Cliff Radel column
BICHETTE WEARS BULLS-EYE IN LF
NOTEBOOK: REESE SENT TO INDY
BAN DOESN'T KEEP SCHOTT OUT OF SPOTLIGHT
REDS HONOR McSHERRY
