Reds ballpark time capsule pitched

Reds fans of today may be allowed to go back to the future in Great American Ball Park. Radio talk show host Bill Cunningham suggests fans of today be allowed to send messages to fans of tomorrow by stuffing a time capsule to be opened in 50 years.

The capsule would be buried under home plate at the new ballpark.

“In my view, the stadium belongs to the fans,” Mr. Cunningham said. “And fans need to have a greater emotional connection.”

It's an idea with legs — or perhaps stockings, Red Stockings.

John Allen, the Reds' chief operating officer, said he likes the notion of a fans time capsule.

The team was thinking about preparing a time capsule of its own. Maybe the two could be combined, Mr. Allen said.

“It's kind of a cool idea,” he said. “Of course, we don't own the building, so Hamilton County would have to figure out how it would work.

“But certainly it's something the Reds would support.”

Hamilton County Administrator Dave Krings said the idea could work.

“On the face of it, I think it's a good idea,” Mr. Krings said. “It's something we'd have to check around on and see what would be involved with it.”

Mr. Cunningham, whose show is aired on the Reds flagship station, WLW-AM (700), said almost anything could go in the fans capsule. He suggested essays that could tell fans 50 years from now what it was like being a fan during construction of the new stadium.

“If we had a box 3-by-3-by-3, we could stuff 100,000 messages in there,” Mr. Cunningham said. “We could just let fans' imaginations run wild.”

Reds Stories

Larkin healthy, willing to lead off
Graves loses arbitration case
Griffey arrives quietly at camp
Players on hand are fit