You paint the walls. You scrub the floors. You seal the deck. You prune the shrubs. You spruce up your house in order to unload it, and the old place suddenly starts to look livable.

        So it is with Cinergy Field. Thirty-one years since its debut and two years from its destruction, the condemned concrete playground finally has gained some character. The grass is real. The views are a revelation. The playing field has been moved so close to the stands that a spectator in the front row could easily sneeze on a hitter in the on-deck circle.

        “It's not a stadium anymore,” Declan Mullin said. “It's a ballpark.”

SPECIAL SECTION

Get an insider's look at revitalized Cinergy Field

        Mullin, the Reds' director of stadium operations, had a long list of final details to oversee Saturday, but he had no difficulty visualizing the finished product. The new foul poles had been put in place. The Black Whole — the 81-foot long, 40-foot high wall in center field — had been freshly painted. The foul lines had been demarcated with duct tape. Some of the sprinklers had been turned on, and the lush infield grass fairly glistened in the sun.

        The transfigured ballpark reopens for business Monday, and it is likely to be received with rapture. Compared to the old, enclosed bowl, which had all of the ambience of a toll booth, the remodeled Cinergy is intimate and appealing. It poses a strong aesthetic argument for the Reds staying put.

        But before Hamilton County commissioner Todd Portune floats another of his leaky trial balloons — and is Portune the Latin root of opportunist? — spectators are reminded not to get too attached to the place.

162 games to go

        Directly east of Cinergy Field, Great American Ball Park is starting to take shape, and too many contracts have been signed to consider stopping the construction. Cinergy's days are numbered, both figuratively and literally. A new tote board shows 162 home games remaining (assuming the 2002 season is not canceled or curtailed by a work stoppage). The end is inevitable.

        “Yeah, the field looks great,” said John Allen, the Reds' chief operating officer. “But the new ballpark will have grass too. We've outgrown many of the fan amenities (at Cinergy), and technology has changed so much ... The thing I like best about the changes is that it gets us closer to the new park.”

        Most of the major changes at Cinergy — including the altered outfield dimensions, constricted foul territory and the improved proximity of fans to the playing field — were necessitated by construction on Great American Ball Park. Clearly, the Reds did not take these pains and eliminate 14,000 seats simply for the sake of better sightlines.

        Though Cinergy Field could remain structurally serviceable for decades, it is hopelessly antiquated economically. It lacks the luxury suites and catering capacities of modern ballparks and consequently will continue to produce less revenue than the new digs of the Reds' division rivals in Houston, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

        Whether local governments should subsidize sports franchises at the expense of more fundamental needs is a good question for a philosophy class.

        Whether small-market franchises require state-of-the-art facilities in order to survive is, by contrast, a financial question, one Cincinnati already has answered in the affirmative.

More amenities

        Those who attend games in the new park should enjoy an enhanced experience.

        With one “point of sale” for every 180 fans instead of every 240 or 250, Great American Ball Park should produce shorter concession lines (and superior cash flow). With improved ventilation, Reds' vendors will be able to grill hot dogs instead of heating them on electric rollers. With 14 elevators (instead of two), spectators can expect to reach the upper deck without enlisting the aid of a Sherpa.

        In the meantime, Reds fans should find the old place much improved. Near the end of a tour Saturday afternoon, John Allen took a seat behind third base, stretched his legs over the chair in front of him, laced his fingers behind his head, and asked: “Isn't this great?”

        No argument here.

        E-mail tsullivan@enquirer.com. Past columns at Enquirer.com/columns/sullivan.

Bowden makes deals - and enemies Opening Day schedule of festivities Special Section: Insider's look at Cinergy Field SULLIVAN: Cinergy Field reborn too late Griffey decision will wait Is strong start important? New season, same old Brennaman Young glad he chatted with Gooden Game report: Phillies 8, Reds 0 Mullin adds green to Reds Ten Questions with: Doug Gallant

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