Among Major League Baseball's new mandates in the wake of last Tuesday's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. is that unauthorized vehicles won't be allowed to park within 100 feet of ballparks.

        The Reds can't adhere to that because daytime commuters use the Cinergy garage for parking, but those parking areas will be included in the pre-game sweep by law enforcement to secure the site, Reds officials said Monday.

        The Reds resume play tonight in a 7:05 game at Cinergy Field against the Chicago Cubs.

        “We've been in contact with MLB, and everybody (the big-league clubs) is talking about what goes on at their stadiums, exchanging ideas and thoughts,” said John Allen, the Reds chief operations officer. “The bottom line is our fans should feel comfortable about coming out (because) we have looked at the various aspects of (fan safety).”

        Every ballpark is different, of course, and Cinergy Field has some features that when taken together probably make it unique: Boat traffic on the nearby Ohio River and a construction zone beyond the outfield fences where Great American Ball Park is being built and is scheduled to open in 2003.

        Allen noted that the Reds will be in regular contact with the Coast Guard, a natural extension of the contact they've always maintained in making sure the river is secure from barge traffic before the Reds set off fireworks for home-team homers and victories. The construction zone is already secure. It is monitored 24 hours a day, has limited ingress/egress and is patrolled by Hamilton County Sheriff's deputies.

        The security of the air space above Cinergy Field is being handled by Hamilton County and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said Declan Mullin, the Reds' director of stadium operations.

        MLB's security plan was drawn up in consultation with the FBI and other law enforcement. MLB and its individual clubs aren't publicly providing every detail of that plan so as to make it even more secure.

        The Reds have the benefit of not resuming play Monday night, as did 12 teams. The first thing Mullin will do today is check with other stadium operations directors whose venues hosted games Monday, Allen said.

        A wire-service story from Denver said that the Colorado Rockies were not going to allow fans to re-enter Coors Field once they leave. That used to be the Reds' policy. But in recent years fans were allowed to leave and re-enter Cinergy via Gate 13. That policy will continue; any re-entering fan will be closely scrutinized.

        Allen said he doesn't know how many fans to expect for this three-game series with the Cubs. Before the attacks in New York and Washington, the Reds would have expected the series to draw in the low- to mid-20,000s.

        “I think it (hearing the Star Spangled Banner played before the game and God Bless America played during the seventh-inning stretch) is going to be emotional for a lot of people,” Allen said.

        Late last week the Reds announced their new security policies, which ban small carry-in coolers, large bags and backpacks. Fans will be allowed to bring in a bottle of water, medicine or other essentials. In the same announcement, the Reds said cars won't be allowed in the stadium's inside tunnel, which players, service people and taxis use. The tunnel is located at field level. There also will be additional security officers stationed around the stadium.

        Tonight, the team will pass out 20,000 cardboard placards with the American flag printed on them. The players' hats and jerseys will have American flag patches on them.The Reds will observe a moment of silence for the victim's of last Tuesday's attacks.

        NOTES: The Reds and utilityman Wilton Guerrero exercised the mutual option on his 2002 contract. Guerrero, who signed with Cincinnati as a free agent on Jan. 9, is hitting .318 with no homers and four RBI.

        • Broadcaster Marty Brennaman expressed his patriotism Monday by leading Anderson High School students in the Pledge of Allegiance and delivering a short speech.

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