Aaron Boone stepped onto the field and immediately looked to left field, where the framework of a new ballpark towered a few feet beyond the wall. The third baseman grinned at his first glimpse of the Reds' future.

        “Cool!” he said loudly.

Reds GM Jim Bowden greets Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        The skeleton of Great American Ball Park overshadows the last season opener at Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field, a multipurpose stadium that has been the setting for a lot of history but little nostalgia.

        Opening day holds a special place in stadium history. Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth's home run record by hitting No. 714 in the 1974 opener. Umpire John McSherry collapsed and died seven pitches into the 1996 opener.

        The weather is always a wild card, although clear skies and temperatures in the 50s are forecast for the final one between the Reds and the Chicago Cubs. Sammy Sosa could ignite another home run race. Ken Griffey Jr. could hit a record-tying home run.

        Or, it could just go down as the last opener in a stadium that no one particularly likes.

        “Let's get out of here and get over to the new one,” Reds manager Bob Boone said after a workout Sunday, with the new ballpark looming behind. “It's a shame to put old Betsy away, but we've got that new Cadillac.”

        Old Betsy is one of the nicer things said about Cinergy, which has undergone a name change and a facelift in recent years but failed to capture the imagination.

        “I'm looking forward to that place coming down,” Cubs starter Jon Lieber said. “Nothing against Cincinnati — Cincinnati is a great town. But that stadium ... I felt that way about Three Rivers. It's just like a big ashtray.”

        Cubs manager Don Baylor spent his playing career in the American League but has experienced enough of the stadium to dislike it.

        “I was waiting for its departure last year,” Baylor said. “That's the worst clubhouse to be in for five days.”

        None of the Reds are offended. They feel the same way.

        “There's not a lot of character about the place — no character about the place,” shortstop Barry Larkin said. “The most exciting thing about Cinergy over the years that I played, other than the World Series, was the name change from Riverfront to Cinergy. That was really it.”

        The last opener sold out in a club-record 26 minutes, as fans bought their mementos of stadium history. If any history is made on the field, it's likely to involve Lieber, Sosa or Griffey.

        Lieber went 5-0 in six starts against the Reds last season, the first time since 1945 that a Cubs pitcher beat Cincinnati five times in a season. One-fourth of his 20 wins came against one team.

        Lieber will be making his third consecutive opening start.

        “Each one is special,” he said. “You never take it for granted.”

        Part of Lieber's success against the Reds comes from his ability to handle Griffey, who is only 3-for-23 career off the right-hander (.130) without a homer.

        If Griffey finally breaks through, it will be an historic achievement. Junior has seven career homers on opening day, one shy of Frank Robinson's major league record. Ruth, Willie Mays, Eddie Matthews and Carl Yastrzemski also had seven opening day homers.

        Sosa, coming off his third 60-homer season, gets to start fresh against Joey Hamilton, who is trying to overcome three years of shoulder problems. Sosa is .405 career against the right-hander with three homers.

        Hamilton started San Diego's opener in 1997, beating the Mets 12-5. He was with the Padres for the '98 opener in Cincinnati, remembered mainly for the parade of elephants on the field — and the unfortunate workers who had to clean up after them.

        “I have an idea what opening day is like in Cincinnati,” Hamilton said. “I won't see as much of it, because I'll be getting ready to pitch. But I know it's a big deal.

        “It's a big deal everywhere, but of all the opening days I've been to, they put on the best show. I'm looking forward to giving them their money's worth.”

Lights, hammy, action SULLIVAN: Opening Day Fellowship of the swing Last Cinergy opener hardly nostalgic moment Major-league milestone for the Ol' Left-hander New park on track for Opening Day 2003 Opening Day parade map Out of the park Reds outlook is bright Cubs vs. Reds preview Reds notebook NL Central Preview NL East Preview NL West Preview AL Central Preview AL East Preview AL West Preview Colon blanks Angels Hope springs eternal on opening day

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