Findlay Market Opening Day parade delivered Reds first pitch ball to Great American Ball Park

The Cincinnati Reds are ready for Opening Day after the Findlay Market Parade Committee delivered the baseball that will be thrown out for the first pitch.

IT IS FINALLY OPENING DAY!BUTOF COURSE THIS YEAR WHATáWOULD HAVE BEEN THE 101STANNIVERSARY FINDLAY MARKETPARADE WON'T LOOK LIKE THIS...FANS LINING THE STREETS...MARCHING BANDS AND BATONTWIRLERS...BUT AS WCPO 9 NEWSREPORTER PAOLA SURO TELLS US -THERE STILL WAS A PARADE -JUST A SOCIALLY DISTANT ONE.PAOLA?WELL - FANS MAY NOT BE INSDIEGREAT AMERICAN BALLPARK - ANDTHE USUAL FLOATS AND CARS OFTHE FINDLAY MARKET PARADEWON'T LINE UP THE STREETS LIKETHEY USUALLY DO -BUT THEPARADE CHAIRMAN MADE IT APOINT TO STILL WALK THESTREETS - EVEN IF IT MEANTJUST A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE.PEOPLE.A HANDFUL OF IF ITMEANT JUST STREETS - EVENSTILL WALK THE IT A POINT TOCHAIRMAN MADE BUT THE PARADEDO -THEY USUALLY STREETS LIKELINE UP THE PARADE WON'TFINDLAY MARKET PARADE WON'TLINE UP THE STREETS LIKE THEYUSUALLY DO -BUT THE PARADECHAIRMAN MADE IT A POINT TOSTILL WALK THE STREETS - EVENIF IT MEANT JUST A HANDFUL OFPEOPLE.NATS: HORNÑA 101 YEARTRADITION -"I WANT TO KEEP THEPARADE GOING JUST BECAUSE OFTHE INSTITUTION OF FINDLAYMARKET - THE CINCINNATI REDSAND NOW THE PARADE.

WE DON'TWANT TO LOSE THAT."çNATS: NOGRAND MARSHALL BUT WE'RE STILLGOING TO PLAY BALL AND HERE'STHE OFFICIAL BALL OF OPENINGDAY!Ñ KEPT ALIVE DESPITE THEPANDEMIC.CELEBRATINGEVERYTHING CINCINNATI REDS.."OPENING DAY IN CINCINNATI ISUNIQUE TO ANY OTHER CITY INTHE WHOLE COUNTRY AND WE'RE SOLUCKY TO HAVE THIS!"YES - THISYEAR IT LOOKS DIFFERENT-FROMTHE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ALONG THEPARADE ROUTE -"THERE'D BE100,000 PEOPLE WAITING FOR USTO COME DOWN THE STREET..

THEEXCITEMENT OF SPRING ANDBASEBALL WOULD BE IN THE AIR.IT WOULD JUST BE SO GREAT!"TOTHE WEATHER -"NORMALLY WE'DPUT ON HATS GLOVES AND COATSBUT SINCE IT'S NOT A NORMALOPENING DAY WE'RE ACTUALLY INSHORTS AND T SHIRTS AND REDSJERSEYS."TO THE FLOATS LININGUP THE STREETS."THERE'D BEOVER 200 UNITS - OVER 30 HIGHSCHOOL MARCHING BANDS..

MARTYBRENNAMAN WOULD BE RIGHT UPTHERE HE'D BE LEADING THEPARADE!"BUT WHAT HAS STAYEDTHE SAME IS THE LOVE FOR OURCINCINNATI REDS AND THEEXCITEMENT FOR OPENING DAY(EVEN IF IT'S A FEW MONTHSLATER)..çNATSÑ"THAT'S WHY NEXTYEAR - IF WE'RE MISSING ONEYEAR WE'RE EXPECTING IT TO BETHE BIGGEST BEST PARADE EVER."THAT BALL THAT YOU SAW AT THEBEGINNING OF THE STORY WASTHEN DELIVERED TO ROSIE AT THEBALLPARK TO BE USED TODAY FOROPENING DAY..WHILE THINGS MAYLOOK DIFFERENT TODAY - THEEXCITEMENT IS STILL IN THE AIREPORTING LIVE - PAOLA SUROWCPO 9 NEWS.