The new grandstand soon became more and more ornate with the addition of some turrets
and flags. The covered grandstand that ran down the 3rd baseline at League
Park I, served now as the 1st baseline at League Park II and made the ballpark
more protected to the elements. The huge grandstand in right field was cut back
a bit but League Park I still remained a viable part of the new League Park II
stadium. All of these changes helped the team tremendously ... especially when
the "other Cincinnati Reds" team ceased operations. The Reds went from being
middle of the road to being one of the top teams in the division in attendance
at League Park II... drawing 373,000 in 1896 for 1st place in the nation. Bid McPhee
had been through both iterations of this ballpark. The 2nd baseman was the
fan favorite and would play for the Reds here on the corner of Findley and Western
from 1882 until 1899... a total of 18 years earning him immortality at Cooperstown's
Baseball Hall of Fame. McPhee's best season came in 1887 when he batted
.287 with a league leading 19 triples along with 95 Stolen Bases. McPhee would
retire in 1899 just as tragedy was about to hit. Luckily for John Brush...
that tragedy would turn into another terrific opportunity thanks to what was some
ingenious thinking. |