The 2013 Redlegs are back. And this season they mean business. There are big hopes of going further in the post season than last year’s disappointing loss to the World Series champs, San Francisco. The Reds have picked up a big addition since last season, Shin-Soo Choo. Choo has been in the American League with the Indians his whole career, bringing some diversity to the team. Also, the Reds got rid of Drew Stubbs, who seemed to be in a constant slump, only batting .213. Opening Day this year went 13 innings, only to end in a 3-1 loss to the Angels. This game left many fans mad and upset with the team. Aside from the freezing cold weather, we didn’t take home the W. I was at the game, and as a diehard Reds fan I can say that this game was one big disappointment; I left at the top of the 10 th inning. The whole game was just a pitching battle, with only nine hits total between both teams. Hamilton and Pujols (Angels) went for a combined 0-8 batting, proving that the Reds bullpen is strong, something that hasn’t always been there. The only Reds to make contact were Choo and Frazier. Though there were only three hits for the Reds, that isn’t too concerning. The Reds are a National League team while the Angels are in the American League. This kind of matchup resulted in a stalemate due to the lack of experience with the other League’s pitchers. Choo had two of the three hits for the Reds, an American League player before his time in Cincinnati. Overall, Opening Day in Cincinnati was not what anyone wanted to see. It was too cold to sit through 5½ hours of baseball. The next game proved to be very different, where the Reds took on the Angels once again. Opening Night was a much better performance by the home town Reds. Opening Night is always a fun game to go to, with fireworks and a great ball game. Who doesn’t like fireworks? The attendance for Opening Night is usually around 20,000 people. Not this time. This time the Reds got an outstanding 35,000 fans in attendance, only a few thousand shy of what there was on Opening Day. The weather was just as cold if not colder, dipping into the 30’s, but still the loyal Cincinnati fans showed their support for the home team. The game went nine innings resulting in a 5-4 victory to the Reds, exactly what fans wanted to see. With his first hit of the year, Joey Votto led the Reds to a victory in the bottom of the ninth. This was exactly what the team needed, a big victory on opening night to put a smile on the faces of all fans. Not only were the fans smiling, but were also thinking of how possible this matchup could be for the 2013 World Series. The Reds have proven for the past couple of seasons to be a dominate force in the National League, making key moves in the roster, while the Angles have two of the best hitters in all of baseball, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton. The lineup this year is strong as it has ever been; all of the batters in the lineup are contact hitters. Plus, the bullpen is pitching phenomenally, which is crucial. Manager Dusty Baker has tremendous faith in this year’s ball club, hoping to bring home the first World Series victory in over 20 years. Our generation has never seen a professional team be successful in the post season. The Bengals are a constant bummer getting all their fans hopes up only to make the playoffs as a Wild Card and get eliminated first round. Not the Reds. The Reds have been at the top of the NL Central for the past three seasons now. This is an experienced team; this will be the year that the Reds make a run for the World Series. But that isn’t what this article is about, it’s about which game was better: Opening Day or Opening Night? Clearly going to a freezing cold game that last 13 innings isn’t ideal, but this is Cincinnati, the only city guaranteed an Opening Day. The Reds tradition runs deep here, with the parade, bars and freezing weather. That’s what we’re used to. We don’t mind that it’s only 40 degrees outside, that’s just a part of who we are in the Queen City. But, Opening Night proved to be just as, if not better, than Opening Day. The game resulted in a win, it only lasted nine innings and there were fireworks. Could it be possible that Opening Night was a bigger success than the famous Opening Day? That’s the way it looks, but you decide. The turnout was just about as successful as the day before and the team won, making for the perfect night. Some people will disagree and say that nothing is better than Opening Day, but the performance put on by the Redlegs proves otherwise. This season is off to a great start and the city expects big things out of ther Reds.