In the perfect gloom of a Stephen King morning, the driver backs his semi-truck up to the loading dock at Gate 3 of Great American Ball Park. It’s 9:34 a.m. on Thursday. Or if you prefer, it’s 49 days, five hours, 38 minutes and 21 seconds until the first pitch of Opening Day, according to the clock on the wall. I prefer that clock.
Ninety minutes later, 40,000 pounds of Cincinnati Reds gear will have been pushed from the dock into the truck. Ten thousand baseballs, 1,000 bats. Two pallets of sunflower seeds, two pallets of gum. One thousand hats.