When this story was published in the print edition, these anecdotes from fans ended up on the editing room floor. Like the cuts Steven Spielberg pasted back into E.T, you don't want to miss them, so we publish them here:

Go fish
        Gwen and Paul Triplett, Hyde Park, and Gwen's mother, Carol Allgood, Ryland, Ky., have a habit of installing stadium seats on their lake docks in Northern Kentucky.

        “My mother has the original season ticket seats we had from Crosley Field on her dock (Crystal Lake),” Mrs. Triplett said.

        The Tripletts have since installed Cinergy seats at Mirror Lake.

        “They are comfortable (Remember, you have to sit through three-plus hours at a baseball game) and durable ... Suffice it to say, we love them.”

Hangouts for kids

        For many, the stadium seats have become recognized as kids' seats.

        In addition to 11 blue seats for driveway basketball, “I have (three) blue seats at the foot of my son's bed,” says Mary Sue Guetle, Covedale. “They make great seating for ... Play Station II and videos. When I go into his room while they're playing, I yell "Peanuts, popcorn.' ”

        “Our grandchildren love playing on the seats,” says Dan Leonhardt, North Bend. “One time we looked over at them and they were sitting there doing the wave.”

        Ten-year-old Jeremy Ernst, Delhi Township, sits in seats 111 and 112 and “watches as many Reds games as his busy schedule will allow,” says mom Amy Ernst. ” (His friends) thought they were so cool ... They all sit in them when they come over to play Nintendo 64.”

        Anderson Township Bengal fan Julie Grombala and her family bought four seats corresponding to their traditional season tickets and installed them “along our driveway ... overlooking our boys' basketball court ... They look great, add interest and are thoroughly used by our boys.”

        Apparently, they're good for adult activities and inactivity, too.

        “There's nothing better than popping a cold Hudy on a hot summer day and listening to Marty and Joe while sitting in the back yard in real stadium seats,” assures Bob Obermeyer, Anderson Township, who has six red seats, “probably from high in the red section as they are not sun faded like some.”

Hidden meanings

        Numerous fans were thrilled to find and buy seats numbered 14 (for Rose) or 5 (for Johnny Bench) or 16 (for Ron Oester) and on and on.

        “We ... took two of the backs from a set of seats and had Anthony Munoz sign them,” said Lenny Weber, Dunlap. “One we kept, the other we raffled off as a door prize at a fund-raising dance for my son's baseball team.”

        Miami Township trustees in Clermont County bought 350 stadium seats “to provide a piece of history” in dugouts at Miami Meadows Park on Ohio 131 says Kim Laing, community relations coordinator. “People who use the seats — particularly the baseball players — think they are pretty cool,” she said. “We hope to purchase about 400 more so that we can create some spectator seating ... ”

        Moeller High School, Kenwood, has three sets of seats between hitting cages. “Given the nature of the surroundings and the philosophy of the Moeller program, the seats from the oldest professional baseball team are a perfect addition,” said Kraig S. Hoover, assistant junior varsity baseball coach.

Just sentimental

        Many fans were just sentimental about the seats.

        “Like most of the seats still at Cinergy Field (to me it will always be Riverfront Stadium), the seats that I purchased are used to enjoy the Reds' games and for a little piece of mind,” says Darren Cordrey, Westwood.

        “I'll admit it. I did fall for the nostalgia bug when I bought my two Cinergy Field Green Seats,” says Tim Plummer, Erlanger. “We display our Reds seats down at our pond, and our guests love to sit there and fish or just have a brew and talk about the times they sat in the Reds and watched certain games,” says Harry Starkey, Hanover Township.

        “I've added a nice red aisle seat to my game room, where my collection of seats resides,” says Frank Bitzer, Loveland.

        “At home we are using four blue seats in our basement to go with a seat from old Crosley Field and other Reds memorabilia ... At the office, we will be mounting two green seats to the wall to go with our Astro-Turf carpeting, which we installed last winter, after it was removed from Cinergy field, says Greg Stefani, Blue Ash.

Baseball fans unite
        Most readers who told us about their stadium seats identified themselves as baseball fans, and most of them still think of Cinergy Field as Riverfront Stadium. A handful were more interested in Bengal memories.

        “I call them Reds seats, and my wife calls them Bengals seats,” says Brian Seidenman, who has seven blue seats in two sections on his front porch in Deerfield Township. “So we both have it pretty good from our teams.”

        “It will always be Riverfront Stadium, even after it is torn down,” says Tom Pack, Harrison, who snapped up four red seats, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

        Bunny Arszman, of White Oak, who steps back a stadium generation, calls hers Beatles seats.

        “Baseball purists will kill me, but ... I have two Crosley Field seats because they were the seats I had when I saw the Beatles at Crosley in 1966.”

Meaning of life

        Some buyers, their high hopes on hold, admit their seats are collecting dust in area garages and attics and crawl spaces.

        “They make a handy resting place for extension cords and various tools” in front of Tim Plummer's car in his Erlanger house. “The goal of finishing the basement into a family room with a big screen has gone unrealized,” he said.

        But he's glad he has them.

        For more than six years, “I worked for SportService at Riverfront Stadium,” he said. “I was there when Pete Rose hit the single into left to break Ty Cobb's all-time career hit record. I was there in 1988 when Tom Browning threw his perfect game ... I remember looking up to see a foul ball just before it landed in a box of peanuts I was selling.”

A quest is born

        Frank Bitzer, Loveland, says, “I have original aisle seats from Ebbets Field, Wrigley Field and the Montreal Forum. I have an original box seat from old Comiskey Park, Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium (California) and a really neat commemorative seat from Camden Yards.

        “Next up: a Crosley Field seat.”

        “I have four seats from Cinergy Field that were given to me for Christmas,” said Rick Mushaben of Bevis. “These seats came from row 16, numbered 1 to 4. I also have three seats from old Crosley Field that happen to be numbered 5 to 7, so I have them all in a row in my den downstairs.”

        “I had no idea what to do with them,” says Tom Herbort of Avondale. “I just knew I wanted them.”

        After “collecting dust in my basement” for more than a year, he built a stand for his four seats.

        “So now when UC plays basketball games away, I invite people to come over and the bleacher seats are the second row of seats for viewing the game, behind my couch.”

Price is right

        Andrew J. Schneider, of Hebron, says the best thing about buying his Cinergy seats was the price.

        “At $100 for four, they were reasonable,” he said. “It is tough to get four of the best seats at Cinergy for $100 for a single game — and we got to keep the seats.”

Misunderstood seats

        Several readers misunderstood our invitation. When we said, “Tell us your stories about the stadium seats you bought,” they heard, “Get Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.”

        “So yes. Buy the seats of Cinergy and sit around and wonder what you could do,” says Jeffery K. Long, Pearisburg, Va. “Better yet, save your money and get off your ---- and be a real Reds fan and help baseball's best (Rose) to get into the Hall of Fame, where he belongs.”

        Others thought we asked, “Would you like to have Cinergy seats?”

        When he gets his, “This will be the ultimate multi-purpose chair,” promises Mike Weber, from Green Township. “I can lie in my Reds chair and remember when the top seats were $3.

        “The Reds and I have a lot of history together ... I skipped a lot of classes for those businessman specials, and I am planning on missing a lot more.”

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