Cincinnati Reds Opening Day may not be at Great American Ball Park in 2022

Baseball traditionalist, like myself, are not going to like this news. However, it's highly possible that the Cincinnati Reds may not open the 2022 baseball season at home. Instead, the Reds are likely to play their first game on the road versus the defending World Champions.

It looks as though great progress has been made over the past few days in regards to negotiations between the Player's Association and the owners. So much so, that we may have an agreement done by today. If that occurs, reports suggest that Major League Baseball will look to kick off the season on April 6th or 7th.

The Cincinnati Reds might start the 2022 season on the road.

Opening Day in Cincinnati is kind of like the Kentucky Derby in my hometown of Louisville. It's akin to a local holiday, filled with a parade, parties, etc. But the fans in the Queen City may have to wait an extra week before celebrating the return of baseball to Cincinnati.

The league has already cancelled the first two series of the 2022 season. The latest reporting suggests that rather than those games being lost, MLB may look to adding additional days to the regular season or use double-headers in order to complete a full 162-game season.

This means that, if an agreement is reached today, the first two series of the Reds' 2022 schedule would be made up in some way, shape, or form. The Cincinnati Reds were slated to begin the season with a three-game series versus the Chicago Cubs on March 31, 2022 before the Pittsburgh Pirates came to town on April 4th.

If the two sides agree to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement today, the Reds would likely open the 2022 season at Truist Park versus the Atlanta Braves. The four-game set would wrap on April 10th.

The Cincinnati Reds would then return to Great American Ball Park to play their home opener versus their in-state rival the newly-named Cleveland Guardians. The schedule would see the Redlegs play just two games in front of their home fans before embarking on a seven-game West Coast road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego.

So much of the upcoming schedule will depend on if the Player's Association and the owners agree on a new CBA today. As much I want to see the Cincinnati Reds open the season in Great American Ball Park, I want to see America's past time return even more. Let's just get a deal done already, right?