Student Skips School for Reds Game, Enquirer Exposes Him

This article revisits a memorable 1959 day at Crosley Field through the eyes of Steve Saner, an 80-year-old Fort Thomas resident. It tells how a 13-year-old fan skipped school to catch a Cincinnati Reds game, how a single hit and a photograph got tangled up in his life, and how that moment became a family heirloom tied to baseball lore.

A Day at Crosley Field: A 13-Year-Old Fan’s Unforgettable Adventure

Back in 1959, young Saner—then a Sacred Heart School student—headed to Crosley Field with two friends. They’d just finished delivering milk to classrooms and couldn’t resist the pull of the ballpark.

Saner’s love for the game ran deep. He studied hitters, chased foul balls, and sometimes even jumped fences to trade them for a future ticket.

The atmosphere at the ballpark that day stuck with him. The sounds, the smells, the buzz of the crowd—Crosley Field just had a way of getting under your skin.

The Moment: Lynch’s Home Run and Clemente’s Reach

April 15, 1959. The Reds played the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Jerry Lynch smacked a home run toward the right-field bleachers. The ball landed under a bench.

Saner stood behind Roberto Clemente in the same section as the ball vanished from sight. An Associated Press photo caught the scene—Saner cheering in the background, Clemente lunging for the ball, the crowd caught up in the moment.

That split second, frozen in a photograph, would become a family keepsake. It marked the day when a fan’s passion collided with baseball history in a single, unforgettable instant.

From the Press Room to a Family Heirloom

That evening, something unexpected happened. Saner’s father, who was leading a Cub Scout tour of The Enquirer press room, spotted the AP photo and managed to get a copy.

Seeing his son in the background, mixed with the memory of the game, made him confront Steve. The talk was more loving than stern—more about their shared love of baseball than any real punishment.

Later that season, Roberto Clemente signed the photo. Suddenly, that snapshot turned into a family treasure and a personal link to one of baseball’s legends.

Saner’s carried the Crosley Field atmosphere with him ever since. The crowd’s roar, the vendors’ calls, the pulse of a ballpark that always felt like home—they’re all still there, tucked away in his memory.

The Crosley Field Experience: Atmosphere and Community

Saner’s memories go way beyond a single homer or photograph. For him, a ballpark is where strangers become neighbors, where a kid can chase history, and where the language of baseball ties everyone together.

Crosley Field’s clatter, the smell of hot dogs and tobacco, and the tension of a close at-bat—those details are woven into his story and Cincinnati’s baseball lore.

Even now, that memory lingers. Baseball, for Saner, is about people as much as plays.

His willingness to chase a foul ball, his respect for Clemente, and his dad’s instinct to hold onto a moment—all of it shows how the smallest rituals in baseball can stick with you for life.

Legacy and Reflection

Even after eight decades, Steve Saner would still go to a game. He wouldn’t change a thing about that day.

The Crosley Field experience, the autograph, and that photograph’s quiet legend—these show how a kid’s curiosity can spark a lifelong love for the sport. Is it really about the hit or the catch? Maybe not.

It’s the memories that come with the cheers, and the way they shape a fan’s journey through baseball history.

• Celebrates a fan’s lifelong connection to baseball history
• Emphasizes how a single photograph can become a family heirloom
• Highlights Crosley Field’s community-driven atmosphere

 
Here is the source article for this story: Boy ditched school to catch a Reds game. How The Enquirer blew his cover