CINCINNATI — Linda Bockstiegel keeps her favorite memories tucked in a small notebook, with lineup cards and penciled notes of baseball scores.
Her love for America’s pastime started with family.
"My brothers played in high school and I just followed them," she said. "That's what we did. We just went to the games."
Now she is a Reds season ticket holder and, maybe, their unofficial record keeper.
"I always know (what is happening with the team)," she said. "It’s baseball."
It is also what helped her through some of her hardest times.
While her seats are in the dugout club, nowadays you can find her by the railing of section 119 after a stroke, and other health issues, made it hard for her to walk up stairs.
"I did a lot of therapy for that," Bockstiegel said.
Bockstiegel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and underwent chemotherapy and radiation. Then, because of an irregular heartbeat, she had a pacemaker put in this past September.
All of her medical needs stopped her from being able to make it to many Reds games for awhile.
"So I said that's it, I need to go to the games. I'm done," she said.
On June 1, Bockstiegel was able to record another favorite memory — courtesy of family and a love of baseball. For that game, Bockstiegel's 10-year-old grandson, Ethan, planned to join her for the Reds series opener against the Royals.
But Ethan didn't want to sit in section 119 with his grandma.
"He goes, 'Well, I wanna sit in the outfield to try and get a ball', and I said, 'OK'," Bockstiegel said.
So, Bockstiegel called an audible and, despite having her own season tickets, bought her grandson tickets in the outfield just hours before the game — all for the chance to try to catch a ball.
Despite all odds, Ethan got exactly what he'd wanted.
In the bottom of the first inning, J.J. Bleday's swing launched a ball to section 143 that ended up squarely in Ethan's glove.
"The second I saw the ball heading my way I was like 'I'm going for it'," Vaughn said. "It was a little to my right side and next thing you know, somebody was about to catch it, it hits off the palm of their hand and drops into my glove and I'm like 'Wow'."
Bockstiegel said Ethan plays outfield on his baseball team, so of course he was ready.
"When I saw that it was (going toward) section 143, I thought 'He's got a chance to catch it if it's close,'" she said. "And then he did."
Ethan said the experience is an amazing memory for him, too — which Bockstiegel said is priceless.
"It means a lot to me," Bockstiegel said. "Because they will know (baseball) and they'll say 'I remember that'. Even if I die, it's OK. They'll know that I was with them, (Ethan) will know it forever."
