CINCINNATI — Thousands of people flocked to downtown Cincinnati on Thursday to mark the start of the Reds’ 2023 season. But the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is using the excitement surrounding the team’s new campaign to tell the stories of some incredible female ball players who’ve never received the praise they deserve.

The new “Women in Baseball” exhibit celebrates the historic contributions of women and girls to the game of baseball. It looks at some of the incredible on-players dating back to the mid-1800s, but also highlights the strides women are making off the field to support America’s National Pastime as broadcasters, writers, coaches, managers, owners and executives.

Conceived and curated by baseball historian and women’s baseball coach John Kovach, the exhibit has more than 200 artifacts in the museum’s main gallery. It includes newspaper clippings, game-worn jerseys, bats and balls, marketing materials, books, bobbleheads, photographs and more.

There’s also a 12-minute video talking to some of the female trailblazers in the sport. It airs in the museum’s auditorium.

A uniform worn during the making of "A League of Their Own" is one of the items on display in the "Women in Baseball" exhibit. (Casey Weldon/Spectrum News 1)

“It’s really a story that not a lot of people know about, but as fans of the game, they really should,” said Rick Walls, executive director of the museum inside Great American Ball Park. He called the exhibit “eye-opening and enlightening.”

“It’s inspirational several ways because it really provides a look at the history of the game from a different perspective, and maybe shows us where the game is going in the future,” Walls added.

One exhibit features a script and props from the movie “A League of Their of Own.” The fictionalized account tells the tale of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League started during World War II.

While that story is prominently known, the influence of women in baseball dates back centuries before that. Women were playing organized baseball as far back as 1869, when the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team. The first documented women’s baseball formed in the 1860s at Vassar College. A group of women formed “Bloomer Girls” teams in the 1890s. They’d barnstorm across until 1934, playing local town, semi-pro, and minor league men’s teams, Walls said.

“What we’re talking about here are pioneers who have paved the way for the All-American Girls league and the players who are taking the field or leadership roles in baseball today,” he added.

Around the country, there are 100,000 girls playing youth baseball in the United States, Walls said. The exhibit mentions a few modern players like Mo’ne Davis, who starred as a pitcher for a team from Philadelphia in the 2014 Little League World Series.

In early March, Brown University freshman Olivia Pichardo became the first woman to play in a Division I baseball game.

Walls credited those young women and their predecessors with helping to grow the sport among a different audience.

“I think the popularity of baseball is growing. The hope is that popularity will create new opportunities for women to play the game in college or at a high level and that will then open more doors for their involvement in different aspects of the game,” Walls added.

Reds Hall of Fame and Museum opened the exhibit in February in alignment with National Girls & Women in Sports Day. But Opening Day — which falls during Women’s History Month — presents a prime opportunity to attract fresh eyes to the exhibit and the entire museum, Walls said.

The "Women in Baseball" exhibit is on display this baseball season at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. (Photo courtesy of Reds Hall of Fame and Museum)

Beyond the next exhibit, the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum has 16,000 square feet of interactive and educational displays, highlighting the rich and storied tradition of the Reds for fans of all ages.

Since its inception, 90 players, managers, executives, and contributors have been honored with induction. Former Reds pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Danny Graves, the grand marshals of this year’s opening day parade, will become the newest members.

“Opening Day brings attention to us, and it’s one of our biggest events of the year,” Walls said. “It kicks off the whole year for us, and we know that many of the people in the ballpark on Thursday will be back at the museum time and time again to explore the rich history of baseball in Cincinnati and around the country.”

The timeline for “Women in Baseball” exhibit is open-ended. But the museum tries to rotate what’s in the main gallery every season, Walls said.

To those interested: The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is open every day during the season with extended hours. During the offseason, it’s open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for students/seniors. Children 12 and under are admitted for free as active military members and veterans.

It's part of the national Museums for All program, which provides free general admission to participants and families that receive SNAP/EBT benefits.