The Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds (The Big Red Machine)
Hundreds of thousands of fans can hardly wait – they’re practising their yells and honing their beer-drinking expertise, digging out their favourite team jerseys and ball caps ready to roar “Take Me Out to The Ball Game” in anticipation of the Glorious Opening Day of America’s most beloved game – baseball!
And while we wait for that Golden Day to dawn on Thursday, March 31, why don’t we take a stroll down Memory Lane, back to the olden days of baseball and revisit some other magical opening days, memorable games, heroic deeds and the unforgettable characters of that time. In fact, while we’re at it, why don’t we go back one hundred and forty-five years - to 1866, the early days of one of the most celebrated teams of all time, the Cincinnati Reds. Or, as they were known way back then, the Cincinnati Red Stockings.
This was baseball’s very first all-professional team, starting out as an amateur club in 1866 and turning professional in 1869. There’s an old sepia-toned photograph of the team, taken in 1869 and in that year and 1870, they won one hundred and thirty straight games before their first defeat at the hands – and mitts of the Brooklyn Atlantics.
The team took a triumphant tour of the Eastern states in 1869, victorious in twenty-one games. They came home to Cincinnati, were lauded with a brass band reception and a banquet, after which they were presented with a “champion bat made from ash wood, which was twenty-seven feet long, nine inches in diameter and weighed over a thousand pounds.” It was a gift to the team from the Cincinnati Lumber Company!
And, at the end of 1869, the undefeated Red Stockings were hailed as the best team in baseball posting a 57-0 record - the only perfect season ever in baseball history - and remains as such to this day!
Following the 1870 season, the best players of the team moved to Boston and became the Boston Red Stockings, later called the “Beaneaters,” finally ending up with the name “Braves” (now the Atlanta-based team). Five years later, a new Cincinnati Red Stockings team was born as a charter member of the National League in 1876. However, this newly minted team was expelled from the League after the 1880 season for serving beer to their fans and renting out the baseball park on Sundays – alcohol and Sundays did not mix well in 1880!
From the ashes, a third Cincinnati Red Stockings team arose like a phoenix as a founding member of the American Association - a rival to the National League. The new team began its baseball career in 1882 and is the same franchise today. The Red Stockings of 1882 played in the American Association for eight seasons, winning the Association’s Inaugural Pennant in 1882, their first year! That pennant-winning club still holds the record for the highest winning percentage of any Reds club to this day (.668) except for that perfect season of 1869.
Seven years later, the Red Stockings and the Brooklyn Dodgers departed the shrinking American Association for the growing National League. The team changed its name from the Red Stockings to the Cincinnati Reds and began signing up players – emerging youngsters and ageing oldsters. The team managed to reach third place in 1897 but the century’s final decade was forgettable for the Reds until the turn of the century when things began to improve. They had batting star Sam Crawford as well as Cy Seymour on board (whose batting average in 1905 was .377) who held the first individual Red Stocking batting record). Despite the fact that the team remained in the second division, Bob Bescher stole 81 bases – and that remains a team record to this day.
The Reds played baseball on a site at the corner of Findlay and Western Avenues for twenty-eight years and in 1912, they opened their new ballpark, Redland Field which was later renamed Crosley Field. Things began to look up for the Reds as they started to come out of the second division, finishing fourth in 1918 and winning the National League Pennant in 1919 under their new manager Pat Moran. They had hitting stars Edd Roush and Heinie Groh on board and their pitchers were led by Hod Eller and lefty Harry “Slim” Sallee. The team buried John “Muggsy” McGraw’s New York Giants and went up against the Chicago White Sox for the 1919 World Championship, winning the Series in eight games. But this first championship was a tarnished one for the Reds as it precipitated the 1919 White Sox scandal, which sent tremors through professional baseball for decades, resulting in the banning of eight White Sox players for life.
The Reds remained in the second division for years. They had pitching stars Eppa Rixey, Dolf Luque and Pete Donohue aboard but the team’s lack-lustre offense never paralleled the superb pitching and by 1931, the team had slipped into bankruptcy, heralding the Great Depression of the thirties – and their ballpark, Redland Field deteriorated along with them.
Salvation came in the form of brothers Powel and Lewis Crosley, manufacturers of fridges and radios, who, in 1933, stepped in and bought the Reds out of bankruptcy. They also started WLW Radio, known as the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation in Cincinnati and hired Larry McPhail to manage their new team. He developed the team’s minor league system and increased the Reds’ fan base.
Throughout the 1930’s the Cincinnati Reds emerged as a team of “firsts!” Redland Park was renamed Crosley Field and hosted the first night game in 1935, launching it with a fireworks display, courtesy of Joe Rozzi of Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks.
The Reds brought in Johnny Vander Meer (the only pitcher in major league history to throw back-to-back no-hitters in 1938) and together with Paul Derringer and Bucky Walters the three provided a solid pitching staff for the team. They moved out of the second division that same year and under the leadership of new manager Bill McKechnie, they finished in fourth place. Catcher Ernie Lombardi was named MVP in 1938, hitting .342 with 19 home runs and drove in 95 runs – he also caught Johnny Vander Meer’s two no-hitters for that year. The following year, the Reds were the National League Champions but got marmalized by the New York Yankees in the World Series.
The team led the National League in 1940 too and roared to victory in the World Championship for the first time in twenty-one years, beating the Detroit Tigers four games to three.
But times were changing rapidly. World War II was unleashed, taking some team members into the military - and the other Reds’ players were getting older. In June, 1944, a youngster named Joe Nuxhall was borrowed from a nearby high school to pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a big kid at 6’ 2” and threw left-handed hardballs - he retired the first batter he faced! He is the youngest player in baseball history ever to have played Major League Baseball but he spent the rest of that season in the minor leagues – but he would return to the majors later on.
For the rest of the 1940’s and into the 1950’s, the team languished in the second division. Ewell Blackwell was the main pitcher until injuries stopped his throwing career and Ted Kluszewski was the National League home run leader for 1954. The remainder of the team was composed of older players who were past their prime - and youngsters who were not quite cooked through and, as yet, were unprepared for the big time!
On two occasions in the 1950’s, the Cincinnati Reds officially changed their team name to the “Cincinnati Redlegs.” This was the witch-hunting era of McCarthyism and it was feared that the name “Reds” would connote an association with Communism. The team logo was also changed until the restoration of the traditional wish-bone shaped “C” in 1967.
National League Rookie of the Year in 1956, Frank Robinson led the Cincinnati Redlegs to hit 221 homers, tying the League record and by 1961, Wally Post, Gordy Coleman and Vada Pinson had arrived, together with Gene Freese. And then Jim O”Toole, Bob Purkey and Joey Jay formed a solid pitching staff, leading the Reds to the National League Pennant in 1961. But they met their Waterloo at the 1961 World Series when the tough New York Giants smacked them down in five games. Throughout the remainder of the 1960’s, the Reds had winning teams, but no championships. In 1962, they won 98 games but finished third overall.
But the Reds were on an upswing and were considered a challenging club in 1964 following the appearance of new talent in 1963 like shortstop Leo Cardenas and rookie second baseman Pete Rose. But they missed winning the 1964 pennant to the Cardinals after placing first when the Phillies crumpled in September.
During the 1964 season, they had been managed by the wildly popular Fred Hutchinson but his cancer diagnosis forced him to turn over the job to his first-base coach, Dick Sisler. The Reds surged forward, motivated by their terminally ill manager to finish well and they won 29 games out of their last 47, finishing in a tie with the Phillies for second, one place behind the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hutchinson died a few weeks later and was named Man of the Year by Sport Magazine. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1965 and MLB gives the annual Hutch Award to the player who best epitomizes Fred Hutchinson’s indomitable fighting spirit and professionalism in baseball competition. He was just 45 years old.
The team’s failure to win the 1964 pennant caused the owners to sell key components in the expectation of the franchise’s move to New York but the emergence of Frank Robinson and an enhanced fan base put a stop to the negotiation. But following the 1965 season, the owners embarked on what might be considered the most unbalanced trade in baseball history – trading MVP Frank Robinson for pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun. Frank Robinson was at his peak and won MVP and the Triple Crown in the American League for the 1966 season - and took Baltimore to the World Series, sweeping away the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It was considered at the time that this transaction was the team’s death knell! However, this was the Cincinnati Reds - and while they did not begin to recover until the emergence of the “Big Red Machine” in the early 1970’s, there was a great deal of activity going on behind the scenes. So while they recover, let’s step back a few years in time and examine what was going on!
The Cincinnati Reds, like most of the other MLB teams had their own baseball “farm” in place. The farm system, as it is recognized today, was invented and initiated by Branch Rickey of the St. Louis Cardinals. As their field manager, general manager, and club president, he helped to build the Cardinals through the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. In 1916 when he joined the team, players were purchased by major league teams from independent, high-level minor league clubs. Rickey, who knew talent when he saw it, was upset when baseball talent which he had scouted himself at A and AA levels were sold to wealthy clubs like the Chicago Cubs or the New York Giants.
Sam Breadon was the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals. So he and Branch Rickey created a plan in which St. Louis would purchase and control minor league teams from Class D to Class AA (the highest level at the time). This allowed them to choose and develop the talent they scouted, permitting them to promote or demote players as they developed them – in other words, they “farmed” their own talent.
In the early 1960s’ the Cincinnati Reds' farm system began to turn out some future baseball greats, such as Jim Maloney, the feared pitcher of the 1960’s, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, whom ESPN considers the greatest catcher in baseball history, Tony Perez, Tommy Helms, Bernie Carbo, Lee May, Hal McCrae, Dave Concepcion and Gary Nolan. Their names would become household words even to those who did not follow baseball!
The next great thing to happen to the Reds was the 1967 appointment of Bob Howsam to the position of the team’s General Manager. One of his first undertakings was to revive and restore the team’s traditional home-uniform logo – the wishbone-shaped “C” inside which was emblazoned the team’s name REDS!
Bob Howsam introduced a few rules once he took over the Reds – no team member could have long hair or wear a beard of any type. In an era where turmoil reigned, he was determined that his team would appear clean, wholesome and American – hence no facial hair! His “clean-cut” policy remained in place for the next thirty years – challenged a few times no doubt! When Rollie Fingers, relief pitcher for the Oakland A’s was offered a contract to play for the Reds in 1986, he showed up with his signature handlebar moustache which he had grown in 1972 to win a 0 bonus from Oakland A’s owner Charles Finley. Finley had offered the money to the player on his team who could grow the best moustache in time for the 1972 opening day game. Fingers answered the challenge by growing and styling an 1800”s waxed monster which he kept; however, Reds owner Marge Schott insisted that Rollie shave it before he could sign up. He said he would do so, if Marge shaved her Saint Bernard dog! Rollie has kept his moustache to this day!
The Reds also had a strict rule regarding conservative clothing for the team. Usually the club provides the clothing and equipment used by its players, but shoes and gloves are generally provided by the players themselves. This provided an opportunity for a player to wear shoes promoted by the manufacturer with whom they enter into lucrative sponsorship agreements. But during the 1980’s, the rules demanded that the Reds wear only plain black shoes without logos on them – a rule where finally, the players reached a compromise with the owners – they were allowed to wear red shoes!
But let’s return to the game! Enter 1970 – this was the year that Pete Rose as baseball's first singles hitter signed a 6-figure contract with Reds general manager Bob Howsam for an estimated 5‚000 per year. It was also in that historic year that Sparky Anderson showed up in town! Bob Howsam had known Sparky since he had signed him up years earlier in the minor leagues! He snatched him from the California Angels in post-season 1969 and Sparky was now the manager of the Reds!
Relatively unknown in the sports world, Sparky loaded up his Reds and fired the first salvo! The team started their crusade by winning seventy of their first one hundred games! In a memorable game, they beat Atlanta‚ 7-6 in fifteen innings, where Pete Rose hit a ninth-inning homer to tie the game at 3-3. The Reds scored another three in the tenth to tie the game at 6 apiece. They scored again in the tenth inning on a double by Tony Perez and homers by Bench (who started the game in centre field) and Lee May. Newcomer Don Gullett pitched the last two innings and drove in the winner with a single – this was his first MLB game! Tony Perez was 5-for-7 in the contest. Aaron is collared in Game One - a fantastic 5-1 Reds victory in front of the largest crowd at Crosley Field since 1947 (33‚217 fans).
This triumphant beginning celebrated their move from Crosley Field to their brand new home at the Riverfront Stadium, seating 52,000 screaming fans! The Big Red Machine was on the move and the coming decade would confirm once again that it is the best baseball team ever!
The first offensive leaders were Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Pete Rose, Lee May and Bobby Tolan. The pitching crew was led by Gary Nolan, Jim Merritt, Wayne Simpson and Jim McGlothlin and included baseball veterans Tony Cloninger and Clay Carroll. New additions were Pedro Borbon and new arrival Don Gullett who accumulated 109 wins and played in six World Series Championships in his short nine-year career which was cut short by shoulder injuries.
The team roared through 1970, winning the National League West and rolling over the Pittsburgh Pirates in three games but by the time they reached the World Series, the Reds’ pitching staff was running on empty and the Baltimore Orioles took them out in five games.
The less said about the 1971 season, the better! This was the only season during the 1970’s that the Reds finished with a losing record! Sparky had to do something and fast! He reloaded his Big Red Machine by trading the veteran Jimmy Stewart, Lee May, first base and Tommy Helms, second baseman for “Little” Joe Morgan, lefty Cesar Geronimo at centre field, hurler Cactus Jack Billingham, outfielder Ed Armbrister and the versatile Denis Menke. Meanwhile, shortstop Dave Concepcion began to win fans and later would be considered one of the most popular shortstops in the game.
And 1971 was the year that Sparky took George Foster from the San Francisco Giants, trading shortstop Frank Duffy for him. This trade set the stage for future world championships and allowed George Foster to begin his journey to batting stardom. Sparky moved Pete Rose to third base and put George’s powerful bat in the daily lineup!
Let’s move on to 1972 –this was the year of Major League Baseball’s first players’ strike in history! It started on April 1, 1971 and ended thirteen days later during which 86 games were missed – and never played - and for which the League refused to pay the players. The strike was over pension funds and the owners and players finally agreed to a 0,000 increase in pension fund payments. The owners also agreed to add salary arbitration to the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement.
One of the results of the strike was the unequal number of games played. The Detroit Tigers won the American League East by half a game over the Red Sox who played one game less. And the Tigers won the division on the last but one day of the season, beating Boston 3 – 1 at Tiger Stadium. But the Reds won the National League West, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in a thrilling five-game playoff, bringing them to the World Series against the Oakland A’s.
This was a nail-biter because six out of the seven games were won by just one run. Reggie Jackson was out of the game due to an injury sustained in Oakland’s playoffs, which meant that powerful hitter and catcher Gene Tenace had an opportunity for stardom. He hit a three-run homer in Oakland’s Game Five loss and before Game Six of the Series, he was the target of a death threat! Game Seven he drove in two runs, securing a 3-2 win for the A’s and went 8 for 23 in the Series with four homers and nine RBI’s, earning himself the World Series MVP Award. This was the first World Series where no starting pitcher pitched a complete game.
The Big Red Machine was still hurtling along, winning their third National League West in 1973. But the Reds lost the National League Pennant in five games against the New York Mets in the NCLS. Pete Rose tied it up in the seventh inning off miracle pitcher Tom Seaver, allowing Johnny Bench’s home run in the bottom of the ninth, thus ending the game.
This series was marked by riots in the stands of Shea Stadium when Pete Rose slid into Bud Harrelson at second base during the fifth inning of Game Three. Bud and Pete got into it with Bud calling Pete some descriptive and unrepeatable names when Pete preventing him from completing a double play which, in turn, led to a bench-clearing brawl, stopping play. Trailing 9 – 3, Yogi Berra, the Mets’ manager and Willie Mays went to left field in an attempt to restrain the yelling fans. And the following day, Pete homered in the twelfth inning to tie the series which led to a fifth game.
In 1974, the Reds won 98 games but finished behind the Los Angeles Dodgers who had 102 wins. The Reds hosted the Atlanta Braves in the season opener and the great Hank Aaron started the day with 713 home runs, just one short of the immortal Babe’s record of 714. He tied the record the following day off Jack Billingham but the Braves’ manager benched Hank for the next day, wanting to save the historic record-breaking run for their home season opener. Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn ordered them to play Hank, who missed the home run by a hair in the fifth inning. He nailed it two nights later in his home ballpark of Atlanta.
The 1975 season started out with what appeared to be an indestructible Reds lineup! Opening Day showed Pete Rose in left field and John Vuckovitch was the starting third baseman, an outstanding fielder but a weak hitter. In May, the Reds were slowing down and trailing behind the Dodgers. Manager Sparky Anderson moved boldly and put Pete Rose on third base and placed George Foster in left field. This was what Sparky wanted – Pete’s strong defense at third and Foster in the outfield providing some powerful offense! It sparked the Reds into first place and they went on to win forty-one out of fifty games in one winning streak and played one full month without any defense errors.
The Reds romped away with one hundred and eight victories in 1975, again winning the National League West and sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates to seize the National League Pennant. Then, on to the World Series where they found themselves at Fenway Park, in a majestic struggle against the Boston Red Sox! The thrilling first four games were tied, the Reds seized Game Five – and then had to take a three-day break because of bad weather! The world of baseball stopped dead!
Game Six Day arrived, considered by many to be the most exciting game ever played and this entire Series to be the greatest World Series ever played in its long history. The Reds were ahead 6 – 3, with five outs left when the Red Sox tied it up with a three-run homer!
Then - in the twelfth inning, Red Sox batter Carlton Fisk stepped up and contributed one of the most enduring and unforgettable moments in baseball history! In the twelfth inning, he hit Reds’ pitcher Pat Darby’s second pitch down the left field line and it seemed to be flying into foul territory!
Let’s take a moment and relive that instant where Fisk is hurtling towards first base, jumping and waving the ball fair, giving us one of baseball's greatest TV moments! The caller says “game tied, 6-6. Darcy pitching. Fisk takes high and inside, ball one. Freddie Lynn on deck. There have been numerous heroics tonight, both sides. The 1–0 delivery to Fisk. He swings - long drive, left field ...if it stays fair, it's gone...home run! The Red Sox win! And the series is tied, three games apiece!
The ball struck the foul pole forcing a seventh and deciding game! The Big Red Machine delivered the win on the following day when Joe Morgan’s RBI single locked Game Seven, giving the Reds their first championship in 35 years – finally, the team gets to be the bride!!
The following year, the Reds opened with the same lineup and won the National League West by ten games! They were undefeated post-season, marmalizing the Philadelphia Phillies and returning to the World Series where they punished the New York Yankees in their renovated Yankee Stadium. The 1976 series was the first World Series played at Yankee Stadium since 1964! And by winning this Series, the Cincinnati Reds became the first National League team since the New York Giants did it in 1921 – to win consecutive World Series Championships.
The Big Red Machine of 1975 and 1976 is considered by those who know these things to be one of the greatest teams ever to play baseball. And so far in Major League Baseball, the last team to repeat their achievement two years in a row!
Could the Reds keep this up? Players get injured, age a little, lose a little starch and perhaps get traded! In the late 1970’s this began to happen to the Machine when their starting lineup was fractured with Tony Perez’s departure for the Montreal Expos in late 1976. Later on, Sparky Anderson and Bob Howsam agreed that this trade was the greatest error of their combined careers in baseball.
Then, Don Gullett, their starting pitcher departed for the New York Yankees through free agency rules and the Reds tried to get Vida Blue of the Oakland Athletics. But Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner of Baseball loused up that deal, stating that the trade would upset the competitive balance in baseball. That was followed by the New York Mets trading their franchise pitcher Tom Seaver to the Reds for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, and Dan Norman. A few more underwhelming trades were made but sadly, the end of the Big Red Machine was in sight when General Manager Bob Howsam was replaced with Dick Wagner.
Pete Rose took the limelight during his last season as a Cincinnati Red when he took aim at Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1978. This attempt ended after forty-four games when he was struck out in his fifth at bat off Gene Garber. But Pete earned his membership in the 3000Hits Club that year and found himself well on his way to becoming the game’s all-time hits leader when he rejoined the Cincinnati Reds in the 1980’s. Another star also set a record – the Reds’ Tom Seaver pitched the only no-hitter of his career in June, against the St. Louis Cardinals.
1978 was the second of two straight second place finishes! General Manager Dick Wagner fired Sparky Anderson and Pete Rose signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent, having played in almost every position for the Reds since 1963. And by 1979, the Reds’ entire pitching crew had been replaced with just Fred Norman remaining, since 1976. The starters were the illustrious Tom Seaver, Kile La Coss, Bill Bonham and Paul Moskau. Despite all the change, the Reds won the National League West thanks to Tom Seaver, but were sent off the field in the National League playoffs by Pittsburgh. During Game Two, a ball hit by Pittsburgh’s Phil Garner was caught by the Reds outfielder Dave Collins, but the ruling came down as a “trap” giving the Pirates a 2 – 1 lead. They won the series 3 – 0 and proceeded to the World Series to meet the Baltimore Orioles.
The 1981 season opened with a powerful lineup but only three members retained their positions from the 1975 – 1976 season lineup, which had been the Reds’ year to howl! The great Johnny Bench was unable to play regularly owing to a series of injuries and Joe Nolan took his place as starting catcher. Starting pitcher Mario Soto had a bonus year and was only overshadowed by Tom Seaver’s Cy Young runner-up season. Cincinnati possessed the best record, overall in baseball but they again finished in second place in the division which was hardly enhanced by a second mid-season baseball players’ strike, resulting in two half-seasons.
And by the time 1982 rolled around, the Cincinnati Reds were a pale imitation of the original Big Red Machine. The team lost one hundred and one games that season and Johnny Bench moved to third base, only to retire in 1983. He later underwent hip replacement surgery as a result of his injuries sustained by fifteen years of playing in the catcher’s position. General Manager Dick Wagner tried to resurrect the Red Machine by ridding the team of the veterans and moving a few other players to different field positions. The outfield was a disappointment, failing to live up to expectations but the starting rotation showcased Mario Soto, Bruce Berenyi and Frank Pastore. But they did not have the support of Tom Seaver who was benched most of the year through injuries and there was no strength in the offensive lineup. Former All-Star pitcher Jim Kern was traded half-way through the season for refusing to shave off his re-grown beard!
Over the next several years, the once-invincible Cincinnati Reds fell to the bottom of the heap in the Western Division. Tom Seaver was returned to the New York Mets and Dan Bilardello was behind the catcher’s apron with part-time Johnny Bench at first base. Dave Concepcion was the only starter left from the glory days of the Red Machine.
In 1983, Bob Howsam returned, ending the tyrannical stewardship of Dave Wagner. Was he going to be able to re-create a Big Red Machine? He started by signing batter Dave (The Cobra) Parker via the free agency rules and Dave showed why he had been voted as an All-Star while with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The following season, the Reds began to make their move, relying on trades and several minor league players and they had Dave Parker, Dave Concepcion and Tony Perez on board, all seasoned experts on which to rebuild.
In the middle of 1984, Pete Rose came back to Cincinnati as player-manager and Bill Bergesch took over from General Manager Bob Howsom who had started rebuilding the Reds the previous year. Bergesch made a brave effort to continue building the team with promising young players in addition to his veterans such as Dave Parker but did not fully succeed. Pitcher Tom Browning emerged as rookie of the year when he won twenty games but the rotation was ravaged by Mario Soto’s departure from the team as a result of arm injuries.
But Bill Bergesch had some major successes too! Between 1985 and 1989, the Cincinnati Reds finished second four times – better than the previous few years. And there was the great Pete Rose who led the world in all-time hits, Tom Browning who pitched a perfect game and young Chris Sabo who was named National League Rookie of the Year in 1988. John Franco had joined the Reds in 1983 and became the star of the bullpen as relief pitcher between 1984 and 1989.
But in addition to the successes, there were a few not-so-good events in the locker room of the Cincinnati Reds. Almost a baseball god, Pete Rose found himself banned for life from his beloved game by Commissioner Bart Giamatti on the grounds that he was guilty of “conduct detrimental to baseball.” Pete was accused of gambling on baseball games and even of betting against his own team as player/manager. And Marge Schott, the Reds’ owner was charged with racial slurs and pro-Nazi comments and attitude. Major League Baseball banned her on two separate occasions and did not permit her to run the day-to-day operations of the Cincinnati Reds. She later sold her controlling interest in the team while facing yet a third suspension from MLB – but she retained a minority interest.
Murray Cook replaced General Manager Bill Bergesch in 1987. He had started his baseball career in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system as an infielder but later became a baseball scout. He became the General Manager of the New York Yankees in 1983, following the termination of the previous GM, Bill Bergesch. Following closely in his footsteps, he took over the management of the Cincinnati Reds at the end of the 1987 season.
Murray Cook inked several deals which would eventually return the Reds to the championship. He signed pitcher Danny Jackson from the Kansas City Royals and Jose Rijo, right-handed pitcher from the New York Yankees in exchange for Dave Parker whose career was declining. In 1989, Murray Cook was succeeded by Bob Quinn who finished what Murray had started in 1987 by acquiring Hal Morris as first baseman, famous for his unusual hitting strategies, sending the ball to every corner of the ball park; Billy Hatcher, a batter from the Pittsburgh Pirates who batted .519 in post-season 1990 and relief pitcher Randy Myers, a member of the Nasty Boys trio!
Lou Piniella took over the management of the Reds in 1990 and the team won their first nine games, maintaining their lead right through the year, demolishing the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NCLS. They then flattened the Oakland Athletics in four straight and proceeded to the World Series, stretching it to nine consecutive, heart-stopping games!
But 1991 was not memorable for the Cincinnati Reds and in 1992, Jim Bowden replaced Bob Quinn in the front office. Manager Lou Piniella needed to fill the space left by Eric Davis, traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Tim Belcher who only lasted one year before he was traded again. Piniella chose outfielder Paul O’Neill as the power hitter he needed, but O’Neill did not live up to expectations and he was traded again to the New York Yankees.
1991 had been disappointing but the Reds picked up in 1992 and started winning once again. However, their 90 wins were insufficient to win the League and they earned second place on the heels of the Atlanta Braves. Roberto Kelly, outfielder for the Yankees joined the Reds as part of the Paul O’Neill trade but neither did he meet expectations – while O’Neill developed his amazing hitting skills with the Yankees, going from strength to strength. Steinbrenner nicknamed him the “Warrior” because of his temper tirades with himself – and for his passion for baseball. The Reds finished the season by updating their Red Machine uniforms for sleeveless pinstripes. Team manager Lou Piniella was replaced in 1993 by the popular Tony Perez but after just forty-four games, he was ousted in favour of Davey Johnson, who had managed the New York Mets to their World Series win in 1986. Could he do the same for the Reds?
He piloted the team and slowly, the results showed a steady upward trend; the Reds were now part of the newly minted National League Central Division together with the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Houston Astros and their rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Let’s step aside here for a moment and take a quick look at what happened next! Because of a long-simmering labour dispute between the ownership and the players’ Union, baseball stopped dead in its tracks! On August 12, 1994, the players went on strike!
There had been decades of mistrust between ownership and the players and, at this critical time, there was no official Commissioner of Baseball. There had been “collusion,” meaning that players had acted in concert with other players and clubs had acted in concert with other clubs between the 1985 and 1987 off-seasons and this was forbidden by the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement. Commissioner Fay Vincent had been forced out by the owners in September 1992 and Bud Selig became the unofficial Commissioner.
And in February, 1994, the owners took away most of the Commissioner’s power to act in baseball’s best interests. In August, with no solution in sight, the players went on strike and stayed out until ordered by the then-President Clinton to reach an agreement by February 6, 1995. The deadline came and went without resolution, but a few days earlier, the owners had agreed to revoke the salary cap and return to the old agreement.
There was no World Series in 1994 and no post-season - and the entire affair cost the owners, players, clubs and all those involved in the business of baseball millions of dollars. Worst of all, it angered and disappointed the fans who, at the end of the day, are baseball’s “raison d’etre!”
When the strike hit, the Reds had finished a half-game ahead of the Houston Astros and had taken first place in the National League Central. And in 1995, the team won the division, courtesy of Barry Larkin, shortstop, who won MVP for that year, batting an unbelievable .389 in the NL Championship series. But the Reds ultimately lost the series to the Atlanta Braves.
Team Manager Davey Johnson and owner Marge Schott had never seen eye to eye; she disapproved of Davey living with his fiancée before they married! In mid-season, Marge told the players that Davey would be gone by the end of the season and would be replaced by the former Reds third baseman, Ray Knight, a close friend of Marge Schott. Unfortunately, it was a poor choice of manager and his despotic management style lasted less than two seasons! The Reds tanked and Jack McKeon took over as team manager, leading the Reds to 98 wins, but losing to the New York Mets in a one-game playoff. That year, Jack was awarded the National League’s title “Manager of the Year”
Earlier in 1999, Marge Schott sold her controlling interest in the Cincinnati Reds. Jack McKeon continued to lead the team, but in spite of an 85-77 finish in 2000, he was gone at the end of the season. The Reds would not have another winning season for ten more years.
Even Riverfront Stadium suffered! Opened in 1970, the multi-use stadium had hosted three World Championships and was torn down in 2002. In its place, the Great American Ballpark was opened and the first-ever Major League Baseball game was played on March 28, 2003 against the Reds’ American League rivals, the Cleveland Indians. The first official major league game was hosted on March 31, 2003 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ken Griffey Jr. made the first hit in the new ballpark – a double!
Great American Ballpark was host to the third annual Major League Baseball Civil Rights Game in June, 2009 in front of more than 40,000 fans. Unfortunately, the Reds were defeated by the Chicago White Sox, 10 – 8 but the next time the Reds hosted the Civil Rights Game in 2010, they beat the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 4 – 3. The advent of the new park resulted in an increased attendance - but the team continued to lose.
Since the early 1990’s, there had been negligible cash investment in the farm system under the ownership of Marge Schott, resulting in a dearth of up-and-coming new talent for the team. There had been much talk and many promises concerning the rebuilding of the club and the new ballpark but something needed to be done quickly. In July, manager Bob Boone and General Manager Jim Bowden were sent packing; a move which broke up the father-son partnership of Bob Boone and third baseman Aaron Boone, who was soon traded to the New York Yankees.
The sixteenth General Manager of the Reds was the veteran administrator Dan O’Brien. He had started out in the Seattle Mariners’ front office in 1977 and had served as farm system director and scouting director for the Astros until 1996. He had also served as Assistant General Manager of the Texas Rangers for six years before joining the Cincinnati Reds in 2003.
Not much changed and the state of affairs remained the same throughout 2004 and 2005 – great hitting, mediocre pitching and no records! Ken Griffey Jr. was benched by injuries but still managed to join the 500 Home runs club in 2004. And Adam “Big Donkey” Dunn, at six feet, six inches and weighing in at 275 was one of the most terrifying sluggers in baseball! Dunn had joined the Reds in July, 2001 and in August, he set a National League record by hitting twelve home runs in one month! In 2004, his batting average was .569 but finished the season with 195 strikeouts, breaking the MLB record! A consistent home-run hitter, he hit a 535 foot home run off Jose Lima of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004.
The Reds remained in last place and manager Dave Miley was fired mid-season in 2005. Jerry Narron took over as interim manager and was contracted until 2007. Meanwhile, the Reds disengaged with some of their veteran players and began focusing on their team’s future with some up and coming youngsters like Austin Kearns and Adam Dunn whose M dollar option was picked up by the Reds in 2007, making him the highest-paid player in the team.
In 2004, the Reds opened their Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. There had been a Hall of Fame since the 1950’s with plaques and memorabilia scattered about, but the owners wanted a special place in which the team’s fans could participate in inter-active displays and see locker room recreations in addition to being able to watch videos of special Reds’ moments in baseball.
There is a first-floor movie theatre designed to represent the Reds’ old ballpark, Crosley Field and the walls are covered with vintage photographs depicting the Reds’ long history. At the back of the building, there is a wall dedicated to the career of the great Pete Rose with a baseball marking every one of his career hits, making him the all-time hits leader. There’s also a rosebush, marking the spot where his 4,192nd hit landed – the one which broke Ty Cobb’s hitting record.
In 2006, the Reds’ ceremonial Opening Day pitch was thrown by then-President George W. Bush, the first sitting President ever to throw the first pitch at a Reds game. Robert Castellini took over as the controlling owner - his first act was to fire manager Dan O’Brien and after a long search, replaced him with Wayne Krivsky who had been the Assistant General Manager of the Minnesota Twins. And his first act was to trade outfielder Wily Mo Pena to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Bronson Arroyo. Krivsky is credited with overhauling the Reds’ farm system and signing up the young talent which could lead the Reds to future success.
For Bronson Arroyo, 2006 was a year to be remembered! He led the major league with 3,852 pitches, 240 2/3 innings pitched and his first selection to an All-Star game. 2006 also marked his first career shutout in the major leagues. In 2007, he extended his contract with the Reds through 2010 with an option for 2011. But he developed carpal tunnel syndrome in his pitching hand and upon medical advice, missed several games during 2009 spring training which may account for his mediocre showing in the first half of the season. But the second half showed the old Bronson Arroyo back on top, lowering his ERA from the 5's to the 3's, throwing multiple shutouts and complete games, and placed him as the Reds’ top starter for 2010.
However, he was chosen as the Number Two starter for the Reds’ first playoff series in fifteen years, following which he earned his first Gold Glove! And the Reds’ picked up his 2011 option in November, 2010 which will extend through 2013 at million dollars.
General Manager Wayne Krivsky made several controversial trades mid-season which resulted in the Reds’ failed run at the playoffs. 2007 was not much better and manager Jerry Narron was given his walking papers mid-season and replaced with Pete Mackanin who acted as interim manager until the Reds could find a well-known manager with a big history! Under Mackanin, the Reds finished fifth in the Central Division and the team brought in Dusty Baker, the first African-American manager in the Cincinnati Reds’ history. He had managed the San Francisco Giants for nine years, followed by three years with the Chicago Cubs.
During the early season of 2008, Wayne Krivsky disappeared and was replaced by Walt Jocketty who had built the St Louis Cardinals and taken them to the 2006 World Championship. But the Reds still failed to post winning records! However, they added seasoned players during the 2008 and 2009 seasons which would enable the team to make a potentially successful stab at the National League Central Division Championship in 2010.
That year, the Cincinnati Reds achieved a 91-71 record for a season that included many memorable moments which went a long way to make up for the recent lackadaisical seasons. They roared in from behind to win in over 40 games, many in their final at-bat, supported by some magnificent pitching from Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez and newcomers Mike Leake and Travis Wood.
On August 10, 2010, Great American Ballpark was witness to a brawl between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Reds, initiated by the tendency of the Cardinals to “whine” about equipment and rule infractions. The scuffle was broken up in minutes but the Cardinals’ back-up catcher was injured, fines were levied against several participants and Johnny Cueto was suspended for seven games!
Tueday, September 8, 2010 was a momentous day for the Reds with Jay Bruce leading off the bottom of the ninth inning with a solo home run and an over-the-wall catch in the third inning by centre-fielder Drew Stubbs which killed a potential two-run homer, bringing the Reds to a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros. This long-awaited victory gave the Reds the National League Central championship, allowing them their first appearance in the playoffs in fifteen seasons.
Things were looking up! The week after the championship win, the Cincinnati Reds became the second team ever to score a post-season no-hit game. But in October, 2010, the Reds lost 2-0 to the Phillies which resulted in a three-game sweep for Philadelphia.
And that’s it! We’ve come full circle in this story of the Cincinnati Reds! Rogers Hornsby said “When people ask me what I do during the winter when there’s no baseball, I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring!” And right now, the team is playing in the Cactus League spring training at Goodyear Park in Phoenix, Arizona.
And the Cincinnati Reds will start their 122nd season in baseball on March 31, 2011. They will play their opening game at the Great American Ballpark against the Milwaukee Brewers at 2-10 Eastern time.
“Take me out to the ball game . . . . .”