Classic Reds

Joe Heffron

Description

The 50 most historically significant games of baseball's first all-professional teamChoosing the 50 greatest games is hard to do; ranking them is even harder. Now every Reds fan can relive memories of baseball before and after the Big Red Machine, debate about these choices, or make a list of their own. Highlighting these moments is a unique way of telling the great story of the Cincinnati Reds. While many fans will know about Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Tony Perez, how many will remember names like Bumpus, Bubbles, and Noodles, who each had their moments of glory in a Reds uniform? It's easy for players and moments to disappear in a history that spans 150 years, but baseball roots run deep in Reds country. Classic Reds keeps those roots strong.

Sujets

• Béisbol
• Baseball

Informations

• Publié par: The Kent State University Press
• Date de parution: 14 avril 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781631013454
• Langue: English

Extrait

Classic Reds
CLASSIC SPORTS
J ONATHAN K NIGHT , Series Editor
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Classic Reds
THE 50 GREATEST GAMES IN CINCINNATI REDS HISTORY
Joe Heffron and Jack Heffron
BLACK SQUIRREL BOOKS ®     
Kent, Ohio
BLACK SQUIRREL BOOKS ®
Frisky, industrious black squirrels are a familiar sight on the Kent State University campus and the inspiration for Black Squirrel Books®, a trade imprint of The Kent State University Press. www.KentStateUniversityPress.com .
Copyright © 2019 by The Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio 44242
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-1-60635-313-4
Manufactured in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced, in any manner whatsoever, without written permission from the Publisher, except in the case of short quotations in critical reviews or articles.
All photos appear courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
Cataloging information is available at the Library of Congress.
23  22  21  20  19   5  4  3  2  1
For our parents and for Bob, who enjoyed so many Reds games with us
Contents
Foreword by Jeff Brantley
Acknowledgments
Introduction
#50 Base Ball Is Back! Red Stockings vs. St. Louis Brown Stockings, April 25, 1876
#49 No Bubbly for Bubbles Reds vs. New York Giants, September 16, 1926
#48 A Man Called Bumpus Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, October 15, 1892
#47 A Great New Ball Park Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, March 31, 2003
#46 What’s in a Name? Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, August 3, 1969
#45 Breaking Barriers Reds vs. Milwaukee Braves, April 17, 1954
#44 Win It for Hutch Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, September 21, 1964
#43 A Great Swat Duel Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, October 8, 1905
#42 Nuestros Queridos Rojos Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, September 29, 1923
#41 Curse You, Al Leiter Reds vs. New York Mets, October 4, 1999
#40 Tom’s Terrific Day Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, June 16, 1978
#39 Maloney Makes Sure Reds vs. Chicago Cubs, August 19, 1965
#38 Western Avenue’s Bombers Reds vs. Milwaukee Braves, August 18, 1956
#37 A Great Day in Redland Reds vs. Chicago Cubs, April 11, 1912
#36 Walker to the Rescue Reds vs. Chicago Cubs, July 6, 1949
#35 A Nice Day for Noodles Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, July 12, 1900
#34 30–30 Club Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, September 22, 1996
#33 Who Can Dream This? Reds vs. Houston Astros, September 28, 2010
#32 King Hal Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, July 1, 1973
#31 The Clinch Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, September 22, 2012
#30 Big Red Scooter Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, June 6, 2017
#29 Junior’s 600 Reds vs. Florida Marlins, June 9, 2008
#28 We Go to Cincinnati Reds vs. Oakland Athletics, October 20, 1972
#27 Defying the Odds Reds vs. New York Yankees, October 5, 1961
#26 Homer Strikes Twice Reds vs. San Francisco Giants, July 2, 2013
#25 Johnny’s Big Night Reds vs. Houston Astros, September 17, 1983
#24 Good-bye, Crosley Reds vs. San Francisco Giants, June 24, 1970
#23 The Hit Streak Reds vs. Atlanta Braves, July 31, 1978
#22 The Whip Reds vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, June 22, 1947
#21 One-in-a-Million Feeling Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, October 6, 1995
#20 And Then There Was Light Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, May 24, 1935
#19 Ragamuffins to Riches Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, August 16, 1961
#18 Double No-No Reds vs. Chicago Cubs, May 2, 1917
#17 Respect Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, September 18, 1940
#16 The Machine Rolls On Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies, October 12, 1976
#15 Sort of a World Series Red Stockings vs. Chicago White Stockings, October 6, 1882
#14 Reds Take Flag Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, September 28, 1939
#13 Lou’s Boys Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, October 12, 1990
#12 A Grand Feeling Reds vs. New York Giants, September 16, 1919
#11 Mr. Perfect Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, September 16, 1988
#10 Vandy’s Dandies Reds vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, June 15, 1938
  #9 4,192 Reds vs. San Diego Padres, September 11, 1985
  #8 Big Red Sweeper Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, October 5, 1970
  #7 In the Very Beginning Red Stockings vs. Great Westerns, May 4, 1869
  #6 The Shot Heard ’round Reds Country Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, October 11, 1972
  #5 Tainted Title Reds vs. Chicago White Sox, October 9, 1919
  #4 Sweep! Reds vs. New York Yankees, October 21, 1976
  #3 Wire to Wire Reds vs. Oakland Athletics, October 20, 1990
  #2 This Time There’s No Denying Reds vs. Detroit Tigers, October 8, 1940
  #1 Champions at Last Reds vs. Boston Red Sox, October 22, 1975
Bibliography
Foreword
JEFF BRANTLEY
Growing up in Hoover, Alabama, I know the idea of being a Reds fan seems rather far-fetched. Back in the 1970s, my dad and I seemed to always find time to listen to Reds Radio and the Big Red Machine. We could pick up the games on WLW during the evening hours, but only on the car radio, and only when the car was moving. As long as the car eased up and down the driveway, we could hear Marty and Joe loud and clear. Many times, much to the dismay of my mom, my dad and I would take a plate of dinner out to the driveway so we could listen in on a Big Red Machine night. I have so many memories of learning to love baseball with my dad by my side—and all from a car radio.
This was the time in my life that not only did I listen to Reds baseball, but I also began to dream of actually being a baseball player. Most afternoons after school, I would come home and pull out my glove and a baseball to play in the driveway. We had a brick wall between the two garage doors, and I picked out a few bricks on the wall that would simulate the strike zone. I began to get pretty good at hitting those same bricks over and over and fielding the ball as it bounced back toward me. Before long I was not only Don Gullett on the mound, striking out the best in the National League, but I also pretended to be Marty Brennaman, announcing those strikeouts. I can only imagine what my mom thought about her son, not only throwing a ball against a brick wall repeatedly, but also talking to himself while doing it.
There weren’t too many individual games that stuck with me over the years, but the nature by which those Reds played surely did. I’ll never forget the hustle of Pete Rose, the bat pump of Joe Morgan, the slick glove of Concepcion. It always seemed as though no human could steal a base against the mighty Johnny Bench, and if the Reds ever had to have a big hit it came from Tony Perez. There was no team in baseball in my mind that could stand up to the Big Red Machine, especially in my driveway.
From Hoover, Alabama, on to Mississippi State, baseball continued to consume seemingly my every thought and action. I never lost sight of my favorite team, even as I made it to the major leagues with the San Francisco Giants. I was quite enamored by the thought of playing in Cincinnati, even though my first game in the Queen City came in a Giants uniform. I remember my first view of the lights of the city, Riverfront Stadium, the names … oh, the names that had played here. My first game at Riverfront was by far the worst statistical day of my baseball playing career, including Little League. On the mound I was the 10-year-old boy in the driveway trying to strike out legends, and it was a very rough day.
Six years later, I put on my first Reds uniform, and I was in Riverfront. Putting on that uniform for the first time meant to me I had finally arrived, even though I had been a major league pitcher for six years. I was a Red, and there was a duty to uphold, a tradition, the Big Red Machine standard. And, as if that was not enough, my pitching coach with the Reds was none other than Don Gullet.
Now I sit almost every evening next to the man who was in my car every night in Alabama. No, it’s not my dad; he’s with the Lord now. It’s Marty Brennaman, and I am privileged to be his broadcast partner, hoping to bring Reds baseball into the hearts of many as he did for me.
Every Reds fan should be able to relive memories of baseball both before and after the Big Red Machine. I believe that this book will help you relive some of those familiar moments from all eras of Reds baseball. Baseball provides timeless memories for all of us with our family and friends, and I know as you move through these pages your heart will forever be grateful.
Acknowledgments
Our series editor Jonathan Knight deserves our deepest thanks, for his vision and his patience. The Classic series is his idea, and we’re grateful that he came to us to do the Reds book for the series. The structure and approach are his ideas. We simply tried our best to execute his vision.
We also owe a lot of gratitude to Chris Eckes, curator at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. As he’s done on so many earlier projects, Chris took time from his demanding job to offer advice, as well as helping us round up photos. His smart, genial, generous nature always makes the work so much easier to do. Thanks, Chris!
Jeff Brantley was very kind to provide the foreword for the book. Having the viewpoint of someone who played in a cou