PTWSW #73: The 1976 Cincinnati Reds

Manager: Sparky Anderson
Record: 102-60
Ballpark: Riverfront Stadium
Owner: Louis Nippert
GM: Bob Howsam
Coaches: Ted Kluszewski, Russ Nixon, George Scherger, Larry Shepard

Future Hall of Famers: Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez

All-Stars: Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion, George Foster, Ken Griffey, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Pete Rose

Team Leaders, Batting

BA: Ken Griffey, .336
OBP: Joe Morgan, .444 (NL leader)
SLG: Joe Morgan, .576 (NL leader)
OPS: Joe Morgan, 1.020 (NL leader)
2B: Pete Rose, 42 (NL leader)
3B: Cesar Geronimo, 11
HR: George Foster, 29
RBI: George Foster, 121 (NL leader)
BB: Joe Morgan, 114
SB: Joe Morgan, 60

Team Leaders, Pitching

W: Gary Nolan, 15
SO: Pat Zachry, 143
ERA: Pat Zachry, 2.74
IP: Gary Nolan, 239.1
CG: Fred Norman, 8
SHO: Fred Norman, 3
K/BB: Gary Nolan, 4.19 (NL leader)
SV: Rawly Eastwick, 26 (NL leader)

Tidbits

Oldest Player: Pete Rose (b. April 14, 1941)

Youngest Player: Manny Sarmiento (b. February 2, 1956)

First to Leave Us: Pedro Borbon (d. June 4, 2012). Incidentally, this team holds the record among World Series Champions for the longest gap between the day they won the Series and the first death of a player, at 35 years, 7 months and 14 days (second-best is the 1952 New York Yankees).

Last Survivor: Most are still living as of the date of this post.

First in Majors: Bob Bailey (debut September 14, 1962)

Last in Majors: Ken Griffey (final game May 31, 1991)

First to Play For the Franchise: Pete Rose (April 8, 1963)

Last to Play For the Franchise: Ken Griffey (August 17, 1990)

Pre-union Team: The 1969-71 Astros had three: Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo and Joe Morgan.

Reunion Team: The 1977 Expos (Santo Alcala, Will McEnaney, Tony Perez), 1977-82 Mets (Doug Flynn (1977-81), George Foster (1982), Joel Youngblood, Pat Zachry), 1983 Phillies (Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Pete Rose) and 1984 Expos (Dan Driessen, Doug Flynn, Pete Rose) each had three.

Accomplishments

Joe Morgan, NL MVP
Pat Zachry, NL Co-Rookie of the Year
Johnny Bench, NL Catcher Gold Glove
Joe Morgan, NL Second Base Gold Glove
Dave Concepcion, NL Shortstop Gold Glove
Cesar Geronimo, NL Outfield Gold Glove

Season Summary

After finally winning the World Series the previous year, the Big Red Machine continued to roll. As great as the Reds' offense had been in 1975, in 1976 it was even better. Cincinnati led the NL in everything: runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, stolen bases, walks, all the slash stats, and even strikeouts. Their pitching and defense fell to middle-of-the-pack, which meant they allowed more runs, but their lineup was so dominant that they still managed to win 102 games and finish ten games ahead in their division. For the second year in a row, Joe Morgan was named National League MVP, leading the team offensively and playing a solid second base.

In the postseason the Reds were flat-out unstoppable. For their first act, they swept the Philadelphia Phillies, winners of 101 games, in the NLCS. They won the first two games easily, and just when the Phillies looked to make it a series the Reds snatched away another victory. In Game 3 Philly held a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, but Cincy led off the inning with back-to-back homers from George Foster and Johnny Bench. The Reds then loaded the bases for Ken Griffey, whose chopper deflected off first baseman Bobby Tolan's glove, scoring Dave Concepcion with the winning run. For the second straight season the Reds were National League Champions.

The Reds' World Series opponent was the New York Yankees, who were playing in the Fall Classic for the first time in 12 years. Unlike their archrivals the year before, the Yankees didn't put up much of a fight. After an easy Red win in Game 1, Game 2 was the only one where New York even came close. With two out and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth, the game was tied. Griffey hit a grounder that resulted in a throwing error on Yankee shortstop Fred Stanley, and suddenly the winning run was on second. After an intentional walk to Morgan, Tony Perez struck the walkoff blow, singling to left and scoring Griffey. The Series shifted to Yankee Stadium, but even at home the Bombers looked helpless against the Reds; Cincinnati won the final two games by a combined score of 13-4, completing a sweep of the entire postseason and winning their second title in as many years.

Cincinnati's team OPS over the four games was an incredible .887, and their ERA was a dominant 2.00. For his two homers, six RBI and .533 batting average, Johnny Bench was named World Series MVP.

Acknowledgements:

Baseball Reference
Baseball Almanac
Google News Archives

PTWSW #72: The 1975 Cincinnati Reds

Manager: Sparky Anderson
Record: 108-54
Ballpark: Riverfront Stadium
Owner: Louis Nippert
GM: Bob Howsam
Coaches: Alex Grammas, Ted Kluszewski, George Scherger, Larry Shepard

Future Hall of Famers: Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez

All-Stars: Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Pete Rose

Team Leaders, Batting

BA: Joe Morgan, .327
OBP: Joe Morgan, .466 (NL leader)
SLG: Johnny Bench, .519
OPS: Joe Morgan, .974 (NL leader)
2B: Pete Rose, 47 (NL leader)
3B: Ken Griffey, 9
HR: Johnny Bench, 28
RBI: Johnny Bench, 110
BB: Joe Morgan, 132 (NL leader)
SB: Joe Morgan, 67

Team Leaders, Pitching

W: Jack Billingham, Don Gullett, Gary Nolan, 15
SO: Fred Norman, 119
ERA: Gary Nolan, 3.16
IP: Gary Nolan, 210.2
CG: Don Gullett, 8
SHO: Don Gullett, 3
K/BB: Gary Nolan, 2.55
SV: Rawly Eastwick, 22

Tidbits

Oldest Player: Pete Rose (b. April 14, 1941)

Youngest Player: Don Werner (b. March 8, 1953)

First to Leave Us: Clay Kirby (d. October 11, 1991)

Last Survivor: Most are still living as of the date of this post.

First in Majors: Fred Norman (debut September 21, 1962)

Last in Majors: Ken Griffey (final game May 31, 1991)

First to Play For the Franchise: Pete Rose (April 8, 1963)

Last to Play For the Franchise: Ken Griffey (August 17, 1990). The Reds won the World Series that year, but Griffey never got a champagne shower, as he was released down the stretch. The season was a memorable one for Griffey though; he joined the Mariners for the final month, and with his son Ken Jr. became the first father-son duo to hit back-to-back homers.

Pre-union Team: The 1969-71 Astros had three: Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo and Joe Morgan. This trio was acquired by the Reds in one blockbuster trade before the 1972 season.

Reunion Team: The 1979 Phillies (Rawly Eastwick, Pete Rose, John Vukovich), 1983 Phillies (Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Pete Rose) and 1984 Expos (Dan Driessen, Doug Flynn, Pete Rose) each had three.

Accomplishments

Joe Morgan, NL MVP
Johnny Bench, NL Catcher Gold Glove
Joe Morgan, NL Second Base Gold Glove
Dave Concepcion, NL Shortstop Gold Glove
Cesar Geronimo, NL Outfield Gold Glove

Season Summary

Since their pennant-winning season in 1970 the Reds had been widely known as the "Big Red Machine" for their offensive firepower. That machine, however, had always sputtered to a stop just short of a World Series title. In 1975 the Machine had its finest season ever, winning 108 games behind a lineup that scored 105 more runs than the next-best team. They led the NL in stolen bases (as well as success rate), walks and on-base percentage, and were second in batting average and third in homers. They also had the run preventive abilities to complement their offense; their defense was second in DER and TotalZone, and their staff of mostly finesse pitchers posted the league's third-best ERA+.

The 1975 season didn't exactly get off to a rip-roaring start. On May 2 the Reds were 12-12, and third baseman John Vukovich, named starter over 1974's defensively-challenged Dan Driessen, was a gaping hole in their batting order. The solution came through a radical change: left fielder Pete Rose would move to third, a position he'd only briefly played nine years earlier, and slugger George Foster would take over in left. There were some initial struggles, but once the players settled into their new roles the team became virtually unstoppable. On May 16 the Reds were 18-19; their record for the remainder of the season would be 90-35. They took over first place in early June, and a month later they'd built up a double-digit lead. They left the second-place Dodgers in their dust, winning the NL West by an astounding 20 games.

The Reds made quick work of the Pirates in the NLCS, sweeping them in three straight to meet the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Boston wasn't nearly the powerhouse Cincinnati was, but they wouldn't go down without a fight. Red Sox ace Luis Tiant pitched a shutout in Game 1, and it took a ninth-inning rally for Cincinnati to win Game 2. The Reds won Game 3 on Joe Morgan's tenth-inning single (after a controversial non-interference call on pinch-hitter Ed Armbrister), but Tiant pitched the BoSox to another victory in Game 4. The Reds bounced back to win Game 5, leaving them one win away headed back to Boston. Game 6 was a see-saw affair. The Red Sox went up 3-0 early, only to have the Reds storm back for a 6-3 lead. With two out in the eighth, Boston pinch-hitter Bernie Carbo tied it with a three-run homer, and the Red Sox would win in the twelfth on a walkoff blast from Carlton Fisk.

The Red Sox took another early 3-0 lead in Game 7, but those runs were the last they'd score for the season. The Reds chipped away for the next few innings before finally taking the lead in the ninth on another Joe Morgan single. Boston went down in order in the bottom half, and for the first time since 1940 (before any of their players were born) the Cincinnati Reds were World Series Champions. After years of coming up short, the famous "Big Red Machine" had finally reached the pinnacle. Pete Rose, the man whose position change had sparked their dominant run, was named World Series MVP.

Acknowledgements:

Baseball Reference
Baseball Almanac
Google News Archives

PTWSW #71: The 1974 Oakland A's

Manager: Alvin Dark
Record: 90-72
Ballpark: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Owner: Charles O. Finley
Coaches: Jerry Adair, Bobby Hofman, Wes Stock, Bobby Winkles

Future Hall of Famers: Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson

All-Stars: Sal Bando, Bert Campaneris, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi

Team Leaders, Batting

BA: Joe Rudi, .293
OBP: Reggie Jackson, .391
SLG: Reggie Jackson, .514
OPS: Reggie Jackson, .905
2B: Joe Rudi, 39
3B: Bert Campaneris, 8
HR: Reggie Jackson, 29
RBI: Sal Bando, 103
BB: Gene Tenace, 110
SB: Bill North, 54

Team Leaders, Pitching

W: Catfish Hunter, 25
SO: Vida Blue, 174
ERA: Catfish Hunter, 2.49
IP: Catfish Hunter, 318.1
CG: Catfish Hunter, 23
SHO: Catfish Hunter, 6
K/BB: Catfish Hunter, 3.11
SV: Rollie Fingers, 18

Tidbits

Oldest Player: Vic Davalillo (b. July 31, 1936)

Youngest Player: Claudell Washington (b. August 31, 1954)

First to Leave Us: Deron Johnson (d. April 23, 1992)

Last Survivor: Most are still living as of the date of this post.

First in Majors: Deron Johnson (debut September 20, 1960)

Last in Majors: Claudell Washington (final game June 18, 1990)

First to Play For the Franchise: Deron Johnson (June 15, 1961)

Last to Play For the Franchise: Reggie Jackson (October 4, 1987)

Pre-union Team: The 1971 Chicago Cubs had three: Pat Bourque, Ken Holtzman and Bill North.

Reunion Team: The 1975-76 Cubs (Tim Hosley, Darold Knowles, Champ Summers, Manny Trillo), 1977 Rangers (Bert Campaneris, Darold Knowles, Paul Lindblad, Claudell Washington) and 1978 Yankees (Ken Holtzman, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Paul Lindblad) each had four.

Accomplishments

Catfish Hunter, AL Cy Young
Joe Rudi, AL Outfield Gold Glove

Season Summary

After two straight World Series titles the A's were battle-tested old pros in 1974. They were never out of first place after May 19, and they maintained a consistent pace once they got there to win the division by five games. Working in their favor was an incredibly balanced roster. Their batting and on-base averages were among the lowest in the AL, but when adjusted for pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum their team OPS+ was second in the league. They were also tops in stolen bases and a close second in home runs. On the pitching side they led the way with a 113 ERA+, and their strong defense once again allowed their pitchers to pitch to contact. Their staff exhibited fine control, posting the lowest walk rate, fewest hit batsmen, and the second-fewest wild pitches.

Oakland's ALCS opponent was the Baltimore Orioles for the second year in a row. Though the O's won one more game than the A's, their Pythagorean records gave Oakland an 11-game advantage. Baltimore won Game 1, but the A's proceeded to rattle off three straight wins and take the AL pennant. Incredibly, Oakland only got one hit in the clincher, that being Reggie Jackson's RBI double. They made up for their paucity of punch by drawing 11 walks, one from Gene Tenace with the bases loaded. It was all they needed for a 2-1 win.

These A's faced perhaps their toughest opponent yet in their third World Series. The Dodgers had won 102 games during the season behind a balanced attack that was remarkably similar to Oakland's, and the Blue Crew was seen as the favorite going into the Fall Classic. The A's extended their World Series winning streak to three though, by taking Game 1 3-2. The Dodgers won Game 2 by the same score, but the A's almost came back in the ninth. Pinch-runner Herb Washington (a sprinter with no baseball experience signed specifically to pinch-run) was picked off first for the second out, taking the wind out of Oakland's sails. The A's were unfazed, as they bounced right back to win Game 3 by (again) a 3-2 score. In the fourth contest the score was finally something different, but the result was again an A's win. Pitcher Ken Holtzman hit an unlikely home run in the third, and pinch-hitter Jim Holt's bases-loaded single broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth as Oakland won it 5-2.

For the first time since their run began, the A's didn't require a Game 7 to close out the World Series. Joe Rudi's seventh-inning homer in Game 5 gave the A's their final lead and they went on to win (appropriately) by a score of 3-2. Rollie Fingers was named MVP for his 9.1 innings of ace relief work and two saves. Second baseman Dick Green, though hitless in the Series, was the star on defense, participating in six double plays.

Acknowledgements:

Baseball Reference
Baseball Almanac
Google News Archives