Reds | narcissism

Opening Day Roster:

In the 1970s, the Cincinnati Reds were the National League's most dominant team. In all of baseball, they were second only to the A's. The Reds won 6 of 10 possible N.L. Western Division titles (1970, '72. '73, '75, '76 and '79), 4 pennants ('70, '72, '75 and '76), and 2 World Series championships ('75 and '76).

On the roster, a stunning number of players had long tenures in the line-up during the decade - Bench, 10 out of 10 seasons; Concepcion, 10/10; Rose, 10/10; Foster, 9/10; Morgan, 8/10; Driessen, Geronimo and Perez, 7/10. On the mound, Jack Billingham, Don Gullett, Fred Norman and Gary Nolan were mainstays.

Looking back, the real question is why they didn't win more than just their "Big Red Machine" championships in '75-'76. In 1977, they finished 2nd, 10 games behind the Dodgers, never able to recover from a 10-16 start. Mid-way through the year, they picked up Tom Seaver from the Mets and going into 1978, it looked like they'd be back on top. However, despite what was arguably the Reds' best pitching staff since Sparky's arrival, pitching and hitting woes, along with injuries and porous defense, doomed them to another second place finish, this time only 2.5 behind L.A. Things did come together in 1979, however, and they won the division again, finishing 1.5 games ahead of Houston. After that, players started to leave, and they wouldn't return to the post-season again until their championship season of 1990.

In the minors, Nick Esasky was in the Rookie League at Billings and Charlie Liebrandt was playing short-season A-ball at Eugene. Beyond them, no significant names were developing, which might help explain the team's 1980s mediocrity.

George "Sparky" Anderson took over as Reds' skipper in 1970, and the rest was baseball history. 1978 would be his final season in Cincy (he left to build another winner in Detroit). His coaches were Russ Nixon at 1st, Alex Grammas at 3rd, Larry Shepard with the pitchers, Ted Kluszewski with the hitters, and Ron Plaza and George Scherger on the bench.

Bill Bonham, SP:

Bill was traded from the Cubs to the Reds on Halloween, 1977, for Woodie Fryman and Bill Caudill. He won his first 4 starts - one being a complete game against the Giants on April 12. Elbow soreness forced him to miss the latter half of April and the first couple of weeks of May, and cost him another month in July and August. He was shutdown altogether in mid-September and underwent elbow surgery. He wound up starting just 23 games, but posted an 11-5 record with a 3.53 ERA.

Doug Capilla, SP:

Doug came into 1978 as a starter but, after making 3 starts in April and getting hit hard each time, he was sent out to the pen as May rolled around. He fared slighty better there, but was nevertheless sent to Indianapolis on May 8 with an 0-1 record and 9.82 ERA.

Tom Hume, SP:

After being called up in September in 1977, Tom won 3 games, giving the Reds great hopes for him in seasons to come. In 1978, he won his first 2 starts, but pitched inconsistently after that. With a 5-11 record and a 5.13 ERA, he was dropped from the rotation in early August. He threw decently out of the pen, and then won two consecutive complete game starts at the end of September.

Tom Seaver, SP:

After coming to the Reds from the Mets in mid-1977, Tom had gone 14-3. So, it was surprising and disheartening when arguably the greatest pitcher of the era had the worst start of his career in 1978 - he failed to win at all in April and at the end of the month his ERA stood above 6.00. He turned it around by winning 7 consecutive starts in May and June, the last of which was a 4-0 no-hitter against the Cardinals on June 16. The rest of the year was up and down, with terrible run support - by late August he had thrown 189.2 innings, in which time the Reds scored just 59 runs. A good run in September prevented him from finishing under .500 for the first time. He came in at 16-14, but struck out 226 batters and posted a 2.88 ERA.

Dale Murray, RP:

Dale developed a good forkball in Venezuela over the winter, and hoped to parlay that into pitching success in 1978. He did well enough early on, but on May 17, his 11th inning wild pitch brough in the game winning run for the Expos in Montreal. Two days later, long the subject of trade talk already, he was shipped to the Mets for Ken Henderson.

Fred Norman, SP:

Fred, who saw his initial major league action in 1962 with the Kansas City version of the A's, got off to the best start of his career in 1978. Through mid-May, his record stood at 5-0, with a 2.63 ERA. Then, as for most other Cincinnati pitchers at some time in 1978, hard times struck. He went 6-9 the rest of the way, and saw his ERA rise by more than a run. He was so inconsistent that Anderson used him out of the pen for much of August. Part of his issues were with run support - on June 23 in L.A., he lost 1-0 against Burt Hooton when the anemic Reds' bats could muster only 3 hits.

Pedro Borbon, RP:

Part of an outstanding middle-inning relief trio with Manny Sarmiento and Dave Tomlin, Pedro made 62 appearances, earning 4 saves and posting an 8-2 record (despite a 4.82 ERA). His greatest claim to lasting fame however was his presence in Ted Striker's subconscious ("Pinch [pinch] hitting [hitting] for Pedro Borbon, Manny [Manny] Mota [Mota]...").

Manny Sarmiento, RP:

Originally signed by the Reds as a 16-year old, the skinny Venezuelan made 63 appearances in 1978, striking out 72 while earning 5 saves and a 9-7 record. He was 2-2 in 4 spot starts.

Dave Tomlin, RP:

Tomlin, along with his effective breaking ball, was obtained from Texas during spring training. As the left-handed component of the Reds' strong bullpen, he made 57 appearances, earning 4 saves and a 9-1 record.

Doug Bair, CL:

Doug was acquired in spring training from the A's for Dave Revering and cash. He likened pitching for Cincinnati to child's play and for Oakland as hard labor. As the Reds' closer in '78, he was one of the best in the game - in 100.1 innings pitched, he earned 28 saves, struck out 91 batters (versus walking only 38), posted a record of 7-6 and had a staff-best 1.97 ERA.

Johnny Bench, C:

In his 11th season as the Reds' starting catcher, the future hall of famer got off to a good start 1978 - by May 1st he was still hitting .300. Back pain began to slow him down in May, and after May 27, he didn't start a game until June 30. He was hospitalized briefly twice in June with a torn back ligament, and only got into 4 games the entire month. He played fairly regularly from July on, but was forced to wear a medical corset to prevent overswinging which impacted his offense. He wound up playing in 120 games (in only 96 of which he started behind the plate), hitting .260 with 23 HR and 73 RBI.

Rick Auerbach, IF:

Rick got into 63 games as an infield reserve and pinch-hitter in 1978. He had been the team's best hitter in spring training but, like the entire Cincinnati bench, when the regular season came around his bat grew cold. Through the end of July he was hitting .182, but in August and September he turned it on and hit over .500 the rest of the way to finished with a .327 average.

Don Werner, C:

When long-time Bench back-up Bill Plummer was signed by the Mariners just before the season started, Werner probably thought he was home free after 3 years of sporadic action at the major league level. He served as the second-string backstop until Johnny Bench went through his troubles in June. Don caught regularly in June, but when Bench was able to play more often. the Reds opted to keep Vic Correll as their backup (probably due to Don's .150 average). Don was sent to Indianapolis on July 3. He was recalled in September, but could never find a permanent home in Cincinnati. He didn't get called up at all in 1979, and was traded away after 1980.

Dave Concepcion, IF:

From 1970 to 1988, Dave was a presence at shortstop in Cincinnati. In 1978, taking advantage of hitting coach Ted Kluszewski's advice, he had the best year of his career thus far at the plate hitting .301 (second by a point on the club to Pete Rose).

Dan Driessen, IF:

For more than a decade, Dan was the everyman in an infield packed with perennial all-stars. Going into 1978, Sparky Anderson stated he felt Dan was the best first baseman in the league, and said he was ready to have an MVP-caliber season. He was hitting .322 on May 26 when he was hit on the right forearm by a Bob Shirley pitch. The resulting pain bothered him the rest of the year and impacted his offense - he wound up hitting just .250, and his other main offensive numbers were also down from 1977. He did lead the team with 28 stolen bases and was third in all of baseball in fielding percentage by first basemen.

Ray Knight, IF:

Principally used to spell Pete Rose at third, the future World Series MVP got into 82 games, wrapped around a stay on the DL from April 17 through May 8 due to a strained muscle in his right leg.

Pete Rose, IF:

On May 5, the Reds' third baseman stroked his 3,000th career hit off the Expos' Steve Rogers. On June 14, he got a hit off the Cubs' Dave Roberts. 43 games later, on July 31, he got a hit off the Braves' Phil Niekro - Pete had hit safely in 44 consecutive games to tie the all-time Nationall League record held by Willie Keeler from back in 1897. On August 1, the Braves' Gene Garber struck him out in the 9th, preventing the streak from continuing. Despite it all, he and his agent thought the Reds low-balled him with a 2-year contract offer after the season (the amount was the highest the Reds had ever offered any player), and the career Red and native Cincinnatian signed with the Phillies for 1979.

George Foster, OF:

George had a monster year in 1977, culminating in his winning of the National League MVP Award. One of the best-conditioned athletes in the game, he was ready to pick up right where he left off when 1978 got underway. It became clear from the outset, however, he'd be seeing a lot more off-speed and breaking pitches; with overall team offense down, teams didn't always have to pitch to him. Still, the left fielder and his black bat, nicknamed "The Black Death", still put up impressive numbers - 40 HR, 120 RBI and a .281 average.

Ken Griffey, OF:

Long before he needed to add "Sr." to the back of his uniform, the Reds' right fielder batter .288 with 10 HR, 63 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 1978. On August 21 against the Cardinals he went 3-for-5 with 2 HR, 2 runs scored and 6 RBI.

In-Season Moves:

Junior Kennedy, IF:

After a long time toiling in the minors, Junior said he might quit the game if he didn't make the Reds in 1978. After hitting .400 in spring training, he made the team with room to spare. Joe Morgan's back-up at second base, Junior got into 89 games, 41 of which were starting assignments due to the All Star's nagging injuries.

Joe Morgan, IF:

Arguably the greatest second baseman of his era, and possibly of the latter half of the 20th century, Joe anchored the middle of the Reds' infield for the 7th straight year in 1978. He felt 1977 had not been a good year personally, and wanted to improve on his statistics in 1978. He was disappointed - nagging pain (pulled groin, sore wrist, a pulled stomach muscle and an old leg injury) kept him out of the lineup 40 times and had a downward impact on all his numbers from the previous year. On the up side, on April 21 he broke the record for consecutive errorless games at second with 90. He made it to 91 on the 22nd, but then committed a throwing error on the 23rd to end the streak.

Dave Collins, OF:

Dave was acquired from the Mariners for Shane Rawley on December 9, 1977. He was happy to come to a competitive club, even though it meant being a bench player. He was used as a pinch-hitter and outfield reserve. Like most Reds pinch-hitters in 1978, he didn't fare very well: the switch-hitter hit only .216 with 7 RBI in 102 at-bats.

Cesar Geronimo, OF:

In 1978, Cesar was in his 6th season as the Reds' starting center fielder. From June on he was in and out of the line-up with a sore right shoulder, and because of his falling average (he finished at .226) he was occasionally platooned with switch-hitters Dave Collins and Ken Henderson.

Mike Lum, OF:

Mike gave up a lucrative offer to play in Japan to return to the Reds as a reserve player for 1978. He suffered through a horrible 1977 (.160) at the plate, but had success in Venezuela over the winter and looked to improve. Aside from a stretch in early June when he played daily in center in place of a sore Cesar Geronimo, Mike was used as a reserve outfielder and first baseman and pinch-hitter. He raised his average to .267, but he grew increasingly unhappy with riding the bench. He made it known he wanted out, and for 1979 he signed as a free agent with the Braves.

Mike Grace, IF:

Called up from Indianapolis on April 17 when Ray Knight was placed ont the DL, Mike made his major league debut on April 18 as an 8th inning defensive replacement for Pete Rose in Los Angeles. After another 4 appearances, he was returned to Indy on May 4 in exchange for Paul Moskau. His final major league appearance came on May 1 as a pinch-hitter against the Phillies. In all, he wound up hitless in 3 career at-bats.

Paul Moskau, SP:

Considered a sure bet to make the rotation heading into camp, Paul didn't make the cut (10 missed days of work with a throat infection didn't help). He was brought up from Indianapolis on May 4 and was in the rotation from then on. He was inconsistent at first, but once pitching coach Larry Shepard got him to stop over thinking his delivery and to just pitch, he began to improve. He posted a 6-4 record and 3.97 ERA (from late July on he was 5-1). On July 29 against the Phillies he helped his cause with 3-run HR.

Ken Henderson, OF:

The veteran outfielder arrived on May 19 via a trade with the Mets for Dale Murray. He served as an outfield reserve (he did get 27 starts in center, platooning for Geronimo) and pinch-hitter for the rest of the year. At the plate he hit a paltry .167 (his pinch-hitting average was a bit better at .222).

Vic Correll, C:

The Atlanta veteran was signed by the Reds in April, and played/coached at Indianapolis until being called up to bolster the Reds' catching corps on June 13. He saw action in 52 games from then on out as Johnny Bench's back-up.

Mike LaCoss, SP:

Mike was called up from Indy (where he was 11-5) on July 17. He made his major league debut on the 18th throwing an inning of relief against the Expos, then made a start on the 21st (earning a win), and was in the rotation from there on out. He started out 4-1, but endured a stretch in August and September where he lost 5 straight starts. He did hurl a 7-hit shutout in Los Angeles down the stretch on September 18, but still finished 4-8 with a 4.50 ERA.

Art DeFreites, IF:

Art spent most of the year in Indianapolis where he hit 32 HR, drove in 101 runs and hit .327. Called up in September, he made his major league debut on the 7th, starting at 1st against the Padres. On September 22 he hit his first and only major league HR - a solo shot off Mickey Mahler in Atlanta.

Champ Summers, OF:

In 1977, Summers had paired with Lum as the team's left-handed PH duo. In 1978, he was a victim of the 24-man roster the N.L. adopted. He spent the year at Indianapolis, where he tore apart American Association pitching for 34 HR, 124 RBI and a .368 average (Dane Iorg's average of .371 at Springfield kept Champ from winning the league's triple crown). Called up in September, on the 12th he lauched a HR into the top tier in Riverfront Stadium becoming only the second left-hander ever to do so (Dave Parker being the other).

Ron Oester, IF:

Called up in September, Ron made his major league debut as a defensive replacement for Dave Concepcion at short on the 10th against the Giants. Ron would hang around in Cincinnati long enough to appear in the 1990 World Series - in his last professional at-bat, he had a pinch single which drove in a run, helping the Reds to a 5-4 game 2 win on their way to a sweep of Oakland.

Harry Spilman, IF:

A September call-up, Harry made his major league debut on the 11th as a pinch hitter against the Astros. He made 4 appearances in all, getting his first major league hit on October 1 against the Braves.

Mario Soto, RP:

Called up in September, Mario made 4 relief appearances and one spot start, earning a 1-0 record. He stayed with the Reds through 1988, and from 1980 through 1986 in particular was a reliable starter on some very mediocre Reds clubs. During this span, he struck out 1,248 batters and won a total of 83 games and was selected to the 1982, 1983 and 1984 N.L. All Star squads.

Dan Dumoulin, RP:

Another September call-up, Dan made his final major league appearance on October 1 - he pitched the final 2 innings of a 14-inning game against the Braves and got the win.