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Saturday, January 28, 2012
The 15th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Ted Kluszewski. The Illinois native and alum of the University of Indiana signed with the Reds in 1946 after they had seen him during a wartime camp at the college campus, when travel restrictions prevented teams from going south. Klu hit .352 in the Sally League and then .377 at Memphis in 1947, and went to Cincinnati to stay. The Reds were somewhat allergic to offense at the time and did not put Klu into the lineup full-time right away. He hit .274 with 12 homers in 113 games in 1948, then .309 in 136 games in 1949. After he hit .307 with 25 homers and 111 RBI in 1950 and drew MVP notice, he was in the lineup to stay. Kluszewski was a slugger, with bulging biceps that caused the Reds to shift to a sleeveless jersey in the 1950s for intimidation purposes (which worked well with Klu, not as much with the other guys), but also hit for high averages and rarely struck out. From 1953 to 1956, Klu hit 40, 49, 47, and 35 home runs. In 1954 he led the NL in homers with 49 and RBI with 141, and in 1955 he led the league in hits and in intentional walks. Once he was past 30, though, his back began to fail him. He missed most of 1957 hurt, and after the season the Reds sent him to Pittsburgh for Dee Fondy, an unpopular move. He would never be an everyday player again, though he became an excellent bench power source for several years. The coda to Klu's career was a stint in the 1970s as batting coach for the Big Red Machine. The big fella was still popular in Reds Country and guided a bevy of young sluggers through some years when the Reds were heavily dependent on offense. Klu died in 1988, though his memory lives on. | The sixteenth greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Eric Davis. At 6-feet-2 and 165 pounds, Davis had essentially no body fat. He was all bone and sinew. This made for a tremendous player but also one susceptible to injury. With a little more life-padding, perhaps he would have managed to get into more than 135 games in a season, a feat he never accomplished. But he was oh, so good when he was playing. Davis had some trouble cracking the Cincinnati lineup for reasons that were not obvious to anyone but Reds manager Pete Rose. Davis entered the Reds' system in 1980 and struggled a bit at Eugene, but excelled in repeating Eugene the next year and Cedar Rapids in 1982, then blew through double-A and triple-A in 1983 with 22 homers and 48 steals and had nothing else to prove. Still, he divided 1984 and 1985 between the majors and the minors, even though those Reds teams were hardly bursting with talent. In 1986 Davis had a year that no one could ignore and established himself as a star. He had his biggest season in 1987, hitting .293 with 37 HR, 100 RBI, and 120 runs scored. He stole 80 bases in 1986, drove in 101 runs in 1989, to establish his top numbers. 1990 was a magic year in Cincinnati and Davis was a big part of it, batting .260 with 24 HR and 86 RBI. He was hurt in the World Series sweep, and owner Marge Schott famously made him pay for his own plane ticket home after he got out of the hospital, part of a break with the team that caused him to leave after a rough 1991 season. Davis was out the entire 1995 season, then signed with Cincinnati for a comeback in 1996. He hit .287 with 26 HR and 83 RBI to reestablish a career that continued through 2001, though elsewhere. Davis is remembered more for his talent than his accomplishments, but put up some fine numbers. In 985 games with Cincinnati, Davis hit .271 with 203 homers, 270 steals, and 615 RBI, posting a 137 OPS+. | Friday, January 27, 2012
The 17th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Joey Votto. The second-round pick in the 2002 draft worked his way up through the minors slowly. It took some time to settle into a position, and then to get his legs hitting against higher competition. Votto made his way up and had a solid year at triple-A in 2007, then a .321 average in 24 games with Cincinnati late in the year. For some reason, the club intended to alternate Votto with veteran Scott Hatteberg in 2008, and Hatteberg to the Opening Day start. Votto got a chance, though, and soon showed why the job should be his and his alone, batting .297 with 24 HR and 84 RBI. It was good enough for second in the Rookie of the Year voting. 2009 was even better, and Votto drew a couple of MVP votes with a season where he hit .322 with 25 HR and 84 RBI. 2010 was a breakout year for the team and for Votto himself. The Reds posted a winning season for the first time in a decade, and won the NL Central. Votto led the league in on-base, slugging, and (of course) OPS, hitting .324 with 37 HR and 113 RBI. Votto won the MVP award for his spectacular season. He did nearly as well in 2011, batting .309 with 29 HR and 103 RBI. It's been a short career so far, but he's been so good that Joey Votto claims a high spot in our rankings. | The 18th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Frank McCormick. Nicknamed "Buck" after big-game hunter Frank Buck, and "Wildcat," as part of the "Jungle Cats" infield of the 1940 World Champion Reds, Frank McCormick was a fixture at first base for the Reds for several years as well as an MVP winner. The tall, slim, and graceful McCormick was also one of the best defensive first basemen ever. McCormick was late getting into professional baseball, finally signing with the Reds system in 1934 at age 23. He had a good year in the minors and then was 5-for-16 with the big club, but did not get back to the majors until 1937. He hit .325 in 24 games then, then took over as the regular the next year. Cincinnati took a real step forward in 1938, and McCormick was a part of that, leading the league with 207 hits and batting .327 with 106 RBI. McCormick became the Reds' cleanup hitter. He was fifth in MVP voting that year. He was fourth in the pennant year of 1939, leading the league in hits again and also with 128 RBI, plus 18 homers. He won the MVP himself in 1940 with another year of about the same, batting .309 with 19 homers and 127 RBI and leading the league in hits and doubles. Those three years were his high-water mark, but McCormick continued to be a solid player through the war years. He hurt his back diving into a motel pool in 1941, but missed little time, though the injury made him ineligible for war service. He continued to hit for average, not a lot of walks but rarely striking out, with doubles and a few homers. McCormick was a Reds through 1945, then his contract was sold to the Phillies after the season. He would return to do some coaching for the Reds later. In 1228 games with the Reds McCormick batted .301 with 110 homers, 285 doubles, and 803 RBI. | The contract information as best we know it: Nick Masset signed a two-year deal for about $5.5 million total. Best guess: $2.5 mil for 2012, $3 mil for 2013, or thereabouts. Jose Arredondo, the last Red eligible for arbitration, has signed for two years and about $2 million. Jeff Francis, the free agent pitcher who signed a minor league deal, has an opt-out at the end of spring training (March 28), so that if he things he can get a job with another major league team but the Reds will send him to the minors he can take another offer. If Francis makes the Reds, he gets $1.5 on his major league deal with incentives that could raise it as high as $3.5 million. | Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Reds have signed left-hander Jeff Francis to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. Francis was 6-16 with a 4.82 ERA for Kansas City last season. GM Walt Jocketty continues to find bargains where other GMs go for full retail price. | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The Reds signed a contract and made a trade today. Nick Masset, who was scheduled for arbitration, signed a two-year contract instead. Terms are not out yet. In the meantime they made a deal for a veteran infielder who can play shortstop. They got IF Wilson Valdez from the Phillies for P Jeremy Horst. Valdez is 33, will turn 34 in May. He is a native of the Dominican, and has played quite a bit for the Phils the last two years with the injuries to Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. He has also played with the White Sox, Mariners, Padres, Dodgers, and Mets. Valdez has a .243 lifetime average with a .290 on-base, so he's no hitter. His role will be shortstop insurance, and he can play defense at SS, though it's hard to see from here how he is any improvement over Paul Janish. Janish can also play defense and not hit. But, he's another guy for the depth chart. | Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The 19th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Miller Huggins. Just a little guy at 140 pounds, the Cincinnati native got into pro baseball late and spent three years in the minors with St. Paul before signing on with his hometown team for 1904 at age 26. He was a leadoff man, not a very good average hitter but one who drew lots of walks, leading the league four times, and stole bases. Huggins hit .263 in his first year with the Reds, drew 88 walks, and scored 96 runs. That was his game. He played with Cincinnati through 1909, when he was in just 57 games and batted only .214. The Cardinals traded for him and he returned to form, and they soon made him their manager. He would later gain his greatest fame as the manager of the Babe Ruth-Lou Gehrig "Murderer's Row" version of the Yankees. Huggins hit .260 in six years with Cincinnati and drew 431 walks in 783 games while scoring 441 runs. | The 20th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Ed Bailey. He was a big fellow from Tennessee, a lefty-hitting catcher who signed with the Reds in 1950 and went to Ogden, then went into the military for two years. He went to Tulsa and hit .243 with 21 homers, then went 3-for-8 with the big club. He hit just .197 with Cincinnati in 1954 and went back to the minors for most of 1955. Bailey took over as the regular catcher for 1956 and hit .300 with 28 homers. After that he usually hit about .260 with walks and power as well as playing good defense. He was with the Reds into the 1961 season, but was traded for 2B Don Blasingame after playing just 12 games that year. It was a strange trade, but Cincinnati did win that pennant. Bailey hit .261 with 94 home runs and drew 336 walks in 714 games. He had a .359 on-base average and a 109 OPS+ as a Red. | The 21st greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Ernie Lombardi. "The Schnozz" was an Oakland native who signed as a teenager with his hometown team, then a minor league club in the Pacific Coast League. In his early 20s he hit .377, .366, and .370 in consecutive seasons, then was picked up by Brooklyn. He played one year with the Dodgers, who had a catcher they liked better in Al Lopez, and they dealt Lombardi to Cincinnati with Babe Herman for three players. Lombardi would take over as the Cincinnati catcher for the next ten seasons, 1932 through 1941. He was a big, fearsome hitter, by reputation the hardest hitter in the National League. He was also very, very slow, and the opposition third baseman and shortstop would play him deep in the outfield grass, playing a short outfield in effect, and still be able to throw him out on a grounder. Legend has it that Lombardi was once timed at seven seconds running from home to first. Lombardi was listed at six-foot-three and 230 pounds, but his weight was likely much more than that later in his career. The bulk affected his mobility, and his defense. While he had a strong arm he also had trouble blocking balls or fielding hits near the plate. He couldn't play another position, as he was far too slow even for first base. He was also not durable, though catchers of that time were not really expected to play every day. He never played more than 132 games in a season. For all that, Lombardi was a valuable player and an incredible hitter. Even as he led the league in double plays four times, he also won two batting titles, one in 1938 for the Reds. Lombardi hit .342 that year with 19 HR and 95 RBI and was voted the National League's Most Valuable Player. It wasn't a fluke, as he had batted .343, .333, and .334 in the three previous years. It was part of the announcement that the Reds were back in business, and contenders for the pennant they would win in 1939 and 1940. 1938 was Lombardi's best year. He slipped to .287, though with 20 HR (a career high) and 85 RBI for the next year's pennant winners. He took some heat for the World Series loss, as he was "snoozing" while a run scored in the final game. He had been in a collision on a play at the plate in the same play sequence, and may have been partly unconscious. At any rate, some sport was had at his expense. The Reds won again in 1940, and won the Series, but Lombardi played in just two games and batted three times as coach Jimmie Wilson handled the catching duties. Lombardi was again hurt. Ernie did provide a double. In 1941 he slipped to .264, and the Reds traded their popular catcher to Boston. As a Red Lombardi hit .311 with 120 HR in 1203 games. He was a popular figure in Cincinnati and is a member of the team's Hall of Fame as well as of Cooperstown. | Monday, January 23, 2012
The 22nd greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Bob Bescher. He still holds the single-season record for Cincinnati basestealers with 81 in 1911. the London, Ohio native was a big 200-pounder, but also blazing fast. Bescher led the league in steals four times while a member of the Reds, from 1909-1912. He arrived in the Queen City after three years of playing for Dayton's team. He didn't hit very well the first two of those years, even though the league was not top competition, but hit .305 in 1908 and got the big club interested. Bescher hit .272 in 32 games for the Reds to round out 1908, and then became the mainstay in left field. Bescher wasn't a great fly-chaser but he was fast enough to run things down, he hit for a decent average and drew plenty of walks, plus he had some pop to hit doubles in those dead-ball times. He stole 54 bases in 1909, 70 in 1910, 81 in 1911, and 67 in 1912. He also led the NL in runs scored in 1912 with 120, after scoring 106 the year before. In 1913 his baserunning slipped, and his batting wasn't quite as good. The Reds shipped him to the Giants after the season to pick up Buck Herzog. It was a good six-year run in Cincinnati for Bescher, who batted .262 in 745 games and put up a .365 on-base average with a 110 OPS+. | The 23rd greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Jim Maloney. The Fresno native signed with the Reds in 1959 and struggled to get his control at Topeka, then blew people away in 1960 at Nashville. Called up by the Reds, he was just 2-6 with a 4.66 ERA in Cincinnati. He spent all year with the team in 1961 anyway, and was 6-7 with a 4.37 ERA as a utility pitcher on the pennant-winning club. He started 1962 in the minors but was soon back with the team and went 9-7, then from 1963 through 1969 was the mainstay of the Cincinnati rotation and their ace. Maloney was one of a fairly common type of 1960s pitcher, the big flamethrower. It was an era that rewarded those who threw hard, and that was Maloney. With the tall 15-inch mounds and big ballparks were made for the guys with big windups and big fastballs. Control was optional. Maloney was one of the best of the type. He won 23 games in 1963 at age 23, and 20 in 1965, when he made his only All-Star team. He threw a no-hitter in 1965 and another in 1969. He also led the league in wild pitches twice, 1963 and again in 1969. Maloney threw a high fastball with upper-90s velocity, a sharp curve, and a change-up for show. Cincinnati was ready to make a run for another pennant in 1970, but Maloney went down in his second start of the year when he ruptured an Achilles tendon while running the bases. He tried to come back, but the stuff was gone. He pitched a few more games for the Reds, then a few the next year for the Angels, but after some time in the minors had to leave the game. For the Reds, Maloney had a record of 134-81 and a 3.16 ERA for a 117 ERA+. | The 24th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Jose Rijo. Rijo originally signed and debuted with the Yankees, went to the A's in the Rickey Henderson trade, then came to the Reds in the 1987-88 offseason for Dave Parker, all before he turned 23. Rijo began 1988 in the Reds' bullpen, then pitched so well he got more and more starts. He went 13-8 with a 2.39 ERA, and would be a regular starter for Cincinnati through 1995. He would make a brief comeback in 2001-02. Rijo was never a big winner, topping out at 15 victories for a season, but he was extremely effective and posted exceptional ERA+ numbers. He was 14-8 with a 2.70 ERA for the 1990 World Series champs, winning three more in the postseason including two in the Series. Rijo won 15 each in 1991 and 1992 and 14 more in 1993. Rijo's workload dialed up to 36 starts and 257 innings in 1993, as he led the league in strikeouts. He led the league with 26 starts in the shortened 1994 season, but that heavy workload took its toll as he made just 14 starts in 1995, then a sore arm kept him from the mound for the next several years. He didn't resurface until 2001, when he made thirteen relief appearances, then pitched 31 games with nine starts in 2002. It didn't go all that well, the stuff wasn't there, and so Rijo retired for good. As a Red, Rijo was 97-61 with a 2.83 ERA and 139 OPS+. He was very impressive in most of his Cincinnati career. | The Reds have signed utilityman Willie Harris. He is signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. If he is on the roster, he would make $800K. Harris, 33, played for the Mets last year and hit .246 with a .351 on-base average. He has a lifetime .240 average in 2397 AB. With 39 career home runs, he's not much of a power hitter, but he does a decent job of getting on base. What's odd is that he is not a shortstop. Harris has played mostly outfield in recent years, though he has also played second base and a little third. He has only eight career games, and three starts, at shortstop. Those were in 2005 and 2008. Harris is a good outfielder and has done a good job in the infield as well. He's a reasonable player to have on a bench, versatile and a good on-base guy. He just doesn't seem a good fit with the Reds, who really need someone to cover shortstop in case Zack Cozart and Paul Janish falter. | On the Enquirer blog, John Fay takes a look at the payroll and the roster. I think he's right. More in the days to come. | Sunday, January 22, 2012
The 25th best player in Cincinnati Reds history is Jake Beckley. Beckley was a major league star when the New York Giants released him in May of 1897. Five days later, he signed with the Reds, who were slightly unbelieving of their luck. He'd gotten off to a slow start and volatile Giants owner John Brush dumped him. Since Brush also owned part of the Reds, this was a bit unusual, though typical of 1890s ball. Beckley quickly bounced back with the Reds, batting .345 in 97 games the rest of the season. Beckley played with the Reds through 1903. He was a solid defensive player, and at 200 pounds a hard hitter. Beckley hit .300 in six of his seven seasons with Cincinnati, batting .325 in 880 games for the Reds. Beckley drove in 570 runs and scored 592 while stealing 114 bases. He was part of the line of great Reds first basemen. | The 26th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Dolf Luque. He was the first Cuban star in the major leagues, a short and stocky fellow at five-feet-seven and 160 pounds. Luque had enough European blood to pass for white in the then-segregated major leagues, unlike many of his countrymen. He was possessed of a quick temper, which gained him a reputation around baseball. Luque came to Cincinnati in 1918, with a bit of prior experience as a Boston Brave, including the 1914 pennant winners. He was 27 when he went 6-3 in 1918, then 10-3 with a 2.63 ERA for the 1919 World Series team, as the sixth pitcher on that team. He pitched in two games in the Series, hurling five scoreless innings. Luque didn't get to another Series in Cincinnati, but pitched for the Reds until 1929 and was part of the pitching rotation for ten years. Those Reds teams were built around pitching and Luque was an important part of the staff. He had the best season a Reds starting pitcher has ever had in 1923 while leading the league in wins and ERA, with a 27-8 record and a 1.93 ERA. He also hurled six shutouts. Luque led the league in ERA again in 1925 with a 2.63 ERA. In twelve seasons with Cincinnati Luque posted a 154-152 record and a 3.09 ERA for a 121 ERA+ in that high-offense era. He wasn't very big but threw fairly hard with a sharp 12-6 curveball. His control was good. Luque was inconsistent, as might be expected of someone with a quick temper. When he was sharp, he was excellent. | The 27th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Bubbles Hargrave. Eugene Franklin Hargrave first reached the majors with the Cubs while in his early 20s, but didn't stick. He went back to the minors, struggled for a while, then hit .303 in 1919 and .335 in 1920 to catch the interest of the Reds. He went to Cincinnati in 1921 and would remain through 1928. Hargrave hit .289 his first year in Cincinnati, .295 his last year, and over .300 every other season. This was in the days before catchers were expect to crouch behind the plate every day, and Hargrave never caught more than 109 games in a season. While he hit .300, he didn't hit for much power. He did have exceptional on-base averages, and he played good defense. Hargrave was quite a valuable player for some often good, and offense-short, 1920s Reds teams. Hargrave was the first catcher to win a batting title, posted a .353 batting average in 1926 to pace the NL. He would not have been eligible for the batting title today, with just 365 plate appearances, but at the time the standard was 100 games. He finished sixth in the MVP voting that year. He probably had a better year in 1923, when he hit .333 and set his career highs of 10 home runs and 78 RBI. As a Red, Hargrave hit .314 in 766 games. He had a 122 OPS+. He was a solid player who is not well remembered, partly because he was never on a postseason team in Cincinnati. | Friday, January 20, 2012
The 28th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Noodles Hahn. How do you get a nickname like "Noodles?" Sources differ on how Frank George Hahn gained that name, but all revolve around his mother's noodle soup: he liked it, he carried it to his dad for lunch, he sold it on the street corner. At any rate, it's about soup. Probably made a lot of sense at the time. The Nashville native started playing minor league ball while just a teenager and made a name as a hard-throwing lefty. The Reds got interested and picked him up for the 1899 spring training, then put him in the pitching rotation for the season. Hahn would lead the National League in strikeouts for the next three seasons, featuring a hopping fastball and a sharp-breaking curve. The lefty was also heavily worked, one of the few assets on an often-mediocre Cincinnati club. Hahn put together six very strong years of performance for the Reds, with win-loss records that were not always impressive but with ERAs that were always much better than average, even in the deadball era. That heavy use, six years of at least 290 innings each, took a toll as Hahn only got into thirteen games in 1905. His arm was nearly gone. The Reds let him go, and he caught on briefly with the Highlanders for 1906, but the arm didn't come back and Hahn left the pro game. His life continued, though. Brighter than most players of his time, he began in veterinary college while still playing. He would become a veterinary inspector in Cincinnati for many years after his playing career. He also spent time as a semi-pro pitcher after his career in the majors. And he stuck around Reds as a batting-practice pitcher into the 1940s. Hahn would put on a uniform and pitch to the guys before games, thus playing a small part in the 1919 and 1940 World Series wins. Hahn and his wife would retire and move to North Carolina, where he passed in 1960 at age 80. He was a storied part of Cincinnati baseball history. Hahn had a 127-92 record and 2.52 ERA as a Red, with a 134 ERA+. | The 29th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Reggie Sanders. Sanders was selected in the 7th round of the 1987 draft out of high school in South Carolina. He was soon displaying ample power and speed in the minors and it didn't take him long to get to Cincinnati. He got a late-season callup in 1991, nine games, then a regular job for 1992 as Eric Davis departed. Sanders got most of his 1992 work in center field, pushing Dave Martinez aside, with some work in left. For 1993 Paul O'Neill was traded, and Sanders took over in right field. Sanders was never the most durable of players, never playing more than 140 games in a season, and no more than 138 as a Red. When he did play he showed exceptional skill, and was sixth in 1995 MVP voting with a season of a .306 average, 28 homers, and 99 RBI. The Reds went to the playoffs that year and got as far as the NLCS. They wouldn't reach the postseason for another 15 years. In 805 games over eight years as a Red Sanders hit .271 and posted a .353 on-base average, hit 125 homers and stole 158 bases. He stayed with Cincinnati through 1998, and after that season he was traded for Greg Vaughn. Sanders had quite a travelog after that, playing in three World Series with three different teams. | The 30th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Ken Griffey (Senior). Griffey was a 29th round draft pick in 1969 out of Donora, PA, the home of Stan Musial. Griffey had blazing speed, though he did not have outlandish stolen base totals. He was known for running out a lot of infield hits. Griffey worked his way up the minor league ladder, hitting his stride in 1971 by hitting .342 in Single-A, then .318 the next year in double-A, then .327 in triple-A in 1973 to earn a late-season callup, and he hit .384 in 25 games for the Reds. A slow start in 1974 sent him back for the minors for a couple of months, but a hot September got him back in the team's plans. Griffey began 1975 as the platoon right fielder, but when Pete Rose moved to third base he got the everyday job, and held it through 1981. Griffey hit over .300 in five of those seven seasons, drew walks, hit for decent power, and stole bases. He was a key part of the Big Red Machine offense for the two World Series wins, and also contributed to the 1979 division championship. Griffey returned as a part-timer in 1988-1990, starting the year with another World Series team but was sent to Seattle during that season to end his career with his son's team. Griffey was an All-Star three times for the Reds, winning the All-Star Game MVP in 1980. Griffey hit .303 in all or parts of 12 years in Cincinnati, a total of 1224 games. He had 71 homers and 156 steals, a .370 on-base average, and an OPS+ of 123. | The Ryan Madson contract is even more Reds-favorable than we thought. Madson will make just $2 million during the 2012 season, with $2 million more due on November 1, and another $2 million on November 1, 2013, for a total of $6 million compensation for 2012. He then has an $11 million mutual option for the 2013 season, with a $2.5 million buyout if the team declines. No word on how much if he declines: presumably nothing, but he goes on the free market again, which he might consider profitable if he has a big season. That's brilliant. Amazing he couldn't get a bigger contract elsewhere. | Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The contract for OF Ryan Ludwick is reported to be $2.5 million for the year, possibly with incentives, and with an option for next year, believed to be a team option. The official announcement must wait for a physical. Also, Bill Bray agreed to a contract. He will get $1.4 million for 2012. Homer Bailey and Paul Janish have also signed, numbers not yet announced. Update: $2.4 million for Homer. That leaves Jose Arredondo and Nick Masset for arbitration. Masset requested $2.9 million, team at $2.1 million. Arredondo is at $875K, team at $725K. | Monday, January 16, 2012
Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Reds have signed OF Ryan Ludwick. Ludwick would be the regular left fielder and Chris Heisey would be the fourth outfielder. Ludwick had just a 90 OPS+ last year, so the Reds are hoping for some bounceback. He's a power hitter, with 117 career homers. He is generally regarded as a good defensive outfielder. | The Reds have signed catcher Dioner Navarro to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Navarro is to provide depth to the catching, since the Reds plan on going with rookie Devin Mesoraco and relatively inexperienced veteran Ryan Hanigan. With Corky Miller the #3 choice, depth was needed. Navarro batted .193 as a part-timer for the Dodgers last year, and was a regular for three years with Tampa Bay. He's 27, and will turn 28 before the season starts. Navarro had his career year in 2008 with the Rays, batting .295. His career average is .244 with a 76 OPS+, but he has a good defensive reputation. | The 31st greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Mike Mitchell. Mitchell was late getting into pro baseball, and to the major leagues. He had put up a couple of impressive minor league seasons when the Reds got him for the 1907 season, when he was already 27. Mitchell came to the majors fully formed, with a strong arm for right field, good speed, and good power, though in the Deadball era that meant more triples than home runs, especially in then-spacious Crosley Field. Mitchell succeeded right away, batting .292 with a 122 OPS+ in 1907. He slipped to .222 in an injury-filled 1908, but rebounded for his best year in 1909, pounding out a .310 average, leading the league with 17 triples, stealing 37 bases, driving in 86 runs and scoring 83. His OPS+ was 152. He was almost as good in 1910, hitting .286 and leading the league again with 18 triples. 1911 was the first year of NL MVP voting, and Mitchell drew votes in spite of the also-ran status of the Reds. He hit .291 and drove in 84 runs. He hit .283 in 1912, but was starting to slip as he had entered his 30s, and the Reds included him in a big trade with Chicago that brought in Joe Tinker to manage and play shortstop. Mitchell would play just two more major league seasons. Mitchell played six years in Cincinnati, batting .283 and showing a 118 OPS+ as well as strong defense. | Saturday, January 14, 2012
The 32nd greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Eppa Rixey. Rixey is the winningest pitcher in Cincinnati Reds history, though his total did not reach 200 in Cincinnati. He was a long and lanky Virginia native who spent the first third of a long career with the Phillies, getting to one World Series in 1915, and the final two-thirds with the Reds, never getting to another although they came close a few times. Rixey was tall but did not throw very hard, offering a fastball, curve, and changeup in an assortment designed to befuddle rather than overpower. He showed good control but few strikeouts, depending on his defense to a high degree. Rixey was rarely impressive but often effective. Rixey came to the Reds from the Phillies in the 1920-21 offseason. Neale was soon dealt back to the Reds and also soon out of the game, so the trade amounted to Rixey for Ring. The harder-throwing but also wilder Ring pitched effectively for the Phils, but not as long or as effectively as Rixey for the Reds. Rixey, 30 in 1921 which was his first season in Cincinnati, was one of the better pitchers in the NL for the first half of the 1920s. He led the league in wins with 25 in 1922, drew some MVP notice for leading the league in shutouts with four in 1924, on 20 in 1923 and 21 in 1925. As he aged his durability declined, of course, and he was a part-time pitcher after age 40, but stuck around through 1933, still providing some effective innings. Rixey pitched in 692 games for the Reds, 554 of them starts, in thirteen years and posted a 179-148 record and a 3.33 ERA for an ERA+ of 118 in Cincinnati. It's a pretty good showing. | Friday, January 13, 2012
The Reds signed two veteran lefthanded pitchers to minor league contracts: Ron Mahay and Clay Zavada. They get a chance to make good in spring training, but with Sean Marshall and Bill Bray filling lefty roles with the big team, the only way either is likely to make the major league roster is in case of an injury. | The 33rd greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Bucky Walters. Walters first made it to the major leagues as an infielder, playing third base for the Phillies. He never quite hit enough to stick in the lineup, and eventually it was decided to use his strong arm on the mound. He first worked from the mound in 1934. Walters could throw reasonably hard, but to succeed as a pitcher he needed another pitch and learned a slider. He became one oof the great sinker-slider pitchers of all time. Walters toiled in his native Philadelphia for a few years but the Phils were in rough shape then, and swapped him to the Reds in June 1938 for two players, but especially for $50,000. Walters would spend ten years with the Reds as their ace and workhorse. After going 11-6 with a 3.69 ERA down the stretch in 1938, Walters had a career year in 1939 with 27 wins, leading the NL in wins, ERA, strikeouts, innings, complete games, ERA+, WHIP, and a few other categories. The Reds won the pennant, and Walters won the MVP by a solid margin. He led the league in wins, innings, and ERA again in 1940 as the Reds won the World Series. His 22 wins in the regular season were complemented by two more in the Series, and Walters' position in Reds fans' affections was safe for life. Walters would continue pitching for the Reds through World War II, winning 23 games in 1944. His durability was fading with age, and in 1947 and 1948 he was an often ineffective part-time pitcher. He was the Cincinnati manager for the end of 1948 and most of 1949, but that didn't go well. As a Red, Walters posted a 160-107 record and a 2.93 ERA. He benefitted from pitcher during the war years and in front of the excellent Cincinnati defense put together by manager Bill McKechnie, but he was also a terrific pitcher and a fine gentleman. | The 34th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Curt Walker. Walker bounced around a bit before catching on with the Phillies, then in May 1924 was traded to Cincinnati for George Harper, who would put up a .303 lifetime batting average, but that wasn't unusual for outfielders in the 1920s and 1930s. Meanwhile, Walker would become a star. Walker would play the rest of his major league career--through 1930--for the Reds, and be an above-average hitter every year. He never put up great numbers, but hit for a good average with decent power and solid defense in right field. Walker was never particularly exciting or controversial, he was just a solid ballplayer. He hit .307 in his last major league year, then went to the minors and hit .300 again before leaving the game. In seven seasons with the Reds, Walker hit .303 with 94 triples in 953 games, posting a .378 on-base average and a .441 slugging. | The 35th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Lee May. May was signed by the Reds in 1961 and the tall, muscular first baseman was worked his way up the minor league ladder, slugging all the way. Breaking through as a first baseman on a big league team can be tough, since older players tend to gravitate there, and the Reds tried May in the outfield for a while. That didn't work out too well. He batted four times for the Reds in 1965, got into 25 games in 1966, got regular play in 1967, and took over as the everyday first baseman in 1968 at age 25. He slugged 38 home runs in 1969 to announce his arrival as a star, then hit .253 with 34 home runs for the pennant team in 1970. He was one of the few Reds to do better in the disappointing year of 1971, batting .278 with 39 homers and bolstering the sputtering offense. So, when he was traded that offseason, Reds fans were outraged. May was outgoing, very popular, and surprisingly accepted for a black man in largely white Cincinnati. Bob Howsam spotted some things that summed up why May was tradable. The switch from Crosley Field to Riverfront Stadium with its astroturf made speed more important than power, and May was a plodder of the first rank. He was also stuck at first bases, while Tony Perez needed another spot as his formerly average third base defense was deteriorating with age. One of them had to go. The club still had power in Bench and Perez and that new kid Foster, and Joe Morgan would help the transition toward more speed and defense that led to two World Championships. May is still a popular figure in the Cincinnati area and makes appearances at Reds events. In seven years with the Reds, five as a regular, he hit .274 with 147 home runs in 761 games. | Thursday, January 12, 2012
The 36th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Adam Dunn. Some will think this is too low, some too high, but in eight seasons with Cincinnati Dunn smashed 270 home runs. That's a lot of value, even if he was doing it with mostly poor teams. Dunn was the Reds' second-round pick in 1998 out of high school in Texas. A big fella with big power, he hit for high averages and good power in the minors with lots of walks. After just 55 games in triple-A, he was elevated to the big league roster in 2001 at the age of 21 and hit .262 with 19 homers in 66 games. At first he played a good bit in right field, taking over for Alex Ochoa, but soon settled in left to replace Dmitri Young. Dunn hit .249 with 26 homers in a full season in 2002, then dipped to .215 with 27 homers in 2003. 2004 would be his best season to date, as he hit .266 with 46 home runs. He would then run off a series of four consecutive 40-homer (exactly) seasons for the Reds, and also hit 40 the next year, 32 before being traded by the Reds. Dunn provided a lot of power and walks, but his detractors remember his shortcomings: his defense was never good, and it declined over the years as he put on weight and lost mobility. His baserunning was mediocre at best. He struck out a lot, and the difficulty in making contact led to a lot of low batting averages. Even for all that, Dunn provided a lot of value with his power and his walks. It was not his fault the rest of the team was so poor. The Reds picked the right time to pass him on, trading him to Arizona for Wilkin Castillo and Micah Owings in a deal that didn't help the Reds on the field, but helped them move on into a new era. Cincinnati fans have Dunn to thank for many of the few thrills they got during the first decade of the 21st century. In 1087 games with Cincinnati Dunn hit .247 with 270 homers and 646 RBI, and drew 755 walks. | Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The Reds have signed Ryan Madson to be their closer. It has been reported that the deal is for one year and $8.5 million, though there is also talk that there is an option for another year with a buyout. We will probably have to wait for an official announcement to get all the details. What we can find out now is what kind of pitcher Madson is. He has pitched his whole career with Philadelphia after being drafted by the Phillies in the 9th round of the 1998 draft. He got to the big leagues for one game in 2003 and has been part of the Phils staff ever since. Madson spent his rookie year in middle relief and most of his time after that as a setup man. The exception was 2006, when he made 17 starts, but that didn't go very well. He did some work as a backup closer in 2009 and 2010, then became the full-time closer in 2011. Last year he had 32 saves, blowing only 2, and had a 4-2 record and a 2.37 ERA. In 60 2/3 innings he struck out 62 and walked 16, gave up 54 hits and just to homers. In his last four years of regular relief work Madson has struck out about a batter per inning with low walk rates. He has also allowed less than a hit per inning, and done a good job of keeping the ball in the ballpark. This looks like a very good signing, as Madson should be considerably better than incumbent Francisco Cordero in 2012. It's another attempt at building a winning club for 2012, and I like it. | The 37th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Ival Goodman. Goodman was relatively late to pro ball, and late to the majors, not reaching Cincinnati until he was 26. The Reds picked him up after he had a good 1934 in Rochester, another part of Larry MacPhail's "Increase the Talent" plan. Goodman took over right field at Crosley and led the league in triples in that big park his first two seasons, then exploded on the league for two big seasons in 1938 and 1939. He was the right fielder on the 1939 pennant team and the 1940 World Champs. Goodman was the first Red to hit 30 home runs in a season, matching that mark in a fabulous 1938 that also featured Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters. Those feats announced the return of the Reds as a contending team and the whole atmosphere contributed to Ernie Lombardi winning that year's MVP award. Goodman was an All-Star in 1938 and 1939, and drew MVP votes himself both years. He hit 20 of those 30 homers before the All-Star Break, so there was plenty of anticipation. Goodman became very popular in Cincinnati with his exploits featuring that 30-homer season, though 17 was his high in any other year. He hit 19 between the two pennant years. He faded fast after passing thirty, becoming a part-time player in 1941 and 1942 before he was sold to the Cubs to finish his career. In eight years with the Reds, Goodman batted .279 with 91 HR and 79 triples. | The Reds have signed Ryan Madson to a one-year, $8.5 million contract to be their 2012 closer. Good pitcher, good pickup. All the way in 2012! More on Madson later. Now, if they could sign Fukudome to shore up the top of the lineup, this would definitely be the team to beat. | Tuesday, January 10, 2012
| Monday, January 09, 2012
Barry Larkin has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He received 86% of the vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America, the official electorate for same. No word on why Larkin suddenly became more electable this year than last, but that would lead to a long diatribe on the failures of Hall voting. So, it's probably best left unsaid. At The Hardball Times, Chris Jaffe has a post up on Larkin's career. | Sunday, January 08, 2012
The 38th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Red Lucas. Perhaps his greatest claim to fame is as one of the best-hitting pitchers of all time. Lucas posted a .280 lifetime batting average. It was a pretty good-hitting era, though, so his OPS+ was just 85, but he could have gotten by as a middle infielder. Instead, he was a capable pitcher and pinch-hitter. The Tennessee native was not known for his humility, as attested by his nickname of "Nashville Narcissus." He got some work in the majors in the early 1920s but was mostly in the minors until the Reds picked him up for the 1926 season. Lucas went 8-5 with a 3.68 ERA, then won double-digit sums for his next seven seasons in Cincinnati. Lucas did not throw very hard but had excellent control and was a good fielder himself. He was durable, and a good hitter so no one had to pinch-hit for him, and he led the league in complete games three times. Lucas won 18 games in 1927, then 19 games in 1929. He just could never quite win 20 in a season. Lucas had a better ERA than the league average in six of his eight seasons with the Reds, and in his last one he just missed. His best overall seasons were 1929, when he was sixth in the league MVP voting, and 1932, when he finished with a 13-17 record in spite of a sparkling 2.94 ERA. Those depression-era Reds were struggling, and the aging and expensive Lucas was traded to Pittsburgh after the 1933 season as part of Larry MacPhail's drive to bring in some more talent. The talent side of the deal didn't work out well for the Reds as neither Adam Comorosky nor Tony Piet did much, but it did provide some salary relief, and Lucas was also entering the downside of his career. For the Reds, Lucas had a 109-99 record for some pretty bad teams, and had a 3.64 ERA that was ten percent better than the league average for the time. | The 39th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Long John Reilly. He was very "long" for his time at six feet and three inches. With a reach like that, he played first base (and a little outfield). He was born and raised, then spent his whole career, and eventually died in Cincinnati. Reilly was a Cincinnatian through and through. Reilly was the son of a riverboat captain killed during the Civil War when he was quite young. His mother remarried, and life continued in the Queen City. Reilly started playing sandlot ball, quite common in those post-Civil War days. There were a lot of semipro clubs around where a young player could pick up some experience and hope to get noticed by one of the big clubs. The existing Reds franchise in the National League folded at the end of the 1879 season, but the semipro team Reilly was on applied to replace it, and was accepted. Reilly was a National Leaguer. He was just 21 that first year, and hit only .206 against big league pitching. The Reds then lost their NL franchise when the league kicked them out for selling beer...well, it was Cincinnati, after all. German will have their beer. 1881 was a year with no professional baseball in the Queen City, but in 1882 Cincinnati was one of the founding franchises of the new major league American Association. Reilly was not on that 1882 club, as a youngster named Dan Stearns played first base (poorly). He was signed for the 1883 season, though, and would play first base for Cincinnati through 1891, and play it well. Reilly was one of the best players of the AA. He led the league in home runs, slugging, and OPS+ in 1884, and did it again in 1888, this time adding the RBI lead. Reilly was a power hitter and a good first baseman, and also put up some good averages. He was an above average hitter until his final year in the majors, 1891. After that poor season, Reilly retired from the game to pursue his other interest, as a commercial artist specializing mostly in promotional posters. It is believed he made a better salary as an artist than as a ballplayer. Reilly played ten years in the majors for Cincinnati, hitting .289 with a 128 career OPS+. | Saturday, January 07, 2012
Mlb.com youth correspondent Maggie Zahneis interviewed Dusty Baker at Redsfest on technology in the ballpark. | Mack Jenkins was named Assistant Pitching Coach for the Reds. Jenkins had been the minor league pitching coordinator, which is the guy who travels around the different minor league teams to work with certain prospects on specific things. Jenkins' work would be mostly behind the scenes and before games rather than during the games themselves. Also, the Reds announced the following non-roster invitees to spring training: RHP Sean Gallagher, LHP Jeremy Horst, RHP Chad Reineke, LHP Clayton Tanner, RHP Kanekoa Texeira, C Brian Esposito, C Corky Miller and OF Daryl Jones. | Thursday, January 05, 2012
The 40th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Brandon Phillips. Phillips was a second-round pick by the Montreal Expos in 1999, went to the Indians in a trade, then was dealt by the Indians to the Reds at the end of spring training in 2006. Phillips has now been the Reds' regular second baseman for six years. Phillips has power and speed and plays a strong second base. He has won three Gold Gloves, been an All-Star twice, and won the 2011 Silver Slugger Award. In 2011 he hit .300 for the first time. He had a 30-30 year in 2007, hitting 30 homers and stealing 32 bases, both career highs. His walks have ticked up a bit from the thirties to the forties. Phillips had his best overall year in 2011, with a career-high 119 OPS+. Phillips has become very popular in Cincinnati largely due to his obvious love for playing the game and his openness with fans. He gets overrated a bit as a player because his average looks good, but he doesn't walk much. Still, he provides good offense for a middle infielder, especially one who is good with the glove, and in 2011 he was even a plus hitter. More of the same would help the 2012 pennant cause greatly. Phillips has hit .280 with 130 HR and 139 steals in his six years with Cincinnati. | The 41st greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Gary Nolan. Gary Nolan had roughly three careers as a Red. None of them lasted all that long, but all of them had their strong moments of success. Nolan fought back from injuries more than any pitcher in Reds history, I believe. Nolan was the Reds' first-round draft pick in 1966, was terrific in twelve starts in the Northwest League, and opened 1967 in the Cincinnati rotation. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Nolan was spectacular: he made 32 starts and pitched 227 innings, striking out 206 hitters to lead the league in Ks per nine, and went 14-8 with a 2.58 ERA. The 19-year old Nolan threw H-A-R-D. He had an amazing fastball, with terrific speed and plus movement. And then his arm fell off. Or at least it seemed to. His strikeout rate dropped considerably and he was not able to make a full season of starts in 1968 or 1969, but he returned to the rotation full-time in 1970. He won 18 games for that pennant team, then had a better ERA in 1971 but with the team doing worse went just 12-15. He got off to a terrific start in 1972 for another pennant team, and was 15-5 with a 1.99 ERA but missed about a month, though he returned and pitched decently in the postseason. He made just two starts in 1973, then went out with his arm pain. The Reds couldn't quite figure out what to do, even sending him to a dentist to have a tooth pulled, a tooth that supposedly was causing his arm trouble. That didn't work, or course, and finally Nolan found a doctor that diagnosed a bone spur in his shoulder and did surgery to remove it. These days, that's not that big a deal, but it was then. Nolan missed the rest of 1973 and all of 1974. He returned in 1975, with his strikeout rate decreased once more. He was now a soft-tosser, one who got along with pinpoint control and reliance on the terrific Cincinnati interior defense. He walked 29 in 211 innings in 1975, then walked 27 in 239 innings in 1976, winning 15 games each year for the World Series winning teams. He got off to a 4-1 beginning in eight starts in 1977, but wasn't pitching that well, and was swapped to the Angels for a minor league infielder who never made it. Nolan never won a game for the Angels, and was finished after the season. Nolan was 110-67 in ten seasons of pitching for the Reds, with a 3.02 ERA, and a 2-2 record in eleven postseason starts. | Wednesday, January 04, 2012
The 42nd greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Johnny Temple. Temple was a feisty second baseman who signed with the Reds in 1949 and worked his way up the minor league ladder, first appearing in the majors in 1952. He hit .196 in 30 games then, .264 in 53 games in 1953, then took over as the regular in 1954. Temple usually hit .280 with gusts up to .300, and he also drew walks, leading the NL in free passes in 1957. He was about an average defensive player, but did a wonderful job as a leadoff man. Temple had little power though he hit some doubles. His offensive value was in his strong on-base percentage. He also stole a few bases, with a good percentage. Temple was the regular second baseman for the Reds through 1959, when he was traded to Cleveland for Gordy Coleman and another fiesty second baseman, Billy Martin. Temple was brought back in 1964 for a month but only played in six games, going 0-for-3. Temple was best known during his career for his temper. He frequently got into fights with opposing players and was known for his quick trigger. He was also a four-time All-Star. In nine seasons with the Reds Temple played in 984 games and hit .291, stole 105 bases and scored 533 runs. | The 43rd greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Chris Sabo. Sabo was drafted by the Reds in the second round of the 1983 draft, while the Detroit native was playing for the University of Michigan. Players drafted that high often have a rather healthy ego, but Sabo has been a fan favorite in Cincinnati owing to his all-out style of play plus a true humility in his bearing. You don't have to listen to Sabo for very long to get the impression that he is very grateful for his time in the major leagues and his time in Cincinnati. Sabo took five years to work his way through the minors, then in 1988 took over from veteran Buddy Bell as the Reds' third baseman. It was a young infield that season, even though Sabo was not a real young rookie at 26, with Barry Larkin 24 at shortstop, 25-year old Jeff Treadway at second base (alternating with veterans Ron Oester and Dave Concepcion) and 28-year old Nick Esasky at first. Sabo hit .271, belted 14 homers and stole 46 bases, and won the Rookie of the Year Award. Sabo was hurt much of 1989 and played just 82 games, batting .260. He returned to everyday play in 1990 for the Wire-to-Wire Reds, that led the division all year and won the World Series. Sabo hit .270 with 25 homers and 25 steals for the surprise winners. He led the team in homers, had 71 RBI and scored 95 runs. Sabo led off in 70 games but also hit third in 27 and sixth in 30. He hit cleanup five times. Lou Piniella batted him all over the lineup. Sabo was just 5-for-22 in the NLCS, with a homer, but then was 9-for-16 with two homers in the World Series. Sabo then had his best year in 1991, batting .301 with 26 homers and 88 RBI, but the magic for the team was gone. Sabo faded after that, hitting .244 in an injury-filled 1992, then .259 with 21 homers in 1993, then left the Reds as a free agent. He returned in 1996 as a bench player, batting .256 in 54 games. Sabo played 818 games in seven seasons with the Reds, batting .270 with 104 homers and 116 steals, plus one very valuable World Series. | Tuesday, January 03, 2012
The Baseball Bloggers Association has announced the results of their Hall of Fame voting. The BBWAA will announce on Monday. Our press release follows. BBA Recommends Larkin, Bagwell For Hall Of Fame Baseball Bloggers Alliance January 3, 2012 BBA RECOMMENDS LARKIN, BAGWELL FOR HALL OF FAME In the annual polling of members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin and former Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell were recommended for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is the third year the organization has conducted this survey of the membership. Larkin, a 12-time All-Star who fashioned an .815 OPS over 19 seasons, received the largest percentage of votes, being named on 84.25% of the 148 ballots cast. This is the highest percentage garnered by any player in the three years of BBA voting. Bagwell, who hit 449 HR and had a .948 OPS in his 15 seasons in Houston, was selected on 115 ballots for a 78.77% rate. As with the official voting done by the Baseball Writers of America, a player must be named on 75% of the ballots to be recommended by the alliance. Last year, the BBA recommended second baseman Roberto Alomar and pitcher Bert Blyleven, both of whom were inducted into Cooperstown during the summer. In 2010, no player reached the 75% mark in BBA balloting, the year that outfielder Andre Dawson was selected for the Hall by the baseball writers. The Baseball Bloggers Alliance’s vote has no impact on the official vote taken by the Baseball Writers of America. However, the BBA has often been a predictor of major awards granted by the writers. The final voting results are as follows: Barry Larkin 84.25% Jeff Bagwell 78.77% Edgar Martinez 60.27% Tim Raines 57.53% Alan Trammell 44.52% Mark McGwire 41.10% Larry Walker 35.62% Lee Smith 33.56% Jack Morris 32.19% Don Mattingly 29.45% Rafael Palmerio 28.77% Fred McGriff 28.08% Dale Murphy 16.44% Bernie Williams 11.64% Juan Gonzalez 6.16% Javy Lopez 2.74% Brad Radke 2.05% Tim Salmon 1.37% Bill Mueller 0.68% Phil Nevin 0.68% Ruben Sierra 0.68% Tony Womack 0.68% Jeromy Burnitz 0.00% Vinny Castilla 0.00% Brian Jordan 0.00% Terry Mulholland 0.00% Eric Young 0.00% The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was established in the fall of 2009 for the purpose of fostering collaboration and communication among bloggers from across baseball. The BBA has quickly grown to its current membership of 347 blogs, including some of the most prominent blogs on the Internet, spanning all major league teams and various other general aspects of the game. More information about the BBA can be found at their website, baseballbloggersalliance.wordpress.com, or by contacting the founder and administrator of the organization, Daniel Shoptaw, at founder@baseballbloggersalliance.com. Upcoming Events Joe Posnanski Award Announced in March About the BBA The Baseball Bloggers Alliance is the Internet's largest organization of baseball bloggers, designed to encourage cooperation and collaboration among members. Copyright © 2012 Baseball Bloggers Alliance All rights reserved. | We have been assuming Barry Larkin will be elected to the Hall of Fame this year. For more, see Chris Jaffe's annual prediction article in The Hardball Times. | Monday, January 02, 2012
The 44th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history was Paul Derringer. Derringer was a tall right-hander from Kentucky, the most distinguished alum of Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY, with a big leg kick. He signed on with the Cardinals and played for Danville and Rochester in their minor league system then played his rookie year with the 1931 world champs, winning 18 regular season games but losing two in the World Series. Derringer dipped in 1932 and got off to a slow start in 1933, so was available in trade to the Reds as the Cards looked to pick up a shortstop and made the swap to get Leo Durocher. Derringer was one of the first moves by new GM Larry MacPhail to get the moribund Reds franchise moving again. The team had gone into receivership, not too unusual in the Depression era, and MacPhail had been hired from running the Columbus minor league franchise to turn things around. He convinced local businessman Powell Crosley to buy the team, and set about rebuilding the talent that had been sold off to pay expenses. Derringer was one of the first building blocks in that program. Derringer lost 25 games for Cincinnati that year, though he pitched well. It wasn't a very good team. Things started picking up quickly, and he won 22 games in 1935. The building of the team preceeded apace, and Derringer won 21 in 1938. In 1939 the team won its first pennant in 20 years, and Derringer won 25 games and was third in MVP voting. He finished fourth in 1940 as he won 20 games and two more in the World Series for the team's first title since 1919. Derringer stayed with the Reds through 1942, and was sold after the season to the Cubs, pitching for their last (to date) pennant team in 1945. Derringer pitched for the Reds for ten years and compiled a 161-150 record, with 25 of those losses in that first season. He had a 3.36 ERA. He was an All-Star six times in those ten seasons in Cincinnati. | The 45th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Mario Soto. It would be easy to cast the career of Mario Soto as a tragedy. That would not be a true story of a man who made several million dollars as a baseball player, coming from a poor background in the Dominican Republic. Instead, it is a tragedy for the Reds, who overworked a young ace pitching for some very poor teams, and lost the young man who might have been the best pitcher in their history. Soto signed with the Reds as a youngster in December 1973 and burned his way through the minors with some terrific years. He first appeared in Cincinnati in 1977 at the tender age of 20, making ten starts for a team in a pennant chase short on pitching. It didn't go well, because while Soto even then showed top-notch stuff, his weaknesses of less than pinpoint control and a penchant for the home run showed up at this young age. He was 2-6 with a 5.34 ERA, which didn't help the pennant drive. Soto appeared briefly in 1978, but was a big part of the team in 1979 as the Reds charged to the NL West division title. He made 41 relief appearance and 12 starts, pitching a total of 190 1/3 innings. He was 10-8 with a 3.07 ERA and was third in the league in strikeouts and finished fifth in Cy Young voting. He pitched two scoreless innings in the NLCS. Soto then became a fixture in the starting rotation, He led the league in starts, and also in giving up in home runs, and posted a 12-9 record and and 3.29 ERA in 1981 as the Reds put up the best record in the league...but missed the postseason, as the middle third of the season was lost to labor/management unrest and the revised schedule did not always reward the better teams. It would turn out to be his last shot at the postseason. Over the next four years Soto would rack up more than 1000 innings. He was an All-Star from 1982 through 1984, was second in the 1983 Cy voting, fifth in 1984, ninth in 1982. Soto struck out a lot of batters, allowed few hits, while walking a bit more than preferred and giving up a lot of homer...he led the league in that twice in four years as well. By 1985 Soto was not pitching as well as he had before. In 1986 he managed only 19 starts, and they were not all that good. Arm problems had caught up with him. He made six starts in 1987 and and fourteen in 1988, and there were many stories in the press about Soto rehabbing, about him working his way back, optimistic stories about his future. He didn't make it back to where he was. The Reds released him after 1988, and he signed with the Dodgers, but never appeared in a big league game with them. All of Soto's major league work was with the Reds. He had a 100-92 record and a 3.47 ERA in 297 games and 224 starts. I wonder, if he hadn't been pushed so hard when he was young, if he could have pitched well into his thirties. | Saturday, December 31, 2011
The 46th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Dan Driessen. 1970s Reds manager Sparky Anderson was very interested in Driessen's bat: and for good reason, since after batting .223 in his debut in the Florida State League at age 18, he hit .327 the next year in a return engagement, then .322 the next year in double-A at age 20, then was hitting .409 at triple-A in 1973 when the Reds called him up. Trouble was, Driessen was a first baseman, and the Reds had Tony Perez, one of their stars, at first base. So, the first thing you do is try the kid at other positions. Outfield didn't work very well: Driessen had decent speed, but had trouble tracking fly balls so his defense was very poor. The other alternative was third base. Driessen became the regular third baseman for the rest of 1973, played acceptable defense, and hit .301 as the Reds came from behind to beat the Dodgers for the NL West crown, though they lost in the NLCS. In 1974, Driessen hit about the same...his average dropped to .287, but other aspects of his offense improved to boost his value. His defense, though, dipped to unacceptable levels. The common practice was to switch Driessen over the first base for the last inning or two with someone coming in to play third. It was decided that Driessen was no longer to play third base. He became a reserve, and the hunt for a third baseman that eventually led to a position switch for Pete Rose began. Meanwhile, Driessen spent the next two years as a bench player. He would play a handful of games in left field, spell Perez at first occasionally, and pinch-hit a lot. He hit pretty well, drew walks, showed decent power. The Reds won the World Series in 1975, then again in 1976. The 1976 World Series was the first one where a designated hitter was used; at the time, they decided to use the DH in every game, in alternating years. Driessen was the DH for the Reds in all four Series games, and went 5-for-14 with a homer. After the season it was decided to trade the aging Perez for pitching and open up first base for Driessen. The trade was blamed for the Reds not making the postseason in 1977, but it had more to do with the again of some key players, like Bench and Morgan. Driessen did well, posting his best overall year with a .300 average, 17 HR, 91 RBI, and 31 steals. His average dipped to .250 the next two seasons, though, souring perceptions even though the team won the division in 1979. Driessen only led the league in two categories, walks and HBP both in 1980. He played first base for the Reds until he was traded in midseason 1984, like Perez going to Montreal. He blocked another Hall of Famer on the Reds, keeping Johnny Bench from moving to first base at the end of his career. Driessen is not fondly remembered for these reasons, though he posted an above-average OPS in every season as a Red. In 12 seasons in Cincinnati, Driessen hit .271 with a .361 on-base average, 133 HR and 152 steals. He would have been best cast as a #2 hitter but was usually in the middle of the order. | The 47th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Bob Purkey. Purkey was a Pittsburgh native who spent the bulk of his career, from 1958 to 1964, with the Reds. He was a big part of those mostly contending teams, including the 1961 pennant winners, with his biggest year being a stellar 1962 when he posted a 23-5 record and 2.81 ERA, leading the league in winning percentage. That year he was an All-Star, third in the Cy Young voting (which covered both leagues then) and 8th in the NL MVP voting. Purkey was also an All-Star for solid seasons in 1958 and 1961, winning 16 games for that pennant club. He was a knuckleballer in the old sense of that term, one who used the knuckler as part of an arsenal rather than throwing it all the time. Purkey threw a fastball that rode in on righthanders, a good slider, and the fluttering knuckler. When he was on, as in the 1961 World Series, it was a devastating combination. In seven seasons with Cincinnati, Purkey posted a 103-76 record and a 3.49 ERA. | The 48th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Joe Nuxhall. The Ol' Lefthander was quite likely the most popular sports figure in Cincinnati history. Signed by the Reds during the player shortages of World War II, the strapping 15-year old appeared in a game in 1944 facing the Cardinals, who would win the World Series that year, including all-time great Stan Musial. Nuxhall got two outs against that lineup, but gave up two hits...and walked five. He is still the youngest major leaguer ever, but would not appear again in the bigs until 1952. By that time a veteran of several minor league campaigns, he was nonetheless still just 23. He was a big lefty who could throw pretty hard, but control was an issue. Nuxy usually worked a combination of starting and relief in those days, with his best year in 1955: a 17-12 record and a 3.47 ERA. He pitched for the Reds through the 1950s, as the team went from terrible to contending status. Nuxhall had a bad year in 1960 and was traded in the offseason to Kansas City...thus missing the 1961 pennant season, the only pennant by the Reds during his career. He had a rough year there and bounced from team to team until the Reds picked him up in mid-1962 and he got it going, putting up another big year in 1963 with a 15-8 record and 2.61 ERA. He continued until 1966, and thereafter joined the Reds' broadcast team, becoming an even more beloved figure on the radio. Nuxhall pitched in 15 seasons with the Reds, posting a 130-109 record and a 3.80 ERA. | Friday, December 30, 2011
The forty-ninth greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Sean Casey. The big first baseman from the Pittsburgh area was drafted in the second round of the 1995 draft by Cleveland, and obtained by the Reds for Dave Burba just before the 1998 season. He platooned that year at first base with Eduardo Perez, replacing Hal Morris, who had left as a free agent. Perez would become the everyday regular the next day, and would stay through 2005, when he was dealt to his hometown Pirates. During those eight years, Casey became one of the most popular players ever in Cincinnati. It was not so much his production, which fluctuated quite a bit, as his personality. Casey is one of the most outgoing, pleasant, and kind individuals ever to play baseball, and took much of the role that Joe Nuxhall had filled. About once a year, a person would write in to a Cincinnati paper, with some "Good Samaritan" tale of how they had been having car trouble, and someone had stopped to help, and that someone turned out to be Sean Casey. He always seemed to be doing stuff like that. Casey had a couple of very good years, like batting .332 with 25 HR and 99 RBI in 1999 as the Reds just missed the postseason, and .324 with 24 HR and 99 RBI in 2004. But those were his highs in home runs in spite of his size, though he hit for generally good averages he didn't walk all that much, and his mobility around the first base bag was limited. Casey hit .305 in 1075 games for Cincinnati, hitting 118 HR in eight seasons. He had a 114 OPS+ as a Red. | The fiftieth greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Dick Hoblitzell. Hoblitzell is a dead-ball era first baseman. As a teenager, Hoblitzell went to high school in Parkersburg, WV, then at the academy attached to Marietta College. He went to college briefly at Western University of Pennsylvania (now Pitt) but was playing minor league ball at the same time. In 1908, when he was yet 19, the Reds picked him up and put him at first base. His best year as a major leaguer was actually his first full season in 1909, when he was just 20 years old. He hit a career-high .308 with 67 RBI that year, posting a 143 OPS+. He remained an above-average hitter, good fielder, and good base stealer through 1913. He got off to a slow start in 1914 and the Reds put him on waivers, where the Red Sox picked him up. He was then part of their World Champion teams in 1915 and 1916. Hoblitzell hit .283 in 850 games for Cincinnati in seven seasons, with 127 stolen bases. He was in the majors until 1918, when he went off to service in World War I. After the war, he played well in the minors but never got another major league call. After his ball career was over, he returned to West Virginia and became a county commissioner and later sheriff back home. | Thursday, December 29, 2011
The 51st greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Leo Cardenas. The skinny Cuban shortstop made it off the island not long before Castro took over, and made his Reds debut in 1960. He was a part-timer his first two years then took over as the regular in 1962 and kept the job through 1968, when he was traded to the Twins for Jim Merritt. Cardenas was never a great hitter, but he had a little pop and had some good years, like 1965 when he hit .287 with 60 walks and hit 11 homers. He made four All-Star teams for the Reds and won one Gold Glove, and was a backup on the 1961 pennant team as well as the shortstop for several contending 1960s clubs. In nine years for the Reds Cardenas hit .261 in 1157 games with 72 HR. He had an 89 OPS+. | The 52nd greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Ewell Blackwell. He was known as "The Whip" for his sidearm delivery from a long lanky body that must have looked to right-handed hitters as though it was coming from behind their ears. With that 6'6" frame, at 195 pounds, Blackwell looked like all arms and legs. It was a delivery reminiscent of Walter Johnson from an earlier time, though Blackwell could not match the durability. The California native signed with Cincinnati in 1942 and had a great year for Syracuse but was soon off to World War II. When he got back in 1946 he had a solid year though with a poor record, then in 1947 he finished second in the MVP voting in an amazing season when he led the league in wins, complete games, and strikeouts, posting a 22-8 record and 2.47 ERA. The Reds would spend the next several years pinning their hopes on an return to that form, and being disappointed. The team on the field was pretty poor, and could have used an ace, but Blackwell constantly battled arm troubles. He missed significant time in 1948 and 1949, though he was oddly named an All-Star both years. He was solid in both 1950 and 1951, though the Reds continued to stink. He got off to a bad start in 1952 and was dealt to the Yankees down the stretch run as they looked for an extra arm. As a Red, Blackwell posted a 79-77 record in 221 games over eight years, and a 3.32 ERA in 1281 innings. | The 53rd greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Tony Mullane. Called "The Apollo of the Box," Mullane is reputedly the inspiration for Ladies' Day, as a handsome man the ladies would turn out to the ball field to watch. Mullane was also a noted cheapskate, who would wear his clothes until they would virtually fall off of him. Wonder how the ladies felt about that? He was born in Ireland but the family came to America when he was a child. Mullane reached the major leagues in 1881 and bounced around a while, showing little respect for contracts. After he was made to sit out a year for this offense, he went to Cincinnati for 1886 and would remain with the club for nearly eight years. Mullane won 30 games in a season twice and 20 games three more times. As a Red he posted a 163-124 record and a 3.15 ERA that was 16% better than average for his leagues. Mullane was hard-working and consistent, staying in the game until pitching was switched to overhand and 60 feet from the batter rather than 50. That move, and many years of hard work, pushed Mullane from the game. | Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The 54th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Roy McMillan. McMillan was a Texan, long-armed and rangy, who was one of the best defensive shortstops ever in Cincinnati. He signed out of high school in 1947 and first made the team in 1951, batting .211 as a backup that year then taking over as the shortstop the next. McMillan had no power, but he was durable, and he learned to take a walk so he was of some help offensively. The Reds traded him after the 1960 season as his glove and bat were fading. He was the regular for eight years, won three Gold Gloves, and batted .249 in 1348 games as a Red. | The 55th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Wally Post. Post signed with the Reds out of high school in Ohio and spent several years in the minors, making brief appearances with the big club. He became a regular in 1954 at the age of 24. Post wasn't much on defense, though he had a strong arm, and he struck out a lot. What Post did best was hit for power. He was able to put the ball out of the ballpark on a regular basis. Post had a mediocre year in 1954, batting .255 with 18 HR and 83 RBI. But in 1955 he had his career year, batting .309 with 40 HR and 109 RBI, all career bests. He wasn't as good after that but was normally an above-average hitter. The Reds, with outfielders sprouting out of a solid minor league system, traded him after 1957 to the Phillies for Harvey Haddix, but brought him back in the middle of 1960 so that he was a platoon player for the 1961 pennant winners. He was swapped out again during the 1963 season. Post played for the Reds in all or part of 12 seasons, as a regular in five. In 902 games he batted .266 with 172 home runs. | Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The 56th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Bob Ewing. Ewing was a dead-ball era pitcher from Ohio who is the Reds' all-time leader in ERA, depending on the innings qualifier, mainly due to his era. He was a top pitcher in his time. Ewing pitched for Cincinnati from 1902 to 1909. Ewing was a spitballer, common for the time, who also threw hard. He was a 20-game winner in 1905, as he pitched for a series of so-so teams. Ewing was 108-103 for Cincinnati with a 2.37 ERA. | The 57th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Hans Lobert. The 170-pound Dead-Ball era infielder played more of his career in Cincinnati than anywhere else, though he is better known for other stops. Lobert was acquired from the Cubs before the 1906 season and remained until traded to Philadelphia in a deal that brought Johnny Bates, encountered earlier on this list depending on how you are reading. Lobert was a backup in 1906, regular shortstop in 1907, then regular third baseman for three years afterwards. He was terrific in 1908, batting .293 in a very bad year for offense, but slid to .212 in 1909. He was up and down throughout his Reds career. Lobert batted .269 in 597 games for Cincinnati through five years. He stole 168 bases in that time. | Monday, December 26, 2011
The 58th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Frank Dwyer. Dwyer was a 145-pound pitcher of the 19th century. He pitched some for Chicago when he debuted, then went to the Chicago Player's League franchise in 1890 but that didn't go well. He was picked up by the Kelly's Killers franchise in Cincinnati for the 1891 season, and that was going all right until the team folded and most of the players, including Dwyer, went to Milwaukee to finish out the season. Dwyer started 1892 in St. Louis, did poorly and got released, then was picked up by Cincinnati and would finish out his career in the Queen City. It was quite a journey to find his niche with the 1890s Reds. He won 20 for the Reds in 1892, and 24 in 1896. He was a steady presence in the team's rotation for most of the decade. During nine years in Cincinnati, Dwyer posted a 146-119 record and a 3.87 ERA. | The 59th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Ken Raffensberger. To call Raffensberger a lefty soft-tosser is to undersell the reality of the situation. A native of York, PA, who was born, went to high school, and died there, Raffensberger was of good size at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, but never threw very hard. He was a pretty convential pitcher early in his career, but by the time he came to the Reds in midseason 1947 in a trade for Al Lakeman, he had made an unusual decision in his pitching philosophy. Raffensberger had decided that the harder he threw the ball, the harder the batter could hit it. So, he reasoned, he would throw the ball as slowly as he could, and make the batter generate all the power. The idea was to throw strikes and aim for the corners, and make the batter work. It was "pitch to contact" in the extreme. Raffensberger struck out few, walked even fewer, and gave up plenty of hits but tried to keep them in the park. He also was able to throw large amounts of innings. Raffy finished his career in Cincinnati, pitching through 1954. He was especially a workhorse with some very mediocre Reds teams from 1949 to 1952. He won 18 games with a 3.39 ERA in 1949, and gained 17 wins with a 2.81 ERA in 1952. As a Red, he was 89-99 with a 3.64 ERA in 250 games pitched in Cincinnati. | The 60th greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Hughie Critz. Critz was a 147-pound second baseman of the 1920s and 1930s who played the first half of his career with the Reds and the second half with the Giants. He was purchased from the minors by Cincinnati in May 1924 and traded to New York for pitcher Larry Benton in May 1930. In the six years in between Critz was the regular second baseman for the Reds and often the leadoff man. He was second in the 1926 MVP voting even though he batted just .270 with a .316 on-base average, so he was very well-regarded. He also finished fourth in the 1928 voting. Critz was a little guy, never hit for a very big average even during a big offensive era, never drew lots of walks or stole lots of bases. He was the very definition of "scrappy," though. People like scrappy. In 802 games with the Reds, Critz hit .280 and had an 82 OPS+. | |
