| Phil's History of the Cincinnati Reds Homepage |
You've found my tribute page to the most storied national league franchise in baseball history, The Cincinnati Reds. A lot is always made of the fact that the Reds were the first professional baseball team, but what is often lost on people is the incredible enduring success of the franchise and the number of other firsts they have achieved in their history. Though less poplular on a national scale than the Chicago Cubs, for instance, the Reds have rarely had to endure a decade in the twentieth century without a penant, division or world's championship. The number of tremendous players, from Ed Roush to Frank Robinson to Pete Rose, that have respresented the Queen City over the years also comprise some of the more colorful personalities ever to play the game. This site will not only review the history of these colossal personalities, but the Dwayne Walkers, Dennis Menkes and Willard Hershbergers of the world as well. My wife might argue with it, but I often think that baseball is the lone part of my childhood I never managed to grow out of. The only thing I love about the game more than the Reds is the game itself, and I think that is the way you should feel about the home team.
| The Decades |
| The Cast |
Not all, but certainly many of the more signifigant personalities ever associated with the Reds.
| Ed Roush | Bucky Walters | Gus Bell | Ted Klewzewski | Joe Nuxall | Ewell Blackwell |
| Heine Groh | Ernie Lombardi | Jim O'Toole | Johnny Van Dermeer | Frank Robinson | Harry Wright |
| Fred Hutchinson | Pete Rose | Johnny Bench | Joe Morgan | Tom Seaver | Tom Browning |
| Eric Davis | Barry Larkin | Mario Soto | Jose Rijo | Tony Perez | Dave Parker |
| Paul Derringer | Waite Hoyt | Marty Brenneman | Sparky Anderson | Dave Concepcion | Sean Casey |
| Big Red Machine |
I don't care how many games the Yankees won in 1998, I don't care about the Braves' pitching staff or the A's dominance in the early 70's. The only team in the annals of baseball to compare with the 1975-76 Reds are the 27 Yankees. With a pedestrian pitching staff, the Big Red Machine could start eight players every day that it could be said were the best players at their position in the game. If they were not hall of famers, all eight were at least at the peak of exceptional careers. Trust me, transposed into the game today the results would be the same, if not better.
Phil's Big Red Machine Tribute Page