Big Red Machine coming at you: '76 WS on FSO

CINCINNATI -- On the heels of winning one of the most thrilling World Series ever in 1975 against the Red Sox, the Big Red Machine had a tall order in trying to top it. They didn’t need to, however. All that mattered to Reds players, manager Sparky Anderson and fans was that they won it all again in 1976.

That’s just what Cincinnati did. The club won 102 games in the regular season and, more importantly, went 7-0 in the postseason. After sweeping the Phillies in the National League Championship Series in three games, the Reds swept the Yankees in four, becoming the first NL club in 54 years to earn back-to-back World Series victories. Cincinnati is also the last NL team to achieve such a feat.

“We were good,” former Reds pitcher Jack Billingham told MLB.com on Monday. “I remember that, for a few years when we went into towns to play, the other team knew we were going to come and beat them. They just knew they were going to lose. In the seventh inning, if we were down by one or two runs, they knew that the Big Red Machine was coming at them. Maybe the Yankees knew how good we were and were nervous about it. But we never took it for granted.”

Over four consecutive evenings at 7 ET, beginning with Game 1 tonight, FOX Sports Ohio will re-air the entirety of the 1976 World Series. In the clinching Game 4, World Series MVP Johnny Bench will be featured in interviews during an enhanced telecast.

Bench, who was banged up with injuries and batted .234 with 16 home runs during the regular season, hit .533 with two homers and six RBIs against New York.

“What a relief it is for me to do something for that team after I didn’t do much all year,” Bench told The New York Times after being named that Fall Classic’s MVP.

Going into the ’76 World Series, the Reds were favored against a Yankees club that was in the postseason for the first time in 12 years and recapturing the glory years of its past. Cincinnati had future Hall of Famers like Bench, Tony Perez and Joe Morgan and some all-time greats in Pete Rose, George Foster and Dave Concepcion. Overshadowed was the pitching staff that featured Gary Nolan, Don Gullett, Pat Zachry and Fred Norman. Billingham, a future member of the Reds Hall of Fame who started for the ’75 team, also came out of the bullpen during the ’76 season.

The Yankees were still in the early stages of forming their own dynasty, going on to win back-to-back World Series titles in ’77 and ’78. That made crushing New York even more satisfying for the Reds, who outscored their opponent, 22-8, over the four games.

“We didn’t hate them, but they were always the team, the most popular team,” Billingham said. “Everywhere you go across the country, you’d see New York hats. We played them four games, won and went home. We swept them, which was wonderful. It was exciting to sweep.”

In Game 1, at Riverfront Stadium, the Reds took a 5-1 victory as Morgan homered and Gullett pitched 7 1/3 strong innings. Game 2’s 4-3 win was the lone tight contest, which was won by Billingham after 2 2/3 innings of perfect relief. Catfish Hunter pitched an 8 2/3-inning complete game for New York. A two-out error by shortstop Fred Stanley in the ninth inning allowed Ken Griffey to reach safely. After an intentional walk, Perez drove in Griffey with a walk-off RBI single.

The Series shifted to Yankee Stadium for Game 3, which the Reds won by a 6-2 score. Dan Driessen -- getting to see action with the designated hitter being used for the first time in World Series play during this Fall Classic -- hit a homer against Dock Ellis to make it 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning. As Cincinnati completed the sweep in Game 4, Bench hit a pair of home runs with five RBIs.

“The biggest thing I remember is we won it in New York, and that was a disappointment to me, because we won it in Boston,” Billingham said. “We never won the two World Series in front of the fans at home.”

Billingham, who had a 0.77 ERA in four World Series games over ’75 and ’76, wouldn’t pick a favorite title team among the two.

“We won the World Series each year,” he said. “I can’t say one or the other.”