Reds Hall of Fame Member Directory

George "Sparky" Anderson came to the Reds in October 1969 with no major-league managerial experience. Many believed that General Manager Bob Howsam made a tremendous mistake by hiring this "unknown" manager. However, Anderson quickly proved the critics wrong and won over the hearts of Reds fans. Sparky went on to become the most-successful and most-beloved manager in Reds history.

During his nine seasons in Cincinnati, Anderson guided the Reds to five division titles, four pennants, and back-to-back World Championships in 1975-1976. The consecutive world titles were a first by a National League team since the 1921-1922 New York Giants.

During his tenure, Sparky piloted the Reds to a franchise managerial-record 863 victories and a .596 winning percentage that also tops the club's all-time list. Sparky Anderson and Buck Ewing are currently the only Reds managers to produce five or more consecutive winning seasons. Anderson holds the record with seven, from 1972 through 1978.

Following the 1978 season, Anderson's run in Cincinnati came to end. Sparky went on to Detroit, where he won the Manager of the Year Award in 1984 and 1987, and another World Series title in 1984. Anderson's third championship made him the first manager to win World Championships in the American and National Leagues.

Sparky retired from baseball following the 1995 season with 2,194 career victories -- the sixth-highest total in Major League Baseball history. Anderson was enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame during the same year. The Reds retired his number 10 in 2005, and the Tigers followed in 2011 by retiring his number 11. Sparky Anderson died November 4, 2010, at age 76.

George Lee Anderson

Nickname: Captain Hook

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 170

Born: February 22, 1934, Bridgewater, SD

Death: November 4, 2010, Thousand Oaks, CA

High School: Dorsey (Los Angeles, CA)

How Acquired: Hired as manager on Oct. 9, 1969

Debut: April 6, 1970 vs. Montreal Expos

Final Game: October 1, 1995 vs. Baltimore Orioles

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2000

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2000

Jersey Number Retired (10) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2005

One of the most durable pitchers in Reds history and one of only two Reds pitchers to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Bronson Arroyo pitched 200 or more innings in seven of his eight full seasons with the club and started 32 or more games in each of his eight full Reds campaigns. A 2006 National League All-Star, Arroyo paced the league in both innings pitched (240.2) and starts (35) that season. Arroyo led or tied for the club lead in games started seven times in his career and was the club’s leader in innings pitched in five different seasons. In Reds history, only six pitchers have started more games for the club than Arroyo’s 279 and his career total of 1,761.1 innings pitched has been topped by only 15 pitchers in franchise history. Arroyo led or tied for the club lead in victories in a season three times and won 12 or more games in a season six times during his Reds career including a career-best 17 wins during the Reds’ 2010 National League Central Division championship season. He won Gold Glove honors that season and finished 12^th in voting for the NL Cy Young Award. In 2012, he contributed 12 victories to the 97 wins recorded by the Central Division Champion Reds, a team victory total that has been exceeded by only seven other Reds teams. Relying on pitch location, movement and changing speeds, Arroyo struck out 1,157 batters as a Red, a total bested by only five pitchers in club history.

Bronson Anthony Arroyo

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 185

Born: February, 24, 1977, Key West, FL

How Acquired: In a trade with the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Wily Mo Pena on March 30, 2006

Debut: June 12, 2000 vs. Atlanta Braves

Final Game: June 18, 2017 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2023

Jake "Eagle Eye" Beckley came to Cincinnati as a seasoned veteran with an already long and distinguished career. He played eight seasons with the Pirates, one with the Players' League's Pittsburgh club, and one-and-a-half seasons with New York. He struggled during his second season with the Giants and was released by the club in May 1897. The Reds wasted little time signing him.

Beckley enjoyed a fine first season with the Reds, posting a .345 batting average in 97 games. On September 26 of that season, he hit three home runs in a game, setting a record that would stand until 1922. The 1897 campaign was the first of six seasons in which Beckley hit well over .300 for the Reds; his .325 career batting average in a Reds uniform ranks third on Cincinnati's all-time list.

A complete offensive player, Beckley ranked among the league's leaders during various seasons in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, triples, home runs and RBI. His seventy-seven triples as a Red ranks tenth on the franchise's all-time list.

Beckley was also a colorful character during his era, and he became a master at first base of the hidden-ball trick, a method that he used on base-runners successfully throughout his career. He also had a rather unorthodox style of bunting. When the pitcher would throw the ball, Beckley would flip the bat while the orb was still in flight and swing at the pitch, using the handle to hit.

Beckley finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. He was enshrined in the Reds Hall of Fame in 2014.

Jacob Peter Beckley

Nickname: Eagle Eye

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 200

Born: August 4, 1867, Hannibal, Missouri

Death: June 25, 1918, Kansas City, Missouri

How Acquired: Signed as a free agent on May 27, 1897.

Debut: June 20, 1888 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: June 15, 1907 vs. Boston Doves

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1971 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2014

David "Gus" Bell was acquired from the Pirates in a trade on October 14 , 1952 and became a fixture in the Reds' outfield for nine seasons.

In his first year as a Red, Gus belted 30 home runs, collected 105 RBI, tallied 102 runs and finished the season with a .300 batting average. During his breakout year, he was elected to the National League All-Star roster where he would start in center field in front of his home crowd at Crosley Field. Bell would go on to have three more All-Star appearances for the Reds in 1954, 1956 and 1957. In 1956, Bell contributed 29 round-trippers to the then-Major League record-tying 221 home runs the Reds hit during the season.

In addition to his strong bat, Bell was one of the most gifted defensive outfielders of his era, regularly placing among the National League's leaders in putouts, assists and fewest errors committed.

A member of the Reds' 1961 National League Championship club, Bell was left unprotected in the expansion draft and was taken by New York Mets as their eighth pick. He recorded the first hit in Mets history on Opening Day in 1962. Bell was traded to the Milwaukee Braves in the middle of the 1962 season and retired as a Brave after the 1964 campaign.

 Gus Bell's baseball legacy was carried on by his son Buddy and grandsons David and Mike. The Bells are one of only four three-generation families to play in the Major Leagues, and Gus, Buddy and Mike are the only three-generation family to play for the Reds. Gus Bell was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1964.

David Russell Bell

Nickname: Gus

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 196

Born: November 15, 1928, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Death: May 7, 1995, Montogomery, Ohio

High School: Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget High School (Louisville, KY)

How Acquired: Traded by the Pirates to the Cincinnati Reds as part of a four-player deal on Oct. 14, 1952

Debut: May 30, 1950 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: May 1, 1964 vs. Milwaukee Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1964

In the debate over the greatest catchers in baseball history, Johnny Bench is inevitably at or near the top of the list. So complete a player was Bench that his longtime manager Sparky Anderson once chided a sportswriter for comparing another catcher to Bench by saying, "I don't want to embarrass any other catcher by comparing him to Johnny Bench."

Behind the plate, Bench redefined the catching position, setting a standard by which all catchers who followed him have attempted in vain to meet. Overshadowed by the glow of Bench's defensive achievements are his staggering a accomplishments as a hitter. The physical demands of the catching position have compromised catchers' abilities to excel at the plate since the game's beginning. Of the select few catchers who have overcome the physical toll their position exacts on them to become elite hitters, few have approached Bench's level.

In a career that found Bench catching 100 or more games for a staggering 13 consecutive seasons, he led the National League in home runs twice and RBI three times. In five seasons in the 1970s, Bench had one of the ten best OPS percentages in the league. He retired as the most prolific home run-hitting catcher in baseball history, a record that was eventually surpassed by Carlton Fisk and current record-holder Mike Piazza.

In Reds history, no player has hit more home runs in a Cincinnati uniform than Bench's 389, nor has any player driven in more runs than Bench's 1376. Playing alongside great power hitters and run producers such as George Foster, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez on the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s, Bench led the club in home runs four times and RBI five times, including four consecutive season from 1972 to 1975.

A two-time World Champion, two-time Most Valuable Player, 10-time Gold Glove winner, 14-time All-Star and a Reds and National Baseball Hall of Famer, Bench has been justifiably lauded for a career that embodied excellence in all facets of the game. He was as much of a weapon behind the plate as he was standing astride it with a bat in his hands. He was a more complete weapon than any catcher, if not any player, before or since.

Johnny Bench

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 197

Born: December 7, 1947, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

High School: Anadarko High School (Binger, Oklahoma)

How Acquired: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the amateur draft in 1965

Debut: August 28, 1967 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: September 29, 1983 vs. San Francisco Giants

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1989 (431/447 ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1986

Jersey Number Retired (5) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1984

"Cactus Jack" Billingham came to Cincinnati in what is considered the best trade in Reds history. Acquired from the Astros in November 1971 with Ed Armbrister, Cesar Geronimo, Denis Menke and Joe Morgan, the trade transformed the Big Red Machine into the juggernaut that would dominate the National League for the next five seasons.

Billingham won 12 games with a 3.18 ERA in his first season with the Reds, as Cincinnati won the Western Division by 10.5 games. Billingham's best year was 1973, when he won 19 games with a 3.04 ERA. His performance earned him a spot on the National League's All-Star team and resulted in a fourth-place finish in voting for the National League's Cy Young Award. Billingham enjoyed another 19-win season in 1974 and tied for the club lead in victories with 15 in the Reds' World Championship season of 1975. Billingham was credited with 12 wins in the Reds' 1976 World Series-winning season and finished with double-digit victories in his last season as a Red in 1977.

A strong performer in the regular season, Billingham was superb in the postseason. Billingham posted a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings of postseason pitching, including a microscopic 0.36 ERA in 25-1/3 innings over the 1972, 1975 and 1976 World Series. Billingham's career World Series ERA was the Major League record until it was bested by the Giants' Madison Bumgarner in 2014. Jack Billingham was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1984.

John Eugene Billingham

Nickname: Cactus Jack

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 195

Born: February 21, 1943, Orlando, FL

High School: Winter Park High School (Orlando, FL)

How Acquired: Traded by the Houston Astros to the Reds as part of an eight-player deal on Nov. 29, 1971

Debut: April 11, 1968 vs. New York Mets

Final Game: June 20, 1980 vs. California Angels

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1984

Ewell Blackwell, nicknamed "The Whip" for his sidearm, snap delivery, was one of the most intimidating pitchers of his era. After a brief stint with the Reds in 1942, Blackwell was drafted into the Army, and served overseas until World War II came to an end in 1945. He returned to the Reds' roster in 1946, where he became a mainstay of the club's starting rotation and enjoyed the first of six consecutive All-Star seasons.

In 1947, Blackwell authored the finest season of his career, and arguably the best season of any pitcher in Reds history. Blackwell led the Majors in wins with 22, and paced the National League in complete games and strikeouts. His 2.47 ERA was the league's second-best. From May 10-July 25, Blackwell won 16 consecutive games, highlighted by a no-hit effort against the Boston Braves June 18. In his next start, he came within two outs of matching teammate Johnny Vander Meer's feat of pitching consecutive no-hitters. Had the Cy Young Award existed at the time, there is little doubt that Blackwell would have won it. A second-place finish in National League MVP voting was his consolation prize.

Blackwell was hampered by numerous injuries throughout his career that compromised his effectiveness and ultimately forced him out of baseball when he was only 32 years old. Despite the brevity of his career, Blackwell and his distinctive throwing motion came to symbolize the best of Reds baseball in the years following the Second World War.

Ewell Blackwell and Edd Roush comprised the Reds Hall of Fame Class of 1960.

Ewell Blackwell

Nickname: The Whip

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 6"

Weight: 195

Born: October 23, 1922, Fresno, California

Death: October 29, 1996, Hendersonville, North Carolina

High School: Bonita (Bonita, CA)

College: University of La Verne

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1942

Debut: April 21, 1942 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: April 18, 1955 vs. Cleveland Indians

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1960

He was a licensed barber who once claimed that his grandfather was still alive at age 136. He was well-schooled in the sport of cock fighting -- illegal in the United States, but a thriving industry in his native Dominican Republic. He once bit an opposing player in the heat of an on-field fight. He was Pedro Borbón, one of the most durable and effective relief pitchers of the 1970s, and the pitcher who holds the Reds career record for most games pitched.

The stories and myths that surround Borbón are almost enough to cause one to look past an amazing pitching career -- one in which he anchored the best bullpen on baseball's best team for almost a decade. Acquired in 1969 in a five player deal that found the Reds trading outfielder Alex Johnson and infielder Chico Ruiz to the Angels for pitchers Jim McGlothlin, Vern Geishert and Borbon, Pedro turned out to be the most important player in the deal.

On a team noted for its strong bullpen, led by manager Sparky Anderson (nicknamed "Captain Hook" for the frequency with which he cycled pitchers off and on the mound), Borbón was arguably the most-reliable arm called into service. His was certainly the most oft-used arm and the most resilient. From 1970-1978, no pitcher in the National League appeared in more games. Borbón finished in the top five in the league in games pitched each season from 1972 to 1977.

Borbón was not only durable but extremely effective. The pressure of postseason competition seemed to bring out the best in him. From 1972 to 1976, Borbón appeared in 20 postseason games for the Reds, and he posted a combined ERA of 2.42 with a sterling 1.26 ERA in League Championship Series play.

In 2010, the Reds' most-durable reliever was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. He passed away two years later at the age of 65.

Pedro Borbón

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 185

Born: December 2, 1946 in Mao, Dominican Republic

Death: June 4, 2012 in Pharr, Texas

How Acquired: In a trade with the California Angel on November 25, 1969

Debut: April 9, 1969 vs Seattle Pilots

Final Game: May 25, 1980 vs San Diego Padres

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2010

A fixture in the Reds radio booth from 1974-2019, Brennaman was the voice of Reds baseball for generations of radio listeners throughout Reds country as he provided the soundtrack to some of the most unforgettable and historic moments in Reds history. For the first 31 seasons of Brennaman’s career, he and Joe Nuxhall formed one of the longest-running duos in the history of baseball broadcasting. And his “This One Belongs to the Reds!” exclamation that punctuated Reds victories is one of the most iconic phrases ever associated with the Reds. Brennaman’s distinguished career has been celebrated through induction into numerous broadcasting Halls of Fame including the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame and the National Radio Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was the recipient of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award, an honor bestowed annually on a broadcaster “for major contributions to the game of baseball.” Marty Brennaman was the lone member of the Reds Hall of Fame’s 2021 Induction Class and the first broadcaster honored with induction into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Marty Brennaman

Born: July 28, 1942 in Portsmouth, VA

How Acquired: Hired by the Reds as radio broadcaster on January 21, 1974

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2021

Raymond "Rube" Bressler began his career at the age of 19 as a promising pitcher, and ended his career at the age of 37 having transformed himself into a good-hitting outfielder and first baseman possessed of exceptional fielding skills.

Injuries bedeviled Bressler almost from the start of his career, and were the main factor behind his release by the Philadelphia Athletics, the club for which he had made his big league debut at age 19 in 1914. Cut loose by the A's in 1916, Bressler was signed by the Reds the next year

Initially used as a spot-starter, Bressler began his transition from the mound to the field in 1918 when he played in the outfield for the first time. He appeared on the mound in 18 games over the course of the season, and ended the year with an 8-5 record. During the Reds' 1919 World Championship season, Bressler appeared with far more frequency in the outfield; he only pitched in 13 games.

The following season, Rube suffered another arm injury that ended his pitching career and forced him to put all of his focus on transitioning into a full-time fielder. Bressler pitched in 42 games for the Reds during his first four years in Cincinnati.

As a full-time outfielder and first baseman, Bressler excelled at the plate, becoming the Reds' top pinch-hitter and batting over .300 four times in seven seasons from 1921 to 1927.

From 1924 to 1927, Bressler posted averages of .347, .348 and .357, respectively -- marks that would have placed him among the league's leaders in average had he accumulated enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title. Bressler ended his Reds career with a batting average of .311, tied for eighth-best career in franchise history. His career on-base percentage of .379 is also tied for eighth on the Reds' all-time list.

Bressler made Cincinnati his home after his playing career ended. He was rewarded for his productive career in a Reds uniform with induction into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1963.

Raymond Bloom Bressler

Bats: Right

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 187

Born: October 23, 1894, Coder, Pennsylvania, USA

Death: November 7, 1966, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Drafted by the Reds from Atlanta of the Southern Association in the Rule 5 draft on Sept. 20, 1917

Debut: April 24, 1914 vs. New York Yankees

Final Game: July 17, 1932 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1963

James David Bristol was born on June 23, 1933 in Macon, GA. The Bristol family moved to Tennessee where he became a three-sport letterman at the Baylor School for Boys in Chattanooga. He passed on a football scholarship to Georgia Tech in favor of pursuing a professional baseball career. Signed by the Reds in 1951, Bristol played for ten different clubs over the next eleven seasons in the Reds' minor league system.

Although Bristol did not make it to the Major Leagues as a player, Reds management took note of his work ethic, vast baseball knowledge and leadership skills and in 1957 named him the player/manager of the club's Class D affiliate in the New York-Penn League. It was the first of thirteen consecutive seasons Bristol spent as a manager in the Reds organization, a tenure that saw Bristol climb to the top of the Reds' minor league ladder and that culminated with his promotion to manager the parent club in 1966.

Bristol enjoyed great success as minor league skipper, winning five league titles including the 1964 Pacific League Championship as the manager of the Reds' top farm club, the San Diego Padres. But of far greater importance than his club's on-field success was the impact Bristol had on a host of minor league players who, in large part because of his guidance, became critical contributors to the Reds' vaunted Big Red Machine of the 1970s. Bristol was vital in the development of Big Red Machine members and Reds Hall of Famers Tommy Helms, Lee May, Tony Perez and Pete Rose among many others.

As the Reds' manager, Bristol continued to nurture the Reds' young talent including future Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, who made his major league debut under Bristol in 1967. Overall, Reds players amassed twelve All-Star selections with Bristol as their manager and he was selected as a coach for both the 1968 and 1969 NL All-Star teams. Bristol's Reds clubs were among the most formidable offensive clubs in baseball and posted winning records in each of his three full seasons at the helm. In the first season of divisional play in 1969, the Reds fell only four victories short of winning the division title. Bristol's 298 career victories as Reds manager ranks 10^th in franchise history and his career winning percentage of .529 is tied for the 11^th best in the history of the club.

Dave Bristol, one of the men who helped build the Big Red Machine, was the fifth manager elected to the Reds Hall of Fame.

Dave Bristol

Position: Manager

Bats: -

Throws: -

Height: -

Weight: -

Born: June 23, 1933 in Macon, GA

Death:

High School: Baylor School for Boys in Chattanooga, TN

How Acquired: Hired by Cincinnati Reds as manager on July 13, 1966

Debut: July 14, 1966 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: October 2, 1969 vs. Atlanta Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2018

Tom Browning was drafted by the Reds in 1982. Soon after, he learned how to throw a screwball -- the pitch that helped get him to the big leagues -- and that became his signature delivery throughout his career. Not gifted with a blazing fastball, Browning learned early on that in order to succeed, he would have to rely on his wits as much as his arm.

Browning earned a spot in the rotation in 1985, and he put together one of the great rookie seasons ever enjoyed by a major- league pitcher. His 20 wins were the most by a rookie since 1954, and the most by a Reds rookie since 1899. He finished in the league's top ten in wins, starts, innings pitched, strikeouts and shutouts. His performance merited a second-place finish in league Rookie of the Year voting, and won him The Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year award.

Browning remained a fixture in the starting rotation for the next nine years. He led the league in starts four times and pitched more than 200 innings in six seasons. He anchored Reds pitching staffs that helped the club to four consecutive second-place finishes and a World Championship. His work ethic centered on taking the ball whenever it was given to him, and finishing what he started. Being removed from games before he felt it was necessary rankled him. He pitched quickly and was not afraid to pitch inside. His tenacity and fearlessness led his teammates to liken him to a bulldog when he was on the mound.

For more than a decade, Tom Browning was inextricably linked with Cincinnati and the Reds. From his stellar rookie season to his unannounced departure from Game 2 of the 1990 World Series to see the birth of his son, Browning gave Reds fans a host of memorable moments. But for all of the memories he created, none resonates more than the rain-soaked night of September 16, 1988 when he threw the first -- and to date, only -- perfect game in Cincinnati Reds history. Browning retired each of the 27 Los Angeles Dodgers to bat against him that night at Riverfront Stadium, in a game that will forever enjoy a place of honor on the short list of greatest games in Reds history.

For his night of perfection and so much more, Tom Browning was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.

Thomas Leo Browning

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 190

Born: April 28, 1960, Casper, Wyoming, USA

Death: December 19, 2022, Union, Kentucky, USA

High School: Chadwicks High (Utica, NY); Franklin Academy (Malone, NY)

College: LeMoyne College, Tennessee Wesleyan College

How Acquired: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth round of the 1982 amateur draft

Debut: September 9, 1984 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Final Game: May 19, 1995 vs. Oakland Athletics

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2006

The Reds have a strong history of excellence in executing one of baseball's most challenging tasks: the fine art of pinch-hitting. Much of that tradition can be attributed to Reds Hall of Famer Smoky Burgess.

A catcher by trade, Burgess quickly established himself as one of the game's best pinch-hitters. Initially acquired in a trade with the Cubs in October 1951, Smoky was dealt to the Phillies in December of that year without ever having suited up for the Reds. Smoky was reacquired by the Reds in April 1955 and remained with the club through the end of the 1958 season.

Burgess served as the Reds' starting catcher in 1955, and he earned the second All-Star berth of his career. For the balance of his Reds career, he split the catching duties with Ed Bailey, as Smoky's value as a weapon off the bench became increasingly apparent. Always in possession of a dangerous bat, it was Smoky's line-drive home run in the second-to-last game of the 1956 season that gave the Reds 221 home runs. The mark tied the Major League record set by the 1947 New York Giants, and would stand as the Major League mark until the 1961 Yankees belted 240. The Reds' 1956 home run total remained the National League record until the 1997 Colorado Rockies hit 239.

Known primarily for his hitting abilities, Smoky was also behind the plate when three Reds pitchers (Johnny Klippstein, Hershell Freeman and Joe Black) combined to hold the Milwaukee Braves hitless for 9-2/3 innings May 26, 1955. The Braves broke the tie in the 11^th to win the game 2-1.

Incredibly, four years later to the day, Smoky was the batterymate of the Pirates' Harvey Haddix when Haddix tossed 12 perfect innings against the Braves, only to lose the game in the 13^th inning.

In an unfortunate trade for the Reds, the club had dealt Smoky (along with Haddix and Don Hoak) to the Pirates after the 1958 season for four players who did little in their brief tenures with Cincinnati. Smoky was a member of four more All-Star teams before he retired after the 1964 season.

At the time of his retirement, Smoky had more pinch hits (145) than any player in baseball history. His record stood until 1979, then the Dodgers' Manny Mota singled off Houston's J. R. Richard for the 146^th pinch hit of his career. Mota's mark stood until former Red Lenny Harris passed it in 2001.

Smoky Burgess was elected to the Reds Hall of Fame in 1975. He died September 15, 1991 in his native North Carolina. He was 64.

Forrest Harrill Burgess

Nickname: Smoky

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 185

Born: February 6, 1927, Caroleen, North Carolina

Death: September 15, 1991, Asheville, North Carolina

High School: Caroleen High School (Caroleen, NC)

How Acquired: Traded by the Cubs to the Reds on Oct. 4, 1951; Reacquired on April 30, 1955 via a trade with Phillies

Debut: April 19, 1949 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: October 1, 1967 vs. Washington Senators

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1975

Cuban-born Leo Cárdenas signed a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds in 1956 at the tender age of 16. He spent four-and-a-half years working his way through the minor-league system. He made his Major League debut July 25, 1960 when he started for the Reds at shortstop against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

In 1961, his first full season with the Reds, Cárdenas split playing time at short with veteran Eddie Kasko, and he was an integral part of that season's pennant-winning club.

Cárdenas took over the starting shortstop position in 1962, and became one of the top shortstops in baseball. He was named to the National League All-Star team each season from 1964 to 1966, and again in 1968. One of the game's top defensive shortstops, Cardenas was dubbed "Mr. Automatic" for the reliability of his fielding; he won a Gold Glove for defensive excellence in 1965.

In addition to being a fine defensive shortstop, Cárdenas also possessed a potent bat. In 1966 he hit 20 home runs, which set a record for Reds shortstops that stood for 30 years.

The Reds traded Cárdenas to the Twins for future 20-game winner Jim Merritt following the 1968 season. In Minnesota, he played for two division-winning teams and was named to the American League All-Star roster in 1971. He also had stints with the Angels, Indians and Rangers before retiring after the 1975 season.

After his playing career, Leo settled in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1981.

Leonardo Lazaro Cárdenas

Nickname: Mr. Automatic

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 150

Born: December 17, 1938, Matanzas, Cuba

How Acquired: Acquired from Tucson of the Arizona-Mexico League in 1957

Debut: July 25, 1960 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: September 26, 1975 vs. Kansas City Royals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1981

Clay "The Hawk" Carroll was a workhorse reliever for the great Big Red Machine bullpen of the first half of the 1970s. Acquired by the Reds in a midseason 1968 trade from the Atlanta Braves, Carroll developed into one of the game's top relief pitchers.

During his eight-year Reds career, Carroll earned All-Star selections in 1971 and 1972. In that 1972 season, Carroll led the National League in games pitched and saves. He was named The Sporting News Fireman of the Year for his efforts. Carroll's saves title was the high point of a stretch that saw Carroll finish in the top ten in the NL in saves each season from 1970-1972. Durable as he was effective, Carroll also ranked in the top ten in the league in games pitched each season from 1969 - 1972.

In World Series play, Carroll posted a career ERA of 1.33 and was the winning pitcher in the Reds' lone victory in the 1970 World Series. He was also credited with the win in the Reds' Game 7 victory in the 1975 World Series that clinched the franchise's first World Championship in 35 years.

Following the 1975 season, Carroll was traded to the White Sox and had stints with the Cardinals and Pirates before retiring after the 1978 season. In Reds history, only two pitchers have appeared in more game than Carroll's 486, and only four pitchers had a better career winning percentage than Carroll's .623 mark.

In 1980, Clay Carroll became the second relief pitcher honored with induction into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Clay Palmer Carroll

Nickname: The Hawk

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 178

Born: May 2, 1941, Clanton, AL

How Acquired: Traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Reds as part of a six-player deal on June 11, 1968

Debut: September 2, 1964 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: October 1, 1978 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1980

Sean Casey arrived in Cincinnati in a rather surprising trade. On the eve of Opening Day 1998, the Reds dealt Dave Burba, the team's scheduled Opening Day starting pitcher, to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for the 23-year-old Casey -- a player who had only 12 major league plate appearances to his credit. The trade was widely derided throughout Reds Country, but Casey's talent, enthusiasm and outgoing disposition quickly won over Reds fans. He remains one of the most beloved players to wear a Reds uniform.

Casey enjoyed the first of his three career All-Star seasons in 1999 when he helped lead the Reds to within one victory of a playoff berth. He finished fourth in batting in the NL with a .332 average, collected 42 doubles, hit 25 home runs, scored 103 runs and drove in 99.

Casey then became a fixture at first base. He eclipsed the .300 mark in batting average in four of the next six seasons, drove in 85 or more runs four times, and enjoyed two seasons in which he hit 40 or more doubles. He earned All-Star selections in 2001 and 2004.

Casey was traded to his hometown Pirates after the 2005 season, and he was a member of the 2006 American League Champion Detroit Tigers in 2006. He retired after playing his final Major League season with the Boston Red Sox in 2008.

The player whose popularity led him to be christened "The Mayor," was the top choice by fans in 2011 Reds Hall of Fame voting; he was inducted the following year.

Sean (Thomas) Casey

Nickname: The Mayor

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 215

Born: July 2, 1974, Willingsboro, NJ

High School: Upper St. Clair (PA) High School

College: University of Richmond (VA)

How Acquired: In a trade with the Cleveland Indians on March 30, 1998 in exchange for pitcher Dave Burba

Debut: September 12, 1997 vs.

Final Game: September 28, 2008 vs.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2012

When the Reds traded popular longtime second baseman Johnny Temple to the Cleveland Indians in December of 1959 for second baseman Billy Martin, pitcher Cal McLish and first baseman Gordy Coleman, it was something of a surprise that Coleman ended up being the key player in the deal for the Reds. Martin and McLish were off to other clubs after one season, but Coleman established himself as the Reds' starting first baseman during the pennant-winning season of 1961. He held down the position for much of the next five years.

A fine defensive first baseman with a powerful left-handed bat, Coleman swatted 26 home runs in Cincinnati's unexpected title season of 1961. His two-run home run in the fourth inning of the Reds' 6-2 Game Two victory over the Yankees in the World Series was only the second home run hit by a Reds batter in postseason play up to that time. Coleman followed his breakout 1961 season with another strong campaign in 1962, belting a career-high 28 home runs and driving in 86 runs as the Reds finished a strong third in the NL with a 98-64 record. Injuries beset Coleman beginning in 1963 and plagued him until his career ended in 1967.

After retiring as an active player, Coleman became an integral part of the Reds' front office, helping to establish the Reds Speakers Bureau, through which he made many personal appearances on behalf of the club in towns large and small throughout Reds Country. In 1990, the gregarious Coleman joined the Reds television broadcast team as a color commentator -- a position he held until his sudden death from a heart attack at age 59 on March 12, 1994.

Gordon Calvin Coleman

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 208

Born: July 5, 1934, Rockville, Maryland

Death: March 12, 1994, Cincinnati, Ohio

High School: Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, Maryland)

How Acquired: Traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Cincinnati Redlegs on December 15, 1959

Debut: September 19, 1959 vs. Kansas City Athletics

Final Game: May 3, 1967 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted nito the Reds Hall of Fame 1972

David Concepción was signed as an amateur free agent by Cincinnati September 12, 1967. Initially eyed to be a second baseman, he proved a much better fit at shortstop -- a position he would play for the rest of his career. The young Venezuelan moved through the minor-league ranks quickly, and debuted with the Reds as the team's starting shortstop on Opening Day 1970.

During Concepción’s era, most of the stadiums in the National League had artificial-turf fields. Concepcion was a defensive master on these speedy surfaces, and he perfected the technique of the one-bounce throw to first base. During the 1970s, he teamed with Joe Morgan for baseball's best middle-infield combination. Concepción’s prowess at shortstop earned him five Gold Gloves, including four consecutive awards from 1974 to 1977.

Concepción was also one of the best-hitting shortstops of his era, collecting two Silver Slugger awards during his career; he batted over .280 eight times. In 112 plate appearances in the postseason, he batted an impressive .297 with a .455 slugging percentage.

A nine-time All-Star, Concepción was named the MVP of the 1982 Midsummer Classic.

Concepción retired following the 1988 season, having played his entire career in a Reds uniform. He ranks second in Reds history in career games played and at-bats; third in hits, fourth in doubles, sixth in stolen bases and total bases, and seventh in runs scored. He and Barry Larkin share the franchise record with 19 seasons played in a Reds uniform.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2000, Concepción’s uniform #13 was retired by the club in 2007.

David Ismael Concepción

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 155

Born: June 17, 1948, Ocumare de la Costa, Venezuela

How Acquired: Signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent on September 12, 1967

Debut: April 6, 1970 vs. Montreal Expos

Final Game: September 15, 1988 vs. Houston Astros

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2000

One of the most gifted defensive players to ever patrol the outfield for the Cincinnati Reds, Harry Craft was a key component of the Reds' back-to-back National League championship clubs in 1939 and 1940 and the 1940 World Champions. In Craft's first full season as the club's centerfielder in 1938, the Reds notched their first winning record since 1928. In addition to playing superlative defense, Craft also established career highs in most offensive categories during his rookie campaign and was a central figure in teammate Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back no hitters, catching Dodger Leo Durocher's fly ball to secure the last out of the second game.

The Reds' championship clubs of 1939 and 1940 were built around stout pitching and exceptional defense, and Craft excelled in the field, setting a Major League record for fielding percentage by an outfielder (since broken) with a .997 mark in 1940. Craft's second foray into the record books took place June 8, 1940 when he became only the third Red since 1900 to hit for the cycle -- a feat that has been equaled only twice since.

In July 1942, Craft was traded to the New York Yankees, who sent him to the minor leagues. World War II was underway and Craft served with distinction in the U.S. Navy during the conflict. When he returned from the war in 1946, his time away from the game had eroded his skills. After playing parts of the next three seasons with the Yankees' top farm club in Kansas City, Craft retired in 1948 and embarked on a lengthy and distinguished career as a minor and major league coach and manager, which included serving as Mickey Mantle's first manager in professional baseball with the Independence club of the Kansas/Oklahoma/Missouri League in 1949.

Craft was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1963 and along with Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion, Barry Larkin, Bid McPhee, Ron Oester and Mario Soto, is one of only seven members of the Reds Hall of Fame to have played his entire Major League career with the Reds.

Harry Francis Craft

Nickname: Wildfire

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 185

Born: April 19, 1915, Ellisville, Mississippi

Death: August 3, 1995, Conroe, Texas

College: Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi

How Acquired: Signed as an amateur free agent in 1937

Debut: September 19, 1937 vs. Boston Bees

Final Game: July 14, 1942 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1963

"Wahoo" Sam Crawford is easily one of the great Cincinnati players who got away. He was purchased by the Reds from Grand Rapids of the Western League September 9, 1899 and the 19-year-old immediately made an impression. In his debut the following day, the Reds' played a triangular doubleheader at League Park against Cleveland and Louisville. In the two games, Crawford combined for four singles and a triple.

In 1901, Crawford had a stellar season in what turned out to be a preview of the kind of player he would become. Crawford hit .330 with 20 doubles, 16 triples, 13 stolen bases and a Major League-best 16 home runs. The next year, Crawford was again an offensive force, batting .333 with a league-leading 256 total bases.

The early part of the 20^th century saw the rise of the American League as a major competitor to the established National League. One manifestation of the leagues' battle for supremacy involved contact "jumping" that found players abandoning contracts signed with teams in one league to accept offers from teams in the opposing league.

Crawford became one of the contract jumpers when he left the Reds after the 1902 season to sign with the American League's Detroit Tigers.

Crawford's departure was a tremendous loss for the Reds; he went on to become one of the greatest players of his era. A Tiger for the balance of his 15-year career, Crawford teamed with Ty Cobb to lead Detroit to three consecutive pennants from 1907 to 1909. His 309 career triples is baseball's all-time record.

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Tiger in 1957, Crawford was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1968, the same year he passed away at the age of 88.

Samuel Earl Crawford

Nickname: Wahoo Sam

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 190

Born: April 18, 1880, Wahoo, Nebraska, USA

Death: June 15, 1968, Hollywood, California

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from Grand Rapids of the Western League on September 9, 1899

Debut: September 10, 1899 vs. Louisville Colonels

Final Game: September 16, 1917 vs. Chicago White Sox

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1957 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1968

Hugh Melville Critz was purchased by Cincinnati from Minneapolis of the American Association on May 29, 1924 and became one of the best second basemen in baseball, starting at the position for the Reds from 1924 to 1929.

One of the best defensive second basemen to ever play for the Reds, Critz finished in the top five in fielding percentage by a second baseman five times during his Reds career, and he was the league's leader twice. His excellence at the position was a major factor in the tremendous performances turned in by Reds pitchers during his tenure with the club.

A good hitter, Critz compiled a .280 average during his Reds career, including a .322 mark in his first season with the club. His good hitting and superlative defense twice resulted him finishing in the top-five in league MVP voting, including a second-place finish in 1926. In that near-MVP campaign, Critz batted .270 with 24 doubles, 14 triples and 79 RBI. The 588 assists he recorded that season remains a modern Reds record for a second baseman.

By 1930, the Reds found themselves in a rebuilding mode and they traded Critz to the New York Giants in May of that season. The Giants were one of the league' best teams, annually vying for the pennant. In 1933, with Critz starting at second base, New York captured the flag and defeated Washington in the World Series.

Critz retired after the 1935 season and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1962. He died in his native Mississippi in 1980 at the age of 79.

Hugh Melville Critz

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 147

Born: September 17, 1900, Starkville, MS

Death: January 10, 1980, Greenwood, MS

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from Minneapolis of the American Association on May 29, 1924

Debut: May 31, 1924 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: September 27, 1935 vs. Boston Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1962

Jake Daubert came to the Reds in a trade with the Brooklyn Dodgers on February 1, 1919 following a contract dispute. The acquisition of Daubert was arguably the most significant addition the Reds made in the offseason that preceded the club's World Series championship.

Daubert became the Dodgers' starting first baseman in 1910 and was a fixture at the position for the next nine seasons. Along the way, he won National League batting titles in 1913 and 1914 and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1914. His steady presence helped the Dodgers win their first pennant in 1916.

His acrimonious departure from the Dodgers proved to be a boon to the 1919 Reds' pennant chances. At 35, the oldest player on the Reds (and one of the oldest players in the league), Daubert's veteran influence helped to solidify a club that included a number of players who were long on talent but short on experience. So respected was Daubert that he was named the team's captain.

Daubert posted solid numbers in 1919, but had his best statistical years for the Reds in the early 1920s as the club remained competitive but fell short of winning another title. He hit .300 or better for three consecutive seasons from 1920 to 1922. The 1922 season proved to be his finest as a Red ; he posted a .336 batting average and led the team in runs scored, hits, home runs and led the league in triples with 22.

Late in the 1924 season, during the Reds' last road trip, Daubert complained of feeling ill. The severity of Daubert's condition prompted Reds manager Jack Hendricks to send him home to Pennsylvania to seek medical attention. Against the counsel of his doctors, Daubert insisted on returning to Cincinnati for the Reds' last homestand, and on September 20, he went 2-5 in his last game. Within days of the end of the season, Daubert was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. A week after having his appendix removed, Daubert died of postsurgical complications. He was 40 years old.

In 1966, Jake Daubert became the fifth member of the 1919 championship club to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. No other member of the club has received the honor since Daubert's induction.

Jacob Ellsworth Daubert

Nickname: The Big Bopper

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 160

Born: April 17, 1884, Shamokin, Pennsylvania

Death: October 9, 1924, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Traded by the Brooklyn Robins to the Cincinnati Reds for Tommy Griffith on Feb. 1, 1919

Debut: April 14, 1910 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: September 20, 1924 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1966

Eric Davis was drafted and signed by the Reds in June 1980 and made his Major League debut in 1984. It did not take long for Reds fans to appreciate Davis's enormous talents, as he quickly demonstrated that he was one of the most complete players to wear a Reds uniform.

In his first full season with the Reds, Davis hit 27 home runs and stole 80 bases -- the first of three consecutive years in which he hit at least 25 home runs and stole at least 35 bases. Over the course of Davis' Reds career, he stole 270 bases (eighth-most in franchise history) and hit 203 home runs (tenth in Reds history). A two-time All-Star, Davis won Gold Gloves each season from 1987-1989 and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. On June 2, 1989, Davis became the first Reds player since 1959 to hit for the cycle.

A key member of the 1990 World Champion Reds, Davis's first-inning home run in Game One of the World Series sparked the Reds' sweep of the heavily-favored Oakland A's.

Following the 1991 season, Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Beset by multiple injuries throughout his career, Davis stepped away from the game in 1995 to let his body heal. The Reds resigned him for the 1996 season, and Davis returned with authority, hitting 26 home runs with 83 RBI and 23 stolen bases. The performance earned Davis Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Davis was granted free agency after the 1996 campaign, and he went on to play for the Orioles, Cardinals and Giants. While playing for the Orioles in 1997, Davis successfully overcame an in-season colon cancer diagnosis and was awarded MLB's Roberto Clemente Award for his courageous conquest of the disease.

Eric Davis retired after the 2001 season, and he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2005.

Eric Keith Davis

Nickname: Eric the Red

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 165

Born: May 29, 1962 in Los Angeles, California

How Acquired: Drafted by the Reds in the 8^th round of the 1980 amateur draft. Sign on June 8, 1980.

Debut: May 19, 1984 vs St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: October 7, 2001 vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2005

A rare bright spot on Reds teams that struggled mightily for most of the 1930s, and an integral part of the powerhouse Reds teams that won back-to-back pennants in 1939 and 1940 and the 1940 World Series, Paul Derringer ranks high on the list of great starting pitchers in franchise history.

After suffering a 27-loss season in 1933, Derringer rebounded the following year to lead the Reds' staff in victories with 15. Despite playing on weak clubs, Derringer continued to improve. He won 22 games in 1935, earning the first of his six career All-Star selections. On May 24 of that season, Derringer got the complete-game victory in the first night game in Major League history, a 2-1 victory over the Phillies at Crosley Field.

In 1938, Derringer's 21 victories and 2.93 ERA helped the Reds to the team's first winning record since 1928. The 1939 and 1940 seasons represented the two best years of Derringer's career, and his pairing with fellow starting pitcher Bucky Walters propelled the Reds to the top of the baseball world. Derringer was credited with 45 victories during the 1939 and 1940 seasons, and his .781 winning percentage led all National League pitchers in 1939. In the 1940 World Series, Derringer won two games, including a complete-game victory in decisive Game 7.

Derringer enjoyed two more All-Star seasons with the Reds in 1941 and 1942. He pitched for the Cubs from 1943 to 1945, and he retired from baseball after the 1945 season.

In Reds history, Paul Derringer ranks third all-time in career victories and innings pitched, and ninth all-time in career strikeouts. In 1958, he was one of the five players who comprised the Reds Hall of Fame's first induction class. He died November 17, 1987 at the age of 81.

Samuel Paul Derringer

Nickname: Duke, Oom Paul

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 205

Born: October 17, 1906, Springfield, Kentucky, USA

Death: November 17, 1987, Sarasota, Florida

High School: Springfield High (Springfield, KY)

How Acquired: Traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Reds as part of a six-player deal on May 7, 1933

Debut: April 16, 1931 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Final Game: September 27, 1945 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1958

Peter Joseph "Pete" Donohue was a member of the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff during the 1920s -- the most successful and durable staff in Reds history. The "Big Three," Eppa Rixey, Dolf Luque and Donohue, played together from 1922-1929 and combined for an average of 92 starts and 45 wins a season. They accounted for 363 of the Reds' 648 victories. All three were 20-game winners in 1923, and each led the league in wins and shutouts once.

Signed by the Reds out of college in 1921, Donohue moved into the starting rotation and went 18-9 for a league-leading .667 winning percentage. He had the first of his three 20-win seasons in 1923, posting a 21-15 record. In 1925 he was again a 21-game winner, and he led the league with 27 complete games and 301 innings pitched. Donohue led the league in wins with 20 in 1926 and paced the league in innings pitched and shutouts.

Much of Donohue's success rested on the effective use of a changeup -- a pitch that many baseball historians credit him with developing.

Beset by injury in 1927, Donohue fought valiantly to continue pitching, but his days as an effective pitcher had come to an end.

Pete Donohoe was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1964, joining longtime teammate Eppa Rixey (Class of 1959). The "Big Three" was reunited as Hall of Fame teammates when Dolf Luque was inducted in 1967.

Peter Joseph Donohue

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 185

Born: November 5, 1900, Athens, Texas, USA

Death: February 23, 1988, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

High School: North Side High (Fort Worth, TX)

College: Texas Christian University

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1921

Debut: July 1, 1921 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: May 6, 1932 vs. St. Louis Browns

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1964

Dan Driessen was signed as an amateur free agent by the Reds in August 1969 and made his Major League debut in June 1973. His promotion from the minor leagues provided the Reds with a much-needed spark that helped propel the team to its third division title in four seasons. Driessen finished his first major-league campaign with a batting average of .301, 110 hits and 47 RBI and finished third in voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Driessen saw significant playing time at third base, first base, and in the outfield during the next three seasons, and he proved to be a solid offensive contributor regardless of his defensive position.

When the Reds squared off against the Yankees in the 1976 World Series, Driessen was Cincinnati's designated hitter -- the first player in National League history to fill the role. He starred in the Reds' sweep, batting .357 with a .714 slugging percentage. That performance contributed to the Reds' decision to deal longtime first-baseman Tony Perez that winter.

With Perez's departure, Driessen finally had a starting position to call his own, and he became one of the finest defensive first basemen of his era, finishing his 15-year career with a .995 fielding percentage. He helped guide the Reds to another division title in 1979, and to the best overall record in baseball in 1981.

Driessen was traded to the Expos in 1984 and went on to play for the Giants, Astros and Cardinals before retiring after the 1987 season. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2012.

Daniel Driessen

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 187

Born: July 29, 1951, Hilton Head, SC

High School: Hardeeville High School, Hardeeville, (SC)

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent on August 29, 1969

Debut: June 9, 1973 vs.

Final Game: October 23, 1987 vs.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2012

Adam Troy Dunn was born in Houston, TX on November 9, 1979. The second of three sons born to Skip and Pat Dunn, Adam was an athlete almost from the start, learning to swing a bat at the tender age of four. Dunn excelled at baseball and football throughout his elementary school years and starred in both sports at New Caney High School. An outfielder on the baseball team and the quarterback on the football squad Dunn was considered one of the top prep prospects in the country and received a football scholarship to the University of Texas. The Reds made him their second round pick in the June 1998 amateur draft and his signing was contingent on the club allowing him to play for the Longhorns. After making his professional debut with the Reds' rookie league affiliate in Billings, Dunn spent the 1998 college football season as a redshirt quarterback with Texas. Following the season, Dunn decided to focus exclusively on baseball and quickly moved through the Reds' minor league system, ultimately making his Major League debut on July 20, 2001. In his debut season, Dunn distinguished himself as one of the league's top rookies and finished in fourth place in that season's voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He followed his impressive debut season with a 26 homer, 128 walk season in 2002 and represented the Reds in that season's Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Milwaukee. The exceptional combination of power and plate discipline Dunn displayed in his All-Star season became hallmarks of his career as

Dunn established himself as one of the great sluggers of his era and one of the great power hitters in Reds history. From 2004 - 2007, he hit 40 or more home runs and walked 100 or more times each season. Dunn's .520 career slugging percentage as a Red ranks third in franchise history trailing only the career marks of Frank Robinson and Joey Votto and only Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Robinson hit more home runs in a Reds uniform than Dunn's 270. Dunn led or tied for the club lead in home runs a franchise-record seven consecutive seasons and holds the club record for most 40 home run seasons with four. His career on-base percentage of .380 is the seventh best in franchise history and only Robinson and Votto rank higher than Dunn in career on-base plus slugging percentage as a Red. Dunn also ranks second on the Reds' all-time list for walk-off home runs with seven, grand slams with nine and game winning home runs with 46. His ratio of one home run per every 13.8 at bats ranks first in club history. Adam Dunn not only homered with great frequency but also with great authority as long, soaring drives were one of his trademarks. Of his many memorable homers perhaps none stands out more than the 535-ft shot he blasted off of the Dodgers' Jose Lima on August 10, 2004. Dunn's drive soared out of the ballpark and eventually came to rest on a piece of driftwood on the bank of the Ohio River. It remains the longest home run in the history of Great American Ball Park.

Adam Troy Dunn

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 6"

Weight: 285

Born: November 9, 1979 in Houston, TX

High School: New Caney High School, New Carney, TX

Drafted: By the Cincinnati Reds in the 2^nd round of the 1998 amateur draft

Debut: July 20, 2001 vs. Florida Marlins

Final Game: September 28, 2014 vs. Texas Rangers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2018

George Lemuel "Long Bob" Ewing parlayed his (for the time) unusually large size and mastery of the then-legal spitball to become the ace of the Reds' pitching staff in the latter half of the first decade of the 20^th century.

His career began at age 29 -- an age when most players of the period's careers were beginning to decline. Such was not the case with Ewing. Pitching for mostly pedestrian Reds clubs throughout his tenure in Cincinnati, Ewing finished in the top ten in victories in the National League four times, including a second-place ranking in 1905 with a career-best 20 wins.

Although his 20-win season was the high-water mark of his career, arguably his finest overall season was the 1907 campaign. Despite a losing record of 17-19 (for a Reds team that finished in sixth place with a 66-87 record), Ewing's ERA of 1.73 was the seventh-best in the league; and his 37 starts, 32 complete games, and 332- 2/3 innings pitched ranked second on the league's leader board.

Only four Reds pitchers have posted career ERAs better than Ewing's 2.37, and his notable ability to keep runners off base is ably reflected in a career WHIP of 1.16 -- the fifth-best mark in club history.

Age finally seemed to catch up with Ewing in 1909, when the 36-year-old pitcher managed only 11 victories, with an ERA of 2.43 (his highest since 1905). The Reds traded Ewing to the Phillies in 1910, where he enjoyed one more productive season before his durable right arm finally faltered, effectively ending his career.

George Lemuel Ewing

Nickname: Long Bob

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 170

Born: April 24, 1873, New Hampshire, Ohio

Death: June 20, 1947, Wapakoneta, Ohio

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent in 1902

Debut: April 19, 1902 vs. Chicago Orphans

Final Game: May 13, 1912 vs. Boston Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2001

In 1977, George Foster did what no other Red had done before or since: he hit 50 home runs in a season when the feat was a rare occurrence. The home runs highlighted a remarkable season for one of the great power hitters in Reds history.

In the summer of 1977, there was no more feared hitter in baseball than George Foster. The Reds' slugging left-fielder terrorized National League pitchers with a league-best 52 home runs and 149 RBI. He also led the league in runs scored, total bases and slugging percentage on his way to being named the National League's Most Valuable Player. Foster's dominating season was the culmination of three years of steady improvement that found George rounding out the powerful Great Eight lineup of the Big Red Machine.

The Reds acquired Foster in a trade with the Giants that found Cincinnati sending backup shortstop Frank Duffy and pitcher Vern Geishert to San Francisco. Foster was only 22 at the time of the trade, and he needed more seasoning - he spent the better part of the 1973 season as the starting center fielder for the Reds' AAA club in Indianapolis. Still a part-time player in 1974, Foster came into his own in 1975. Taking over as the starting left fielder in May following Pete Rose's shift to third base, Foster batted .300 with 23 home runs in 463 at bats.

In 1976, Foster belted 29 home runs, drove in a league-best 121 runs, and made his first All-Star appearance. The 1976 season established Foster as one of the league's genuine power threats, but that was a mere hint at what was to come.

Foster starred for the Reds for three more seasons after his historic MVP campaign before he was traded to the Mets after the 1981 season. Only six players have hit more home runs in a Reds uniform than Foster's 261, and only eight players have driven in more runs than Foster's 861.

In 2003, George Foster became the fifth member of the Big Red Machine's Great Eight starting lineup to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

George Arthur Foster

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 180

Born: December 1, 1948, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

High School: Leuzinger High School (Lawndale, California)

How Acquired: Traded by the SF Giants to the Reds for Frank Duffy and Vern Geishert on May 29, 1971

Debut: September 10, 1969 vs. Atlanta Braves

Final Game: September 6, 1986 vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2003

Lonny Frey broke in to the Major Leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933 before being traded to the Cubs in 1937. He was acquired by the Reds prior to the 1938 season, and he beat out incumbent Alex Kampouris for the starting second-base position. A solid player throughout his career, Frey became one of the game's best players after donning a Reds uniform. He was named to the All-Star team in the Reds' pennant-winning season of 1939, and again in 1941 and 1943. During the Reds' World Championship season in 1940, Frey led the National League in stolen bases with 22 and finished fourth in the league in runs scored with 102.

Known as "The Leopard" in the famed Jungle Cat infield of 1939-1940 (Frank "Wildcat" McCormick at first; Frey at second; Billy "Jaguar" Myers at shortstop; and Bill "Tiger" Werber), Frey was considered perhaps the finest defensive player of the group. He led all-NL second basemen in fielding from 1941-1943.

After devoting 1944 and 1945 to military service during World War II, Frey returned to the Reds for a final season in 1946. After leaving the Reds, Frey split the 1947 season between with the Cubs and Yankees, winning a second World Championship when the Yankees beat the Dodgers in the 1947 World Series. He moved across town to the New York Giants in 1948 and appeared in his final Major League game September 28 of that year. Frey ended his baseball career with stops at AAA Buffalo (1948) and Seattle (1949).

At the time of his death in 2009, the 99-year-old Frey was the oldest living veteran of the Pacific Coast League, and the last living player to have played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and New York Yankees. He was also the oldest living Cincinnati Red.

Lonny Frey

Nickname: Leopard

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 160

Born: August 23, 1910, St. Louis, Missouri

Death: September 13, 2009, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Chicago Cubs on February 4, 1938

Debut: August 29, 1933 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: September 28, 1948 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1961

When the Reds acquired César Gerónimo in the blockbuster deal that brought Reds Hall of Famer Joe Morgan to Cincinnati prior to the 1972 season, few would have predicted that Gerónimo would become the center fielder who would anchor the outfield of the Big Red Machine teams that dominated baseball during the 1970s. Gerónimo had been little more than a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-runner in parts of three seasons with the Astros.

Upon his arrival in Cincinnati, Gerónimo fell under the tutelage of hitting coach Ted Kluszewski, a Reds Hall of Famer renowned for his ability to hit for power while also demonstrating tremendous discipline at the plate. The former Reds slugger instructed Gerónimo to eliminate the uppercut from his swing, and to start to hit down on the ball to better take advantage of his speed on ground balls. The advice paid immediate dividends as the formerly light-hitting Gerónimo hit a solid .275 in limited action in 1972. Geronimo's peak offensive season occurred in 1976 when he batted .307 for the World Champion Reds. The successful offensive campaign in 1976 was preceded by a seven-hit, two-home-run performance in the Reds' seven-game victory over the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 World Series.

Impressive though Gerónimo's offensive development may have been, it was his defense that made him truly special. Reds Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson described his defense as "ungodly" and his contemporaries compared his arm to that of Roberto Clemente when Clemente was at his peak. Gerónimo's arm was matched only by his uncommon grace in patrolling centerfield. His long, smooth strides allowed him to close on fly balls that most outfielders simply could not get to. Gerónimo's prowess in the outfield resulted in four consecutive Gold Glove awards from 1974 to 1977.

Gerónimo was traded to the Royals prior to the 1981 season, and he retired two years later. In 2008, he became the seventh member of the Big Red Machine's "Great Eight" starting lineup to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

César Francisco Gerónimo

Nickname: The Chief

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 165

Born: March 11, 1948 in El Seibo, Dominican Republic

How Acquired: In a trade with the Houston Astros on November 29, 1971

Debut: April 16, 1969 vs Atlanta Braves

Final Game: August 28, 1983 vs Texas Rangers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2008

Warren Giles began his professional baseball career in the minor leagues, following his service in the military during World War I. After he put together a pennant-winning team in Moline, Illinois, Giles moved up the minor-league ranks quickly, and caught the eye of Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey. Rickey hired him to run St. Louis' top farm club in Rochester, New York, where his clubs won four consecutive pennants.

In September 1936, Reds general manager Larry MacPhail unexpectedly announced his resignation. The first person who came to Reds owner Powel Crosley's mind for MacPhail's replacement was Warren Giles. Crosley was thoroughly impressed with Giles' track record in the minor leagues, and offered him the chance to be Cincinnati's vice president and general manager. The deal was inked on September 19, 1936.

Giles had his work cut out for him. The club he took over had not been competitive since the 1920s. Giles knew the club had potential, with players such as catcher Ernie Lombardi; outfielder Ival Goodman; and pitchers Lee Grissom, Paul Derringer, and rookie Johnny Vander Meer. In 1938, Giles brought in proven winner Bill McKechnie to manage the Reds. McKechnie had won pennants with Pirates and Cardinals, and his 1925 Pittsburgh club won the World Series. Cincinnati outbid three other clubs for his services.

The team that Giles built and McKechnie helmed won consecutive National League championships in 1939 and 1940, and the 1940 World Series, and were seen as the best teams in franchise history prior to the arrival of the Big Red Machine clubs of the 1970s.

In 1951, Giles left the Reds to take over the presidency of the National League, moving the league offices to Cincinnati. He held the position until his retirement in 1969. Later that year, he became the first executive inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, shortly after his death at age 82.

Warren Crandall Giles

Born: May 28, 1896, Tiskilwa, IL

Death: February 7, 1979, Cincinnati, OH

How Acquired: Hired as vice-president and general manager on September 9, 1936

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1979

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1969

The first Red to hit 30 home runs in a season, Ival Goodman was a mainstay in right field for the Reds from 1935 to 1940 -- a period considered the best in Reds history before the 1970s. An All-Star in 1938 and 1939, Goodman's Reds won back-to-back pennants in 1939 and 1940 and captured the 1940 World Series in seven games over the Tigers.

Prior to the 1938 season, the fences at Crosley Field were moved in, and Goodman quickly took advantage of the new dimensions. Having tied for the club lead in home runs in 1935 with 12 and leading the team outright with 17 in 1936, Goodman exploded for 30 long balls in 1938, eclipsing the previous club high of 19 set by Harry Heilmann in 1930. Only Mel Ott 's 36 homers prevented Goodman from leading the National League. Seventeen of Goodman's home runs were hit at home.

Although Goodman's home run mark was eclipsed by Hank Sauer in 1948 and has been bypassed many times in the years that followed, one of Goodman's records stands to this day: No player in Reds history has a higher batting average on Opening Day than Ival Goodman's .419 (minimum of 20 at bats). Goodman had 13 hits in 31 Opening Day at-bats covering the 1935-1940 and 1942 openers. His Opening Day heroics were highlighted by an eighth- inning solo home run in the 1940 opener that gave the Reds a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Ival Goodman was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1959. He died in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati November 25, 1984.

Ival Goodman

Nickname: Goodie

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 170

Born: July 23, 1908, Northview, Missouri

Death: November 25, 1984, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the St. Louis Cardinals on November 3, 1934

Debut: April 16, 1935 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: August 23, 1944 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1959

Acquired from the Cardinals along with Bobby Tolan in the blockbuster trade that sent Vada Pinson to St. Louis in October 1968, Wayne Granger blossomed into one of the great relief pitchers of the period as the Reds fielded the first incarnation of the fabled "Big Red Machine" club that would dominate the 1970s.

A gangly right-hander, Granger was installed as the Reds' closer in 1969 -- the first year that the save became an official statistic in the Major Leagues. Granger was an immediate success in the role, finishing second in the league with 27 saves and setting a then-National League record (still a club record) by appearing in 90 games en route to being named The Sporting News National League Fireman of the Year.

During the Reds' pennant-winning season of 1970, Granger was the winning pitcher and threw the final pitch in the last game played at venerable Crosley Field, the Reds' home ballpark since 1912. The 1970 Reds lived up to the "Big Red Machine" nickname, winning 70 of their first 100 games and christening their new home, Riverfront Stadium, with a National League pennant. Granger was instrumental to the Reds' success, setting a record (since broken) with 35 saves. He again won The Sporting News's award as the league's top reliever.

The Reds slumped in 1971, posting their only losing record of the decade. Granger shared closing duties with the newly-acquired Clay Carroll and Joe Gibbon, but he still led the league in games pitched and recorded 100 innings pitched for the second and final time in his career. The Reds traded Granger to the Twins after the 1971 season. Granger pitched for four other clubs before retiring after the 1976 season. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1982 -- the second relief pitcher to be so honored.

Wayne Allan Granger

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 165

Born: March 15, 1944, Springfield, MA

High School: Huntington (Huntington, MA)

College: Springfield College (Springfield, MA)

How Acquired: Traded by the Cardinals with Bobby Tolan to the Reds for Vada Pinson on Oct. 11, 1968

Debut: June 5, 1968 vs. Houston Astros

Final Game: June 25, 1976 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1982

The franchise’s all-time leader in career saves with 182, Danny Graves was the Reds’ primary closer in five of his seven full seasons with the club. Graves led the Reds in saves in each of those five seasons and is one of only seven pitchers in franchise history to lead the team in saves in four consecutive seasons. His 41 saves in 2004 ranks third in franchise history for most saves in a single season. A National League All-Star in 2000 and 2004, Graves finished in the top-10 in the league in saves four times during his career. In 2000, he won both the Ernie Lombardi Award as the Reds’ Most Valuable Player and the Johnny Vander Meer Award as the club’s top pitcher. He is one of only five pitchers in franchise history to win each of these club honors. In franchise history, only four pitchers have totaled more games pitched with the Reds than Graves’ 465. In 2002, Graves was the winner of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award which is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the spirit and character of Lou Gehrig on and off the field. Danny Graves id the only Vietnamese-born player in Major League history.

Daniel Peter Graves

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 200

Born: August 7, 1973, Saigon, Vietnam

How Acquired: In a trade with the Cleveland Indians along with pitchers Jim Crowell and Scott Winchester and infielder Damian Jackson in exchange for infielder Jeff Branson and pitcher John Smiley on July 31, 1997

Debut: July 13, 1996 vs. Minnesota Twins

Final Game: May 9, 2006 vs. Kansas City Royals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2023

One of the most gifted athletes to wear a Reds uniform, Ken Griffey Jr., became a Red in a trade with the Seattle Mariners February 10, 2000 The trade brought the Cincinnati product home and was celebrated by Reds fans.

Griffey came to Cincinnati with one of the finest resumes of any player in baseball history. He was a ten-time All-Star, an American League MVP, a ten-time Gold Glove winner, seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner, an All-Star Game MVP, a four-time home run leader, and AL RBI leader and in 1999 had been named to baseball's All-Century Team.

In Griffey's inaugural season in Cincinnati, he hit 40 home runs, drove in 118, and was selected for his eleventh consecutive All-Star team. An All-Star again in 2004, Griffey's season was cut short by injury. He rebounded in 2005 to hit 35 home runs and drive in 92 and was named Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts. Griffey hit 30 home runs in his final All-Star campaign in 2007.

Griffey ranks seventh on the Reds' all-time home run list with 210, sixth on the club's all-time list with a career on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .876, and is tied for fourth on the club's all-time list in career slugging percentage with a .514 mark. Two of his career milestone home runs -- #500 and #600 -- were hit as a Red.

Shortly after he hit his 600^th home run, Griffey was traded to the White Sox. He eventually returned to Seattle, where he finished his career.

In 2014, Ken Griffey Jr. joined his father Ken Griffey Sr. in the Reds Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 on the first ballot, receiving 99.3% of the votes.

Ken Griffey Jr.

Nickname: Junior

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 195

Born: November 21, 1969, Donora, Pennsylvania

High School: Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

How Acquired: In a trade with the Seattle Mariners on February 10, 2000.

Debut: April 3, 1989 vs. Oakland Athletics

Final Game: May 31, 2010 vs. Minnesota Twins

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2014

One of three baseball legends to hail from Donora, Pennsylvania, Ken Griffey followed all-time great Stan Musial and preceded his son, Ken Griffey, Jr. in the annals of baseball stars born in the small town. A late-round draft pick by the Reds in 1969, Griffey debuted with the Reds in 1973. It wasn't until 1975 that Griffey emerged as the club's starting right fielder, and he would forever after be known as one of the "Great 8," the moniker affixed to the Big Red Machine's starting-eight position players.

The fleet-footed Griffey hit .305 in his first full season as a starting player, the first of five .300-plus seasons he would enjoy in a Reds uniform. Griffey also recorded a .391 on-base-percentage in 1975, serving a crucial top-of-lineup role as a table-setter for the Machine's middle-of-the order bats. The Reds surged to the best record in baseball in 1975, winning a franchise-record 108 games en route to the club's first World Series victory since 1940.

The Reds repeated as World Champions in 1976, and Griffey advanced the cause with a career season. He engaged in a season-long race for the National League batting championship -- a title he lost by a single point on the regular season's last day. In addition to a career-best .336 batting average, Griffey also set career highs in on-base-percentage (.401), stolen bases (34) and hits (189) and earned the first of his three All-Star selections.

Griffey continued to perform at an All-Star level through the end of the decade and into the next, as his .311 batting average paced the 1981 Reds club that finished with baseball's best overall record. Griffey was traded to the Yankees at the end of the season, and he continued to be a productive player for New York (and later, Atlanta) for the next six seasons. He returned to the Reds in 1988 and played for the club during the 1990 World Championship season. He ended his career playing two seasons with his son, Ken, Jr., for the Seattle Mariners.

Elected to the Reds Hall of Fame in 2004, Griffey is the only player in Reds history to play for three Reds World Champion teams.

George Kenneth Griffey Sr.

Nickname: Ken

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 190

Born: April 10, 1950, Donora, Pennsylvania

High School: Donora (PA)

How Acquired: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 29th round of the amateur draft in 1969

Debut: August 25, 1973 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: May 31, 1991 vs. Texas Rangers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2004

One of the most iconic bats ever wielded by a major-league player was the "bottle bat" used by longtime Reds third baseman Heinie Groh. According to Lee Allen in The Cincinnati Reds, the bottle bat emerged from Groh's difficulty hitting curve balls. Allen writes:

"Unable to hit a curve when he started playing professional ball, Groh decided he needed a bat with plenty of hitting space. But the big bats that he would have liked to use were unsuited to him, because he could hardly swing them. So he started cutting down the size of the handle, until the bat was light enough for him to swing. One day a teammate shouted, 'Hey, Heinie, what are you using, a bottle?' and there it was. The handle was only about six inches long, but the bat weighed forty-one ounces."

The advent of the unusual bat helped Groh to become one of the better hitters in baseball throughout the 1910s. Originally a second baseman, Groh began his career with the New York Giants in 1912. In May of 1913, Groh was traded to Cincinnati, where the Reds immediately made him their starting second baseman. In 1915, the club shifted him to third base, and by 1916, Groh posted the fifth-highest batting average in the National League.

One of the stars of the Reds first World Championship team in 1919, Groh played with the Reds through the 1921 season, posting a .298 lifetime average as a Red. He regularly ranked among the league's leaders in on-base percentage (he led the league in 1917 and 1918), walks, doubles and runs scored.

 Discord resulting from a lengthy holdout that saw Groh miss most of the first three months of the 1921 season prompted the Reds to trade him back to the Giants at season's end. Groh played on Giants pennant-winners in 1922, 1923 and 1924 and hit a Series-best .474 in 1922. So proud was Groh of this accomplishment that he incorporated the number on his car's license plate.

Groh retired to Cincinnati following the 1927 season. He joined teammate Rube Bressler in the Reds Hall of Fame Class of 1963. Groh died August 24, 1968 at the age of 78.

Henry Knight Groh

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 158

Born: September 18, 1889, Rochester, New York, USA

Death: August 22, 1968, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Traded by the NY Giants with Red Ames, Josh Devore and $20,000 to the Reds on May 22, 1913

Debut: April 12, 1912 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Final Game: October 2, 1927 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1963

Don Gullett was drafted by the Reds in the first round of the 1969 draft, and he pitched in only eleven minor league games before making the Major League roster out of spring training in 1970.

Pitching primarily in relief in his rookie season, Gullett helped the Reds to the club's first-ever Western Division championship and saved two of the Reds' three victories in their NLCS sweep of the Pirates. Gullett was impressive in the World Series as well, posting a 1.35 ERA in three appearances as the Reds fell to the Orioles in five games.

Gullett became a full-time member of the Reds' starting rotation in 1971 and won 16 games against only 6 losses, for a National League-best .727 winning percentage.

The Reds won another league championship in 1972, but a bout of hepatitis hampered Gullett, and he ended the year with a 9-10 record -- the only season of his nine-year career that he lost more games than he won. Back at full strength in 1973, Gullett won 18 games, the first of three consecutive seasons in which he won at least 15 games.

In 1975, Cincinnati won its first World Series since 1940. Gullet got off to a hot start and had won eight games by June 11. His ninth victory came at a cost, when he fractured his thumb on a line drive against Atlanta. The injury sidelined him for two months, but he returned and finished the season with a 15-4 record. In postseason play, his record was 2-1.

Gullett contributed eleven victories to the Reds' 1976 World Championship season. Gullett signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent at the end of the season, and was part of Yankee teams that won consecutive championships before his career came to a premature end because of injury at the end of 1978.

Gullett returned to the Reds in 1993 as a pitching coach, a position he held until 2005. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2002.

Donald Edward Gullett

Bats: Right

Throws: Left

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 190

Born: January 6, 1951 in Lynn, Kentucky

Death: February 14, 2024

How Acquired: Drafted by the Reds in the first round of the June 1969 amateur draft

Debut: April 10, 1970 vs. San Francisco Giants

Final Game: July 9, 1978 vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2002

Frank "Noodles" Hahn made quite splash in his debut season with the Reds in 1899, posting a 23-8 record with a league-best 145 strikeouts and top-ten finishes in almost every other major statistical category. The 1899 season proved to be a taste of things to come, as Hahn dazzled National League hitters for most of the next five seasons. An exceptionally hard thrower, Hahn repeated his strikeout title in 1900 and 1901. As durable as he was fast, Hahn averaged more than 300 IP per season from 1899 to 1904, and he completed 204 of his 217 starts during the same period. His no-hitter in 1900 was the first for a Reds pitcher in the 20^th century.

Hahn's finest season was 1901. Pitching for a Reds club that won only 52 games, Hahn was credited with 22 victories -- 42% of the team's total. Hahn also led the league in strikeouts, complete games, innings pitched and shutouts.

Commonly called the finest left-handed pitcher in the game, Hahn's star was destined to burn briefly. A slight 160 pounds on his 5'9" frame, the number of innings that Hahn pitched from the beginning of his career took a heavy toll. By the end of the 1904 season, Hahn's reliable arm began to fail him, and after pitching sparingly in 1905 and 1906, he was forced to walk away from the game.

Hahn remained in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati until almost the end of his life, pitching batting practice for the Reds in his spare time into his late 60s. "Noodles" Hahn died in 1960. He was posthumously inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1963.

Frank George Hahn

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 160

Born: April 29, 1879, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Death: February 6, 1960, Candler, North Carolina

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1899

Debut: April 20, 1888 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: July 17, 1902 vs. St. Louis Browns

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1963

The 28-year-old Eugene Franklin "Bubbles" Hargrave came to the Reds after being purchased from St. Paul of the American Association on Christmas Day of 1920. The acquisition was highly questionable because Hargrave hadn't played in a major-league game since 1915. Bubbles toiled for five years in the minor leagues, but Cincinnati ownership saw something in the aging player, and Hargrave justified the transaction by starring as the Reds' starting catcher for the next eight seasons.

During his first season in Cincinnati, Hargrave batted .289 in 93 games. For the next six seasons, he batted .300 or better. His best year was 1926, where he collected 115 hits, 62 RBI and a league-leading batting average of .353. Hargrave was the first of only three catchers in baseball history to win a batting title.

Hargrave was also a highly skilled defensive catcher. Few runners attempted to steal against him, and those that did were often unsuccessful, as evidenced by the 65 would-be stealers he gunned down in 1923. Further testament to Hargrave's skills behind the plate can be found in the performance of the Reds pitchers he caught. Hargrave was the regular catcher for the Reds pitching staffs of 1922 to 1928 that rank as the finest in franchise history. These staffs were led by future Reds Hall of Famers Dolf Luque, Pete Donohue and Eppa Rixey, who combined for an average of 92 starts and 45 wins a season. Luque picked up two ERA titles during that stretch, and the each of the threesome won 20 games in 1923.

By 1928, Bubbles was a backup catcher, and eventually was sold back to St. Paul, where he was a player/manager for a season. He reemerged briefly with the Yankees in 1930, but ultimately retired as a player in 1934 at the age of 41.

Bubbles Hargrave was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1962. He died in Cincinnati in 1969 at the age of 76.

Eugene Franklin Hargrave

Nickname: Bubbles

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 174

Born: July 15, 1892, New Haven, Indiana

Death: February 23, 1969, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1921

Debut: September 18, 1913 vs. Boston Braves

Final Game: September 6, 1930 vs. Washington Senators

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1962

Signed by the Reds in 1959, infielder Tommy Helms was named the Reds' starting third baseman for the 1966 season, his first full season in the Major Leagues. The Charlotte, NC native established himself as a star, combining excellent defense with solid production at the plate. For his efforts, he was named the National League's Rookie of the Year, joining Frank Robinson and Pete Rose as the only Reds to win the award to that point.

The next season, the versatile Helms saw significant playing time at second base as well as third base, and enjoyed the first of consecutive seasons as a member of the National League All-Star team. In 1968, Helms became the Reds' starting second baseman and was once again selected to the All-Star team, in the process cementing his status as one of the finest defensive second basemen in all of baseball.

A Gold Glove winner in 1970 and 1971, Helms was a key part of the first title won by the Big Red Machine as the Reds' claimed the NL pennant in 1970. Also in that season, Helms hit the first home run by a Reds player at Riverfront Stadium.

On November 29, 1971, Helms, Lee May and Jimmy Stewart were dealt to the Astros in the blockbuster trade that brought Joe Morgan, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo, Ed Armbrister and Denis Menke to the Reds. Helms was the Astros' starting second baseman through the 1975 season, splitting the 1976 and 1977 seasons with the Pirates and Red Sox. Helms' fourteen-year Major League career concluded after the 1977 season.

He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1979, in his first year of eligibility.

Tommy Vann Helms

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 165

Born: May 5, 1941, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1959

Debut: September 23, 1964 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: October 1, 1977 vs. Baltimore Orioles

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1979

Garry Herrmann was a self-made man in the rough-and-tumble world of Cincinnati politics, and he was a key player in the government of George "Boss" Cox, whose political machine dominated the Queen City's public affairs throughout the last two decades of the 19^th century. A flashy dresser who favored checked suits and pinky rings, he was a larger-than-life character.

In 1902, Herrmann was part of a group of prominent Cincinnatians that came together to buy the Reds from John T Brush. Herrmann was inserted as the team's president and remained as such until he retired in 1927.

During the time in which Herrmann acquired the Reds, the National League was competing against the newly established American League, and tried to ward off the new circuit. After two years of feuding, the leagues negotiated a peace settlement in 1903 and created a three-man National Commission that would mediate disputes between the two leagues. If an issue arose, the two league presidents would sit on the commission with a third member who could help broker a resolution. Herrmann was selected as that third member. Garry took the leading role in negotiating an agreement between both circuits to play a postseason series between the league champions. The series would come to be called the World Series.

As club president, he oversaw the construction of Redland Field -- the same ballpark that would later be renamed Crosley Field. Also under his tenure, the Reds captured their first World Series title in 1919. The championship was tainted by a gambling scandal that proved difficult for Herrmann, who helped establish the annual nature of the World Series years earlier. He resigned from the National Commission in January 1920.

Although his ball club remained competitive through the 1920s, they never managed to capture another National League pennant; and because of poor health, he sold his shares of the Reds to attorney C.J. McDiarmid in 1927. He died four years later.

In 2008, August "Garry" Herrmann became the third executive inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

August Herrmann

Nickname: Garry

Born: May 3, 1859, Cincinnati, OH

Death: April 25, 1931, Cincinnati, OH

How Acquired: Named club president on August 9, 1902

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2008

Bob Howsam was hired in January 1967 by new Reds owner Frank Dale. It marked the arrival of the man who would bring about the most successful and glorious era in team history. Howsam orchestrated the construction of one of the finest clubs ever to play, and is lauded as "The Architect of the Big Red Machine."

Howsam came to the Reds with an already-impressive resume that included management of the minor league Denver Bears, ownership of the Denver Broncos, and he was a key player in Branch Rickey's attempt to create a third major league called the Continental League. The third circuit never made it to the field, but the threat to the American and National League prompted the two leagues to expand in the early 1960s. In August 1964, Rickey hired Howsam to be the general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. After that club won the 1964 World Series, Howsam oversaw the rebuilding of an aging club - one that ultimately resulted in St. Louis winning pennants in 1967 and 1968.

In Cincinnati, the Reds had remained competitive in the years following the team's 1961 NL championship, but had yet to make it back to the postseason. Howsam was hired to change that, and he soon did, buttressing the core of talented players already on the roster with great draft picks and savvy trade acquisitions. Howsam had all of the ingredients of a great team; he just needed a spark. He found one in George "Sparky" Anderson, who was hired as Reds manager October 8, 1969.  

Anderson won the National League pennant in his first year and with other key moves by Howsam, such as trades for Joe Morgan, Cesar Geronimo, Jack Billigham and George Foster, produced five more division titles, three more league championships and back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 & '76.

With the coming of free agency, Howsam became disillusioned with the game's direction. He believed steadfastly in building championship clubs was through player development and trades. Bidding wars for players was not his style, so in April of 1978 he resigned and his assistant Dick Wagner filled the position. However, the Wagner years failed to produce championship clubs and in July of 1983 Howsam was enticed to return.

During his second tenure, he brought Pete Rose back as a player/manager, which proved to be his biggest move but also placed focus on his old formulas for building winners. The Reds were competitive under Rose and finished second in their division in four straight seasons and Howsam retired for good in 1985 but he set the club back on course for championship baseball.

Bob Howsam was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2004. He died on February 19, 2008 in Sun City, AZ.

Robert Lee Howsam

Nickname: Bob

Born: February 28, 1918, Denver, CO

Death: February 19, 2008, Sun City, AZ

How Acquired: Hired as vice-president and GM on Jan. 22, 1967; Re-hired as president and CEO on July 11, 1983

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2004

The most celebrated deaf athlete in baseball history, and one of the most important in sports history, Dummy Hoy's long career spanned 14 seasons, seven clubs, and four different major leagues. His most productive seasons were spent in Cincinnati, where hit .293 with an on-base percentage of .374.

Hoy was a highly skilled defensive player who possessed one of the most powerful and accurate throwing arms of his time. In one famous example of his arm at work, Hoy threw out three base runners at home plate in a single game in 1888.

Hoy's greatest weapon was his speed. As a rookie, he led the National League in stolen bases with 82. Over the course of his career in a Reds' uniform, he stole 176 bags and finished his major league career with 594.

Following the 1897 season, Cincinnati traded Hoy to the Louisville Colonels, where he played a couple of seasons. When the National League contracted the Louisville franchise following the 1899 season, he signed on with the Chicago White Sox of the new American League and helped the club win the new circuit's first league championship.

Hoy returned to Cincinnati in 1902 for his final major-league season. During a game against the Giants, he squared off against Luther "Dummy" Taylor. Both "spoke" to each other using sign language. Hoy's success in the majors was a significant contributing factor to the popularization of signs throughout the game.

Upon retirement, Hoy lived on a farm near Cincinnati, and he stayed connected to the Reds in various ways. On October 7, 1961, a 99-year-old Hoy threw out the first pitch before Game 3 of the World Series. He died December 15, 1961 and was posthumously inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2003.

William Ellsworth Hoy

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 6"

Weight: 160

Born: May 23, 1862, Houcktown, Ohio, USA

Death: December 15, 1961, Cincinnati, Ohio

High School: Ohio School for the Deaf (Columbus, OH)

How Acquired: Traded by Washington Senators to the Reds in 1894; Jumped from the White Sox to the Reds in 1902

Debut: April 20, 1888 vs. New York Giants

Final Game: July 17, 1902 vs. New York Giants

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2003

Fred Hutchinson was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1919, and he took over as manager of the Reds midway through the 1959 season. Prior to being hired by the Reds, he had managed the Tigers and the Cardinals with limited success. In his first full season with the Reds, the team finished sixth in the National League, but the Reds were primed for success with Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Gordy Coleman, Jim Maloney, and Jim O'Toole on the roster. In 1961, Hutchinson helped lead the Reds to the NL pennant before falling to the Yankees. Hutchinson's Reds actually won more games in 1962 than in 1961, but they finished third in the NL. Prior to the 1964 season, it was announced that Hutchinson had cancer, but he was in the dugout until mid-August. The Reds made a late-season surge, but finished a single game behind the Cardinals. Hutchinson died in November of 1964, and the Reds retired his uniform #1 the following year.

In 1965, Major League Baseball created the Hutch Award, named in Fred's honor, and it is given to the player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire to win. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Institute was established in 1975 in Seattle, and it is one of the world's leading cancer-research institutes. Hutchinson ranks fourth all-time with 446 wins as Reds manager, and he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.

Frederick Charles Hutchinson

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 190

Born: August 12, 1919, Seattle, WA

High School: Franklin (Seattle, WA)

How Acquired: Hired as manager on July 8, 1959

Debut: July 9, 1959 vs. San Francisco Giants

Final Game: August 12, 1964 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1965

Jersey Number Retired (1) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1965

The first Little League graduate to become a major-league player, Joey Jay was acquired by the Reds from the Milwaukee Braves in exchange for Reds Hall of Fame shortstop Roy McMillan in December 1960.

Arriving in Cincinnati with a pedestrian lifetime record of 24-24, Jay teamed with Jim O'Toole and Bob Purkey to form "The Big Three," the trio of starting pitchers that propelled the Reds to the 1961 pennant. Jay's 21 wins tied for the league lead, and he was among the league's leaders in every other significant pitching category. No Red had won 20 games or led the league in victories since Reds Hall of Famer Ewell Blackwell paced the league with 22 victories in 1947.

The Reds squared off against the Yankees in the 1961 World Series, and Jay got the win in the Reds' lone victory, limiting the Yankees to no runs on four hits in a 2-0 Game 2 triumph.

Although the Reds were not able to repeat as pennant winners in 1962, Jay remained one of the league's best starting pitchers. He once again won 21 game,s and was among the league's pitching leaders in multiple categories. He joined with 23-game winner Purkey to form the Reds' first pair of 20-win pitchers in a season since Reds Hall of Famers Bucky Walters and Paul Derringer accomplished the feat in 1940.

Jay remained a fixture in the Reds' rotation into the 1966 season, when he was traded to the Braves. He retired at the end of that season. In 2008, Jay became the last member of "The Big Three" to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Joey Jay

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 228

Born: August 15, 1935, Middletown, Connecticut

Death: Sept. 27, 2024, Lutz, FL

High School: Middletown High School (Middletown, CT)

How Acquired: Traded by the Milwaukee Braves with Juan Pizarro to the Reds for Roy McMillan on Dec. 15, 1960

Debut: July 21, 1953 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: October 2, 1966 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2008

One of the most-popular players in Reds history, "Big Klu" remains the most enduring symbol of Reds baseball in the 1950s. Known for his bulging biceps, a physical characteristic that forced him to cut the sleeves off his jersey to allow him to swing his bat freely, Kluszewski was one of the great sluggers and most gifted fielders of his era.

A Red from 1947 to 1957, Kluszewski was an All-Star each season from 1953 to 1956, and led NL first basemen in fielding percentage each season from 1951 to 1955.

Kluszewski's 1954 season stands as one of the finest offensive seasons in the club's history. He hit .326, led the NL in home runs with 49, RBI with 141 and finished second in voting for the NL's MVP award.

For his career, Kluszewski hit 251 home runs in a Reds uniform -- a total bested by only four players in franchise history. Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1962, Kluszewski enjoyed a long career as a coach and instructor with the Reds, highlighted by his tenure as the Reds' hitting coach during the Big Red Machine era.

Kluszewski died suddenly from a massive heart attack on March 29, 1988 at the age of 63. His uniform #18 was retired by the Reds in 1998. On Opening Day 2003, his statue was the first to be installed at the Crosley Terrace entrance to Great American Ball Park.

Theodore Bernard Kluszewski

Nickname: Big Klu

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 225

Born: September 10, 1924, Argo, Illinois, USA

Death: March 29, 1988, Cincinnati, Ohio

College: Indiana University

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1946

Debut: April 18, 1947 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: October 1, 1961 vs. Cleveland Indians

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1962

Jersey Number Retired (18) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1998

Business and baseball: Larry Kopf enjoyed both equally. Cincinnati acquired Kopf in December 1915, and he became the Reds' regular shortstop in 1917. In that same year, his most-famous hit came in a dual no-hitter against the Cubs May 2. After nine innings, both clubs were held hitless. With one out in the tenth inning, Kopf singled off Hippo Vaughn to break up Chicago's no-no. He eventually scored the game-winning run and his teammate Fred Toney captured the fourth no-hitter in Reds history.

With World War I underway, Kopf took the 1918 season off, devoting the year to working in several different jobs considered essential to the war effort.

He returned to the Reds in 1919, and his solid defense and productive bat helped Cincinnati clinch its first league championship since 1882, and the franchise's first World Series title. The championship season would be Kopf's most productive at the plate, with a .270 batting average and 58 RBI. In World Series play, he registered 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 triples and 3 RBI.

Kopf was traded to the Boston Braves in February 1922, where he played two more years before retiring. Kopf returned to Cincinnati and was involved in many business ventures, including a prosperous real-estate and contracting organization with his brother, called Kopf and Kopf.

Kopf remained a well-known citizen in Cincinnati and frequently attended Reds games until his death in 1986. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.

Larry Kopf

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 160

Born: November 3, 1890, Bristol, CT

Death: October 15, 1986, Hamilton County, OH.

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Philadelphia Athletics on Dec. 1, 1915

Debut: September 2, 1913 vs. Chicago White Sox

Final Game: June 16, 1923 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1965

Barry Larkin was the quintessential Cincinnati Red. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, played high school baseball in Cincinnati and spent his entire career in a Cincinnati uniform. Over the course of his 19 seasons with the Reds -- the longest of any player -- Larkin was an All-Star twelve times, won nine Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Gloves, was the NL MVP in 1995 and led the Reds to a World Championship in 1990.

A complete player, Larkin ranks second or third with the Reds in games played, runs scored, hits, doubles, stolen bases and bases on balls. He ranks fourth in at-bats and singles and was the first shortstop in baseball history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season.

In 1990, Larkin's leadership skills came to the fore as he was one of the driving forces behind that special season. The Reds did not spend a day out of first place all year, and they won their first division title since 1979, defeated the Pirates in the National League Championship Series and swept the Oakland A's in the World Series to claim the franchise's first title since 1976. Cincinnati won the division again in 1995, and in the Division Series victory against the Dodgers, Larkin hit .389. In 1997, the Reds made him team captain, a rank he held until his retirement after the 2004 season.

Larkin was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2008. Four years later, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and became the eleventh player in Reds history to have his number retired.

Barry Louis Larkin

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 185

Born: April 28, 1964, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

High School: Moeller High (Cincinnati, OH)

College: University of Michigan

How Acquired: Drafted by the Reds in the first round (fourth pick) of the 1985 amateur draft

Debut: August 13, 1986 vs. San Francisco Giants

Final Game: October 3, 2004 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2012 (495/573 ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2008

Jersey Number Retired (11) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2012

In a year best remembered for a record-setting display of home- run power, Brooks Lawrence enjoyed one of the finest seasons by a pitcher in Reds history. The 1956 edition of the Cincinnati Reds boasted baseball's most feared lineup. Collectively the club blasted 221 home runs -- a total that tied the Major League record for home runs by a team in a season. Buoyed by the powerful bats of players such as Frank Robinson, Ted Kluszewski and Wally Post, the Reds surged to their first winning record since 1944, and enjoyed their first serious pennant race since the 1940 club captured the World Championship. Amidst the thunder of the Reds' power-hitting, Lawrence established himself as the ace of the Reds' pitching staff.

Acquired in a trade with the Cardinals prior to the 1956 season, Lawrence won his first 13 decisions -- a streak that ranks second in club history to the 16 consecutive victories recorded by Ewell Blackwell during the 1947 season. Lawrence's streak came to end on July 21 when the Pirates' Roberto Clemente hit a three-run home run in the 9^th inning to erase a 3-1 Reds lead. Lawrence's remarkable first-half performance resulted in his selection to the National League All-Star team - he was one of eight Reds to make the National League squad that year. For the season, Lawrence won 19 games, the most by a Reds pitcher since Blackwell won 22 in 1947.

Lawrence enjoyed another strong campaign in 1957 with 16 victories and a career-best 3.52 ERA. Injuries began to hamper Lawrence's effectiveness beginning in 1958, and ultimately contributed to a premature end to his career in 1960.

Following his playing career, Lawrence eventually returned to the Reds organization, where he worked for many years in a variety of roles. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1976.

Brooks Ulysses Lawrence

Nickname: Bull

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 205

Born: January 30, 1925, Springfield, Ohio

Death: April 27, 2000, Springfield, OH

High School: Springfield (Springfield, OH)

How Acquired: Acquired from the Cleveland Indians on May 1, 1953

Debut: June 24, 1954 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: May 1, 1960 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1976

Ernesto "Ernie" Lombardi played 10 of his 17 years in the National League with the Cincinnati Reds (1932-1941). He flourished in his first year with the Reds, batting .303 with 11 home runs and 68 runs batted in; and by 1938 he was the National League MVP with a league-leading .342 average, with 19 home runs and 95 RBI.

Lombardi's large nose won him the nickname "Schnozz" and his ferocious line drives, strong arm that allowed him to throw out runners without leaving his crouch position, and his ability to call a game made him a fan favorite. Lombardi's lack of foot speed further endeared him to the hometown faithful. Baseball pundit Bill James described Lombardi as "the slowest man to ever play major-league baseball well."

An All-Star each season from 1936 to 1940, Lombardi caught more than 100 games for ten consecutive seasons, hitting .300 or better in seven. He caught Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back no-hitters in 1938, and he was a mainstay of the 1939 Reds pennant-winners and the 1940 World Champions.

Following a subpar 1941 season, Lombardi was sold to the Braves. In his lone season in Boston, Lombardi won his second career batting title, setting a record for catchers that stood until the Twins' Joe Mauer won his third title in 2009.

Part of the inaugural Reds Hall of Fame Class in 1958, Lombardi was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2003, Lombardi was one of four Crosley Field-era greats selected by fans to be honored with a statue at the entrance to Great American Ball Park.

Ernesto Natali Lombardi

Nickname: Schnozz, Bocci

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 230

Born: April 6, 1908, Oakland, California

Death: September 26, 1977, Santa Cruz, California

High School: McClymonds High (Oakland, CA)

How Acquired: Traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Cincinnati Reds in a six-player trade on March 14, 1932

Debut: April 15, 1931 vs. Boston Braves

Final Game: September 17, 1947 vs. Chicago Cubs

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1986 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1958

Charles Fred "Red" Lucas was the best pinch-hitter in the National League during his caree,r and one of the great pinch- hitters to ever play for the Cincinnati Reds. In his career that spanned from 1923-1938, Lucas registered 114 pinch hits, which once stood as the Major League record and still ranks as the 11^th highest total of all-time.

His best season was 1930, when he appeared in 68 games as a pinch-hitter with 15 pinch-hits. He compiled a .281 lifetime batting average and walked (124 times) almost as often as he struck out (133).

Surprisingly, Red Lucas was a pitcher, not a position player. As a pitcher, Lucas had the misfortune of being a good pitcher on poor teams for most of his career. The result was a lifetime won/lost record that did not accurately reflect how effective he was.

Lucas defined the word "workhorse." In 1929 he pitched 28 complete games -- the most in the league. He again led the National League in complete games in 1931 and 1932. Between August 13, 1931 and July 15, 1932, Red pitched a remarkable 27 consecutive games, 250 consecutive innings, without being relieved -- a streak difficult to imagine ever being repeated. In 1931 he walked only 39 batters in 238 innings.

The Reds dealt Lucas to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1933, where he played five years, with two winning seasons and three losing seasons.

Lucas finished 68 percent of his 301 career starts, thanks to his precise control and hitting ability. His major-league career resulted in a 157-135 win-loss mark, 79 points higher than his team's win-loss percentage. He ranks among the all-time leaders in walks per game, with a 1.61 average. Considering the poor record of his teams, his career 3.72 ERA during a heavy-hitting era is striking. All the while he continued his clutch hitting.

Charles Fred "Red' Lucas was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.

Charles Fred Lucas

Nickname: The Nashville Narcissus

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 170

Born: April 28, 1902, Columbia, Tennessee, USA

Death: July 9, 1986, Nashville, Tennessee

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from Seattle of the Pacific Coast League in 1926

Debut: April 19, 1923 vs. Boston Braves

Final Game: October 1, 1938 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1965

Pitcher – Class of 1967

A member of the Reds’ first World Series champion team in 1919, Dolf Luque was quite a trailblazer during his 20-year big-league career. The Cuban native was the first Latin to pitch in a World Series, win 20 games in a season, win 100 games in a career and lead either the American or National leagues in wins, winning percentage, and ERA in a season. His 1923 season is arguably the greatest single season for a pitcher in Reds history, as he led the NL with a club record 27 wins and posted a league-best 1.93 ERA. Luque was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1958 and was the first Latin player to be enshrined in the Reds Hall of Fame.

Nickname: “The Pride of Havana”

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 7"

Weight: 160

Born: August 4, 1890, Havana, Cuba

Death: July 3, 1957, Havana, Cuba

Debut: May 20, 1914

Final Game: April 26, 1935

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1967

In his six-and-a-half seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Jerry Lynch played as a regular in the outfield in only three of those years, and he batted over .300 only two years. He is a member of the Reds Hall of Fame because he excelled at one of the game's most difficult tasks: Jerry Lynch was one of the greatest pinch-hitters in Reds history.

When the Reds won the National League championship in 1961, he hit .315. As a pinch-hitter, Lynch had 19 hits in 47 at-bats, good for a staggering .404 average.

In his New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, the author suggests that Lynch could have been named league MVP for his 1961 performance. "He hit over .400 as a pinch hitter (19-for-47), with power and played 44 games in the outfield. His slugging percentage of .624 and 50 RBI in 181 at bats was a far better rate than Roger Maris had that same season, hitting 61 home runs. More than that, Lynch had big, big hits; game after game, when the Reds were in danger of falling short, Lynch came up the big hit to put them back in front, and the Reds, picked to finish sixth, won the pennant."

Traded back to the Pirates in 1963, Lynch finished his career there three years later. In his career, he collected 116 hits in 447 at-bats, the tenth-highest pinch-hit total in baseball history. In 1964 he partnered with former teammate Dick Groat in operating the Champion Lakes golf course in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and he later retired to Georgia.

Gerald Thomas Lynch was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1988. He died April 1, 2012 at the age of 81.

Gerald Thomas Lynch

Nickname: Jerry

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 185

Born: July 17, 1930, Bay City, Michigan

Death: April 1, 2012, Smyrna, Georgia

How Acquired: Drafted by the Cincinnati Redlegs from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1956 Rule 5 draft

Debut: April 15, 1954 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Final Game: October 2, 1966 vs. San Francisco Giants

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1988

Jim Maloney was born in Fresno, California, in 1940, and he appeared in his first major-league game with the Reds in 1960. Sporting a blazing fastball, Maloney would go down in history as one of the greatest pitchers ever to wear a Reds uniform.

In 1963, he tied a Reds record by striking out 16 batters in one game. Two years later, he fanned 18 Mets in an 11-inning game. However, that game was a heartbreaker for Maloney. He no-hit the Mets through 10 innings, but the Reds could not dent the plate that night at Crosley Field. Maloney surrendered a lead-off 11^th inning home run and lost the game 1-0.

Later that same season, he found himself in a similar spot against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Through nine innings, Maloney had not given up a hit, and the Reds had not been able to score. But in the top of the 10^th, Leo Cardenas hit a solo home run, staking Maloney to a 1-0 lead. After giving up a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, Maloney got Billy Williams to fly out, then induced Ernie Banks to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, giving Maloney his first unblemished no-hitter.

On April 30, 1969, Maloney showed that he still could bring it with the best of them, taking a no-hitter into the ninth at Crosley Field against the Houston Astros. This time, his teammates provided ample help by staking Maloney to an 8-0 lead after four innings, and a 10-0 lead after eight. After walking Jimmy Wynn with two outs in the ninth, Maloney fanned Doug Rader for yet another no-hit game. (The Reds were no-hit by the Astros' Don Wilson the next night.)

Maloney led the Reds in strikeouts for five seasons, complete games for three seasons, and tied for the league lead in shutouts with five in 1966. Among his other accomplishments were team highs in wins with 23 in 1963 and 16 in 1966 and 1968. Maloney is the all-time Reds leader in career strikeouts with 1,592 and ranks seventh on the club's all-time victory list with 134.

Jim Maloney was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1973.

Jim Maloney

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 190

Born: June 2, 1940, Fresno, California

High School: Fresno High School (Fresno, CA)

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs as an amateur free agent in 1959

Debut: July 27, 1960 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Final Game: September 21, 1971 vs. Kansas City Royals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1973

Lee May was an integral part of the first incarnation of the Big Red Machine -- the club that stormed to 70 victories in the first 100 games of the 1970 season. It was in that year that the Reds, led by a powerful lineup that included May, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan, captured the franchise's first pennant since 1961.

May was signed by the Reds out of Birmingham, AL in 1961. He enjoyed a stellar rookie season in 1967, belting 12 home runs and driving in 57 in only 438 at-bats. May was named The Sporting News Rookie of the Year for his efforts. Teammate Tommy Helms christened May, "The Big Bopper from Birmingham" and May's impressive rookie campaign helped to solidify the nickname.              

During the next two seasons, May blossomed into one of the league's top power hitters, and the Reds inched ever closer to a title. May lead the club in home runs in 1968 and 1969, and the 1969 Reds finished just four games off the pace in the newly formed National League Western Division.

Led by new manager Sparky Anderson, the 1970 Reds' domination of the National League cemented the "Big Red Machine" label that had been affixed to the club the previous year. After sweeping the Pirates in the LCS, the Reds squared off against the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. May batted an impressive .389 in the Series and set a record for a five-game Series by driving in eight runs. His three-run home run in the eighth inning of Game 4 lifted the Reds to their only victory in the Series.

In 1971, May had another outstanding season, taking home team MVP honors, but the team stumbled to a 79-83 finish. General Manager Bob Howsam determined that a reworking of the club was in order. His boldest move was to trade May and second baseman Tommy Helms to the Astros in exchange for Joe Morgan, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo, Ed Armbrister and Denis Menke. The trade reenergized the Machine; the club went on to win three pennants and two World Series during the next five seasons. Lee May went on to many more productive seasons playing for the Astros, Orioles and Royals. He retired following the 1982 season and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.

Lee Andrew May

Nickname: The Big Bopper

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 195

Born: March 23, 1943, Birmingham, Alabama

Death: July 29, 2017, Cincinnati, Ohio

High School: Parker (Birmingham, AL)

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1961

Debut: September 1, 1965 vs. Milwaukee Braves

Final Game: September 24, 1982 vs. Oakland Athletics

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2006

Frank McCormick was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 1934. Playing most of the season in the minor leagues, he wasted no time making an impression. He batted .347 in 120 games in the Middle Atlantic League. He made his Reds debut in September of that year and hit .313 in twelve games.

Despite the promise he displayed, he was sent back to the minors, where he remained for most of the next three seasons. He returned to the Reds to stay in 1938 and became a star. In his first full season, McCormick led the league in hits and at-bats. He drove in 106 runs and batted a superb .327, which ranked third in the National League. McCormick also made his first of seven career All-Star teams.

The following season, the Reds captured their first league pennant since 1919, and McCormick's powerful bat helped lead the way. He batted .332 and led the league in hits, RBI and fielding percentage at first base. McCormick hit an impressive .400 in his first taste of World Series play, but the Reds fell to the Yankees in four consecutive games.

McCormick and the Reds came back strong in the 1940 season, capturing another pennant and a World Championship as Cincinnati defeated Detroit in seven games. McCormick took home league MVP honors after leading the league in at-bats, hits and doubles to go with a .309 batting average and 127 RBI.

McCormick remained one the league's most productive hitters into the middle of the 1940s. He was sold to Philadelphia after the 1945 season, and split his remaining three years in the majors with the Phillies and the Boston Braves.

After his playing career, McCormick enjoyed a long tenure as a Reds television broadcaster and was part of the Reds Hall of Fame's inaugural induction class in 1958. He died in Manhasset, New York in 1982 at the age of 71.

Frank Andrew McCormick

Nickname: Buck

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 205

Born: June 9, 1911, New York, NY

Death: November 21, 1982, Manhasset, NY

How Acquired: Signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 1934

Debut: September 11, 1934 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Final Game: October 3, 1948 vs. New York Giants

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1958

Prior to the arrival of the Big Red Machine in the 1970s, the 1939 and 1940 Reds represented the high point of Reds history. The club won back-to-back National League pennants and the 1940 World Championship. Following a sweep at the hands of the Yankees in the 1939 World Series, the club made some changes, with an eye toward improving its October fortunes. Notable among these changes was the promotion of 23-year old Mike McCormick from the Indianapolis farm club to play left field.

A strong 1939 season -- his first in the Reds' system -- prompted the Reds to insert the rookie into their starting lineup for 1940. The decision turned out to be an inspired one; McCormick put together a career year, batting an even .300 -- one of only three Cincinnati regulars to bat .300 or better for the year. In the World Series victory over Detroit, McCormick's .300 hitting continued as he posted a .310 batting average. His nine hits in the Series trailed only Bill Werber's ten on the Reds' Series leaderboard.

McCormick followed his impressive 1940 campaign with a club-best .287 average in 1941 as the Reds fell short in their quest for a third consecutive National League pennant. They finished third in the National League with an 88-66 record, 12 victories short of the then-franchise record 100 victories from the year before.

Like most of the players of his generation, McCormick's career was interrupted by service in World War II. A member of the Army Air Force, McCormick played for a variety of military teams in the Pacific, entertaining troops throughout the theater of operations until he was discharged in 1945.

Upon his return, he played a partial season in Cincinnati before being traded to Brooklyn. He played with four other Major League clubs through the 1951 season, when he appeared on a Major League diamond as a player for the last time on September 30.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1966, McCormick is one of 13 men (11 players plus general manager Warren Giles and field manager Bill McKechnie) from the 1940 Reds to have received the honor. He died in Los Angeles April 13, 1976.

Myron Winthrop McCormick

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 195

Born: May 6, 1917, Angel's Camp, California

Death: April 13, 1976, Los Angeles, California

High School: Stockton (Stockton, CA)

How Acquired: Obtained from Indianapolis of the American Association as Minor League working agreement in 1939

Debut: April 16, 1940 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: September 30, 1951 vs. Philadelphia Athletics

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1966

Bill McKechnie was born in 1886 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, and he managed the Reds from 1938 to 1946. In his first season, the Reds finished in fourth place, only six games behind the Cubs -- no small feat, considering that the closest the Reds had come to first place in the NL in the 11 seasons prior to his arrival was sixteen games (1928).

In his second season, the Reds were second to no one in the National League. They won the pennant, but fell to the Yankees in the World Series.

In 1940, everything came together for McKechnie and the Reds. They steamrolled through the NL, and captured the pennant by 12 games. The club then ousted Detroit in a seven-game World Series, winning the deciding game at Crosley Field. Prior to the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s, the 1939 and 1940 Reds clubs were considered to be the best teams in franchise history.

McKechnie was a quiet man, sang in his church choir, and did not smoke, drink, or use profanity. Because of this, McKechnie was nicknamed "The Deacon," and he amassed a then-record 744 wins as Reds manager (Sparky Anderson would later tally 863). He was the first manager to win the World Series with two different teams (the first came with the Pirates in 1925), and he is one of only two managers to win pennants with three teams (St. Louis Cardinals in 1928).

Bill McKechnie was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He died in 1965 at age 79, and he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1967.

William Boyd McKechnie

Nickname: Deacon

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 160

Born: August 7, 1886, August 7, 1886 in Wilkinsburg, PA

Death: October 29, 1965, Bradenton, FL

How Acquired: Hired as manager on October 13, 1937

Debut: June 19, 1915 vs. Pittsburgh Rebels

Final Game: September 25, 1946 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1962

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1967

Roy McMillan, the 5-foot 11-inch, 164-pound Cincinnati Reds shortstop whose highest season batting average was .272, was the first Red to be featured alone on a Sports Illustrated cover September 9, 1957. It was not a fluke. In McMillan's 10 years with the Reds (1951-1960), had earned the reputation of being the best defensive shortstop in the major leagues and the title "Mr. Shortstop." McMillan considered the SI cover one of the top moments in his career.

McMillan was signed by the Reds after participating in a tryout camp in Texas in 1947. McMillan made his Reds debut in 1951, and proceeded to play in 584 consecutive games. He led the National League in fielding percentage four times, putouts three times, assists four times, and double plays four consecutive years from 1953 to 1956.

The Reds' best finish during McMillan's years was 1956, when they finished third with a 91-63 won-lost record. The 1956 Reds tied a then-Major League record by hitting 221 home runs. Despite contributing only one homer to the historic tally, McMillan was voted as the team's Most Valuable Player, and he was sixth in voting for the NL MVP -- the highest of any Reds players.

National recognition of McMillan would continue in 1957, when The Sporting News named him to its All-Star Fielding team, and he was the recipient of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in the first year the award was presented. McMillan was a Gold Glove winner again in 1958 and 1959.

In the search for better pitching, the Reds traded McMillan to the Milwaukee Braves for pitchers Joey Jay and Juan Pizzaro December 15, 1960. After three seasons with the Braves, he completed his Major League career with the New York Mets from 1964 to 1966.

Roy McMillan was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1971. He was the only inductee that year. He died of a heart attack in 1997 at the age of 68.

Roy McMillan

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 170

Born: July 17, 1929, Bonham, TX.

Death: November 2, 1997, Bonham, TX.

High School: Bonham High School (TX)

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1947

Debut: April 17, 1951 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: August 3, 1966 vs. San Francisco Giants

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1971

The 1882 season not only marked the first pennant for the Reds franchise but also the start of one of the most illustrious careers of any player to wear a Reds uniform -- that of John Alexander "Bid" McPhee. Upon his retirement after the 1899 season, McPhee ranked first in nearly every statistical category in the Reds' record book, establishing career totals that would stand for more than half a century.

McPhee led his league (the Reds moved from the American Association to the National League in 1890) in fielding percentage nine times (never finishing lower than third in any of his 18 seasons); putouts, eight times; and assists, six times. At the plate, he was also among league leaders in walks, stolen bases and triples multiple times.

McPhee's defensive prowess is even more impressive considering that, as his career progressed, more and more of his contemporaries adopted the use of gloves. McPhee remained steadfastly "gloveless" until his career was almost at an end. It was for this feat more than any other that McPhee was remembered -until the National Baseball Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee selected McPhee for Hall of Fame induction in 2000. McPhee joined the Reds Hall of Fame in 2002, two years after the selection process was broadened to include players who played the majority of their careers in the 19^th century.

McPhee remained a passionate supporter of the Reds throughout his retirement years. In letters to friends and family written by McPhee in 1940, he never failed to mention his close monitoring of the Reds' progress during that championship season from his home in California. He died in 1943 in San Diego at the age of 84 -- a Reds fan until the end.

John Alexander McPhee

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 152

Born: November 1, 1859, Massena, New York

Death: January 3, 1943, San Diego, California

How Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1882

Debut: May 2, 1882 vs. Pittsburgh Alleghenys

Final Game: October 15, 1899 vs. Cleveland Spiders

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 2000 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2002

Tony Mullane was one of the most colorful players during a volatile time in the game's history.   Mullane was also one of the best pitchers of his day, and was known for being able to get hitters out with regularity throwing with his right or left arm. In Reds history, only one pitcher -- Reds and National Baseball Hall of Famer Eppa Rixey -- won more games than the occasionally ambidextrous Mullane, who was credited with 163 victories in his eight years in Cincinnati.

After signing with the Reds in 1885, the American Association forced him to sit out the entire season in response to his constant contract-jumping. In 1886, when he was reinstated, he was dominant from the start. It was a losing season for the Reds, but Mullane tallied 33 victories and led the league in games finished. The following season, Mullane racked up 31 more wins and led the league in shutouts.

By 1890, the Reds had moved from the American Association to the National League, and Mullane continued to thrive. In 1891 he won 23 games, and he tallied 21 more victories in 1892. A dashing man, Mullane's good looks combined with his strong play made him a favorite of the Reds' female fans and helped inspire Ladies' Days at the ballpark.

Mullane's effectiveness began to slip in 1893, and the Reds traded him to Baltimore in the middle of that season. He retired from baseball a year later.

In addition to placing second on the Reds' all-time leaderboard with 163 victories, Mullane ranks third all-time in innings pitched and eleventh in strikeouts. His 250 strikeouts in 1886 stood as the club's single-season record for almost eight decades.

Tony Mullane died April 25, 1944 in Chicago at the age of 85. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2010.

Tony Mullane

Nickname: Apollo of the Box

Bats: Switch

Throws: Both

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 165

Born: January 30, 1859, Cork, Ireland

Death: April 25, 1944, Chicago, Illinois

How Acquired: Signed by the Reds as a free agent in 1886

Debut: August 27, 1881 vs. Chicago White Stockings

Final Game: July 26, 1894 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2010

Only once has a Reds team clinched a World Series in Cincinnati. That victory occurred in Game 7 of the 1940 World Series against the Tigers as the Reds overcame a 1-0 Detroit lead in the bottom of the seventh inning with two runs. The go-ahead run was driven in by shortstop Billy Myers, who lofted a deep fly ball to centerfield that allowed Jimmy Ripple to tag up and score from third base. Reds pitcher Paul Derringer set the Tigers down in order in the ninth inning for the complete-game victory, and the Reds were World Champions for the first time since 1919.

Myers was acquired from the New York Giants in 1934, and he became the Reds' starting shortstop the next season. In 1938, Bill McKechnie took over as manager of the Reds, and the club acquired Lonny Frey to play second base. McKechnie immediately turned the Reds into a contender and Frey teamed with Myers to form one of the best middle-infield combinations in baseball.

The 1938 Reds won 86 games, posting the club's first winning record in a decade. The 1938 season was but a prelude of the glory to come in 1939 and 1940 when the Reds won consecutive National League pennants and the 1940 World Championship.

Myers' triumph in the seventh inning of Game 7 proved to be his final at-bat in a Reds uniform; he was traded to the Cubs that December. His stay in Chicago was brief, and after playing for Chicago's minor league club in Milwaukee in 1941, Myers retired from baseball.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1966, Billy Myers died in his native Pennsylvania in 1995.

William Harrison Myers

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 168

Born: August 14, 1910, Enola, PA

Death: April 10, 1995, Carlisle, PA

How Acquired: Traded by the New York Giants with cash to the Reds for Mark Koenig, Allyn Stout on Dec. 14, 1934

Debut: April 16, 1935 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: September 25, 1941 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1966

In 1967, 18-year-old Gary Nolan authored one of the finest seasons of any rookie pitcher in Reds history. Nolan won 14 games, finished fourth in the National League with 206 strikeouts, led the league in strikeouts per innings pitched, and his 2.58 ERA was the league's best. On June 7, Nolan struck out all-time great Willie Mays four times -- the only pitcher ever to do so. Nolan was third in voting for the National League's Rookie of the Year Award.

The fireballing Nolan's explosive debut was the first of many fine seasons he enjoyed as a member of the Big Red Machine's starting rotation. Nolan won 18 games in the Reds' pennant-winning season of 1970. In his All-Star season of 1972, he recorded the league's second-best ERA with a 1.99 mark that still stands as the last time a Reds starting pitcher posted an ERA below 2.00. His .750 winning percentage led the league in 1972 as the Reds again won the NL pennant.

 After a career-threatening shoulder injury resulted in Nolan missing most of the 1973 and all of the 1974 seasons, he enjoyed a triumphant return in 1975, helping the Reds to the club's first World Championship since 1940. He was honored with the Hutch Award for his courageous comeback. In 1976 Nolan was the club's winningest pitcher with 15 victories as the Reds won their second consecutive world title,.

A recurrence of arm problems in 1977 forced Nolan to retire when he was only 29-years-old. In 1983, Gary Nolan became the first Big Red Machine starting pitcher inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Gary Lynn Nolan

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 197

Born: May 27, 1948, Herlong, CA

High School: Oroville High School (Oroville, California)

How Acquired: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round in 1966

Debut: April 15, 1967 vs. Houston Astros

Final Game: September 18, 1977 vs. Chicago White Sox

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1983

On June 10, 1944, Hamilton, Ohio native Joe Nuxhall set a Major League record when he pitched in a game for the at age 15, becoming the youngest player to appear in a big-league contest.

Nuxhall's initial stint with the Reds was brief, but after his return to Cincinnati from the minors in 1952, he became one of the best left-handed pitchers in club history. A two-time National League All-Star, Nuxhall pitched in 15 seasons for the Reds and struck out 1289 batters -- the most by a left-handed pitcher in Reds history. His 130 career victories are the second-most by a left-handed Reds pitcher.

Nuxhall retired as a player in the spring of 1967 when he was offered a broadcasting job in the Reds' radio booth. Thus began a 40-year radio career during which "The Ol' Lefthander" became one of the most beloved personalities in franchise history.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame for his on-field achievements in 1968, Nuxhall's microphone was retired by the club in 2007. He passed away November 15, 2007. Nuxhall's statue was the second installed on Crosley Terrace, joining Ted Kluszrewski's bronze July 18, 2003.

Joseph Henry Nuxhall

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 195

Born: July 30, 1928, Hamilton, Ohio

Death: November 15, 2007, Fairfield, Ohio

High School: Hamilton (Hamilton, OH)

How Acquired: Signed by Reds as an amateur free agent in Feb. 1944. Reacquired as a free agent on June 1, 1962

Debut: June 10, 1944 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: October 2, 1966 vs. Atlanta Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1968

Jim O'Toole was signed by the Reds in December 1957 as an amateur free agent, and he would be a mainstay of the Reds' starting rotation of the 1960s. He was at his peak from 1961 to 1964, when he won a combined 69 games and the Reds became perennial contenders.

O'Toole won 12 games during his rookie season in 1960. The next year he became a star, joining with Joey Jay and Bob Purkey to form "The Big Three" of the Reds' starting rotation that propelled the club to the 1961 National League pennant. O'Toole won a career-high 19 games in 1961 as the Reds captured their first league championship since 1940. His ERA of 3.10 was the league's second-best, and his 178 strikeouts ranked fourth among NL hurlers.

The Reds followed the pennant-winning season with a 98-win campaign in 1962 that kept them in the thick of the race until the season's final weeks. O'Toole was a 16-game winner that year and enjoyed his lone career All-Star season the next season, winning 17 games with a 2.88 ERA. In 1964, O'Toole won 17 games for a Reds team that came within a single game of winning the pennant.

O'Toole pitched two more years for the Reds before ending his career with the White Sox in 1967. After his career, O'Toole settled in Cincinnati with his large family, and he became a fixture at Reds events.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1970, Jim O'Toole passed away in Cincinnati on December 26, 2015 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

James Jerome O'Toole

Bats: Switch

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 190

Born: January 10, 1937, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Death: December 26, 2015,

High School: Leo High (Chicago, IL)

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs as an amateur free agent in 1957

Debut: September 26, 1958 vs. Milwaukee Braves

Final Game: July 22, 1967 vs. Kansas City Athletics

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1970

A Cincinnati native and 1974 graduate of Withrow High School, second baseman Ron Oester played his entire 17-year professional baseball career in the Cincinnati Reds organization, including 13 years at the Major League level.

Selected by the Reds in the ninth round of the 1974 amateur draft, Oester made his Major League debut in 1978. He began making regular appearances in the Reds lineup in 1980, when he appeared in 100 games and finished fourth in voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. In 1981, Oester enjoyed the first of six consecutive seasons as the Reds' starting second baseman -- a streak that was interrupted by a major knee injury he suffered in July of 1987. He won Major League Baseball's Hutch Award in 1988 after his successful return to the Reds' everyday lineup.

In his final season in 1990, Oester was a key player off the bench during the Reds World Championship season. He scored the winning run in the Reds' pennant-clinching game over the Pirates in Game 6 of the 1990 NLCS.

In Reds history, only National Baseball Hall of Famer Bid McPhee and Brandon Phillips appeared in more games at second base than Oester.

After his playing career, Oester spent six seasons with the Reds as a Major League coach. He remains a Cincinnati resident.

Ron Oester

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 185

Born: May 5, 1956, Cincinnati, Ohio

High School: Withrow High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

How Acquired: Drafted by the Reds in the 9th round of the 1974 amateur draft.

Debut: September 10, 1978 vs. San Francisco Giants

Final Game: October 3, 1990 vs. Houston Astros

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2014

One of the most intimidating hitters of his era, outfielder Dave "The Cobra" Parker became the first major free agent acquisition in Reds history when he was signed by the club in December 1983.

One of the National League's top players virtually from the start of his Major League career, Parker had been selected to four All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves and had been named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1978 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A series of injuries limited Parker's productivity and prompted the Pirates to let him go via free agency.

Over the course of Parker's four seasons in Cincinnati, he was a fixture in the middle of the Reds' lineup and was crucial to the club's resurgence to postseason contention. The Reds team Most Valuable Player each season from 1984 to 1986, Parker was also a two-time National League All-Star, a two-time Sporting News All-Star and was the winner of two Silver Slugger Awards during his Reds career. In 1985, Parker authored one of the most impressive offensive seasons in club history, batting .312 with a league-best 125 RBI and ranked second in the league in home runs (34), hits (198) and slugging percentage (.551). For his Reds career, Parker averaged nearly 27 home runs and 108 RBI per season.  

Dave Parker

Nickname: Cobra

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 5"

Weight: 230

Born: June 9, 1951, Grenada, Mississippi

High School: Courter Tech High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

How Acquired: Signed as a free agent on December 7, 1983.

Debut: June 12, 1973 vs. San Diego Padres

Final Game: October 2, 1991 vs. California Angels

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2014

One of the most impactful general managers in Reds history, Gabe Paul’s tenure was marked by decisions that forever altered the trajectory of the franchise. Paul began his Reds career as the club’s publicity director and in 1936 and later became the club’s traveling secretary. In 1949, Paul co-founded the annual Kid Glove Game. Promoted to general manager in 1951, Paul spearheaded the Reds’ aggressive pursuit of African American players. The club’s color barrier was broken with the arrival of Nino Escalera and Chuck Harmon in 1954 and, two years later, Frank Robinson made his debut. The first Red to win National League Rookie of the Year honors, Robinson was a linchpin on the 1956 Reds team that was in contention for the pennant until the last weekend of the season. That club tied the then-Major League record for home runs by a club in a season, and the excitement surrounding it resulted in the Reds’ breaking the 1 million mark in home attendance for the first time in franchise history. Paul was named the Executive of the Year by the Sporting News following the 1956 season. Also at Paul’s behest, the Reds focused on the cultivation of Latino talent. Paul established an affiliation agreement with the Havana Sugar Kings, a relationship that opened a rich pipeline of talent from Cuba that led to the signings of Tony Perez, Leo Cardenas and a host of other notable Latino players. Paul also traded for or signed a host of players who would make major contributions to the Reds including Gus Bell, Jerry Lynch, Jim Maloney, Jim O’Toole, Bob Purkey and Pete Rose, among many others. It was under Paul’s watch that the foundation of the club’s 1961 National League championship club was built and the first two cornerstones of the Big Red Machine, Perez and Rose, were acquired. And it was also during Paul’s time as Reds general manager that the club worked with the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce to establish the Reds Hall of Fame in 1958. Gabe Paul died in 1998 at the age of 88.

Gabriel Howard Paul

Born: January 4, 1910, Rochester, NY

Death: April 26, 1998, Tampa, FL

How Acquired: Hired as publicity director on September 9, 1936

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2023

One of the most popular players in Reds history, Tony "Doggie" Pérez also enjoys the distinction of being one of only two players to win three World Championships while in a Reds uniform (Ken Griffey Sr. is the other).

A mainstay of the World Champion Big Red Machine clubs of 1975 and 1976, Pérez served as the first-base coach for the upstart 1990 team that stunned the baseball world with its four-game sweep of the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the World Series.

Signed by the Reds out of Cuba in 1960, Pérez reached the major leagues four years later. His breakthrough year came in 1967, when Perez became the club's starting third baseman, and he enjoyed the first of his seven career 100-RBI seasons.

Pérez's ability to drive in runs came to define his career. He averaged more than 100 RBI per season from 1970 to 1976, achieving a career high with 129 for the 1970 Reds team that won the National League pennant.

Pérez moved to first base in 1972, and by 1975 had emerged as the anchor of one of the most dominant teams in baseball history. The Reds of the 1970s won more games than any team in baseball. Their decade of dominance culminated in the back-to-back 1975 and 1976 championship seasons.

A desire to give more playing time to a young Dan Driessen, coupled with a need to add more pitching, resulted in the trade of Pérez to Montreal in the winter of 1976.

Statistically, the Reds did not suffer as a result of the trade; but the loss of the club's emotional leader proved to be much greater than club management imagined. The Big Red Machine gradually split apart, and it would be 14 years before another Reds team would reach the World Series. When it did, it came as no surprise that Tony Pérez played a part -- albeit from the other side of the foul line.

Pérez was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1998, and became a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. His uniform #24 is one of only eleven uniform numbers retired by the Reds.

Atanacio (Rigal) Pérez

Nickname: The Big Dog

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 175

Born: May 14, 1942, Camaguey, Cuba

How Acquired: Signed by Redlegs as an amateur free agent in 1960; Reacquired in a purchase from Phillies in 1983

Debut: July 26, 1964 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: October 5, 1986 vs. San Diego Padres

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2000 (385/499 ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1998

Jersey Number Retired (24) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2000

On May 22, 1968 at Crosley Field, Vada Pinson laced a ninth-inning double off Houston Astros reliever Dave Giusti to move past Edd Roush into first place on the Reds all-time career hit list. Although Pinson only held the club record for four seasons (Pete Rose claimed the record September 1, 1972), the achievement is testament to the remarkable career Pinson enjoyed as a Red.

Possessing an impressive combination of power and speed, Pinson burst onto the scene in 1958 by belting a grand slam in his second Major League game. A National League All-Star in first two full seasons (1959 and 1960), Pinson also led the league in doubles in each of those years, and would rank among the league's top ten in this category in eight of his ten full seasons in Cincinnati. He also twice led the league in hits, at-bats and triples, and in 1959, led the league in runs scored. A brilliant defender, Pinson's talents in center field were acknowledged with a Gold Glove Award in 1961.

Along with Frank Robinson, Pinson helped anchor one of the strongest outfields in the National League -- a group that helped propel the Reds to the league pennant in 1961 and near-pennants in 1962, 1964 and 1965.

When the Reds traded Pinson to the St. Louis Cardinals following the 1968 season, he left as the club's leader in hits, games played, at-bats, and doubles. In exchange for Pinson, the Reds received outfielder Bobby Tolan and relief pitcher Wayne Granger.

Pinson retired following the 1975 season, finishing his career with 2757 hits, 256 home runs, 305 stolen bases and a lifetime batting average of .286; career numbers that many think merit Pinson's inclusion in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1977, Pinson died in 1995 after suffering a stroke. He was 57 years old.

Vada Edward Pinson

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 170

Born: August 11, 1938, Memphis, TN

Death: October 21, 1995, Oakland, CA

High School: McClymonds (Oakland, CA)

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs as an amateur free agent in 1956

Debut: April 15, 1958 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: September 28, 1975 vs. Texas Rangers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1977

One of the great sluggers in Reds history, St. Henry, OH native Wally Post belted 172 home runs in a Reds uniform -- a total bested by only 13 players in franchise history. Post was not only a prolific home run hitter, but hit some of the hardest and longest home runs of any Red.

Post was known as "the best dressed Red" thanks to the many free suits he earned by virtue of his long home runs that hit the famous "Hit Sign Win Suit" billboard located atop the "The Laundry" building that loomed across the street from Crosley Field's left field wall.

Post may have hit one of the longest home runs ever when he smashed a ball off the scoreboard clock at old Busch Stadium in St. Louis in 1961. Many longtime baseball observers who saw the shot described it as the longest they had ever witnessed. Post's teammate, Jay Hook, an engineering student, calculated the distance the ball would have traveled if its flight had not been interrupted by the clock, and concluded that the ball would have come to rest 569 feet from its point of departure.

Then there was the time in 1957 that Post, in batting practice, sent a ball through the new scoreboard at Crosley Field, just as the scoreboard's designer was touting its indestructibility to Reds General Manager Gabe Paul.

The Reds signed Post as a high-school pitcher. His prodigious hitting abilities quickly overshadowed his pitching talents, and Post was moved to the outfield. After several brief stints with the club over four seasons, Post arrived in Cincinnati to stay in 1954. He soon became a key component in one of the most powerful lineups the game had ever seen.

Post's 36 home runs were second only to Frank Robinson's 38 on the 1956 club that tied a then-record by hitting 221 home runs. Traded to Philadelphia following the 1957 season, Post returned to the Reds in 1960 and played a key role in the pennant-winning season of 1961.

Post retired from baseball in 1964, and he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame the next year. He was only 52 years old when he died of cancer in his native St. Henry in 1982.

Wally Post

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 190

Born: July 9, 1929, St. Wendelin, Ohio

Death: January 6, 1982, St. Henry, Ohio

High School: St. Henry High School (St. Henry, OH)

How Acquired: Signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 1946; Reacquired in 1960 in a trade with the Phillies

Debut: September 18, 1949 vs. Boston Braves

Final Game: May 9, 1964 vs. New York Yankees

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1965

In one of the better trades in club history, the Reds acquired Bob Purkey from the Pirates in exchange for left-handed swingman Don Gross December 9, 1957. Purkey had enjoyed only middling success pitching for his hometown Pirates, but blossomed into an All-Star for the Reds.

Relying on uncanny control of his knuckleball, Purkey was an All-Star in 1958, his first season with the Reds. His 17 victories led the club and ranked fourth in the NL. Three seasons later, Purkey teamed with Jim O'Toole and Joey Jay to form "The Big Three," the trio of starting pitchers who helped lead the Reds to the National League championship.

The 1961 Reds surprised everyone by winning the NL pennant -- a year after losing 87 games, and five years after their last contending team, the 1956 squad, had powered its way to contention on the strength of its record-tying home-run hitting. The 1961 Reds combined a balanced offense with one of the league's top pitching staffs to beat the Dodgers by four games for the NL flag. Purkey (16 wins), O'Toole (19) and Jay (21) combined for 56 of the club's 93 victories. In the World Series, Purkey limited the Yankees to two earned runs in nine innings, but the Reds dropped the game 3-2 and lost the Series in five games.

The 1962 season was the finest of Purkey's Major League career. He finished third in the NL with 23 wins against only five losses, and a .821 winning percentage that was the best in the league. It was the fourth time that Purkey led the Reds in wins, and his performance earned him his third All-Star selection (he pitched in both All-Star games played in 1961 and 1962, in addition to his 1958 All-Star berth).

Injuries cut short Purkey's 1963 season, and ultimately his career. After a solid season in 1964, Purkey was traded to the Cardinals. He pitched one season in St. Louis before returning to the Pirates for the final season of his big league career.

Bob Purkey was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1974. He died in 2008 at age 78.

Robert Thomas Purkey

Nickname: Bob

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 175

Born: July 14, 1929, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Death: March 16, 2008, Scott Township, Pennsylvania

High School: South Hills High School (Pittsburgh, PA)

How Acquired: Traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Cincinnati Redlegs for Don Gross on Dec. 9, 1957

Debut: April 14, 1954 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: July 26, 1966 vs. San Francisco Giants

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1974

At 6'3" tall, Cincinnati native "Long John" Reilly was one of the tallest players of his time -- and more significantly, one of the great stars of the Reds' clubs that were members of the major league American Association from 1882 to 1889.

Reilly began his professional career in 1880 by playing one season for the first Reds team to play in the National League. After that team folded, Reilly played in New York for two years before returning in 1883 to the new Reds team that had formed the year before to play in the Association.

Reilly blossomed in his first season back with the Association Reds. He hit a career-best .311 and was among the league leaders in every major statistical category. In a singularly impressive stretch in September, Reilly hit for the cycle twice in eight days. It was during this season that Reilly's play, coupled with his hometown roots, made him an overwhelming fan favorite; a status he would enjoy throughout his career.

Reilly was one of the most prolific home-run hitters in the Association era, leading the league twice and never ranking lower than sixth in any season from 1883 to 1888. He is one of only four players in Reds history to lead the league in home runs more than once. Reilly's appearance on league leaderboards in a host of offensive categories was commonplace as he became one of the best offensive players of the period. His status as the preeminent offensive player on the Reds was unquestioned; he led the team in batting average, home runs and RBI for the decade of the 1880s. He still ranks first in franchise history in games played by a first baseman.

Reilly retired from baseball in 1891. He died in his native Cincinnati May 31, 1937 at the age of 78.

John Good Reilly

Nickname: Long Jong

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 178

Born: October 5, 1858, Cincinnati, OH

How Acquired: Signed as a free agent prior to the 1883 season

Debut: May 18, 1880 vs.

Final Game: October 3, 1891 vs.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2012

José Rijo was born in the Dominican Republic in 1965, and he made his major league debut with the New York Yankees in 1984. He provided a glimpse of the dominant pitcher he was to become when he struck out 16 batters in a game while pitching for Oakland in 1986.

He came to the Reds via a trade with the A's prior to the 1988 season, and he made an immediate impact by winning 13 games and leading the team with a 2.39 ERA in 1988. With the help of Rijo's arm, the Reds won the 1990 NL Western Division, and he notched a win and a no-decision in two starts in the NLCS against the Pirates. Rijo held center stage in the 1990 World Series by throwing seven innings of shutout baseball to get the win in Game One, and allowing only two first-inning hits over 8⅓ innings en route to a Game Four win that completed the Reds' stunning sweep. In his two World Series games, Rijo posted a 0.59 ERA.

In 1993, Rijo threw a one-hitter against the Colorado Rockies, and he led the league with 227 strikeouts. In 1995, his career was career was interrupted by elbow problems, but he mounted an improbable comeback. After missing more than five full seasons because of injury, Rijo made a triumphant and inspiring return to the Reds in 2001. He pitched again for Cincinnati in 2002, including receiving the honor of starting the last game played at Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field September 22. The historic stadium's final season proved to be Rijo's last as well.

José Rijo was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame with fellow 1990 star Eric Davis in 2005.

José Antonio Abreu Rijo

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 200

Born: May 13, 1965, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic

How Acquired: Traded by the Oakland A's with Tim Birtsas to the Reds for Dave Parker on Dec. 8, 1987

Debut: April 5, 1984 vs. Kansas City Royals

Final Game: September 28, 2002 vs. Montreal Expos

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2005

Eppa Rixey was the best left-handed pitcher ever to pitch for the Cincinnati Reds, and is among the most beloved players in Reds history. During his 13-season Reds career, Rixey won a franchise-record 179 games, pitched 180 complete games, had 23 shutouts, and posted a 3.33 ERA.

Acquired by the Reds in a trade with the Phillies prior to the 1921season, Rixey delivered winning seasons his first eight years with the Reds. In 1922 he won a league-leading 25 games, and he won 20 games in 1923 and 21 in 1925. In the final days of 1923, as the Reds were fighting the New York Giants for first place, Rixey beat the Phillies 1-0 on September 19; with just one day of rest, pitched he a complete game for his 20^th win in an 11-inning victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1924 he was within four outs of a perfect game, but he tired and eventually lost the game in the ninth inning.

Rixey retired following the 1933 season. He remained in Cincinnati, where he ran a successful insurance business.

Rixey's overall career win total of 266 was the most ever for a left-handed pitcher until Warren Spahn won his 267th game in 1959.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1959, Rixey was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January of 1963. Sadly, he died of a sudden hear attack one month after learning of his election.

In 1969 as part of baseball's centennial celebration, the Reds asked members of the local media to select an all-time Reds team. It was no surprise when the choice for the left-handed pitcher on that club was Eppa Rixey.

Eppa Rixey

Nickname: Jephtha

Bats: Right

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 5"

Weight: 210

Born: May 3, 1891, Culpepper, Virginia, USA

Death: February 28, 1963, Terrace Park, Ohio

High School: Charlottesville High (Charlottesville, VA)

College: University of Virginia

How Acquired: Traded by the Phillies to the Reds for Greasy Neale and Jimmy Ring on November 20, 1920

Debut: June 21, 1912 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Final Game: August 5, 1933 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1963 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1959

The first member of the Reds to win the Rookie of the Year Award, Frank Robinson played for Cincinnati from 1956 to 1965. A six-time All-Star as a Red, Robinson was also a Gold Glove winner in 1958. He finished in the top-ten in league Most Valuable Player voting six times in his ten seasons as a Red, and he won the award in the Reds' pennant-winning season of 1961.

A terrific slugger, Robinson averaged 32 home runs a season during his Reds career, and hit a then-rookie-record-tying 38 in 1956. In what is widely considered the worst trade in franchise history, Robinson was dealt to the Orioles after the 1965 season. At the time of the trade, Robinson was the Reds' all-time leader in home runs and ranked second all-time in RBI.

Robinson was named an All-Star six more times after the trade, and won a second MVP Award for his Triple Crown season of 1966. In 1975, Robinson became the first African-American manager in Major League history when he was named the player/manager of the Cleveland Indians. He broke the National League's managerial color barrier in 1982 when he was hired to manage the San Francisco Giants.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1978 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, Robinson's uniform #20 was retired by the Reds in 1998. Frank Robinson's statue, the third installed on Crosley Terrace at Great American Ball Park, was dedicated September 26, 2003.

Frank Robinson

Nickname: The Judge

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 183

Born: August 31, 1935, Beaumont, TX

Death: February 7, 2019, Bel Air, CA

High School: McClymonds High (Oakland, CA.)

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1953

Debut: April 17, 1956 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: September 18, 1976 vs. Baltimore Orioles

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1982 (370/415 ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1978

Jersey Number Retired (20) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1998

The most prolific hitter in baseball history, Cincinnati native Pete Rose wore the uniform of his hometown Reds from 1963 to 1978 and again from 1984 to 1986. Rose's local roots, hustling style, and long list of achievements made him one of the most popular players in Reds history.

Rose ranks at the top of the Reds' all-time franchise list in games played (2722), plate appearances (12,344), runs scored (1741), hits (3358), singles (2490), doubles (601), total bases (4645) and bases on balls (1210). Only three players in Reds history have driven in more career runs than Rose's 1036; only three players hit more triples in their Reds careers than Rose's 115.

Rose's Reds career was marked by virtually every honor that can be bestowed on a Major League player. His 13 All-Star selections as a Red is the second-most in club history, and includes selections at an All-Star-record five different positions. In 1963 Rose was named the National League's Rookie of the Year, and he was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the National League in 1973. A three-time NL batting champion, Rose was also a two-time winner of Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence.

In 1975 and 1976, Rose captained the Big Red Machine to consecutive World Series titles and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1975 Fall Classic. In 1978, Rose authored a 44-game hitting streak, tied for the second-longest single-season streak in Major League history.

Rose played for the Phillies and Expos from 1979 until August 16, 1984 when he returned to the Reds in a trade. On September 11, 1985, Rose singled in the bottom of the first inning of the Reds' game against the Padres for the 4192^nd hit of his Major League career -- which broke the career hit record held by Ty Cobb. Rose finished his career with 4,256 hits.

Rose was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2016 and his iconic #14 was retired the same year.

Pete Edward Rose

Nickname: Charlie Hustle

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 192

Born: April 14, 1941

Died: September 30, 2024

How Acquired: Signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent on July 8, 1960

Debut: April 8, 1963 vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: August 17, 1986 vs San Diego Padres

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2016

Born and raised in Oakland City, Indiana, Edd Roush was acclaimed as the greatest player to wear a Reds uniform in the club's first century of existence. Roush was acquired by the Reds in July 1916 in a trade that also brought fellow future National Baseball Hall of Fame members Christy Mathewson and Bill McKechnie to the Reds. Roush emerged as the key player in the trade, as he quickly established himself as one of the game's premier hitters and most talented center fielders.

 In his first full season with the Reds, Roush led the National League in hitting, and he fell only two points shy of winning a second consecutive title in 1918. During the Reds' World Championship season of 1919, Roush won the second batting title of his career and finished in the league's top five in numerous other offensive categories.

Roush anchored center field for the Reds through the 1926 season before he was traded to the Giants, for whom he played from 1927 to 1929. He returned to the Reds for a final season in 1931 before retiring. At the time his playing career came to an end, Roush ranked second in franchise history in hits and at-bats, and his .331 average as a Red is still the second-highest in franchise history.

Roush was voted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1960. Two years later, hebecame the first player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Cincinnati Red. As part of baseball's centennial celebration in 1969, an all-century Reds team was selected that named Roush as the starting center fielder and the club's greatest player.

Edd Roush was the last living player from the 1919 World Series at the time of his death in 1988 at the age of 94.

Edd J. Roush

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 170

Born: May 8, 1893, Oakland City, Indiana, USA

Death: March 21, 1988, Bradenton, Florida

High School: Oakland City High (Oakland City, IN)

How Acquired: Traded by New York Giants with Christy Mathewson and Bill McKechnie to Reds on July 20, 1916

Debut: August 20, 1913 vs. Boston Red Sox

Final Game: September 27, 1931 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1962 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1960

One of the most accomplished third basemen in club history, Chris Sabo and his trademark goggles burst onto the Cincinnati baseball scene in 1988. An All-Star in his first season, Sabo led the Reds in doubles and stolen bases en route to becoming one of only seven players in Reds history to win the Rookie of the Year Award.

Sabo anchored third base for the Reds for the next five seasons, including All-Star campaigns in 1990 and 1991. During the Reds' 1990 World Championship season, Sabo led the club in home runs, doubles and runs scored. In the National League Championship Series against Pittsburgh, his two-run home run in Game 4 proved to be the game-winner. In the World Series, his .563 batting average was the second-highest on the club, and included a two-home-run, three-RBI performance in the Reds' 8-3 victory in Game 3.

A fine defensive third baseman, Sabo twice led NL third basemen in fielding percentage, and finished second in the league once. For his career, Sabo ranks in the club's top 25 in home runs and doubles, and in the club's top 50 in games played, at-bats, hits, RBI, runs scored, stolen bases, walks, slugging percentage and total bases.

Along with Bill Werber (Class of 1961) and Heinie Groh (Class of 1963) Sabo is one of only three third basemen inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Christopher Andrew Sabo

Nickname: Spuds

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 185

Born: January 19, 1962, Detroit, Michigan, USA

High School: Catholic Central (Detroit, MI)

College: University of Michigan

How Acquired: Drafted by the Reds in the second round in 1983; Signed as free agent with the Reds on Dec. 7, 1985

Debut: April 4, 1988 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: September 2, 1996 vs. Atlanta Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2010

On June 15,1977, hours before the trade deadline, the Reds sent pitcher Pat Zachry, infielder Doug Flynn and minor league outfielders Dan Norman and Steve Henderson to the New York Mets for Tom Seaver -- arguably the game's best pitcher. Although the Reds did not return to the World Series during Seaver's tenure, Reds fans witnessed innumerable examples of his pitching excellence.

In 1977, Seaver compiled a 14-3 record in his 20 starts for the Reds after the trade. Included in that record were 14 complete games -- four of them shutouts. In 1978, Seaver made history with a 4-0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals that was the first no-hitter of Seaver's career and the first no-hitter pitched by a Red at Riverfront Stadium. In 1979, Seaver reeled off 11 consecutive victories and finished with wins in 14 of his last 15 decisions, helping the Reds to their first division title since 1976, but lost to the Pirates in the NLCS.

After a subpar year in 1980, Seaver was again outstanding in 1981. In that strike-shortened season he joined the 3,000- strikeout club on April 18, and he finished second in voting for the NL Cy Young Award after leading the NL in wins and winning percentage (an .875 mark that was the highest of his career). It was an altogether remarkable season.

Seaver was dealt back to the Mets following the Reds' disastrous 101-loss season in 1982. He enjoyed productive seasons with the Mets, White Sox and Red Sox before retiring after the 1986 season. Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, Seaver was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.

George Thomas Seaver

Nickname: Tom Terrific

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 195

Born: November 17, 1944, Fresno, California

Death: August 31, 2020, Calistoga, California

High School: Fresno High School (Fresno, CA)

College: University of Southern California

How Acquired: Traded by Mets to Reds for Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman, Pat Zachry on June 15, 1977

Debut: April 13, 1967 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: September 19, 1986 vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1992 (425/430 ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2006

The all-time Reds record-holder for single-season and career batting average, outfielder Cy Seymour's 1905 season stands as one of the most remarkable years by a Reds player.

A promising pitcher for the New York Giants from 1896 to 1899, an arm injury ended his pitching career in 1900. Always a solid hitter, Seymour shifted from the mound to the outfield, and established himself as a productive player there by the time he signed with the Reds in the middle of the 1902 season.

Seymour immediately blossomed with his new club, batting .340 while serving as the Reds' starting centerfielder. This batting mark, coupled with the .268 he hit with the Orioles, left Seymour with a .302 average for the season -- the fourth consecutive year he bested the .300 mark. He was fifth in the league in hitting in 1903 at .342, and fifth again in 1904 when he hit .313. The flirtations with the upper echelon of league batting averages were but a precursor to Seymour's 1905 season.

In addition to leading the league in batting average at .377 (14 points higher than Honus Wagner's second-place mark), he also led the league in hits, doubles, triples, RBI and slugging percentage. He fell one home run short of the league's triple crown when teammate Fred Odwell hit an inside-the-park home run on the second-to-last day of the season.

When Seymour began the 1906 season by hitting a disappointing .257 in his first 79 games, the struggling Reds sold him to the Giants. He hit well for the Giants during the next four seasons before he retired after spending his final season with Brooklyn in 1913.

While working at a shipyard during World War I, he contracted tuberculosis and died from the disease September 20, 1919 in New York.

James Bentley Seymour

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 200

Born: December 9, 1872, Albany, New York, USA

Death: September 20, 1919, New York, New York

How Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Reds on July 17, 1902

Debut: April 22, 1896 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: July 17, 1913 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1998

Mario Soto was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in December 1973 and made his major-league debut July 21, 1977. Within a few years, he became one of the best pitchers of his era. With his fastball and tremendous changeup, he struck out at 1,063 batters from 1980 to 1985 -- more than any other pitcher in baseball.

During the peak years of his career, Soto had the misfortune of being an outstanding pitcher on weak clubs. The Reds averaged only 68 wins a year from 1982 to 1984 -- seasons during which Soto was annually among the league's leaders in ERA and strikeouts.

His 274 strikeouts in 1982 set a single-season Reds record, and occurred in the first of three consecutive years in which Soto was a National League All-Star. Soto's sterling pitching also resulted in three consecutive top-10 finishes in Cy Young Award voting, including a second-place finish in 1983.

During his 18-victory season in 1984, Soto came within one strike of pitching a no-hitter against the Cardinals on May 12 before surrendering a George Hendrick home run. Five days later, Soto tied a Reds record when he struck out four batters in an inning in a game against the Cubs.

Soto's career was cut short by injuries that forced him out of baseball after the 1988 season when he was only 31 years old. His career strikeout total of 1,449 ranks second in Reds history.

Mario Soto was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2001.

Mario Melvin Soto

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 174

Born: July 12, 1956, Bani, Peravia, Dominican Republic

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent on December 3, 1973

Debut: July 21, 1977 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: June 16, 1988 vs. Houston Astros

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2001.

Five years after he signed with the Reds in 1949, Johnny Temple made quite a splash as the starting second baseman for Cincinnati, playing sterling defense at second base and authoring the first of his three .300-plus batting seasons in a Reds uniform.

Temple teamed with shortstop Roy McMillan to form one of the best double-play combinations of the 1950s. A durable player, Temple never failed to appear in fewer than 141 games during his six seasons as the Reds' starting second baseman. Possessed of a keen batting eye, Temple walked more than twice as many times as he struck out during his Reds career (471-225) and was regularly among the league's leaders in on-base-percentage, compiling a Reds career mark of .372.

He used his speed as a weapon, which was something of an anomaly on a club whose offensive focus was the long ball. Temple led the Reds in stolen bases for five consecutive seasons from 1954 to 1958, finishing in the top ten in the National League in each of those seasons.

A three-time All-Star, Temple was arguably the best second baseman in the league, and this status, coupled with his enormous popularity with Reds fans, made the news of his trade to the Cleveland Indians after the 1959 season all the more shocking. The Reds did receive future Reds Hall of Famer Gordy Coleman in the deal, but the two primary players coming over from Cleveland -- second baseman Billy Martin and pitcher Cal McLish -- had brief, undistinguished stays in Cincinnati while Temple continued his fine play with the Indians, including a fourth career All-Star selection in 1961.

Temple returned to the Reds for a brief stay as a coach in 1964, and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame the next year. He died of cancer in 1994 at the age of 66.

John Ellis Temple

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 175

Born: August 8, 1927, Lexington, North Carolina, USA

Death: January 9, 1994, White Rock, South Carolina

College: Catawba College

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1949

Debut: April 15, 1952 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: July 14, 1964 vs. New York Mets

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1965

Left-hander Johnny Vander Meer took a rather circuitous route to immortality. The only pitcher in Major League history to throw back-to-back no hitters had been given up on by both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves as a farmhand before being purchased by the Reds in December, 1935. Vander Meer excelled in the Reds' farm system, and after a solid rookie season in 1937, became one of the best pitchers in baseball in 1938.

Under the guiding hand of new manager Bill McKechnie, who worked with Vander Meer to shorten his windup, Vander Meer won 15 games and was among the league leaders in almost every significant pitching category. And his was the only name on the leader board in the category of consecutive no-hitters thrown.

The first one came in an afternoon game against Boston at Crosley Field on June 11. Vander Meer struck out three and walked four in front of a sparse crowd for the first no-hitter thrown by a Reds pitcher since 1919.

There was considerable public attention surrounding Vander Meer's next scheduled start June 15, but it had nothing to do with Vander Meer. The Reds were in Brooklyn to face the Dodgers in the first night game at Ebbets Field -- the first Major League night game held outside of Cincinnati. Vander Meer wound up stealing the show when he held the Dodgers hitless.

The story of Vander Meer's remarkable achievement was a national sensation. His streak of hitless innings finally came to an end with one out in the fourth inning of his next start, but he did come away with the victory. Said the victorious southpaw after the game: "I'm glad that's over. I only wish the first man up could have hit and ended the strain."

Vander Meer's career extended to the 1951 season, and was marked by periods of sustained excellence and unpredictability. He never fully overcame his propensity for wildness, and his career suffered as a result. The back-to-back no-hitters are a powerful reminder of how dominant he could be.

Johnny Vander Meer was one of five players that comprised the inaugural Reds Hall of Fame induction class in 1958. He died October 6, 1997 at the age of 82.

Johnny Vander Meer

Nickname: Double No Hit and The Dutch Master

Bats: Both

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 190

Born: November 2, 1914, Prospect Park, New Jersey

Death: October 6, 1997, Tampa, Florida

High School: Midland Park High School (Midland Park, N.J.)

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Boston Braves on December 12, 1935

Debut: April 22, 1937 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: May 7, 1951 vs. Washington Senators

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1958

A converted shortstop, Bucky Walters came to Cincinnati in June 1938 in a trade from the Phillies. Walters had an instant impact and became a key member of the club's starting rotation. Already a solid pitcher with the Phillies, he thrived in Cincinnati. From 1939 to 1946, Walters was selected to five All-Star teams and led the majors in wins (141), innings pitched (2,030) and complete games (178).

In 1939, Walters fashioned the best season of his career and one of the finest seasons ever by a Reds pitcher. He won the pitching Triple Crown -- leading the National League in wins, strikeouts and ERA -- and also paced the NL in complete games and innings pitched. He teamed with Paul Derringer to form the best starting pitching tandem in baseball; the duo claimed 52 of the Reds' 97 victories as the club won its first pennant since 1919. Walters earned league MVP honors and remains the only Reds pitcher to win the award.

Walters had another stellar season in 1940, when he again led the league in wins (22), ERA (2.48), complete games (29), innings pitched (305.0) and finished third in MVP voting. He helped the Reds win another league championship, and he starred in the club's seven-game World Series victory over the Tigers, winning both of his starts and limiting the Tigers to eight hits and three earned runs in 18 innings.

Although the Reds did not win another championship during Walters' career, he remained one of the league's top pitchers in the early 1940s before age began to impact his effectiveness. He pitched his last game for the Reds in 1948, and he remains among the franchise's all-time leaders in wins and innings pitched. No Reds pitcher tops his 32 career shutouts.

Bucky Walters was a member of the Reds Hall of Fame's inaugural induction class in 1958. He died April 20, 1991 at the age of 82.

William Henry Walters

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 180

Born: April 19, 1909, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Death: April 20, 1991, Abington, Pennsylvania

High School: Germantown High (Germantown, PA)

How Acquired: Traded by the Phillies to the Reds for Spud Davis, Al Hollingsworth and $50,000 on June 13, 1938

Debut: September 18, 1931 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: July 23, 1950 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1958

In 1938, the year before Bill Werber's arrival in Cincinnati, then-Reds coach Edd Roush determined that the only piece needed to make the Reds a championship ball club was a dependable third baseman. Reds management heeded Roush's advice and purchased Weber's contract from the Philadelphia Athletics in March 1939. Werber was immediately installed as the club's starting third baseman and leadoff hitter, and he lead the Reds to back-to-back pennants and the 1940 World Championship.

In 1939, Werber hit .289 with a .388 OBP and a league-best 115 runs scored. On August 26, he became the first Major League player to bat in a televised game when he lead off for the Reds against the Dodgers in Brooklyn -- a game that was broadcast by station W2XBS, the forerunner of NBC.

The Reds fell to the Yankees in the 1939 World Series, but defended their National League pennant with authority in 1940, posting a then-franchise record with 100 wins and besting their closest competition, the Dodgers, by 12 games. In the 1940 World Series, Werber led all batters with a .370 average as the Reds beat the Tigers in seven games. About that 1940 title, Werber said, "The greatest thrill I had out of baseball was winning the World Series for Cincinnati. The people of Cincinnati so supported that ballclub that you just wanted to do something for them."

Werber played a third season with the Reds in 1941 and retired from the game after a season with the New York Giants in 1942. He passed away January 22, 2009 at the age of 100. Werber had been the oldest living former Major League player.

Billy Werber

Nickname: The Tiger

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 170

Born: June 20, 1908, Berwyn, Maryland

Death: January 22, 2009, Charlotte, North Carolina

High School: McKinley High School (Berwyn, Md.)

College: Duke University

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Philadelphia Athletics on March 16, 1939

Debut: June 25, 1930 vs. St. Louis Browns

Final Game: September 5, 1942 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1961

Bespectacled pitcher Will White was one of the finest hurlers of the 19^th century. He was the Reds' primary pitcher in an era when pitchers threw underhand and teams played far fewer games.

White began his Cincinnati pitching career playing for the second incarnation of the Reds, which played in the National League from 1876 to 1880. He was the main pitcher for the franchise from 1878 to 1880, and he racked up 91 wins. In 1879, White led the league in games, games started, complete games and innings pitched. However, following the 1880 season, the National League dropped the franchise from its circuit because of management's failure to abide by a new league rule that prohibited alcohol sales at league ballparks. With no other league to join, the club was disbanded.

Professional baseball returned to Cincinnati in 1882 when a new major league called the American Association was formed. Cincinnati was home to one of the league's charter members, and the new team adopted the nickname of its National League predecessor.

White returned to Cincinnati to play for this new team and was the main hurler for the Reds during the club's first three seasons. He helped bring Cincinnati its first league pennant when he won 40 games and led the league in complete games and innings pitched for the 1882 American Association champions. White continued his dominance the following year, leading the Association in wins and ERA.

While White was hitting the apex of his career, changing times in the majors put a fast end to it. In 1884 the American Association allowed sidearm pitching, and by 1885, overhanded pitching was made legal. White still won 34 games in 1884 as player/manager, but he had trouble adjusting to the rule changes, and by 1886 he was out of the game.

Over the course of five years with the Reds, he tallied 136 wins, which ranks sixth in Reds franchise history. White was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2004.

William Henry White

Nickname: Whoop-La

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 175

Born: October 11, 1854, Caton, New York

Death: August 31, 1911, Port Carling, Ontario, Canada

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent in 1878

Debut: July 20, 1877 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Final Game: July 5, 1886 vs. Philadelphia Athletics

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2004

Simply put, George Wright was the best baseball player of his time. The younger brother of famed Cincinnati Red Stockings captain Harry Wright, George became a star player with the Washington and New York clubs and was an immediate target for Harry when the Cincinnati club decided to hire all of its players in 1869.

With George in the fold, the Red Stockings had secured the services of baseball's best player on what was soon to be baseball's best team. The Red Stockings of 1869 were a sensation, conquering each opponent who challenged them en route to a 57-0 season. As their wins mounted, so too did the club's popularity -- and no player on the club was the focus of more adulation than George Wright.

Possessed of dashing good looks, the 22-year old George was particularly popular with female fans, who were known to scandalously lift their skirts to reveal their red-stockinged ankles in George's presence. The acclaim for George was, of course, well deserved. On a club filled with superlative talents, George was exceptional. He led the Red Stockings in every offensive category -- in most cases by a wide margin over the player behind him. He hit an astonishing .633 (129 points better than the second highest batting average, posted by Doug Allison), had 304 hits (Fred Waterman was second with 226), hit 49 home runs (Charles Sweasy's 30 were the second-most on the club) scored 339 runs (Waterman finished at 293) and his 614 total bases bested Sweasy's runner-up total by 192. In addition to his awesome offensive production, Wright's play at short established the standard for modern play at the position.

George enjoyed another outstanding season with the Red Stockings in 1870 before he moved on to Boston when financial pressures forced the Cincinnati club to cease operations as a professional club. With George maintaining his exemplary play, the Boston Red Stockings dominated the nascent National Association, winning pennants in four of the Association's first five years. The club's success continued in the new National League, which began play in 1876 and counted the Boston club as its champion in two of its first three years of operation. Appropriately, George was the first player to bat in the National League's first game.

George Wright was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937 as part of the Hall's second induction class. In a special election in 2005, George and his brother Harry were honored with induction into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. George is the only player for whom the Reds Hall of Fame's requirement that a player play three years in a Reds uniform has been waived.

George Wright

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 150

Born: January 28, 1847, New York, New York

Death: August 21, 1937, Boston, Massachusetts

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent from the Unions of Morrisania, NY, in 1869

Debut: May 5, 1867 vs. Unknown

Final Game: October 2, 1882 vs. Boston Red Caps

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Centennial Committee in 1937 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2005

The man who was christened "The Father of Professional Baseball" was born in England in 1835, the son of an accomplished cricket player. It was through this game that young Harry Wright first immersed himself in athletics. The Wright family immigrated to New York in 1838, and Harry displayed an early propensity for cricket throughout his teenage and young adult years; but soon he shifted his attention to the evolving game of base ball, which was taking strong hold in the New York area by the latter half of the 1850s.

Lured to Cincinnati by an offer to lead a cricket club in 1865, Wright was moved to the captaincy of the newly-formed Cincinnati Base Ball Club the next year. By 1868, Wright's Red Stockings had evolved into a strong club that included four paid players, himself included. Emboldened by the success of a team comprised of amateur and paid players, the club's officers decided to seek out and hire the best players it could for the 1869 campaign.

The result was baseball's first all-professional team -- a unit that went undefeated in 1869, and in doing so established the viability of the professional model throughout the sport. As the captain of the club and its starting center fielder, Wright was critical to the club's success. He convinced his brother George, a shortstop who was widely considered the best player of his era, to come to Cincinnati, and he made astute judgments in signing the balance of the players that comprised the Red Stockings' roster. He pioneered the concept of contracts, agreeing to pay players provided that they adhered to stipulations of comportment off the field. The contracts also required the players to agree to a regular practice regimen. And his advances in the defensive positioning of his players and the introduction of the cut-off throw were innovations that soon spread throughout the game and carry on to the present day. Wright also played a key role in the design of the Red Stockings' knicker-style uniform, a style that was new to the time but quickly became the game's default uniform design.

The Red Stockings' 1869 season was a turning point in baseball history, setting the game on the path to becoming the National Pastime. Harry Wright was essential to the success of that season, and deservedly carries the moniker of "Father of Professional Baseball" to this day.

William Henry Wright

Nickname: The Father of Professional Baseball

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 159

Born: January 10, 1835, Sheffield, England

Death: October 3, 1895, Atlantic City, New Jersey

How Acquired: Hired as team captain, 1866

Debut: September 29, 1866 vs. Unknown

Final Game: September 29, 1877 vs. Hartford Dark Blues

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1953 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2005