- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,197
- 371
- 83
- 74
Max Scherzer strikes out 15 in just 6.1 innings of work,
that's nasty .........:0074
the hated Yankees...........[+8.8 units on the year}
since back to back loses on 4/8 and 4/10
19 wins -4 loses
The Twins picked up 3 games on the Indians in a hurry.
The Red Sox and Yankees left O's at the Crab House.
The Big Red Machine...such a long time ago
By John Erardi & Greg Rhodes
"Big Red Dynasty" ? 1997, Road-West Publishing
In the 95 summers since the modern era of baseball began in 1901, 1,358 National and American League teams have marched to the playing fields to compete for recognition as the best in baseball.
Some played on green grass in the shadow of wooden stands, some on plastic turf dwarfed by steel and concrete. Many came in flannels, some in double knits, others in pinstripes. Some brought small mitts and heavy lumber; others, large gloves and skinny-handled bats.
All carried hopes of greatness. But, as the seasons faded, only a handful of those 1,358 teams have earned history's verdict as truly great.
Among those is the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.
They were the first National League team to win back-to-back World Championships since the 1922 New York Giants. In this year's World Series, the Atlanta Braves are attempting to reprise the achievement.
But what made the Reds great -- beyond what the Giants did or the Braves are trying to do -- is the starting eight position players.
The Reds' "Great Eight" were the best ever, as judged by history, the numbers and the accolades.
"Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Dave Concepcion, George Foster, Ken Griffey, Cesar Geronimo," recites former Reds manager Sparky Anderson.
"I was 35 years old when I went into Cincinnati in 1970. When I came out nine years later, the guys had made me a star. Over those nine years, they averaged 96.4 wins. I tell people, 'Just think what I could have done if I had some players!' " In the seven seasons from 1970-76, the Reds won five division titles, four league pennants, and the consecutive World Series. They averaged 98 wins for a winning percentage of .607.
In the peak years of the dynasty, from 1972-1976, the Reds' winning percentage averaged .626 -- or 100 wins a season.
But the Great Eight were together as starters only on the consecutive World Champions of 1975-76. Those Reds' teams played a total of 351 games and won 224 of them, including postseason games. That's a .638 winning percentage.
The Great Eight played only 88 games together as a starting lineup in 1975-76. They went 69-19 -- a .784 winning percentage.
"We didn't think we could get beat," says Joe Morgan, "because we almost never did get beat." Just as quickly, it was over.
Tony Perez got traded.
But those 88 games were enough to stamp the "Great Eights' " signature on baseball forever.
that's nasty .........:0074
the hated Yankees...........[+8.8 units on the year}
since back to back loses on 4/8 and 4/10
19 wins -4 loses
The Twins picked up 3 games on the Indians in a hurry.
The Red Sox and Yankees left O's at the Crab House.
The Big Red Machine...such a long time ago
By John Erardi & Greg Rhodes
"Big Red Dynasty" ? 1997, Road-West Publishing
In the 95 summers since the modern era of baseball began in 1901, 1,358 National and American League teams have marched to the playing fields to compete for recognition as the best in baseball.
Some played on green grass in the shadow of wooden stands, some on plastic turf dwarfed by steel and concrete. Many came in flannels, some in double knits, others in pinstripes. Some brought small mitts and heavy lumber; others, large gloves and skinny-handled bats.
All carried hopes of greatness. But, as the seasons faded, only a handful of those 1,358 teams have earned history's verdict as truly great.
Among those is the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.
They were the first National League team to win back-to-back World Championships since the 1922 New York Giants. In this year's World Series, the Atlanta Braves are attempting to reprise the achievement.
But what made the Reds great -- beyond what the Giants did or the Braves are trying to do -- is the starting eight position players.
The Reds' "Great Eight" were the best ever, as judged by history, the numbers and the accolades.
"Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Dave Concepcion, George Foster, Ken Griffey, Cesar Geronimo," recites former Reds manager Sparky Anderson.
"I was 35 years old when I went into Cincinnati in 1970. When I came out nine years later, the guys had made me a star. Over those nine years, they averaged 96.4 wins. I tell people, 'Just think what I could have done if I had some players!' " In the seven seasons from 1970-76, the Reds won five division titles, four league pennants, and the consecutive World Series. They averaged 98 wins for a winning percentage of .607.
In the peak years of the dynasty, from 1972-1976, the Reds' winning percentage averaged .626 -- or 100 wins a season.
But the Great Eight were together as starters only on the consecutive World Champions of 1975-76. Those Reds' teams played a total of 351 games and won 224 of them, including postseason games. That's a .638 winning percentage.
The Great Eight played only 88 games together as a starting lineup in 1975-76. They went 69-19 -- a .784 winning percentage.
"We didn't think we could get beat," says Joe Morgan, "because we almost never did get beat." Just as quickly, it was over.
Tony Perez got traded.
But those 88 games were enough to stamp the "Great Eights' " signature on baseball forever.
