HARRY WRIGHT

The Father of Professional Baseball". Wright assembled the first professional baseball team in history. The club was known as the Cincinnati Red Stockings. He played and managed his club to a 57-0 record in 1869 and 67-6-1 record in 1870. Wright went on to manage the Boston Red Stockings from 1871 to 1881. His Boston clubs dominated the National Association and National League. His clubs won six league pennants.

  © Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

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GEORGE WRIGHT

George Wright was the star shortstop for the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. Wright hit 49 home runs in the 57 games played in 1869. George Wright played for his brother Harry Wright's Boston Red Stockings teams. Where he contributed immensely to six league championship teams. George went on to win a seventh pennant as a player/manager of the Providence Grays.

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

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BID McPHEE

Bid McPhee, who stubbornly played the infield without a glove for 14 major league seasons before reluctantly adopting the leather, is generally considered to be the greatest second baseman of the 19th century. After four seasons in the minors, McPhee signed with the Cincinnati Reds of the American Association, a new major league. The 22-year-old rookie (nicknamed "Biddy" and later "Bid" for his diminutive size) immediately won the second base job as the Reds coasted to the pennant. It was the only pennant winner for which McPhee would ever play.

© Photo courtesy of the Library Of Congress

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JAKE BECKLEY

Jake Beckley was a tremendous player, known for his defensive prowess. No other player has as many career putouts or chances at first base. Beckley trails only Eddie Murray in games played at the initial sack. Beckley was also a great offensive player. In his 22 year career, he batted over .300 13 times. Beckley collected 2,930 hits for a lifetime batting average of .308 .

© Photo courtesy of Chicago Daily News

EDD ROUSH

Edd Roush was the N.L.'s premier center fielder of his day and one of its most feared hitters. Using a 48 oz. bat, he led N.L. hitters in 1917 and '19 and averaged nearly .340 for a ten-year span. His lifetime batting average was .325. Ruggedly independent, Roush was a regular holdout with the Reds for more money, a device he used to avoid spring training; and in 1930 he sat out the entire season because of a salary dispute with the Giants. Roush was the last player alive that played in the Federal League. The third major league lasted only two seasons (1914 & 1915).

© Photo courtesy of Chicago Daily News

EPPA RIXEY

Before the arrival of Braves great Warren Spahn. Eppa Rixey was the National Leagues winningest left-hander sespite playing for mediocre teams. Rixeys only pennant winning team was the 1915 Philadelphia Phillies. He collected 266 wins in his 21 year career and is one of the handful of players that never spunt a day in the minor leagues. He led the league with 25 wins in 1922 and was still active 11 years later at the age of 42.

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

BILL McKECHNIE

Bill McKechnie combined extensive baseball knowledge with uncommon patience and a likeable personality to become a highly successful manager and the only N.L. skipper to win pennants with three different clubs - Pittsburgh (1925), St. Louis (1928), and Cincinnati (1939-40). His 1925 and '40 clubs were World Champions and he was named manager of the year on two occasions. Mcechnie spent 39 years in the majors as a player, manager & coach.

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

ERNIE LOMBARDI

He couldn't run, but he sure could hit! Ernie Lombardi's slowness afoot was legendary; but nevertheless the Reds' catcher hit .306 over 17 seasons (ten times batting over .300), winning batting titles in 1938 and '42 and earning the N.L. MVP award in 1938. He held his hands low, with an interlocking golf grip and a quick stroke. A good handler of pitchers, he had an outstanding throwing arm from a crouch position, rifling the ball with a sidearm release. 

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

FRANK ROBINSON

In Baseball circles, Frank Robinson was known as a "Gamer". Rookie of the Year in 1956 and the only man ever to be named MVP in both leagues with Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966. He is fifth on the all-time home run list with 586, trailing Aaron, Ruth, Bonds and Mays. In addition, he boasts a .294 batting average over 21 campaigns. He developed into an aggressive and intelligent leader, and went on to be the first black manager in the majors.

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

JOHNNY BENCH

Cincinnati's Number 5 is the bench-mark against which other catchers are compared. Rookie of the Year in 1968, Johnny Bench controlled the game on both sides of the plate with his batting (.267 with 389 home runs — a then-record 327 as a catcher), throwing out opposing base runners, calling pitches and blocking homeplate. He won two MVP awards and 10 Gold Gloves during his 17 seasons as the sparkplug of the Big Red Machine.

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

JOE MORGAN

Joe Morgan was an impact player who lifted the Big Red Machine to another level, enhancing his teammates' performances with his own multi-faceted skills. His trademark was a flapping left arm as he awaited the pitch and he packed unusual power into an extraordinarily quick 150 lb. fireplug frame. His 266 homeruns and 2527 games played as a second baseman are both records for his position, as are his back-to-back MVP awards in 1975-76.

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

TONY PEREZ

Seven-time All-Star Tony Pérez was the offensive anchor of one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history, and had more RBIs than any other Latin American player. Pérez, who played 16 of his 23 seasons for the Reds' "Big Red Machine," performed in five World Series and guided Cincinnati to World Championships in 1975 and 1976.

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds

SPARKY ANDERSON

After managing five years in the minor leagues, he was named manager of the Cincinnati Reds prior to the 1970 season. With Anderson at the helm for nine seasons, the Reds won 863 games, four pennants, and won more than 90 games seven times. Spurred by a lineup that included Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, and Johnny Bench, the Big Red Machine averaged more than 100 wins per season from 1972 through 1976. Anderson guided the team to World Series victories in 1975, a dramatic, hard-fought win over the Red Sox; and 1976, a dominating sweep of the Yankees.

© Photo courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame

SI BURICK

Over his lengthy career, Burick witnessed the exploits of Reds Hall of Famers from Eppa Rixey and Ernie Lombardi to Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan. Burick was the first sportswriter from a non-major league city to be honored with J.G. Taylor Spink Award, but his reputation traveled well beyond the confines of a small market. A perfectionist known for his keen wit and fascinating tories, Burick covered the Reds with a message for all, stressing common sense, moderation and fundamental decency.

© Photo courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame

EARL LAWSON

Lawson began his newspaper career at the age of 17 as a copy-boy for the old Cincinnati Times-Star. Two years later he was promoted to city-side reporter. Military service interrupted his journalistic aspirations, but he returned to the Times-Star in 1946, this time in the sports department. Lawson first covered the Reds on a part-time basis in 1949 and in '51 he was assigned to the Reds full-time, covering his first of 34 Spring Training camps. The Times-Star folded in 1958, and he switched to the Cincinnati Post, continuing his coverage of the Reds until his retirement in February of 1985. He was an official scorer during much of his press box career.

© Photo courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame

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HAL McCOY

McCoy has covered the Cincinnati Reds for 32 years, the longest tenure of any current beat writer on one team. He has averaged 155 games covered per year over three decades, in addition to six weeks of spring training and full post-season coverage. McCoy has covered more than 5,560 games, 900 spring training games and 500 post-season games, missing only one assigned game due to illness. He also writes a daily notebook, a column three times a week, a Sunday notebook year round and a weekly "Ask Hal" column that answers reader questions.

McCoy was in the forefront of the Pete Rose investigation, breaking many stories during the 1989 season while also covering the Reds on a daily basis. 

© Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer

RED BARBER

Red Barber (along with Mel Allen) was the first recipients of the Ford C. Frick Award in 1978. He began his major league announcing career in Cincinnati in 1934. Where he served as announcer until after the 1938 season. Barber then moved on to Brooklyn where he stayed for another 15 years.

Barber was highly respected and admired by his peers as an outstanding professional in his field. A writer, lecturer and lay preacher, he remains a legend in the elite world of baseball broadcasters.

© Photo courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame

MARTY BRENNEMAN

Throughout his long-time broadcasting tenure with the Reds, Brennaman has teamed with one partner: former pitcher Joe Nuxhall. With his expressive style and enthusiasm, Brennaman forged his trademark less than two weeks into his first season. Following a remarkable Cincinnati rally to win a game, he bellowed, "This one belongs to the Reds!" Throughout his career, he has called numerous World Series on radio for NBC, none more memorable than the 1975 Series between the Reds and Red Sox. He has been named sportscaster of the year 12 times in Ohio and four times in Virginia. Brennaman's son, Thom, a former announcer with the Reds and Cubs, is currently the television voice of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

© Photo courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame

WARREN GILES

Giles was hired as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds on September 18th 1936. A position that he would have until 1951. His tenure as Reds GM brought two National League pennants (1939 & 40) and one World Series (1940) for Cincinnati. He would leave the Reds and become chief of the National League where he presided over many historic events. Including the shifting of the Braves to Milwaukee, the Dodger's to Los Angeles & the Giants to San Francisco. He also resided over expansion in the early sixties.

© Photo courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame

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