Hug-of-War of Ohio

by Brendanukkah on May 16, 2008 10:08 AM EDT Comment 18 comments

[Note by Rick House, 05/16/08 1:38 PM EDT ] Got a note from Let's Go Tribe that they would like for us to visit the original FanPost by SuddenSam rather than indulge in a wholesale copy-and-paste. They realize no harm was intended, but I am obliging them with edits and a link. -Rick

As the Reds get set to welcome the team from up by the lake, it's a good time to reflect on the shared history the two teams have. One of the guys at Let's Go Tribe put together this list of All-Time Players who played for both the Reds and the Indians. Check it out.

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As much as I despise inter-league play, here it comes. I know I am not the only recovering Reds fan here, so I self-indulgently put together an all-time team of players who plied their trades at both ends of the Buckeye State.

Please feel free to criticize or remind me of obvious choices I left out. This mostly comes from memory and unsystematic searching.

They included one guy from each position, including:

3B - Buddy Bell
The easiest choice of all. Played many more seasons in Cleveland, but was still productive in his later years in Cincinnati. And he practically grew up in the Reds clubhouse. Best I can come up with as a backup here is Jeff Branson. That's a long way down from Buddy Bell, one of the most under-appreciated players in history.

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It's an interesting list, perhaps moreso to some of the fans that have been around for a long time. I'm unfamiliar with a lot of these players, myself. This guy wanted to make a list of players that were good for both teams, so a lot of my favorite players who played for both teams (Sean Casey, Brandon Phillips, Danny Graves, Aaron Boone) aren't on the list because they weren't very good for the Indians. Strangely though, Greg Swindell was my favorite pitcher the season he played for the Reds.

What do you think of this list? Any glaring omissions? One of the commenters at LGT noted that Dave Burba should have made the list. He was never spectacular, but he was a solid pitcher for both teams, and an Ohio boy to boot.

In semi-related news, the Indians also recalled Jeremy Sowers, just in time to face the team that drafted him in the first round in 2001. Welcome back to the 'Nati, ya Commodore bastard!

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Read More: jeremy sowers is a tool so is jim bowden, All-Time Indians-Reds Team(Let's Go Tribe)

Comments

Eddie Taubensee

Did Taubensee (sp?) play for both teams?

by rojosoto on May 16, 2008 10:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He did

He played his first and last seasons for Cleveland, although the best thing he did for them was get them Kenny Lofton (the first time around) in a trade.

Bo Diaz had the highest peak, batting .313 for Cleveland with a 155 OPS+ in 1981. He was never close to that good offensively for the Reds. I wasn’t watching the team while he played, so maybe someone else can speak of his value to Cincinnati.

Interestingly, Taubensee’s two best offensive years were 1995 and 1999, the two best seasons the Reds have had in the last 15 years.

by Brendanukkah on May 16, 2008 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for sharing

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on May 16, 2008 10:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Robinson

I didn’t realize Robinson played with the Indians, but it looks like he just barely did at the very end of his career.

by rojosoto on May 16, 2008 10:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

he was a player/manager

who could have played more. He could have ended up with 600+ hrs but that wasn’t his style. He could have picked up a few more at bats but the tribe had Boog Powell and Rico Carty getting most of the playing time at 1B and DH.

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on May 16, 2008 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

With the Indians, he was the first black manager for an MLB team

Curse and drat, he's outmaneuvered us.

by Man Mountain on May 16, 2008 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i guess david wells didn't play for the indians?

i thought he had played for everybody

In the end, life and business are about human connections. And computers are about trying to murder you in a lake. And to me the choice is easy.

by chandrathan on May 16, 2008 10:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Pretty good list

I’d add John Denny to the rotation. 2.5 solid seasons with Cleveland and finished with one average-ish year for the Reds. He won a Cy in between with Philly. Not a great track record with the Ohio teams, but the competition is pretty light.

Ted Power should be in the bullpen. Six decent years (mostly as a reliever) with us and one very fine year out of Cleveland’s bullpen at the end of his career (99.3 IP, 2.54 ERA). He didn’t do as well the following year and Cleveland released him after 20 innings.

I thought Weathers had spent more time in Cleveland, but he only pitched 16 innings in part of a season.

Russell Branyan should get a PH/honorable mention somewhere.

I like the tag for this post, btw.

by ken on May 16, 2008 11:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Greg Swindell

I loved him. I loved him when he played for the Tribe and loved him even more when he came to the Reds.

I think these series with the Indians are my favorite series of the season. I think a lot of us would agree that the Indians are our “American League team” and to some extent Tribe fans say that about the Reds, though less so now since the losing began. It’s not the same as playing, say, St. Louis, when there is genuine animosity and a flaming hatred for one Sir Albert Poopholes.

BRING UP BRUCE!

by Daedalus on May 16, 2008 11:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It took me a while to warm up to interleague,

but I think this series justifies it from the Reds’ perspective. And there are enough compelling geographic rivalries to make it worthwhile in general.

by ken on May 16, 2008 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather see the west coast teams

come in more than once a year.

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on May 16, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, i think i agree with that

the reds-dodgers rivalry has sadly died. i think that there need to be fewer IL games, but keep the rivalry series, imo.

BRING UP BRUCE!

by Daedalus on May 16, 2008 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Indians Fan popping in

I actually love these series as well, but that might be because my introduction to baseball was the Reds back in 89/90. It helps that I now live much closer to Cincinnati than to Cleveland, so it’s a good chance to see my guys, but it’s a fun series all ‘round, especially for people from Disputed Territory.

(On the other hand, I do agree that I kind of miss some of the in-league/out-of-divisions we lose thanks to interleague, but, hey, the Battle For Ohio reminds me to come over here and see how y’all are doing anyway.)

Disclaimer: this post doesn't mean what you think it means.

by AngG on May 16, 2008 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs