Ahh the Good Ole Days

by Willie Mays Hayes on Jul 24, 2008 9:16 PM EDT

Let me take you back to a simpler time. A time when astroturf was king and contracts were settled with a coin flip. A time when OPS and Whip were still a glimmer in in Mr. Sabermeter’s eye. Let me take you to 1988 (OK so the coin flip was 1989).

Oh yester year, where have you gone. I harken back to the sounds of George Michael singing "Faith" and "I need you tonight" by INXS. Rain Man and Roger Rabbit battled it out for the top spot. I could not drive yet but it was a summer of love.....for the Reds that is.

The 1988 Reds posted an 87-74 record that year and finished second in the division. Manager Peter Edward Rose led the young Reds to a second place finish, seven games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The individual highlights of the season included a perfect game by Tom Browning against the Dodgers on 09/16/1988. The team posted a stellar ERA of 3.35 and hit a wonderfully crappy .246. This was definitely a pitcher’s year.

The lineup included:

C Bo Diaz .219/10 HR/35 RBI

1B Nick Esasky .243/ 15 /62

2B Jeff Treadway .252

3B Chris Sabo .271/ 11/ 44/ 46 SB

SS Barry Larkin .296/12/56 but the freak only struck out 24 times in 588 AB's.

LF Kal Daniels .291/18/87 .400 OBP led NL

CF Eric Davis .273/26 HR/93 RBI

RF Paul Oneill ...lets just say he played (not a fan) .252/16/73

The pitchers were in a word....okee dokee

Tom Browning 18-5/3.41

Danny Jackson 23-8/2.73

Jose Rijo 13-8/2.39

Ron Robinson 3-7/4.12

Tim Birtsas 1-3/4.20

Rob Dibble as a set up man pitched 59.1 INN/59K and a 1.82 ERA

Rob Murphy 0-6/3.08

Frank Williams 3-2/2.59

John Franco 39 Saves led NL and a 1.57 ERA

· Baltimore and Atlanta finished with winning percentages under .340

· Baseball films Bull Durham and Eight Men Out are released

· Andres Galarraga tops National League with just 184 hits, the fewest ever by a National League leader on a 162-game schedule

· Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman are the top thieves.

· Orel Hershiser and the Reds' Jackson tie for National League lead with 23 wins and 15 CGs

· Cubs lead National League in hitting at just .261.

· National League hits a .248, falling below .250 first time since 1972.

0 recs | Comment 22 comments

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Comments

You may run like Hayes

but you write like shit.

Hi, hello, welcome. I liked 1988. I think I hit 45 home runs as a 12-year old that year in backyard wiffle ball.

It's a lousy night to be an atheist!

by Slyde on Jul 24, 2008 9:45 PM EDT 0 recs

We both know you swing like a girl! LOL

I figured a twenty year remincization (Bushism) would be good for the old bones. I get tired of hearing Doc bithc about the Reds and his miserable existence.

Dunn completes me.

by Willie Mays Hayes on Jul 24, 2008 9:50 PM EDT up 0 recs

i was 1

The Dusty Path to the World Series!*

*Note this is not an endorsment of Dusty Baker.

by justin007000 on Jul 24, 2008 10:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

I was 2.

I’m a year older than you! Ahh, kids.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 24, 2008 11:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

i was 4

take that young bitches!

please dont shit on my dreams. i dont want shit on my dreams.

by Charlie Scrabbles on Jul 24, 2008 11:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

I was 11

I hate you all.

sig lines are for suckas

by jch24 on Jul 25, 2008 9:36 AM EDT up 0 recs

I was 6

When did I get to be the old one?

So hey, umm....do you guys mind if I have this fruit roll-up?

by chandrathan on Jul 25, 2008 10:01 AM EDT up 0 recs

Goddamn, I was 13

and doing my first line of coke off of a hooker’s teet with Daryl Strawberry.

Put on your Reds shoes and dance the Dusty Blues.

by Pops Daniels on Jul 25, 2008 10:56 AM EDT up 0 recs

you waited until 13?

So hey, umm....do you guys mind if I have this fruit roll-up?

by chandrathan on Jul 25, 2008 10:58 AM EDT up 0 recs

to be fair

Strawberry didn’t really get into the good coke until ‘88. Before then he was still feeling his way around from dealer to dealer.

It's a lousy night to be an atheist!

by Slyde on Jul 25, 2008 11:16 AM EDT up 0 recs

good thing you're being fair to strwberry

otherwise you would be racist

So hey, umm....do you guys mind if I have this fruit roll-up?

by chandrathan on Jul 25, 2008 11:18 AM EDT up 0 recs

It takes a while

to make Keith Hernandez’s A-list.

by ken on Jul 25, 2008 1:01 PM EDT up 0 recs

I was 20

and fuck all you youngsters.

by ctnyc on Jul 27, 2008 9:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

I was 39 - My youngest daughter was 1

I remember this group – how in hell did these guys finish 2nd ? Must have been their scrappy manager…Rob Dibble now there’s charismatic guy. If we put that line up out on the field today methinks it would be a really really really long season.

My Indian name is "Runs For Beer'

by Madville on Jul 24, 2008 11:16 PM EDT 0 recs

so your youngest daughter and i are the same age

The Dusty Path to the World Series!*

*Note this is not an endorsment of Dusty Baker.

by justin007000 on Jul 24, 2008 11:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

Giggity

sig lines are for suckas

by jch24 on Jul 25, 2008 9:36 AM EDT up 0 recs

This is true - you could be my son..

But you’re not!!!
I’m trying to get her to come to the big whiffle ball get together as I’ll need a pinch batter, fielder and runner,,,

My Indian name is "Runs For Beer'

by Madville on Jul 25, 2008 11:58 PM EDT up 0 recs

i was hoping you would be drunk

threaten to hack redreporter (or ask a mod), to find my IP address, trace said IP address, track me down, and kick my ass.

The Dusty Path to the World Series!*

*Note this is not an endorsment of Dusty Baker.

by justin007000 on Jul 26, 2008 12:15 AM EDT up 0 recs

I wouldn't put it past him

The transition of Madville from (grand)fatherly, slightly confused, internet neophite to .gif-dropping, bizarre off the wall prankster has been interesting to observe this season.

He’s like the ‘Kramer’ character of a sitcom, and as the show begins to go off the rails it’s new fans say, “He’s so wacky! I love him” while the connoisseur say, “Eh, he used to be subtler,” if that makes sense.

Love ya, Mad!

by Red Menace on Jul 26, 2008 12:40 AM EDT up 2 recs

The Dirtbombs play an awesome cover of "I Need You Tonight" in their encore

I hope they play it tomorrow, even though they’re the opening band. (CanNOT believe that I can’t find someone else to go with me!)

by Brendanukkah on Jul 25, 2008 12:46 AM EDT 0 recs

Sorry dude

That’s a long drive.

sig lines are for suckas

by jch24 on Jul 25, 2008 9:36 AM EDT up 0 recs

That was a banner year for young Menace

Ducktales was at the height of it’s power, Contra and Double Dragon were ported to the NES and GI Joe began to jump the shark with their questionable Series Seven line of figures and vehicles.

And as always in my childhood when I asked how the Reds were doing the answer was “Second place.”

by Red Menace on Jul 25, 2008 1:52 AM EDT 0 recs