SIS - Greatest Reds defensive/offensive plays

1) Game one, ’90 WS Eric Davis homer. One of the great moments in my baseball life. Still rocks my shit.

and a distant

2) Wily Modesto hitting his second homer, a walkoff, on my birthday. Great seats, monster shot to win it. Damned exciting.

…the Reds came back to win a thriller against the Cubs on July 23, 1995. Bret Boone and Jeff Branson hit back-to-back homers to tie the game late, then Xavier Hernandez gave up 2 runs in the top of the 10th. Riverfront Stadium emptied out, leaving only a few thousand to celebrate mightily when Boone cranked a 2-run, 2-out HR to cap a 4-run Reds rally to win it. That walk-off homer was a real buzz.

Ryan Freel’s diving, skidding catch from 2007 where he nearly killed himself going into the fence was awesome.

And it’s hard to forget Farney diving into the crowd at Dodger Stadium to break a lady’s nose.

First— Rose’s single to break Ty Cobb’s record (I hate the moniker “Hit King”). I was catching a fall league game and my dad had the transistor radio in the bleachers. Even the ump kept coming over to hear what was going on. I’m notified when, between pitches, my dad says from behind the backstop “He did it. Single to LF off Eric Show.”

Second— Paul O’Neill throws out Andy Van Slyke trying to advance to third on a Barry Bonds fly out during the ’90 NLCS. Reds were down 0 – 1 in the series, but leading 2 – 1 in the game. They would win by that score. I was doing 75 mph on I-79 through West Virginia on my way to Louisville from Annapolis. I laid on the horn and pumped my fist through the sunroof in celebration.

Paul O’Neil’s punted ball to the infield

Griffey’s inside the park home run during Cinergy/Riverfront final season

Norm Charlton barreling over a catcher (Dodger I believe)

Barry Larkin doing the spin and bounce throw behind 2nd on the turf

Deion Sanders first at bat home run following comeback

Jose Rijo’s rain shortened come back

Corey Patterson flailing on three straight pitches

If we’re talking “most important” then Eric Davis’s homer off of Stewart in Game 1 and Davis’s gundown of Bobby Bonilla at 3rd in the NLCS are surely the winners.

If we’re talking “greatest” then it has to be Dunn’s homer into the Ohio River and the Freel diving catch to rob Pujols that Farney Hopper put back into his glove.

Great plays by
Joe Morgan
Eric Davis
Vada Pinson
on and on and on
Clutch hits by
Pete Rose
Frank Robinson
Tony Perez
John Bench
Ken Griffey Sr
Jr. Giffey

I would love to have the time to go back over the past 6,500 or so games in my time and pick out the top 100 in each category.

Edwin’s walk off HR last year was the first time I’d seen that in person (Damned kids made me miss Randa’s opening day walk off)

The Edmonds catch in CF a couple of years ago is the best defensive probably.

I was at Riverfront to see this one. Because I lived in LA at the time, seeing a Reds home game was very rare. This made it special.

From Retrosheet:
6/28/1989 NL Cincinnati Reds vs NL Atlanta Braves Riverfront Stadium
Top 6 Inning Score V-H 4 – 0 PLAY SEQUENCE: 6*-4*-3*
Source: Retrosheet Event Files; SN Box Scores
Event: 6(B)4(2)3(1)/LTP/L6 # Men On: 2 [ 1-2 ] CIN vs ATL
Batter: Bruce Benedict First Jeff Blauser Second Jeff Treadway Third
Bruce Benedict (ATL) is the batter with a 0-1 count. He hits a hard line drive right to the SS, Barry Larkin (OUT 1)
SS throws to the 2B (Lenny Harris) who doubles up the runner caught off second, Jeff Treadway (OUT 2)
2B throws to the 1B (Todd Benzinger) who putsout the runner caught off first, Jeff Blauser (OUT 3)

Also, I took my non-baseball-loving-girlfriend-now-wife to a Giants game, and Eric Davis obliged by hitting a grand slam. “That was fun! If every game were like that, I might like baseball!” Chicks dig the long ball. :) But, she’s still married to me, so she’s learned to live with it.

First defensive play I ALWAYS think of is Eric Davis nailing Bonilla at 3B after backing up Billy Hatcher in CF during the 90 NLCS. Jaw. Still. Drops.

Second defensive play is Hamilton’s preseason throws a couple years ago.

First offensive play i usually think of is Charlton leveling Scioscia at the plate. In a Reds jacket no less.

Second offensive play is Jay Bruce’s first HR, a walkoff. In person this time.

I was lucky enough to be there in Pittsburgh when it happened.

The last Monday home game of 1999 against St Louis and Taubensee hitting one Red

Vada Pinson throwing my buddy a ball when I was 9

Watching Pete Rose break the record with my father-in-law who succumbed to cancer one month later.

Larkin, Davis, and Sabo going back to back to back on my wedding anniversary in 1990.

Hearing the last out of Tom Seaver’s only no hitter after I left my wedding reception in 1978.

hearing Waite Hoyt and Joe Nuxhall call games on a static filled radio in Eastern Kentucky with my dad and grandpa

Being around to go watch the Reds with my grandson last season at his first Reds game

Too many others past, and yet to come, too name!!

one that hasn’t been mentioned is Glenn Braggs robbing Carmelo Martinez in the 1990 LCS.

Dunn’s game winning grand slam off of Bob Wickman.

My son still has the ball all these many years later

- Phillips throwing out Josh Phelps at the plate from RF to end the game. Phelps was on second and should’ve scored easy on the single, but he didn’t slide and Phillips’ off balance throw just got him. I was impressed.

- Hobbs throwing out Jason Michaels at the plate in the 12th to preserve a 0-0 score against Cleveland.

- Freel made a great catch while playing 3B against the Cubs a few years ago. Can’t remember the game.

Marge being pissed off when they called the game where Home plate umpire John McSherry had a heat attack and died…

I almost forgot about the play where Farney makes a mad dash from third on a slow roller to score in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score in a game the Reds won. Slyde might be able to help me here as I believe he was at the game with me that evening along with a few other RR’s. One of the most amazing plays Ive seen live and i dont think anyone else on the roster makes that play.