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On this day in 1852, former Red Charley Jones was born in Alamance County, NY. I've sung Jones's praises on a couple of occasions. He was simply, in my view, a tremendous player. "Baby" was a prodigious power hitter and held his own in the other facets of the game as well. In ken's piece constructing the ideal Cincinnati left fielder, he mentioned Jones as a possibility for the player's "glove." Jones was also nicknamed "The Knight of the Limitless Linen" for his extensive wardrobe. Jones was, in every sense of the word, a character, and he deserves to be remembered.
On this day in 1907, former Red Jumbo Brown was born in Greene, RI. Brown truly was jumbo at 6' 4" and 295 pounds. He tossed 10 innings for the Reds in 1937.
On this day in 1916, Cincinnati bought right-hander Elmer "Baron" Knetzer from the Boston Braves. His stint with the Reds lasted into the 1917 season. During that stretch, he posted a 5 - 12 record with a 2.90 ERA, which was good for an ERA- of 110 and yet further proof that the deadball era was a different time.
On this day in 1950, former Red Bubba Church made his major league debut with the Phillies. How can you not love a ballplayer named Bubba (Church)?
On this day in 1955, Cincinnati dealt right fielder Glen Gorbous, outfielder Jim Greengrass, and catcher Andy Seminick to the Phillies in exchange for catcher Smoky Burgess, left fielder Stan Palys, and righty Steve Ridzik. Burgess was a good player who was the starting catcher for the World Series champion Pirates in 1960. He hit .295/.362/.446 (115 wRC+) in an 18-year big league career.
On this day in 1969, Cincinnati's Jim Maloney hurled a no-hitter against the Astros at Crosley Field. He struck out 13 and walked five. The performance is tied for the second-best no-hitter in Cincinnati history by game score. He also went 2 - 3 at the plate with a double, an RBI, a run, and a walk. The Reds offense exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning, and Cincinnati defeated Houston, 10 - 0. There were just 3,898 fans in attendance; my, how times have changed.
On this day in 1993, former Red Tony Tarasco made his big league debut with the Braves.
On this day in 1995, former Red Joe Randa made his major league debut with the Royals.
On this day in 1998, former Red Paul Bako made his major league debut with the Tigers. Bako played 99 games with Cincinnati in 2008. He played for 11 different teams over a 12-year career, never spending more than two full seasons with the same team (Cubs in 2003 and '04).