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An all-time team of Reds managers

By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
With Dusty Baker getting his new contract just before the playoffs began, it got me thinking, what are some cool facts about other Reds managers of the past?
What I wanted to do was to see if I was able to make an all-star team out of former Reds managers from their stats as a player.
You'll be surprised by this "dream team" I've built just from men who have managed the Cincinnati Reds. 
I picked this team by their play on the field and by how well they managed the club. The one rule was they had to be a current or former manager of the Reds.
Here is my team, position-by-position.
Note: Years in parentheses are the years the person managed the Reds.
Manager: Sparky Anderson (1970-78)
From 1970-79, "Captain Hook" managed the "Big Red Machine" to four NL Pennants and two World Series championships.
He had three 100-plus win seasons, with the most wins in a season coming in 1975 with 108. He won 102 games in 1970 and 1976, reaching the Fall Classic both times.
His teams finished first or second in the NL all but once in his nine years as the Reds' skipper. His worst season was in 1971 when the Reds were fifth in the NL at 79-83.
After he left the Reds in 1979, he won one more World Series in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers.
Pitcher: Christy Mathewson
(1916-1918)
Yes, this is the same Christy Mathewson who was nicknamed "Big Six" and won 373 games, as a pitcher for the New York Giants for 372 of those wins (one with the Reds as a player manager in 1916). As a player, Mathewson had 2,507 strikeouts in 17 seasons and was one of the first five players to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
My favorite stat about Mathewson is that he pitched 435 complete games in his career. He once had 36 complete games in a season (1901). Compare that to 2010, where the Top 5 complete game leaders (six pitchers) this season have a combined 39 complete games. 
As manager of the Reds, his record was 164-176 in 346 games for a .482 win-loss percentage. His teams finished seventh, fourth and third, before he was replaced by Heinie Groh.
Catcher: Buck Ewing (1895-99)
Highland County native (Hoagland) William "Buck" Ewing played in the majors for all or part of 18 seasons. He played in 1,315 games and was the first catcher inducted into the Hall of Fame (1939). 
He had 1,625 hits and scored 1,129 runs with 883 RBIs in what was then known as a "dead ball" ERA.
As manager of the Reds (five seasons), he was 394-297 (708 games) for a win-loss percentage of .570. He was a player/manager of the Reds during his first three seasons at the helm. The Reds' best finish with Ewing was 92-60 in 1898 (third place).
First base: Tony Perez (1993)
Perez was a member of the "Big Red Machine" and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000 as a player.
In his abbreviated season as the Reds' skipper (replaced by Davey Johnson), he went 20-24 in his 44 games as manager. In 2001, Perez managed the Florida Marlins for 114 games to a 54-60 mark.
As a player, he was a seven-time all-star and batted .279 in 23 seasons. He had 2,732 hits, 1,272 runs, 379 home runs and 1,652 RBIs. He played for the Reds (twice), Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Second Base: Rogers Hornsby (1952-53)
Inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1942 (as a player), he managed the Reds for one full season and one abbreviated season. His stats as Reds manager include a 91-106 win-loss record in 198 games managed in the Queen City.
He won one World Series title as a player manager in 1926 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hornsby played 23 seasons at baseball's highest level, earning Hall of Fame numbers when he played in his first game at 19 years old. When he retired, he was 41.
He batted .358 for his career, including 1,579 runs, 2,930 hits, 301 home runs, and 1,584 RBIs. He walked 1,038 times. His on-base percentage was 1.010 with a .577 slugging percentage.
Shortstop: Joe Tinker (1913)
Tinker was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946 as a player and managed one season with the Cincinnati Reds. His team was seventh with a 64-89 mark at the helm of Cincinnati.
As a player, he played 13 seasons gaining 1,560 hits, 717 runs, 728 RBIs as a member of the Chicago Cubs and Reds. He also managed the Cubs. His NL batting average as a player was .263.
Third base: Pete Rose (1984-89)
Also known as "Charlie Hustle" for his aggressive play on the field, Rose is the all-time hits king with 4,256 total hits. He scored 2,165 runs and had 1,314 RBIs.
He was a player-manager for Cincinnati his first three years as he gained an overall managerial record of 412-373. His teams finished second during five of his seven years as the Reds' skipper. His best season as manager was in 1985 with the Reds finishing 89-72.
Rose is currently banned from baseball and is not eligible to be in the Hall of Fame.
Left Field: Joe Kelley 
(1902-1905)
Kelley was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 as a player. He managed the Reds for four seasons with a record of 275-230 as he was a player-manager. His best record as a Reds manager was in 1904 at 88-65 for third place in the NL.
As a player (17 years in the NL and one year in the AL), he had 2,220 hits, 64 home runs, 1,194 RBIs as he played from 1891-1908. He scored 1,421 runs.
Centerfield: Dusty Baker 
(2008-present)
Baker is currently manager of the Cincinnati Reds with an overall record of 243-243 (regular season). In 2010, he's led the Reds to the NL Central Division title for the first time in 15 years. 
He's made an appearance in the World Series as manager of the San Francisco Giants in 2002.
As a player, Baker played 19 seasons with the Braves, Dodgers, Giants and Athletics. He batted .278 with 964 runs, 1,981 hits, 242 home runs and 1,013 RBIs. One fun fact about Baker was he was on deck when Hank Aaron hit home run 715 on April 8, 1974.
Right Field: Lou Piniella 
(1990-92)
"Sweet Lou" managed the Reds to their last World Series 20 years ago, his first year as the skipper of the Reds. His three-year record with the Reds was 255-231 with first, fifth and second place finishes. He won 90-plus games with the Reds.
During his playing days, Lou took the field from 1964-84 with 1,705 hits, 651 runs, 102 home runs and 766 RBIs. He had a career batting average of .291. Piniella played for Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City and the New York Yankees.
Relief Pitcher: Fred Hutchinson (1959-1964)
He managed the Reds their last season known as the Redlegs ('59) with a Cincinnati mark of 443-372. He won one pennant in 1961 where they lost to eventual champion New York Yankees.
On the mound, Hutchinson played 10 seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1939-53). His ERA was 3.73 with 81 complete games. He pitched 1,464 innings with 591 strikeouts. He had a winning record of 95-71 in 242 games.
Executive: Charlie Comiskey (1892-1894)
He was a founder of the American League and owned the Chicago White Sox. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939 as an executive.
During his time as a manager of the Reds, he was 202-206. As a player, he played three seasons for the Reds (also manager) batting .234 with 125 runs and 243 hits, three home runs and 135 RBIs. 
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.
With Dusty Baker getting his new contract just before the playoffs began, it got me thinking, what are some cool facts about other Reds managers of the past?
What I wanted to do was to see if I was able to make an all-star team out of former Reds managers from their stats as a player.
You'll be surprised by this "dream team" I've built just from men who have managed the Cincinnati Reds. 
I picked this team by their play on the field and by how well they managed the club. The one rule was they had to be a current or former manager of the Reds.
Here is my team, position-by-position.
Note: Years in parentheses are the years the person managed the Reds.

Manager: Sparky Anderson (1970-78)
From 1970-79, "Captain Hook" managed the "Big Red Machine" to four NL Pennants and two World Series championships.
He had three 100-plus win seasons, with the most wins in a season coming in 1975 with 108. He won 102 games in 1970 and 1976, reaching the Fall Classic both times.
His teams finished first or second in the NL all but once in his nine years as the Reds' skipper. His worst season was in 1971 when the Reds were fifth in the NL at 79-83.
After he left the Reds in 1979, he won one more World Series in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers.


Pitcher: Christy Mathewson
(1916-1918)
Yes, this is the same Christy Mathewson who was nicknamed "Big Six" and won 373 games, as a pitcher for the New York Giants for 372 of those wins (one with the Reds as a player manager in 1916). As a player, Mathewson had 2,507 strikeouts in 17 seasons and was one of the first five players to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
My favorite stat about Mathewson is that he pitched 435 complete games in his career. He once had 36 complete games in a season (1901). Compare that to 2010, where the Top 5 complete game leaders (six pitchers) this season have a combined 39 complete games. 
As manager of the Reds, his record was 164-176 in 346 games for a .482 win-loss percentage. His teams finished seventh, fourth and third, before he was replaced by Heinie Groh.


Catcher: Buck Ewing (1895-99)
Highland County native (Hoagland) William "Buck" Ewing played in the majors for all or part of 18 seasons. He played in 1,315 games and was the first catcher inducted into the Hall of Fame (1939). 
He had 1,625 hits and scored 1,129 runs with 883 RBIs in what was then known as a "dead ball" ERA.
As manager of the Reds (five seasons), he was 394-297 (708 games) for a win-loss percentage of .570. He was a player/manager of the Reds during his first three seasons at the helm. The Reds' best finish with Ewing was 92-60 in 1898 (third place).


First base: Tony Perez (1993)
Perez was a member of the "Big Red Machine" and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000 as a player.
In his abbreviated season as the Reds' skipper (replaced by Davey Johnson), he went 20-24 in his 44 games as manager. In 2001, Perez managed the Florida Marlins for 114 games to a 54-60 mark.
As a player, he was a seven-time all-star and batted .279 in 23 seasons. He had 2,732 hits, 1,272 runs, 379 home runs and 1,652 RBIs. He played for the Reds (twice), Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies.


Second Base: Rogers Hornsby (1952-53)
Inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1942 (as a player), he managed the Reds for one full season and one abbreviated season. His stats as Reds manager include a 91-106 win-loss record in 198 games managed in the Queen City.
He won one World Series title as a player manager in 1926 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hornsby played 23 seasons at baseball's highest level, earning Hall of Fame numbers when he played in his first game at 19 years old. When he retired, he was 41.
He batted .358 for his career, including 1,579 runs, 2,930 hits, 301 home runs, and 1,584 RBIs. He walked 1,038 times. His on-base percentage was 1.010 with a .577 slugging percentage.


Shortstop: Joe Tinker (1913)
Tinker was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946 as a player and managed one season with the Cincinnati Reds. His team was seventh with a 64-89 mark at the helm of Cincinnati.
As a player, he played 13 seasons gaining 1,560 hits, 717 runs, 728 RBIs as a member of the Chicago Cubs and Reds. He also managed the Cubs. His NL batting average as a player was .263.


Third base: Pete Rose (1984-89)
Also known as "Charlie Hustle" for his aggressive play on the field, Rose is the all-time hits king with 4,256 total hits. He scored 2,165 runs and had 1,314 RBIs.
He was a player-manager for Cincinnati his first three years as he gained an overall managerial record of 412-373. His teams finished second during five of his seven years as the Reds' skipper. His best season as manager was in 1985 with the Reds finishing 89-72.
Rose is currently banned from baseball and is not eligible to be in the Hall of Fame.


Left Field: Joe Kelley 
(1902-1905)
Kelley was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 as a player. He managed the Reds for four seasons with a record of 275-230 as he was a player-manager. His best record as a Reds manager was in 1904 at 88-65 for third place in the NL.

As a player (17 years in the NL and one year in the AL), he had 2,220 hits, 64 home runs, 1,194 RBIs as he played from 1891-1908. He scored 1,421 runs.


Centerfield: Dusty Baker 
(2008-present)
Baker is currently manager of the Cincinnati Reds with an overall record of 243-243 (regular season). In 2010, he's led the Reds to the NL Central Division title for the first time in 15 years. 

He's made an appearance in the World Series as manager of the San Francisco Giants in 2002.
As a player, Baker played 19 seasons with the Braves, Dodgers, Giants and Athletics. He batted .278 with 964 runs, 1,981 hits, 242 home runs and 1,013 RBIs. One fun fact about Baker was he was on deck when Hank Aaron hit home run 715 on April 8, 1974.


Right Field: Lou Piniella 
(1990-92)
"Sweet Lou" managed the Reds to their last World Series 20 years ago, his first year as the skipper of the Reds. His three-year record with the Reds was 255-231 with first, fifth and second place finishes. He won 90-plus games with the Reds.
During his playing days, Lou took the field from 1964-84 with 1,705 hits, 651 runs, 102 home runs and 766 RBIs. He had a career batting average of .291. Piniella played for Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City and the New York Yankees.


Relief Pitcher: Fred Hutchinson (1959-1964)
He managed the Reds their last season known as the Redlegs ('59) with a Cincinnati mark of 443-372. He won one pennant in 1961 where they lost to eventual champion New York Yankees.
On the mound, Hutchinson played 10 seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1939-53). His ERA was 3.73 with 81 complete games. He pitched 1,464 innings with 591 strikeouts. He had a winning record of 95-71 in 242 games.


Executive: Charlie Comiskey (1892-1894)
He was a founder of the American League and owned the Chicago White Sox. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939 as an executive.
During his time as a manager of the Reds, he was 202-206. As a player, he played three seasons for the Reds (also manager) batting .234 with 125 runs and 243 hits, three home runs and 135 RBIs. 
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.
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