Greatest Games in Red History

[dabvu2498]

I was just reading a thread at Sons of Sam Horn about a book that ranks the 50 greatest games in Red Sox history, so I sat down and made a list of the 10 greatest games of my lifetime (since October 5, 1975).

Here's what I came up with, in no particular order:
* Jr's 500th HR
* Tom Browning's perfect game
* Game 2, 1990 World Series
* Game 6, 1990 NLCS
* September 11, 1985 -- Rose's 4192 hit
* Pete's return to Cincy after deal with Montreal
* Game 6, 1975 World Series
* Game 7, 1975 World Series
* Reds win last game of regular season in Milwaukee to get into WC playoff game
* Johnny Bench hits a HR on Johnny Bench night

Additions? Subtractions? Thoughts?

[dfs]

Game 5 of the 1972 National League playoffs.

Bottom of the 9th down by 1. JB cranks one out against Dave Giusti. Two outs later George Foster scrores on a wild pitch from Bob Moose.

Game cemented me as a lifelong fan.

Sorry about that. Didn't see your date cutoff!

[Reds Fanatic]

In that date range I would also add Tom Seaver's no hitter June 16, 1978.

[Heath]

Frank Pastore shutting down the Atlanta Braves in 1979 to win the 7th Western Division Crown in the 1970's.

Ron Robinson's almost perfect game.

Game 4 of the 1990 World Series was pretty cool.

Ron Gant's extra innings home run against Atlanta in 1995.

Barry Larkin on the day he became the first 30/30 shortstop in the Major Leagues.

Those are pretty good ones, but obscure.

I'd have to eliminate the 1999 Win against Milwaukee. That was the only game the Reds won of a three game set. All they had to do was take 2 out of 3 from the Brewers and off to Atlanta they would have went.

[Sean_CaseyRules]

Two years ago when Barry came off the DL and pinch hit, he hit the GW HR, and I know its not a monumental win or anything, but ill always remember that game because it was the first time i got excited, REALLY excited about a game.

[redsmetz]

You have to have Johnny Vander Meers' back to back no-hitters in there, voted the biggest accomplishment in baseball history. I would also suggest that Ewel Blackwell's almost double no-hitters about ten years later in those two. Likewise, I think Maloney had several no-no's including, IIRC, a ten inning job.

[dabvu2498]

Sorry about that. Didn't see your date cutoff!

That's ok... I was looking for games beyond those dates. (If they exist. )

[RedsBaron]

Within that time range I offer the following:
Game 3 of the 1975 NLCS: The Prates John Candelaria fans 14 Reds, but a two run HR by Pete Rose ties the game in the 8th, and the Reds go on to win the game, and the NL pennant, in extra innings, 5-3.
Game 2 of the 1975 World Series: The Reds are one out away from being down 0 games to 2 in the World Series to the Red Sox before Dave Concepcion singles in Johnny Bench to tie the game. Concepcion then steals second base and scores on a double by Ken Griffey as the Reds win 3-2, with Rawly Eastwick getting the save, in the process getting Bernie Carbo out-Carbo would do better against Eastwick in game 6.
Game 3 of the 1976 NLCS: Down 6-4 to the Phillies, the Reds rally in the ninth on back-to-back HRs by George Foster and Johnny Bench to tie the game 6-6. The Reds then load the bases before an infield single by Ken Griffey, which former Red Bobby Tolan mishandled, plates Dave Concepcion with the winning run, sending the Reds back to the World Series.
Game 2 of the 1976 World Series: Tony Perez breaks a 3-3 tie in the ninth with a RBI single to beat the Yankees 4-3.
Game 4 of the 1976 World Series: Johnny Bench hits two HRs, including one in the ninth, as the Reds win 7-2 to complete a sweep of the Yankees.

[RedsBaron]

If you ignore the time limitation, game 7 of the 1940 World Series should be included. Paul Derringer pitched the Reds to a World Championship over the Tigers, 2-1.

[Heath]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

That's ok... I was looking for games beyond those dates. (If they exist. )

glad you added the smilie, you might have gotten really reamed

[RedsBaron]

The game of 6/14/70 (1870) should be mentioned, as the Reds lost 8-7 to end a streak of 130 games without a loss. It may not have been agreat game, but it was significant.

[Blimpie]

Does anybody remember a rainout-scheduled double header versus the Rockies (IIRC) one of the last remaining years of Cinergy field?

I had tickets to the game(s) and remember that the Reds won the first game, but were getting pummelled pretty good late in the second game. In either the 7th or 8th inning, the Reds sent like 11 batters to the plate and came all the way back to sweep the double header. I believe that Hal Morris had a monster day at the plate.

Edited: Oops! So much for thinking the game was played in one of the final years at Cinergy. I just found the box score and it was nearly 10 years ago. Man, it seems like it was just yesterday....

Game Played on Saturday, August 17, 1996 (N) at Riverfront Stadium
COL N    0  0  3    0  0  0    0  1  1  -   5 13  1
CIN N    1  0  0    0  0  1    0  7  x  -   9 14  0
BATTINGColorado Rockies      AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Young 2b               4   0   1   1       0   0       2   4
Bates ss               3   0   1   0       1   1       0   2
  Weiss ss             1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Burks cf               5   2   3   1       0   1       1   0
Walker rf              5   1   1   2       0   2       2   0
Bichette lf            4   1   2   1       1   0       0   0
Galarraga 1b           5   0   2   0       0   1      12   1
Castilla 3b            4   1   1   0       0   1       0   3
J. Reed c              3   0   1   0       1   0       6   0
Freeman p              3   0   1   0       0   1       0   2
  Leskanic p           0   0   0   0       0   0       1   0
  Vander Wal ph        0   0   0   0       1   0       0   0
  Munoz p              0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  S. Reed p            0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Burke p              0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                37   5  13   5       4   7      24  12
FIELDING - 
DP: 1. Castilla-Young-Galarraga-Castilla-Bates.
E: Castilla (15).
BATTING - 
2B: Young (19,off Service); J. Reed (15,off Shaw).
HR: Walker (16,3rd inning off Carrara 1 on 1 out); Bichette (23,3rd inning
off Carrara 0 on 1 out); Burks (34,9th inning off Smith 0 on 0 out).
SH: Young (2,off Carrara).
IBB: Vander Wal (2,by Shaw).
Team LOB: 10.
BASERUNNING - 
CS: Bichette (10,2nd base by Service/Taubensee).
Cincinnati Reds       AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Howard lf              5   0   0   0       0   1       3   0
Greene 3b              3   1   0   0       2   1       1   2
  Smith p              0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Morris 1b              5   2   4   1       0   0       8   0
Davis cf               5   1   2   0       0   2       2   0
Taubensee c            4   1   3   2       0   0       8   1
Sanders rf             3   1   1   1       1   1       0   0
Boone 2b               4   1   1   1       0   0       4   1
Branson ss,3b          4   1   2   2       0   0       0   4
Carrara p              1   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
  Harris ph            1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Service p            0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Owens ph             1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Shaw p               0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Larkin ph,ss         1   1   1   1       0   0       1   0
Totals                37   9  14   8       3   6      27   8
FIELDING - 
PB: Taubensee (2).
BATTING - 
2B: Morris 3 (26,off Freeman,off Munoz,off Burke); Taubensee (17,off Freeman).
HR: Taubensee (8,8th inning off S. Reed 1 on 1 out); Sanders (14,8th inning
off S. Reed 0 on 1 out); Branson (7,8th inning off S. Reed 1 on 1 out);
Larkin (22,8th inning off Burke 0 on 1 out).
Team LOB: 7.
PITCHINGColorado Rockies      IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
Freeman                5     7   2   2   2   3   0
Leskanic               2     0   0   0   0   1   0
Munoz                  0     1   1   1   0   0   0
S. Reed L(3-3)         0.1   4   4   4   0   1   3
Burke                  0.2   2   2   2   1   1   1
Totals                 8    14   9   9   3   6   4
Cincinnati Reds       IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
Carrara                5     8   3   3   2   4   2
Service                2     2   0   0   1   2   0
Shaw W(5-4)            1     2   1   1   1   0   0
Smith                  1     1   1   1   0   1   1
Totals                 9    13   5   5   4   7   3
Freeman faced 2 batters in the 6th inning
Munoz faced 1 batter in the 8th inning
WP: Freeman (13).
IBB: Shaw (10,Vander Wal).
Umpires: Wally Bell, Paul Nauert, Jerry Crawford, Jeff Kellogg
Time of Game: 3:05   Attendance: 34225

[crazybob60]

I notice that most of these have been games that the Reds have won but what about some games that they have lost that have been significant or great in their own right.

Such as the 1999 Wild Card game against the Mets where the atmosphere was just electric but we got shut down by Al Leiter but if I remember correctly were still in the game fairly late, I would call that one a great one.

Also, I can't remember if we won or lost the game, but I think we ended up winning the game against the Diamondbacks either 1-0 or like 2-1 when Randy Johnson was pitching and he fanned like 19 or 20 Reds. I might be off a little on the numbers there, maybe someone can help me out on that one.

There are several others, I just have to think of them.

[redsmetz]

Quote:
Sorry about that. Didn't see your date cutoff!

That's ok... I was looking for games beyond those dates. (If they exist. )

Sorry, I didn't see that caveat either.

[griffeyfreak4]

What about Griffey's debut back from the DL this year? That game was amazing!