Favorite Vada Pinson Game

[redsupport]

May 63, vs colt 45;s he and robby were 8-10 with 11 rbis as reds edged colt 45's and ken johnson

[WVRedsFan]

May 63, vs colt 45;s he and robby were 8-10 with 11 rbis as reds edged colt 45's and ken johnson

I remember that game vividly which only shows how old I am because I can't remember what happened much of last season. Go figure.

Vada Pinson was probably the most underated Reds otfielder of all time. He platooned center field with precision and he was no slouch at the bat either. Not a big HR hitter, but a good hitter who batted .343 in 1961. He never got the credit he deserved because Robby was the star.

[LINEDRIVER]

Vada Pinson

Played in 18 seasons, 1958-1975.

The left-handed hitting Pinson went 42-for-113 for a .372 BA during the course of a 27 game hitting streak from 9-3-65 thru 10-3-65. (A stellar September by a player used to be known as 'The Salary Drive' back in the day)

Pinson hit .302 at Crosley Field (950-for-3145) as a Red from 1958-1968 and with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969.

Pinson was in the lineup day in and day out. He missed 24 games between the start of the 1959 season and the end of the 1967 season.

Released by the KC Royals on 12-18-75. Signed by the Milwaukee Brewers on Jan 14, 1976. Released by Milwaukee on April 4, 1976, just 4 days before Milwaukee's Opening Day vs. the NY Yankees. His career was over at the age of 37. Pinson racked up 2757 hits in his career.

[Always Red]

Vada Pinson was probably the most underated Reds otfielder of all time. He platooned center field with precision and he was no slouch at the bat either. Not a big HR hitter, but a good hitter who batted .343 in 1961. He never got the credit he deserved because Robby was the star.

Amen, Brother!

And Frank Robby is the most underrated HoF'er!

Neither of them are forgotten (at least by me). :thumbup:

:beerme: :beerme:

[LINEDRIVER]

Here's an excerpt from a phone interview I had with onetime Reds' reliever Billy McCool in 2000. McCool was a left-handed rookie reliever while with the '64 Reds team.

LINEDRIVER: I remember Pete Rose talking about coming onto the Reds team in 1963 and how Frank Robinson and Vada Pinson took him under their wing, he appreciated their help as teammates.

McCOOL: I remember being in Pittsburgh in 1964. We had to stay over another day to finish a series because we got rained out. I’m in my room, the phone rings and it’s Frank Robinson and he wants me to come up to his room at the hotel. I’m 19 years old and scared of my own shadow at that point in time. I had only been with the club a couple months. If Frank wants to see me, I better go. I get up to the room and there was Vada Pinson. Frank and Vada roomed together. I go in the room and there is Sammy Ellis, another young pitcher. A couple minutes go by and there is a knock at the door. Two guys come in. One is pushing as cart of burgers and fries, another guy is pushing a cart of beverages. We stayed up half the night talking baseball. Frank would tell me how to pitch to guys. I can’t say enough good things about Frank Robinson.

LINEDRIVER: That sounds like a dream come true for any ballplayer. Sitting up with Frank and Vada talking baseball. The two of them total up to about 850 HR's and 5700 hits.

(The actual career numbers: Pinson 256 HR's/2757 hits, Robinson 586 HR's/2943 hits, total 852 HR's/ 5700 hits)

[wally post]

the cats! (beautiful, as always linedriver)

[RFS62]

Frank Robinson and Vada Pinson = Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas

[RollyInRaleigh]

Ahh, yes! Wonderful days and players in Cincinnati. Vada Pinson was my father's favorite Reds player. I'm not quite old enough to remember Pinson's game, vividly, but my Dad always told me that he was just wonderful to watch.

[LINEDRIVER]

For a 9 year period,from 1959-1967,check out how Vada ranks, against ALL MAJOR LEAGUE players, including HOFers such as
Aaron, Mays,Clemente,Killebrew,Cepeda,Kaline,Frank and Brooks Robinson,Ernie Banks and others in their prime.

Hits number 1 with 1720,
Doubles number 1 with 306,
Triples number 1 with 96,
Games played number 1 with 1408,
Stolen bases 4th with 202,
Runs scored 4th with 898,
Extra base hits 4th with 576,
Total bases 4th with 2746,
Runs scored PLUS runs batted in, 5th with 1656.

Pinson also hit 180 HR's during this period and ranked 12th in RBI'S with 758.

[Spitball]

I don't have a favorite game, but I do have a favorite Vada Pinson story. When he was a youngster in the Reds' system, they had several Cuban and Latin players. In spring training a Reds' coach assumed he was a Latin player and tried to explain something to him. The coach spoke very slowly and distinctly to him while using several hand gestures as he explained to Pinson what he wanted him to do. When he was through with his instructions, he asked, "Do...you...understand?"

Pinson, a very articulate individual, nodded his head and replied, "Perfectly."

[BenHayes]

As a kid of the 60s down here in N.C. we could only see games on Saturday so baseball was only a radio sport. Many a night i would listen to Waite Hoyte and Claude Sullivan on WCKY and then WLW with the REDS game on.
With out a doubt number 28 Vada Pinson was this kid's hero. And the few times watching him on black and white TV was something special.I will always remember the way he wore his cap and can still see him getting ready in the batters box.A lot of REDS have come and gone thru the years but Vada Pinson will always be number one in my heart.

[texasdave]

Vada Pinson was my first Reds' idol and for perhaps the silliest of reasons. His spikes were spit-shined. They were perfect. It was a night game and I remember the lights reflecting off Vada's spikes as he ran the bases. I guess it didn't take much to impress a six-year old kid at his first baseball game in 1961.

[BCubb2003]

I had a Vada Pinson jersey as a kid and he was my favorite ever since.

[RollyInRaleigh]

They made player jersey's then?

[redsupport]

Pinson was the ne plus ultra of outfielders

[Spitball]

Pinson was the ne plus ultra of outfielders

Hmmm...I'm not sure about this statement. He covered a lot of ground, but he was no Cesar Geronimo. He also had problems with his throws and hitting the cut-off man. He rarely calculated the cut-off into the logical equation of limiting the base runner's progress. It was his Achilles heal and has to affect his over-all defensive rating.

He did win one Gold Glove (1961), but he was in the era of Willie Mays and Curt Flood. He could hawk a ball with the best.

[Far East]

Sorry about the dearth of specifics in the following, but here's what I can recall from my favorite Pinson game. Perhaps somebody can help me with the mising details.

1961, late innings (probably the ninth), pennant race, I'd guess against the Phils or Dodgers, I think two outs, Reds losing (or tied?), I'm listening to the game on radio.

Pinson, representing the tying (or winning?) run hits a certain double to the outfield, but PURPOSELY stops at first base. I believe that the Reds" announcer said that Vada knew that the opposition would have intentionally walked Robby (the next hitter) had Pinson continued on to 2nd base.

They pitch to Frank, who delivers an extra base hit (perhaps even a HR, not sure) to either tie or win the game. I am certain that the Reds did win.

Certainly impressed by Pinson's quick thinking -- or pre-planned strategy -- and his forfeiting of an extra base hit from his records.

Would love to find out just how much (how little) of the above is at least half-accurate.

[RollyInRaleigh]

Vada Pinson was my first Reds' idol and for perhaps the silliest of reasons. His spikes were spit-shined. They were perfect. It was a night game and I remember the lights reflecting off Vada's spikes as he ran the bases. I guess it didn't take much to impress a six-year old kid at his first baseball game in 1961.

Very good eye. Pinson's spikes always looked impecable.

[Roy Tucker]

Pinson went to McClymonds HS in San Francisco, the same HS as Frank Robinson, Bill Russell, Paul Silas, and MC Hammer.

[RollyInRaleigh]

That's a pretty impressive list, minus "Hammer.";)