Here comes Mr. Smiles and Hugs.
Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven’t changed, haven’t much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy
Last night was the first time that the Reds faced their former first baseman Sean Casey and his new team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The fact that Casey strolled to the plate to knock the back line of the batters box out before the Reds even came to bat was an interesting situation for fans of the team. Casey had been the longest tenured Red and bridged the gap that layed between the horrors of the 21st century and the infamous Ray Knight era, when the Reds fans discovered the pantry was mostly bare, except for that semi-magic year of 1999 which sent many a Reds fan on the worlds biggest Pyrite hunt. His presence in a Pirates uniform got me thinking about all the other times a fan favorite had left the Reds.
Thanks to the wonders of www.retrosheet.org I’ve compiled a list of some of the biger names that left the Reds and the games in which they faced the local nine for the first time as opponents.
Gleen what you want from them, but note that most were past the assigned age that a Rickey man would want his players to be and most didn’t perform at a rate that was very impressive.
Lee May Astros - Age 29 .284/.343/.490
Houston Astros 8, Cincinnati Reds 4 Game Played on Tuesday April 18, 1972 (N) at Riverfront Stadium HOU N 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 3 0 - 8 10 1 CIN N 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 - 4 10 2 BATTING Houston Astros AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Metzger ss 4 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 Cedeno cf 3 0 2 1 2 0 2 1 Wynn rf 5 1 2 0 0 1 4 1 May 1b 4 0 1 0 1 1 9 1 Watson lf 5 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 Rader 3b 4 3 2 2 1 0 1 3 Helms 2b 5 2 1 2 0 1 3 5 Edwards c 4 0 1 2 0 0 7 0 Forsch p 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 Stewart ph 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gladding p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 38 8 10 8 5 6 27 1
Tony Perez Expos - Age 35.283/.352/.463
Cincinnati Reds 13, Montreal Expos 1 Game Played on Friday June 10, 1977 (N) at Riverfront Stadium MON N 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 1 5 0 CIN N 0 2 3 3 2 0 1 2 x - 13 16 0 BATTING Montreal Expos AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Cash 2b 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 Mackanin 2b,rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Speier ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 Frias ss 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Valentine rf 4 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 Garrett 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Perez 1b 2 0 0 0 1 1 8 1 Morales 1b 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Carter c 3 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 Cromartie lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Parrish 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 Dawson cf 3 1 2 1 0 0 2 1 Bahnsen p 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Warthen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Mejias ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Alcala p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Foote ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Walker p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 29 1 5 1 4 5 24 13
Pete Rose Phillies - Age 38 1979 .331/.418/.430
Cincinnati Reds 4, Philadelphia Phillies 2 Game Played on Friday, June 1, 1979 at Riverfront Stadium PHI N 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 - 2 10 1 CIN N 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 x - 4 8 1 BATTING Philadelphia Phillies AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Rose 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 McCarver c 4 0 2 0 0 0 6 0 Schmidt 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Luzinski lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 Unser rf 4 1 2 1 0 0 3 0 Maddox cf 4 1 2 1 0 0 4 0 Aviles 2b 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 McBride ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Meoli 2b 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Carlton p 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Gross ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Harrelson ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 Rader ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 35 2 10 2 1 2 24 5
Joe Morgan Astros - Age 36 .243/.367/.373
Cincinnati Reds 6, Houston Astros 5 Game Played on Monday April 21, 1980 (N) at Astrodome CIN N 1 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 - 6 12 1 HOU N 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 - 5 10 0 BATTING Houston Astros AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Leonard cf 5 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 Reynolds ss 4 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 Walling rf 5 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 Morgan 2b 4 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 Cruz lf 4 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 Cabell 3b 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 Howe 1b 2 0 0 0 2 1 7 0 Pujols c 4 0 1 1 0 0 7 0 Ruhle p 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Niemann p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Andujar p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bergman ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Smith p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Landestoy ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Sambito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Ashby ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Puhl pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LaCorte p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 35 5 10 3 7 2 27
George Foster Mets - Age 33 .247/.309/.367
Cincinnati Reds 7, New York Mets 2 Game Played on Monday May 17, 1982 (N) at Shea Stadium CIN N 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 - 7 12 1 NY N 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 2 8 2 BATTING New York Mets AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Wilson cf 4 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 Stearns c 3 0 1 0 1 0 8 1 Foster lf 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 Kingman 1b 3 0 0 1 0 0 9 0 Youngblood rf 4 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 Brooks 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Bailor 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 Veryzer ss 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 3 Staub ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Falcone p 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Gardenhire ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Swan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Valentine ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Orosco p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 33 2 8 1 1 6 27 9
Ken Griffey - Braves (traded at 32 faced the Reds at 38)
.277/.329/.407 - at 32
.306/.350/.492 - at 38
Cincinnati Reds 4, Atlanta Braves 1 Game Played on Wednesday September 24, 1986 (N) at Riverfront Stadium ATL N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 1 7 0 CIN N 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 x - 4 9 1 BATTING Atlanta Braves AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Hall rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Simmons ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Motley pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Komminsk 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Oberkfell 3b 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 2 Harper ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Assenmacher p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 McMurtry p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Murphy cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 Horner 1b 4 1 1 0 0 2 8 1 Griffey lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Thomas ss 3 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 Virgil c 4 0 1 1 0 1 6 2 Hubbard 2b 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 Perry ph,rf 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Ramirez ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mahler p 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 Chambliss ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Runge pr,2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 33 1 7 1 2 4 24 12
Dan Driessen Expos - Age 32 .243/.314/.352/.665
Cincinnati Reds 4, Expos 1 Game Played on Monday April 8, 1985 (D) at Riverfront Stadium MON N 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 1 4 0 CIN N 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 x - 4 11 0 BATTING Montreal Expos AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Raines lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Winningham cf 2 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 Dawson rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Driessen 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 9 0 Brooks ss 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 3 Law 2b 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 Wallach 3b 3 0 2 1 0 0 2 2 Fitzgerald c 3 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 Rogers p 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Burke p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Dilone ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Roberge p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 29 1 4 1 4 6 24 10
Eric Davis - Los Angeles Dodgers Age 30 .228/.322/.325
Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Cincinnati Reds 0 Game Played on Monday, April 20, 1992 (N) at Dodger Stadium CIN N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 9 1 LA N 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 x - 6 9 0 BATTING Los Angeles Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Butler cf 3 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 Webster pr,cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sharperson 3b 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Harris ph,3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Karros 1b 1 1 1 1 1 0 5 1 Benzinger ph,1b 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Strawberry rf 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 0 Davis lf 3 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 Javier lf 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Samuel 2b 3 0 0 1 1 0 6 3 Scioscia c 2 0 0 2 1 1 7 1 Offerman ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 Ojeda p 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Totals 29 6 9 5 4 5 27 11
Sean Casey Pirates - Age 31 .???/.???/.???
Cincinnati Reds 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 5 Game Played on Thursday, April 6, 2006 (N) at Great American Ballpark Batting AB R H RBI BB C. Duffy cf 4 0 0 0 0 J. Wilson ss 5 0 1 0 0 S. Casey 1b 4 1 0 0 0 J. Bay lf 4 1 2 0 0 J. Burnitz rf 4 0 0 0 0 J. Randa 3b 4 1 1 3 0 J. Castillo 2b 4 1 3 0 0 R. Doumit c 3 1 1 2 0 I. Snell p 1 0 0 0 0 Sanchez ph 1 0 1 0 0 Grabow p 0 0 0 0 0 Wilson ph 1 0 0 0 0 Gonzalez p 0 0 0 0 0 35 5 9 5 0