Baseballminutia

Today we’ll wrap up the single step series.

November 16, 2000
Traded Eddie Taubensee to the Cleveland Indians. Received Jim Brower and Robert Purgmire.

On September 8th of 2000 Taubensee had back surgery, the Reds held 500K buyout on his contract and a 1.8 million dollar option, they took the salary option oddly enough and dealt Taubensee to the Indians (the second time he went there) Eddie back never held up and he was out of the game after 118 at bats in 2001. This ended the Taubensee era and began the Larue era. Let’s all note that once again Bowden deals damaged goods, his option move was perplexing and then the trade was sudden, taking both Taubensee and fans by surprise. His backs inability to survive the game probably didn’t surprise the Reds, nor should it have surprised the Indians who had to lean on the light hitting Elmer Diaz for the next two seasons.

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December 3, 1990
Eddie Taubensee drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 rule V draft.

Eddie Taubensee is eleventh in at bats (for a catcher) in Reds team history. A left handed slugger Eddie was obviously wanted by the Reds, wanted enough that they drafted for him twice, and traded for him after they lost him later on. Along with Joe Oliver Eddie would be the face of the Reds catching in the 1990’s, despite howls of his defense and poor throwing arm. His presence in the lineup pointed out to the masses that the running game was waning and power at all eight positions was being pursued.

CINCINNATI REDS
AT BATS                         AB
1    Johnny Bench               6771
2    Ernie Lombardi             3980
3    Ivy Wingo                  3091
4    Joe Oliver                 2408
5    Johnny Edwards             2377
6    Bubbles Hargrave           2367
7    Heinie Peitz               2290
8    Ed Bailey                  2227
9    Jason LaRue                2226
10   Larry McLean               2126
11   Eddie Taubensee            2097
12   Farmer Vaughn              1883

Eddie’s Reds saga

June 2, 1986: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 6th round of the 1986 amateur draft. Player signed June 6, 1986.
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December 3, 1990: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics from the Cincinnati Reds in the 1990 rule V draft.
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April 4, 1991: Selected off waivers by the Cleveland Indians from the Oakland Athletics.
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December 10, 1991: Traded by the Cleveland Indians with Willie Blair to the Houston Astros for Kenny Lofton and Dave Rohde.
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April 19, 1994: Traded by the Houston Astros to the Cincinnati Reds for Ross Powell and Marty Lister (minors).
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November 16, 2000: Traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Cleveland Indians for Jim Brower and Robert Purgmire (minors).

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January 12, 1981
Signed Larry Biittner as a free agent.

Before the strike marred 1981 season the Reds were once again slow to move on player transactions. The key off-season move was the Reds dipping their toe into the free agent market for the first time when they signed 35-year-old Larry Biittner, coming off a .249/.294/.319 season at Wrigley Field Larry was ill suited to play on the fast carpet of Riverfront and his bat was substandard to begin with. This move is the typical ill suited, poorly researched move that exemplified the Wagner era, just bad baseball acumen all around.

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