1976 Cincinnati Reds season explained

Cincinnati Reds
Season:	1976
Misc:	World Series Champions National League Champions National League West Champions
League:	National League
Division:	West
Ballpark:	Riverfront Stadium
City:	Cincinnati
Divisional Place:	1st
Owners:	Louis Nippert
General Managers:	Bob Howsam
Managers:	Sparky Anderson
Television:	WLWT (Ken Coleman, Bill Brown)
Radio:	WLW (Marty Brennaman, Joe Nuxhall)

The 1976 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The Reds entered the season as the reigning World Series champions. The Reds dominated the league all season and won their second consecutive National League West title with a record of 102–60, finishing ten games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the best record in baseball, they went on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS in three straight games to reach the World Series. They proceeded to win the title in four straight games over the New York Yankees. They were the third and most recent National League team to achieve this distinction, and the first since the 1921–22 New York Giants. The Reds drew 2,629,708 fans to their home games at Riverfront Stadium, an all-time franchise attendance record.^[1] As mentioned above, the Reds swept through the entire postseason with their sweeps of the Phillies and Yankees, achieving a record of 7-0. As of, the Reds are the only team in baseball history to sweep through an entire postseason in the divisional era.

Offseason

October 24, 1975: Joaquín Andújar was traded by the Reds to the Houston Astros for players to be named later. The Astros completed the deal by sending Luis Sánchez and Carlos Alfonso (minors) to the Reds on December 12.^[2]
December 12, 1975: Clay Carroll was traded by the Reds to the Chicago White Sox for Rich Hinton and Jeff (minors).^[3]

Regular season

Season summary

The "Big Red Machine" was at the height of its power in the 1976 season, with four future Hall-of-Famers (Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Pérez, and manager Sparky Anderson), the future MLB all-time hits leader Pete Rose, and a notable supporting line up including Dave Concepción at shortstop, and Ken Griffey, César Gerónimo, and George Foster in the outfield. This would also turn out to be the final full year for the Big Red Machine, Perez would be traded in the offseason to the Montreal Expos.

The Reds retained their NL pennant by winning the NLCS in three games over the Phillies, and their second consecutive World Series title by defeating the Yankees in four games, becoming only the second team to sweep a World Series from the Yankees (following the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers). By sweeping both the Phillies and Yankees, the Reds became the first and only team to have a perfect postseason since the League Championship Series was started in 1969. Joe Morgan was the NL's Most Valuable Player for the second straight season and Johnny Bench was the World Series MVP.

To celebrate the National League's 100th anniversary, the Reds and several other teams adopted pillbox-style caps.

Notable transactions

April 5, 1976: Merv Rettenmund was traded by the Reds to the San Diego Padres for Rudy Meoli.^[4]

Roster

1976 Cincinnati Reds
Roster
Pitchers		CatchersInfielders		Outfielders		ManagerCoaches

Game log

|- style="text-align:center;"| 1 || April 8 || Houston Astros || W 11–5 || 1–0 || Gary Nolan || J. R. Richard || Pedro Borbón || 52,949|- style="text-align:center;"| 2 || April 10 || Houston Astros || W 13–7 || 2–0 || Jack Billingham || Larry Dierker || Rawly Eastwick || 16,728|- style="text-align:center;"| 3 || April 11 || Houston Astros || W 9–3 || 3–0 || Pat Darcy || Joe Niekro || || 53,390|- style="text-align:center;"| 4 || April 13 || @ Atlanta Braves || W 6–1 || 4–0 || Fred Norman || Pablo Torrealba || || 37,973|- style="text-align:center;"| 5 || April 15 || @ Atlanta Braves || L 5–10 || 4–1 || Phil Niekro || Jack Billingham || || 15,716|- style="text-align:center;"| 6 || April 16 || San Francisco Giants || L 7–14 || 4–2 || Jim Barr || Pat Darcy || || 37,147|- style="text-align:center;"| 7 || April 17 || San Francisco Giants || W 11–0 || 5–2 || Fred Norman || Ed Halicki || || 21,219|- style="text-align:center;"| 8 || April 18 || San Francisco Giants || L 1–5 || 5–3 || John Montefusco || Gary Nolan || Gary Lavelle || 23,701|- style="text-align:center;"| 9 || April 20 || San Diego Padres || L 5–7 || 5–4 || Butch Metzger || Will McEnaney || || 18,126|- style="text-align:center;"| 10 || April 21 || San Diego Padres || W 5–4 || 6–4 || Fred Norman || Dave Wehrmeister || Rawly Eastwick || 16,603|- style="text-align:center;"| 11 || April 23 || @ Montreal Expos || L 4–5 || 6–5 || Don Stanhouse || Jack Billingham|| || 5,306|- style="text-align:center;"| 12 || April 24 || @ Montreal Expos || W 6–4 (11)|| 7–5 || Rawly Eastwick || Don Carrithers || || 11,190|- style="text-align:center;"| 13 || April 25 || @ Montreal Expos || W 7–0 || 8–5 || Don Gullett || Steve Renko || Pat Darcy || 8,095|- style="text-align:center;"| 14 || April 26 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || L 9–10 || 8–6 || Tug McGraw || Rawly Eastwick || || 16,565|- style="text-align:center;"| 15 || April 27 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || W 7–3 || 9–6 || Jack Billingham || Tom Underwood || || 17,818|- style="text-align:center;"| 16 || April 28 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || L 6–7 || 9–7 || Jim Lonborg || Pat Darcy || Tug McGraw || 20,215|- style="text-align:center;"| 17 || April 30 || Montreal Expos || W 7–2 || 10–7 || Gary Nolan || Dan Warthen || || 20,166|-|- style="text-align:center;"| 26 ||May 1 || Montreal Expos || W 6–1 || 11–7 || Don Gullett || Don Carrithers || || 28,138|- style="text-align:center;"| 27 ||May 2 || Montreal Expos || L 4–8 (16) || 11–8 || Don Stanhouse|| Pat Darcy || || 49,285|- style="text-align:center;"| 28 ||May 4 || @ New York Mets || L 3–5 || 11–9 || Tom Seaver || Fred Norman || Skip Lockwood || 11,205|- style="text-align:center;"| 29 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 30 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 31 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 32 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 33 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 34 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 35 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 36 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 37 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 38 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 39 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 40 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 41 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 42 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 43 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 44 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 45 || || || || || || || |||-|- style="text-align:center;"| 46 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 47 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 48 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 49 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 50 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 51 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 52 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 53 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 54 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 55 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 56 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 57 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 58 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 59 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 60 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 61 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 62 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 63 || June 18 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || L 5–6 || 39–24 || Jim Lonborg || Jack Billingham || Gene Garber || 50,635|- style="text-align:center;"| 64 || June 19 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || W 4–3 || 40–24 || Gary Nolan || Ron Reed || Rawly Eastwick || 36,808|- style="text-align:center;"| 65 || June 20 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || L 1–6 || 40–25 || Jim Kaat || Don Gullett || || 38,669|- style="text-align:center;"| 66 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 67 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 68 || June 23 || Philadelphia Phillies || L 2–4 || 42–26 || Ron Reed || Pedro Borbón || Gene Garber || 35,266|- style="text-align:center;"| 69 || June 24 || Philadelphia Phillies || L 4–5 || 42–27 || Jim Kaat || Gary Nolan || Tug McGraw || 34,053|- style="text-align:center;"| 70 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 71 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 72 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 73 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 74 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 75 || || || || || || || |||-|- style="text-align:center;"| 76 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 77 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 78 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 79 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 80 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 81 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 82 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 83 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 84 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 85 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 86 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 87 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 88 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 89 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 90 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 91 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 92 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 93 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 94 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 95 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 96 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 97 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 98 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 99 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 100 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 101 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 102 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 103 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 104 || || || || || || || |||-|- style="text-align:center;"| 105 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 106 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 107 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 108 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 109 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 110 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 111 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 112 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 113 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 114 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 115 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 116 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 117 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 118 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 119 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 120 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 121 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 122 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 123 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 124 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 125 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 126 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 127 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 128 || August 26 || Philadelphia Phillies || L 5–4 (13)|| 80–48 || Tug McGraw || Rawly Eastwick || || 38,094|- style="text-align:center;"| 129 || August 27 || Philadelphia Phillies || W 4–1 || 81–48 || Fred Norman || Tom Underwood || Pedro Borbón || 49,821|- style="text-align:center;"| 130 || August 28 || Philadelphia Phillies || W 8–7 || 82–48 || Rawly Eastwick || Tug McGraw || || 51,091|- style="text-align:center;"| 131 || August 29 || Philadelphia Phillies || W 6–5 (15)|| 83–48 || Santo Alcalá || Jim Kaat || || 51,376|- style="text-align:center;"| 132 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 133 || || || || || || || |||-|- style="text-align:center;"| 134 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 135 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 136 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 137 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 138 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 139 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 140 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 141 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 142 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 143 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 144 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 145 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 146 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 147 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 148 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 149 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 150 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 151 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 152 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 153 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 154 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 155 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 156 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 157 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 158 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 159 || || || || || || || |||-|- style="text-align:center;"| 160 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 161 || || || || || || || |||- style="text-align:center;"| 162 || || || || || || || |||-

Player stats

=Indicates team leader

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos=Position; G=Games played; AB=At bats; R=Runs scored; H=Hits; Avg.=Batting average; HR=Home runs; RBI=Runs batted in; SB=Stolen Bases

Pos	G	AB	R	H	Avg.	HR	RBI	SB
C	135	465	62	109	.234	16	74	13
1B	139	527	77	137	.260	19	91	10
2B	141	472	113	151	.320	27	111	60
3B	162	665	130	215	.323	10	63	9
SS	152	576	74	162	.281	9	69	21
LF	144	562	86	172	.306	29	121	17
CF	149	486	59	149	.307	2	49	22
RF	148	562	111	189	.336	6	74	34

^[5]

Other batters

Note: G=Games played; AB=At bats; R=Runs scored; H=Hits; Avg.=Batting average; HR=Home runs; RBI=Runs batted in; SB=Stolen Bases

G	AB	R	H	Avg.	HR	RBI	SB
98	219	32	54	.247	7	44	14
93	219	20	62	.283	1	20	2
56	153	16	38	.248	4	19	0
84	136	15	31	.228	3	20	0
69	124	17	37	.298	6	23	0
55	57	8	11	.193	0	1	1
3	4	0	2	.500	0	1	0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G=Games pitched; IP=Innings pitched; W=Wins; L=Losses; ERA=Earned run average; SO=Strikeouts

G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
34	239.1	15	9	3.46	113
38	204.0	14	7	2.74	143
33	180.1	12	7	3.10	126
34	177.0	12	10	4.32	76
30	132.0	11	4	4.70	67
23	126.0	11	3	3.00	64

Other pitchers

Note: G=Games pitched; IP=Innings pitched; W=Wins; L=Losses; ERA=Earned run average; SO=Strikeouts

Relief pitchers

Note: G=Games pitched; W=Wins; L=Losses; SV=Saves; ERA=Earned run average; SO=Strikeouts

G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
71	11	5	26	2.09	70
69	4	3	8	3.35	53
55	2	6	7	4.85	28
22	5	1	0	2.06	20
12	1	2	0	7.64	8
4	2	0	0	0.00	7

Postseason

NLCS

See main article: 1976 National League Championship Series.

Game 1

October 9, Veterans Stadium

Team	width=6%	1	width=6%	2	width=6%	3	width=6%	4	width=6%	5	width=6%	6	width=6%	7	width=6%	8	width=6%	9	width=6%	R	width=6%	H	width=6%	E
Cincinnati	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	3	0	6	10	0
Philadelphia	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	6	1
W: Don Gullett (1–0) L: Steve Carlton (0–1) SV: None
HRs: CIN – George Foster (1) PHI – None

Reds starter Don Gullett held the Phils to two hits in eight strong innings and helped his own cause with an RBI single in the sixth and a two-run double in the eighth. George Foster added a solo homer.

Game 2

October 10, Veterans Stadium

Team	width=6%	1	width=6%	2	width=6%	3	width=6%	4	width=6%	5	width=6%	6	width=6%	7	width=6%	8	width=6%	9	width=6%	R	width=6%	H	width=6%	E
Cincinnati	0	0	0	0	0	4	2	0	0	6	6	0
Philadelphia	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	10	1
W: Pat Zachry (1–0) L: Jim Lonborg (0–1) SV: Pedro Borbón (1)
HRs: CIN – None PHI – Greg Luzinski (1)

Game 3

October 12, Riverfront Stadium

Team	width=6%	1	width=6%	2	width=6%	3	width=6%	4	width=6%	5	width=6%	6	width=6%	7	width=6%	8	width=6%	9	width=6%	R	width=6%	H	width=6%	E
Philadelphia	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	2	1	6	11	0
Cincinnati	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	3	7	9	2
W: Rawly Eastwick (1–0) L: Gene Garber (0–1) SV: None
HRs: CIN – George Foster (2) Johnny Bench (1) PHI – None

1976 World Series

See main article: 1976 World Series.

Summary

NL Cincinnati Reds (4) vs. AL New York Yankees (0)
width=	Game	width=	Road	width=	Home	width=	Score	width=	Date	width=	Location	width=	Attendance	width=	Time of Game
1	Yankees	Reds	5–1	Sat. Oct 16 (D)	Riverfront Stadium	54,826	2:10
2	Yankees	Reds	4–3	Sun. Oct 17 (N)	Riverfront Stadium	54,816	2:33
3	Reds	Yankees	6–2	Tue. Oct 19 (N)	Yankee Stadium	56,667	2:40
4	Reds	Yankees	7–2	Thu. Oct 21 (N)	Yankee Stadium	56,700	2:36

Awards and honors

Johnny Bench, Babe Ruth Award
Johnny Bench, World Series Most Valuable Player Award
Pete Rose, Roberto Clemente Award

1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Johnny Bench, catcher, starter
Joe Morgan, second base, starter
Pete Rose, third base, starter
Dave Concepción, shortstop, starter
George Foster, outfield, starter
Tony Pérez, first base, reserve
Ken Griffey, Sr., outfielder, reserve

^[6]

Farm system

References

1976 Cincinnati Reds season at Baseball Reference
Book: Johnson. Lloyd. Wolff. Miles. The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. 2nd. Durham, North Carolina. Baseball America. 1997. 978-0-9637189-8-3.

Notes and References

Web site: Cincinnati Reds Attendance Records. Baseball Almanac.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/a/andujjo01.shtml Joaquín Andújar
https://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hintora01.shtml Rich Hinton
https://www.baseball-reference.com/r/retteme01.shtml Merv Rettenmund
Web site: 1976 Cincinnati Reds Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. June 8, 2012.
Web site: 1976 All-Star Game. Baseball-almanac.com. July 13, 1976. June 8, 2012.