96. The Big Red Machine cover art

96. The Big Red Machine

96. The Big Red Machine

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 The Cincinnati Reds won the 1975 World Series in a classic 7-game matchup against the Boston Red Sox. The recent Dodgers victory over the Blue Jays is being argued as maybe the best Fall Classic ever, but that ’75 Series saw the Reds come from behind to win all 4 of their games, including 4-3 in Game 7 at Fenway Park. The Reds had a team littered with Hall of Famers. Tony Perez, Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench as well as *Pete Rose were part of what was known as the Big Red Machine. They could do it all… Power, speed, average,, defense… the one thing they couldn’t do was win the big one. They lost to Baltimore in 5 games in 1970… to the A’s in 7 in 1972… to the Mets in the NLCS in ’73 and didn’t even make the playoffs in ’74. But a bloop single by Joe Morgan in the 9th inning brought in the winning run for the Reds who won their first World Series title since 1940! A year later, they did it again, sweeping the Yankees to make it two straight championships for the Reds. Cincinnati was the toast of baseball and the Big Red Machine was now legendary. 50 years later we’re still talking about that team and how good they were and nobody knows them better than Dr. Daryl Smith who currently serves as a Management professor at Cedarville University in Ohio. Previously, Daryl served as an Air Force office and pilot over a 24 year career. Much of his academic studies and research have centered on leadership and its role in organizational success. He has been trained to find the root causes of organizations’ successes and failures. Daryl has a long association with the Cincinnati Reds. As a boy, he attended several games at Crosley Field, the first game at Riverfront Stadium and the 1970, 1972, and 1975 World Series. Twenty years ago, Daryl met and became acquainted with Bob Howsam, the brains behind the Big Red Machine and the central figure in his book, “Making the Big Red Machine”. Daryl talks to us about the small trade that became a huge deal when Howsam acquired the diminutive Morgan from Houston. He tells us how Cincy thought he was crazy to give up so much for the future 2-time MVP. He recalls how Manager Sparky Anderson moved Rose to 3rd base and how that changed the course of history for the team. And he tells how free agency and one trade prior to the 1977 season put an end to the greatest team in Reds history. November 3rd, 1975 saw Will McEnaney leaping into the arms of Johnny Bench after winning the greatest World Series ever played and Professor Smith helps us replay that Series one last time on the Past Our Prime podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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