1990 Cincinnati Reds season

MLB yearly infobox alt
name = Cincinnati Reds
season = 1990
misc = 1990 NL West Champions
1990 NL Champions
1990 World Series Champions

current league = National League
y1 = 1890
Uniform
division = National League West
y2 = 1969
ballpark = Riverfront Stadium
y4 = 1970
city = Cincinnati, Ohio
y5 = 1882
owners = Marge Schott
general managers = Bob Quinn
managers = Lou Piniella
television = WLWT
(Tom Hume, Johnny Bench)
radio = WLW
(Marty Brennaman, Joe Nuxhall)|

The Cincinnati Reds' 1990 season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Reds winning the National League West, as well as the National League Championship Series in six games over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the World Series in four straight games over the Oakland Athletics, who had won the World Series the previous year.

Offseason

*December 6, 1989: Randy Myers was traded by the New York Mets with Kip Gross to the Cincinnati Reds for John Franco and Don Brown (minors). [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/myersra01.shtml Randy Myers Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]
*December 12, 1989: Tim Leary was traded by the Cincinnati Reds with Van Snider to the New York Yankees for Hal Morris and Rodney Imes (minors). [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/learyti01.shtml Tim Leary Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]

Regular season

Led by new manager Lou Piniella, the Reds achieved the rare feat of being in first place everyday of the season.

The Nasty Boys

Another new face in the Reds locker room was Randy Myers. He was acquired from the New York Mets for closer John Franco, and became part of the Nasty Boys, along with Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton. Charlton, Dibble, and Myers combined for 44 saves (Myers with 31, Dibble with 11, and Charlton with 2). Myers would become one of the league's elite closers while being selected as an All-Star in 1990. Myers would win his second World Championship as the Reds swept the Oakland Athletics.

: "The Nasty Boys — The Reds' three flame-throwing relievers, Randy Myers, Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton, emerged as arguably the deepest and most talented late-inning pitchers in postseason history." — John Erardi and John Fay, The Cincinnati Enquirer [http://reds.enquirer.com/2002/06/23/red_surprise_90_series.html]

National Anthem

On July 25, 1990, Roseanne Barr performed a controversial rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" before a Cincinnati Reds-San Diego Padres baseball game in San Diego, California. As she later reported, she was initially having trouble hearing herself over the public-address system, so she was singing as loudly as possible, and her rendition of the song sounded "screechy". Following her rendition, she mimicked the often-seen actions of players by spitting and grabbing her crotch as if adjusting a protective cup. Barr claimed she had been encouraged by baseball officials to "bring humor to the song". The song and the closing routine offended many in the audience, and it was replayed frequently on television, drawing further attention to it.

eason standings

Notable Transactions

*June 4, 1990: Dan Wilson was drafted by the Reds in the 1st round of the 1990 amateur draft. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1990&round=1&draft_type=junreg Baseball Draft: 1st Round of the 1990 June Draft - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]
* August 24, 1990: Ken Griffey, Sr. was released by the Cincinnati Reds. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/griffke01.shtml Ken Griffey Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]

Roster

Other batters

"Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In"

National League Championship Series

Game 1

October 4: Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio

Game 4

October 9: Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

World Series

The World Series between the Oakland Athletics and the Reds featured friends at the managerial level. Athletics manager Tony La Russa and Reds manager Lou Piniella were old friends and teammates from their Tampa American Legion Post 248 team.

Before the Series, Chicago Tribune columnist Mike Royko issued the stunning prediction that the heavily favored A's were "doomed", based on the "Ex-Cubs Factor". When the prediction came true, it fueled new interest in that arguably spurious correlation.

Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott made a major verbal slip-up when she dedicated the 1990 World Series to "our women and men in the Far East" (Schott meant to say Middle East). In the very first inning of Game 1, Reds left fielder Eric Davis hit a home run in left center that nearly hit the CBS television studio where anchor Pat O'Brien was sitting.

Also in Game 1, Billy Hatcher helped out offensively in a big way by starting his streak of 7 straight hits in the series (after a walk in the 1st). Jose Rijo settled in after the early lead and cruised to a surprise Cincinnati victory. The following day, the headline of the Cincinnati Post newspaper captured the city's surprise with the headline, "DAVIS STUNS GOLIATH."

During Game 2, Reds pitcher Tom Browning's pregnant wife Debbie went into labor during the game. Debbie left her seat in the fifth inning to drive herself to the hospital. As the game went on, the Reds wanted Browning ready to pitch just in case the game went well into extra innings. Thinking that Browning was en route to a nearby hospital, the Reds had their radio broadcaster Marty Brennaman put out an All Points Bulletin on Browning, a bulletin that was picked up by Tim McCarver on CBS television, who passed it along in the ninth inning.

Game 4 was a pitchers duel between Dave Stewart and Jose Rijo (the Game 1 starters) that eventually culminated in the Reds sweeping the series. The A's got on the board in the first when Willie McGee doubled and Carney Lansford singled him in. The game remained 1-0 until the 8th when the Reds finally got to Stewart.

Barry Larkin singled up the middle, Herm Winningham followed with a bunt single, and Paul O'Neill reached on a throwing error by Stewart that loaded the bases. Glen Braggs's groundout and Hal Morris's sacrifice fly gave the Reds a precious 2-1 edge which was preserved by both Rijo, who at one point retired 20 straight batters. Randy Myers, one of the Nasty Boys, appeared in relief and got the final two outs.

The 1990 World Series would be the Reds 5th championship but would also be remembered as one of the biggest upsets in baseball history. This was the last World Series to be scheduled to begin play on a Tuesday, and the first since 1984. The schedule called for the seven-game series to be held Tue-Wed, Fri-Sat-Sun, Tue-Wed. Games 5, 6, and 7, however were not necessary.

Highlights

The three primary members of the bullpen; Norm Charlton, Randy Myers, and Rob Dibble (who threw a fastball in excess of 99mph) were known as the "Nasty Boys" - and wouldn't let the A's score against them in nearly nine innings of work. Media talk of a forthcoming A's dynasty led Reds fans to call their own team the "dyNASTY."

Reds outfielder Billy Hatcher set a World Series record with seven consecutive hits. In addition, Hatcher's .750 batting average, (9 for 12), broke a mark for a four-game World Series that was previously set by Babe Ruth (.625 in 1928).

Cincinnati Reds' pitcher Jose Rijo became the second Dominican born player to earn World Series MVP honors. The first Dominican born to earn World Series MVP honors was Pedro Guerrero of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Matchups

Game 1

October 16, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio

Game 4

October 20, 1990 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California

: [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/baseballs_best/mlb_bb_gamepage.jsp?story_page=bb_90ws_gm4_cinoak mlb.com coverage of Game 4]

Composite Box

1990 World Series (4-0): Cincinnati Reds (N.L.) over Oakland Athletics (A.L.)

Awards and Honors

* Jack Armstrong, Pitcher of the Month Award, May
* Rob Dibble, Relief Pitcher and Randy Myers, Relief Pitcher, NLCS MVP
* Billy Hatcher, Outfield, Babe Ruth Award
* Barry Larkin, Shortstop, National League Silver Slugger Award
* Jose Rijo, Pitcher, World Series MVP

All-Star Game
* Jack Armstrong, Pitcher, Starter
* Chris Sabo, Third Base, Starter

* Rob Dibble, Relief Pitcher, Reserve
* Barry Larkin, Shortstop, Reserve
* Randy Myers, Relief Pitcher, Reserve

References

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1990.shtml 1990 Cincinnati Reds season at Baseball Reference]
* [http://baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1990&t=CN5 1990 Cincinnati Reds season at Baseball Almanac]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=dynasties/reds/080226 1990 Reds: The Nasty Boys]