Making the Big Red Machine

With a line-up that included future Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and Pete Rose, Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” powered its way in the 1970s to six division titles, four pennants, and two World Series. Three other times in that decade they finished second in their division to the eventual pennant winner.
While much has been written about the players and manager Sparky Anderson, no book until now has given adequate attention to the man behind the Machine, general manager Bob Howsam. From his hire in 1967 through the end of his first stint with the Reds in 1978, Howsam brought about a remarkable change in fortune for the Reds, who had claimed only one pennant in the 26 years before his arrival. This detailed history of baseball’s last dynasty shows not only how the team performed but why, delving into the off-field strategy and moves behind the Reds’ success.

Daryl Smith is the Dean of the School of Business at Cincinnati Christian University where he teaches leadership in for profit (to include sports) as well as non-profits organizations. He is a lifelong Reds fan, who attended the first game at Riverfront Stadium and World Series games in 1970, 1972, and 1975.

Daryl Smith
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 360
Bibliographic Info: 78 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3980-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi

Foreword by Lee May      1

Preface      3

Introduction      5

1. A New Beginning      11

2. Entering the Big Time      23

3. The New Era Begins: January–April 1967      35

4. More Talent, Little Improvement: 1967–1969      46

5. A New Captain: October 1969      55

6. The Big Red Machine: April–September 1970      67

7. The First Series: October 1970      77

8. The Dismal Year: 1971      91

9. The Trade: December 1971      108

10. Rolling Again: April–September 1972      116

11. A Second Series: October 1972      126

12. Adversity: November 1972–August 1973      148

13. Trying Again: August 1973–October 1973      160

14. The NL West: October 1973–September 1974      170

15. The Missing Piece: October 1974–September 1975      184

16. The Greatest Series Ever Played: October 1975      196

17. The Greatest Game Ever Played: October 1975      205

18. A Machine in Motion: December 1975–October 1976      219

19. Complete and Total Domination: October 1976      239

20. Two Trades, One Year: December 1976–September 1977      252

21. Time to Move On: December 1977–February 1978      267

22. A New Sheriff in Town: March 1978–September 1978      275

23. The Machine Stops Running: Fall 1978–October 1979      287

Epilogue      304

Appendix. Where Are They Now?      319

Chapter Notes      333

Bibliography      339

Index      341

“gives the reader a new take on well known events and situations…definitely a book for every Reds collection”—Reds Report.