From ESPN.com: The Reds would go on to win the 1990 World Series defeating the heavily-favored A's in four games - all in Piniella's first season with the Reds. Incredibly, Sweet Lou and the Reds would part ways just two years later after the 1992 season. Piniella would go on to have successful runs with the Mariners, Devil Rays, and Cubs. Piniella retired today to be with his ailing mother - and you can watch his tearful press conference here.Aug. 21, 1990. Riverfront Stadium. Dutch Rennert called Barry Larkin out at first at the end of the fifth inning. Reds manager Lou Piniella comes out to argue the call. He throws his hat down. Rennert ejects him on the spot. But wait, there's more. Piniella pulls up first base and throws it, and, dissatisfied with his first toss, picks it up and hurls it again, sending it flying and rolling all the way into short right.
"I just saw it (the base) laying next to my feet," Piniella said after the game. "That just happened. You come in here and say to yourself, 'What the hell is a 47-year-old man doing that for?' I don't know. It's frustration. The bag was lying there, and I grabbed it. Dutch Rennert is a fine umpire, and I didn't want to show him up. I'll talk to him tomorrow before the game."
Lou - thanks for throwing the base, kicking the dirt, fighting with Dibble, and bringing us a World Series.
The black and white photo is appropriate because it seems like a hundred years ago. That was a fun team to watch. With Piniella managing a team with Sabo, Browning, Charlton, Myers and Dibble, it was definitely a case of an inmate running the asylum. BTW: Just looked it up . . . Starting pitcher Jack Armstrong, 12-9, 3.42 ERA, salary? . . . $107,500.00.
ReplyDeleteA GREAT PLAYER AND MANAGER. this guy deserves the Hall of Fame. Good luck in Retirement !
ReplyDeleteOh my, thinking back to that 1990 World Series Championship team. First NL team to go "wire-to-wire"...The Nasty Boys...Ken Griffy, Sr. and his last hurrah with the Reds before being released to go play with his son...the game saving catch by, I think, Rolando Roomes, in RF against the Pirates late in Game 6 to preserve the Reds win in the game and NLCS...and the abundance of World Series memories, too! Billy Hatcher setting records with 7 straight hits and Batting Average in a Series...Game 2, where Tom Browning was with his wife in the delivery room at the hospital when the game went to extra innings and Marty Brennaman sending out a message to Tom Browning over the radio that he is needed back at Riverfront to pitch, which message was also relayed over national TV. Reds win that game when Billy Bates scores from 2nd in the 10th...Game 3 with Chris Sabo blasting two homers and Reds thrashing the A's at their place. Then Game 4, where all sorts of craziness ensued - Billy Hatcher hurts his wrist (HBP in top of 1st, maybe?) and is deemed out for the series early in the game. Eric Davis dives for a ball (bottom of 1st?) and hurts his kidney, I believe, and is out for the series. The Reds only carried 5 OF for the series and were down to Paul O'Neil, Herm Winningham, and Glenn Braggs. If the series extended past Game 4, the Reds could not add any more players because of the rules at that time (since changed, I believe). If someone else went down, Billy Bates would have been sent out there to "figure it out." As a sub, Glenn Braggs breaks his bat over his BACK on a swing-and-miss strike. That dude was a BEAST! Jose Rijo pitches the Reds into the 9th Inning, where they had a 2-1 lead thanks to scoring two runs in the 8th on "small ball." Randy Myers pitches the last two outs, "Benzinger backing and calling...and the 1990 World Championship belongs to the Cincinnati Reds!!!" Rijo the MVP. Eric Davis felt "left out" because the Reds didn't get him home fast enough from the hospital after they won the series or something.
ReplyDeleteOh, the 1990 Cincinnati Reds. I may still have a 1990 World Series Champions shirt in my wardrobe somewhere if I look hard enough!
No, just remembered...Glenn Braggs made the catch that took a homer away from the Pirates in Game 6. Not Roomes.
ReplyDeleteOh, memories. Sometimes they fade! :)