Reliving The 1975 World Series–Part 2

While no one had expected the Boston Red Sox to seize the American League pennant, the identity of their World Series opponent was a bit less surprising. From June through September, the Cincinnati Reds piledrived their way through the National League schedule. A fortress-like defense featuring four Gold-Glove winners helped the Reds set a major league record of 15 consecutive games without an error. Veteran sinkerballers Pedro Borbon and Clay Carroll teamed with youngsters Rawly Eastwick and Will McEnaney to form the game’s deepest and most devastating relief corps. The able-bodied bullpen supported an unimposing but solid starting rotation that carried a trio of 15-game winners. But it was on offense where the Reds made most of their headlines. The “Big Red Machine” scored 840 runs, or over 100 runs more than the next best offensive team. The Reds pilfered a league-high 168 bases, setting a record for the highest stolen base percentage in history. The National League’s most prolific base stealer, Joe Morgan, set a franchise record for most walks in a season and also drove in 94 runs on his way to eventually winning the league’s Most Valuable Player Award.

After a mediocre start that saw them split their first 40 games, the Reds began laying waste to opponents. Several lineup and roster changes spearheaded the improvement: Sparky Anderson’s recent decision to move Pete Rose from the outfield to third base; the initial insertion of Dan Driessen in left field, followed by the more permanent placement of George Foster in Rose’s departed outfield spot; and the promotion of the inimitable Eastwick from the minor leagues. With the altered roster playing a large role, the Reds won 41 of 50 games during a remarkably torrid stretch. On June 2, Cincinnati vaulted into first place. By the All-Star break, the Reds had built up a lead of 12 and a half games. Cincinnati’s remarkable play in June and July set the stage for a second-half cakewalk. The Reds officially locked up the Western Division on September 7, the earliest clinching in National League history. They ended up winning the west by 20 games (the largest margin since the Chicago Cubs of 1906), thanks to a franchise record 108 victories.

Such largesse during the regular season made the Reds prohibitive favorites in their playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. To no one’s surprise, the Reds manhandled Pittsburgh’s “Lumber Company” in the National League Championship Series. Not even the heavy-hitting lineup of the Pirates could keep pace with Cincinnati’s offense, which strafed Bucs pitching for 11 hits and eight runs in the first game. The Reds collected 12 more hits in Game Two, including three hits and a home run by Tony Perez. The third game proved a bit tougher—unsettled until extra frames—but the Reds ultimately prevailed in the 10th inning, piling up three hits and two game-deciding runs against veteran reliever Ramon Hernandez. The Reds also finished the series sweep with 11 stolen bases in 11 attempts, showing the Pirates just how diverse their offensive attack could be.

As impressively as the Reds had performed in staking supremacy in the National League, their season remained incomplete, pending the outcome of the upcoming World Series. After near misses in the post-seasons of 1970 and 1972, the Reds faced additional pressure to cap off a successful NL season with the franchise’s first major league title in some 35 years. Simply put, nothing short of a world championship flag in Cincinnati would do.