Reds win one of the most dominating playoff games in franchise history

By the numbers...

Reds win 9-0 shutout
- only the 12th MLB playoff shutout victory by 9 runs or more
- the largest Reds playoff shutout (previous record was 7-0 in 1990 WS game 1)
- only the 55th MLB playoff team pitching game allowing 2 or fewer hits, and the 4th by the Reds
- tied for the largest Reds playoff game winning margin (with 10-1 win in 1995 NLDS game 3)
- the 7th shutout in Reds playoff history, first since 7-0 in 1990 WS game 1
- only the 4th time the Reds have scored 9+ runs in a playoff game

Bronson Arroyo sparkles like a teen vampire
- the first 7+ inning game, allowing 1 or fewer hits, by a Reds pitcher in team playoff history
- only the 6th MLB playoff starting pitching performance of 7+ innings and 1 hit or fewer, 1 walk or fewer
- only the 14th Reds playoff starting pitching game score of 70 or higher

Brandon Phillips and Co. make individual offensive history for a Reds playoff game
- DatDudeBP is now tied for 19th in Reds playoff hits (9) and RBI (5) 
- Ryan Hanigan got his first three career playoff RBI, and Drew Stubbs got his first career playoff RBI
- Ryan Hanigan was only the 17th Reds player ever with 3+ RBI in a playoff game
- Scott Rolen had his 12th career playoff RBI, but first with the Reds

The Reds are now 8-1 all-time in playoff games on the west coast.

Most importantly, they're coming home with a 2-0 lead in the NLDS.

History of the Reds in the Postseason

(updated 4/7/15)

The Cincinnati Reds are widely considered one of the most "history-rich" franchises in baseball.  Unfortunately, the decade of the 1970s was the only one in which the team enjoyed sustained success in the form of postseason appearances.  

Of course, it was more difficult to make it to October baseball in the past.  Until 1969, there was no League Championship Series - only a World Series for the top team in each league.  And the first Division Series (other than its temporary implementation in 1981 strike year) didn't occur until 1995.

The Reds have made it to the playoffs 15 times.  They've won 9 NL pennants (5 by winning a series, 4 by simply having the best regular season record).  

And of course, the Reds have 5 World Championships - 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976 and 1990.

In their 15 appearances, the Reds' records are as follows:

11 series wins, 9 series losses overall

49 game wins, 46 game losses overall

0-1 record in the Wild Card play-in matchup

1 series win, 2 series losses (5-6 game record) in NLDS

5 series wins, 3 series losses (18-14 game record) in NLCS

5 series wins, 4 series losses (26-25 game record) in World Series


The teams the Reds have met, listed by most wins against them:

13-8 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (beat them in NLCS in 1970, 1972, 1990, but swept by them in 1979, lost 2013 play-in)

7-4 vs. Oakland Athletics (lost World Series in 7 games in 1972, swept them in 1990)

5-3 vs. Chicago White Sox (won 1919 "Black Sox Scandal" World Series)

5-8 vs. New York Yankees (lost 1939 and 1961 World Series, won 1976 World Series)

4-3 vs. Detroit Tigers (won 1940 World Series in 7 games)

4-3 vs. Boston Red Sox (won 1975 World Series in 7 games)

3-0 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (won 1995 NLDS)

3-3 vs. Philadelphia Phillies (won 1976 NLCS, lost 2010 NLDS)

2-3 vs. San Francisco Giants (lost 2012 NLDS)

2-3 vs. New York Mets (lost 1973 NLCS)

1-4 vs. Baltimore Orioles (lost 1970 World Series)

0-4 vs. Atlanta Braves (lost 1995 NLCS)

As you can see, the Reds have actually played more playoff games against American League competition (51 games, with a 26-25 record) than against the NL (44 games, with a 23-21 record).  That's because a few of their appearances came before the existence of the NLCS - plus, until 1985, the NLCS was only best-of-five.

Finally, here are the specific series results listed chronologically:

1919 - Won World Series 5-3 vs. Chicago

1939 - Lost World Series 0-4 vs. New York

1940 - Won World Series 4-3 vs. Detroit

1961 - Lost World Series 1-4 vs. New York

1970 - Won NLCS 3-0 vs. Pittsburgh, Lost World Series 1-4 vs. Baltimore

1972 - Won NLCS 3-2 vs. Pittsburgh, Lost World Series 3-4 vs. Oakland

1973 - Lost NLCS 2-3 vs. New York

1975 - Won NLCS 3-0 vs. Pittsburgh, Won World Series 4-3 vs. Boston

1976 - Won NLCS 3-0 vs. Philadelphia, Won World Series 4-0 vs. New York

1979 - Lost NLCS 0-3 vs. Pittsburgh

1990 - Won NLCS 4-2 vs. Pittsburgh, Won World Series 4-0 vs. Oakland

1995 - Won NLDS 3-0 vs. Los Angeles, Lost NLCS 0-4 vs. Atlanta

2010 - Lost NLDS 0-3 vs. Philadelphia

2012 - Lost NLDS 2-3 vs. San Francisco

2013 - Lost Wild Card play-in game to Pittsburgh

Phillips, Arroyo in all the major Reds all-time top 25 lists

Even including players from the 19th century, the names "Brandon Phillips" and "Bronson Arroyo" appear high on the lists for virtually all the main cumulative stats among Reds hitters and pitchers, respectively.

Close behind them, and sure to eventually overtake them in a lot of categories: Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto.

Here are all the major cumulative rankings for active players among all-time Reds hitters and pitchers:

Home Runs (all-time leader: Bench)
16th - Phillips
17th - Bruce
T-18th - Votto

Hits (all-time leader: Rose)
T-21st - Phillips
47th - Votto

Doubles (all-time leader: Rose)
20th - Phillips
23rd - Votto

RBI (all-time leader: Bench)
25th - Phillips
32nd - Votto
49th - Bruce

Stolen bases (all-time leader: McPhee)
25th - Phillips
42nd - Stubbs

Games started (all-time leader: Rixey)
12th - Arroyo
33rd - Cueto
47th - Bailey

Innings pitched (all-time leader: Rixey)
24th - Arroyo
47th - Cueto

Wins (all-time leader: Rixey)
T-22nd - Arroyo
T-39th - Cueto

Strikeouts (all-time leader: Maloney)
12th - Arroyo
22nd - Cueto
36th - Bailey

Can Joey Votto still win the batting title?

The answer is yes, but it would be extremely difficult thanks to the minimum of 502 plate appearances.  With Melky Cabrera now disqualified, Votto's chances have improved.

Currently, Votto has 426 PAs.  If you finish with less than 502, you can still win the batting title as long as the addition of the necessary PAs, in the form of hitless at-bats, still gives you a high enough average.  This is according to MLB rule 10.22(a).

So let's calculate his current "effective" average.

Joey has 116 hits in 339 at-bats, for a true average of .342 (behind only the now-disqualified Melky Cabrera)

However, you have to currently add 76 imaginary, hitless at-bats (to bring him from 426 to 502 PAs).

So Votto's "effective" average is only .280 (116 hits in 415 ABs).

For the remainder of the season, two things can help him dramatically raise that effective average:

- HITS (obviously)

- BB, HBP, SF, etc... (any PA that doesn't count as an AB)

Hits will help improve the numerator of his "effective" average, which currently sits at 116.

The non-AB PAs will help reduce, thereby improving, the denominator which is currently 415.



So now we can discuss the sort of average Joey might finish with.  There are only 12 games remaining.  We might expect him to perform roughly the same way he has over the past 12 games (keeping in mind that he likely won't even play in a couple of them, and certainly won't START all 12).

If Votto matches his production from the previous 12, he would accumulate 12 more hits and 14 more PAs which do not count as ABs.

Add the 12 hits to the current 116 = 128

Subtract the 14 non-AB PAs from the current 415 effective ABs = 401

Divide 128 by 401...


The effective average would be .319 - very good, but almost certainly not good enough to beat McCutchen (sitting at .339) or Posey (.335).

Let's say JDV really goes crazy and gets 18 hits and the same 14 non-AB PAs over the final 12 games.  

Add the 18 to the current 116 hits = 134

Subtract the 14 non-AB PAs from the current 415 effective ABs = 401

134/401 = .334, which would definitely put him in contention.

So in conclusion...there is still a possibility, but it's a very slim possibility.  And I think we'd all rather have a healthy Joey in the playoffs than worry about him pushing for personal distinction.  Stand-up guy that he is, Votto would be the first to agree.

Cincinnati Reds: August 2012 Summary

The Reds went 19-11 in August, which was their second-best mark of 2012 (behind the 19-7 record in July).  They now sit at 81-52, with the most wins in all of baseball and only a slightly worse winning percentage than the Washington Nationals.  Because both Pittsburgh and St. Louis struggled a bit, they both fell farther behind in the NL Central.  The Reds' lead over Pittsburgh expanded from 3 to 10 games, and their lead over St. Louis from 7 to 9.5 games.
Cincinnati played 8 complete series in August, winning 5 (one sweep at Arizona), losing 2 (one sweep at Milwaukee) and splitting 1 (at Philadelphia).  At the start of the month, they also finished off a winning series at home against San Diego with two wins.  At the end of the month, they won the first game of a series in Houston.

**The Reds already have six different winning streaks of 5+ games this season, and could make it seven with a win on September 1st**

Home record: 10-5 (4-1 to finish their first stand, 5-2 in the second, then lost a series against St. Louis)
Road record: 9-6 (3-4 in the Milwaukee/Chicago trip, 2-2 in Philly, 4-0 so far in Arizona/Houston)

vs East: 4-3
vs Central: 10-8 (a little disappointing)
vs West: 5-0

Overall offensive trends: The offense continued its successful summer, in fact posting its best batting average of the year (.272) in spite of missing Votto for the entire month.  Ludwick, Rolen and Frazier continues to star.  Bruce stepped up after a mediocre July.  Heisey has emerged as a possible hope in CF after Stubbs returned to poor form after his deceiving pre-deadline surge.  The team also slugged an impressive 38 HR in 30 games, with Ludwick and Bruce providing 7 each.


Overall pitching trends: The staff actually had its worst month of the year as a whole, but the numbers were still fairly good, which goes to show how much improvement the organization has had since recent years.  Both the starters (3.96 ERA) and relievers (3.31 ERA) had their worst marks.  There were still some impressive individual performances, and they closed out the month with four straight solid outings on the road.

Individual hitting trends: 

UP significantly from July (20 or more OPS+ points): Cairo +65, Hanigan +55, Bruce +50, Cozart +44, Frazier +30

DOWN significantly from July (20 or more OPS+ points): Paul -163, Mesoraco -96, Valdez -81, Stubbs -67, Ludwick -22

No significant change: Rolen, Heisey, Phillips (all had good months)....Votto (still injured)

New arrivals: Dioner Navarro had only 6 hits but two were key homers.




Individual pitching trends:

UP significantly from July: Latos, Simon, Leake, Arredondo

DOWN significantly from July: LeCure, Marshall, Bailey, Arroyo (only in terms of ERA), Ondrusek

No significant change: Chapman (still dominant), Cueto (still dominant)




New arrivals: Hoover was awesome in his return, trade acquisition Broxton has been pretty solid overall, and Redmond was shaky in his fill-in start


And finally, my "Randy Awards" for the month of August...

RANDY HITTER: Todd Frazier.  The clear favorite for NL Rookie of the Year went .330/.393/.587 with 6 HR, 8 doubles and a team-leading 25 RBI.

Honorable mention: Ryan Ludwick, Jay Bruce

RANDY MOST IMPROVED HITTER: Ryan Hanigan.  A guy with only 19 RBI on the year had 7 in August, including some very key hits (one of them a walk-off).

RANDY STARTER: Johnny Cueto.  Our ace was awesome again...4-1, 2.76, 0.85 WHIP.  38 K and only 7 walks.

Honorable mention: Mat Latos had a 2.61 ERA and insufficient run support.  Bronson Arroyo had 5 wins.

RANDY MOST IMPROVED STARTER: Mike Leake.

RANDY RELIEVER: Aroldis Chapman, again.  After a spotless July, allowed only one run in August.  0.68 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 18 K and 2 walks in 13 IP.  11 for 11 in save opportunities.

RANDY MOST IMPROVED RELIEVER: Jose Arredondo.  After a poor July, posted a 2.61 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in August to return to form.

RANDY NOOB: Dioner Navarro.  Two key and unexpected homers.

RANDY SINGLE-GAME HITTING PERFORMANCE: Brandon Phillips.  He hates the WLBs, and he gave a hell of a performance on August 25th in helping the Reds win at least one game of the home St. Louis series.  BP went 3 for 5 with a homer and 2 important RBI in an 8-2 win.

RANDY SINGLE-GAME PITCHING PERFORMANCE: Mike Leake.  When people looked at the Leake/Dickey matchup on August 15th, they probably didn't expect Leake to dominate it.  But he did.  In that 6-1 win, he tossed a complete game, allowing only 1 run and 4 hits.  Leake struck out 4 and didn't walk a batter.  Meanwhile, the Reds offense went yard multiple times off the knuckleballer in his support.

Top 20 Shutdown Relief Pitching Seasons in MLB History

Only 30 individual relief pitching seasons in MLB history meet all of the following requirements:

- at least 60 innings pitched
- an ERA+ of 250 or higher
- a WHIP of 0.90 or lower
- WAR of 3 or more
- K/BB ratio of 3 or higher

All but four of those occurred since 1990, which isn't surprising because of the increased specialization of relief pitchers, with special emphasis on having a "shutdown closer."

Appearing multiple times on the list:
Bryan Harvey - 1991 with the Angels, 1993 with the Marlins
Craig Kimbrel - 2012 and 2013 with the Braves
Joe Nathan - 2006 with the Twins, 2013 with the Rangers
Mariano Rivera - 2005 and 2008 with the Yankees

I wanted to make a list of the best shutdown seasons ever, factoring in the categories listed above as well as K/9 and OPS+ against.  You might notice (and even, possibly, object) that I'm neglecting saves.  Sorry, but the stat is almost completely meaningless.

Here are my top 20 shutdown relief seasons in MLB history....

1) Craig Kimbrel, 2012 Atlanta Braves
IP: 62.2
ERA+: 399 (4th)
WHIP: 0.654 (3rd)
WAR: 3.3 (24th)
K/9: 16.66 (1st)
K/BB: 8.29 (6th)
OPS+ against: 1 (1st)
Total ranking points: 39
Traditional stats: 3-1, 42 saves, 1.01 ERA

2) Eric Gagne, 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers  
He won the NL Cy Young for this season, and rightfully so.
IP: 82.1
ERA+: 337 (10th on the list)
WHIP: 0.692 (5th)
WAR: 3.6 (14th)
K/9: 14.98 (3rd)
K/BB: 6.85 (7th)
OPS+ against: 4 (2nd)
Total ranking points: 41
Traditional stats: 2-3, 55 saves, 1.20 ERA

3) Koji Uehara, 2013 Boston Red Sox
IP: 74.1
ERA+: 379 (7th)
WHIP: 0.565 (1st)
WAR: 3.6 (18th)
K/9: 12.23 (10th)
K/BB: 11.22 (3rd)
OPS+ against: 8 (3rd)
Total ranking points: 42
Traditional stats: 4-1, 21 saves, 1.09 ERA

4) Mariano Rivera, 2008 New York Yankees.  
Incredibly, he never won a Cy Young.
IP: 70.2
ERA+: 316 (17th)
WHIP: 0.665 (4th)
WAR: 4.3 (3rd)
K/9: 9.81 (21st)
K/BB: 12.83 (2nd)
OPS+ against: 10 (5th)
Total ranking points: 52
Traditional stats: 6-5, 39 saves, 1.40 ERA

5) Jonathan Papelbon, 2006 Boston Red Sox.  
IP: 68.1
ERA+: 517 (3rd)
WHIP: 0.776 (9th)
WAR: 5.0 (2nd)
K/9: 9.88 (20th)
K/BB: 5.77 (12th)
OPS+ against: 18 (12th)
Total ranking points: 58
Traditional stats: 4-2, 35 saves, 0.92 ERA

6) Dennis Eckersley, 1990 Oakland Athletics. 
He won a Cy two years later, but this year was better.
IP: 73.1
ERA+: 603 (2nd)
WHIP: 0.614 (2nd)
WAR: 3.3 (27th)
K/9: 8.96 (26th)
K/BB: 18.25 (1st)
OPS+ against: 13 (6th)
Total ranking points: 64
Traditional stats: 4-2, 48 saves, 0.61 ERA 

7) J.J. Putz, 2007 Seattle Mariners
IP: 71.2
ERA+: 319 (15th)
WHIP: 0.698 (6th)
WAR: 4.0 (8th)
K/9: 10.30 (17th)
K/BB: 6.31 (8th)
OPS+ against: 21 (14th)
Total ranking points: 68
Traditional stats: 6-1, 40 saves, 1.38 ERA

8) Billy Wagner, 1999 Houston Astros
IP: 74.2
ERA+: 287 (23rd)
WHIP: 0.777 (10th)
WAR: 3.8 (11th)
K/9: 14.95 (4th)
K/BB: 5.39 (17th)
OPS+ against: 10 (4th)
Total ranking points: 69
Traditional stats: 4-1, 39 saves, 1.57 ERA

9) Wade Davis, 2014 Kansas City Royals
IP: 72.0
ERA+: 399 (4th)
WHIP: 0.847 (17th)
WAR: 3.7 (16th)
K/9: 13.63 (6th)
K/BB: 4.74 (21st)
OPS+ against: 16 (8th)
Total ranking points: 72
Traditional stats: 9-2, 3 savs, 1.00 ERA

10) Fernando Rodney, 2012 Tampa Bay Rays
IP: 74.2
ERA+: 641 (1st)
WHIP: 0.777 (10th)
WAR: 3.8 (11th)
K/9: 9.16 (24th)
K/BB: 5.07 (19th)
OPS+ against: 18 (10th)
Total ranking points: 75
Traditional stats: 2-2, 48 saves, 0.60 ERA

11) Takashi Saito, 2007 Los Angeles Dodgers
IP: 64.1
ERA+: 319 (16th)
WHIP: 0.715 (7th)
WAR: 3.5 (20th)
K/9: 10.91 (13th)
K/BB: 6.00 (9th)
OPS+ against: 19 (13th)
Total ranking points: 78
Traditional stats: 2-1, 39 saves, 1.40 ERA

12) Rafael Betancourt, 2007 Cleveland Indians
IP: 79.1
ERA+: 307 (21st)
WHIP: 0.756 (8th)
WAR: 4.3 (4th)
K/9: 9.08 (25th)
K/BB: 8.89 (5th)
OPS+ against: 26 (19th)
Total ranking points: 82
Traditional stats: 5-1, 3 saves, 1.47 ERA

13) Bruce Sutter, 1977 Chicago Cubs
Like Eckersley, he won a Cy two years after his true best season.
IP: 107.1
ERA+: 328 (13th)
WHIP: 0.857 (19th)
WAR: 6.5 (1st)
K/9: 10.82 (14th)
K/BB: 5.61 (16th)
OPS+ against: 31 (23rd)
Total ranking points: 86
Traditional stats: 7-3, 31 saves, 1.34 ERA

14) Dellin Betances, 2014 New York Yankees
IP: 90.0
ERA+: 277 (25th)
WHIP: 0.778 (12th)
WAR: 3.7 (15th)
K/9: 13.50 (7th)
K/BB: 5.63 (14th)
OPS+ against: 26 (18th)
Total ranking points: 91
Traditional stats: 5-0, 1 save, 1.40 ERA

15) Joe Nathan, 2006 Minnesota Twins
IP: 68.1
ERA+: 284 (24th)
WHIP: 0.790 (14th)
WAR: 3.3 (25th)
K/9: 12.51 (9th)
K/BB: 5.94 (10th)
OPS+ against: 18 (12th)
Total ranking points: 94
Traditional stats: 7-0, 36 saves, 1.58 ERA

16) Aroldis Chapman, 2012 Cincinnati Reds
IP: 71.2
ERA+: 274 (26th)
WHIP: 0.809 (15th)
WAR: 3.6 (19th)
K/9: 15.32 (2nd)
K/BB: 5.30 (18th)
OPS+ against: 25 (15th)
Total ranking points: 95
Traditional stats: 5-5, 38 stats, 1.51 ERA

17) B.J. Ryan, 2006 Toronto Blue Jays
IP: 72.1
ERA+: 335 (11th)
WHIP: 0.857 (20th)
WAR: 3.5 (21st)
K/9: 10.70 (15th)
K/BB: 4.30 (24th)
OPS+ against: 17 (9th)
Total ranking points: 100
Traditional stats: 2-2, 38 saves, 1.37 ERA

18) Hung-Chih Kuo, 2010 Los Angeles Dodgers
IP: 60
ERA+: 324 (14th)
WHIP: 0.783 (13th)
WAR: 3.1 (29th)
K/9: 10.95 (12th)
K/BB: 4.06 (27th)
OPS+ against: 15 (7th)
Total ranking points: 102
Traditional stats: 3-2, 12 saves, 1.20 ERA

19) Greg Holland, 2013 Kansas City Royals
IP: 67
ERA+: 342 (9th)
WHIP: 0.866 (23rd)
WAR: 3.1 (30th)
K/9: 13.84 (5th)
K/BB: 5.72 (13th)
OPS+ against: 31 (24th)
Total ranking points: 104
Traditional stats: 2-1, 47 saves, 1.21 ERA

20) John Smoltz, 2003 Atlanta Braves
IP: 64.1
ERA+: 385 (6th)
WHIP: 0.870 (25th)
WAR: 3.3 (26th)
K/9: 10.21 (18th)
K/BB: 9.13 (4th)
OPS+ against: 36 (27th)
Total ranking points: 106
Traditional stats: 0-2, 45 saves, 1.12 ERA


Not good enough for the top 20:
1993 Harvey (108 points)
1998 Trevor Hoffman (116 points)
2005 Rivera (117 points)
1991 Harvey (121 points)
1987 Tim Burke (123 points)
1981 Rollie Fingers (125 points)
2013 Kimbrel (130 points)
1998 Michael Jackson (140 points)
2008 Joakim Soria (145 points)
2013 Nathan (149 points)

Johnny Cueto Leading MLB in Wins

After Tuesday's impressive 5-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Johnny Cueto leads MLB in wins with 17.  

Cueto is on pace for 21 wins, which would make him the first Reds pitcher to win 20+ since Danny Jackson in 1988.

Here is the short list of Cincinnati Reds pitchers who have led the NL or MLB in wins for a full season:

Reds All-Time MLB Leaders in Wins:

1923 - Dolf Luque (27 wins)

1939 - Bucky Walters (27 wins)

1943 - Elmer Riddle (21 wins - tied)

1947 - Ewell Blackwell (22 wins)

1981 - Tom Seaver (14 wins - tied)



Reds All-Time NL Leaders in Wins:

1922 - Eppa Rixey (25 wins)

1926 - Pete Donohue (20 wins - tied)

1940 - Bucky Walters (22 wins)

1944 - Bucky Walters (23 wins)

1961 - Joey Jay (21 wins - tied)

1988 - Danny Jackson (23 wins - tied)

2006 - Aaron Harang (16 wins - tied)

Aroldis Chapman, Reds Bullpen Aiming for History

Aroldis Chapman is known for two things - record-breaking heat and record-breaking strikeouts.  The Reds' 2012 bullpen, with a lot of help from Chapman, is on track to post some eye-popping numbers.

1) Chapman currently sits at 16.74 strikeouts per 9 innings.  That would be the highest rate in MLB history for any pitcher appearing in at least 25 games.

Only one other pitcher - Kenley Jansen for the Dodgers in 2011 - has ever topped 16 per 9.  Incidentally, the Braves' Craig Kimbrel is on track for a ridiculous number this year as well.  He has struck out 15.7 per 9 so far.

The Reds' Rob Dibble (in 1992) is one of only 13 previous pitchers ever to strike out more than 14 per 9 innings for a season.

2) The bullpen as a whole has struck out 10.18 batters per 9 innings.  That would be the highest rate in MLB history by any bullpen.

Only the 2010 Braves bullpen (led by Billy Wagner) ever topped 10 strikeouts per 9 innings.  They had a mark of 10.06.  The next-highest totals were posted by the 2011 White Sox and 2001 Cubs - both 9.8 per 9.

Chapman isn't the only one racking up Ks.  The other two guys in the top 3 for innings pitched in the Reds 'pen also have great strikeout rates - Sean Marshall 10.7 and Jose Arredondo 9.8.

3) The bullpen as a whole has an ERA of 2.64.  That is the best in MLB this season (by a fair margin) and it would be the best mark by any team's bullpen since the 2003 Dodgers (led by Eric Gagne's Cy Young-winning effort) posted a 2.46 ERA.

The 1942 St. Louis Cardinals had the lowest bullpen ERA ever (1.75) but the aforementioned '03 Dodgers bullpen had the best mark in comparison to the average bullpen ERA for that specific year (a remarkable 1.7 runs lower than the 2003 average).

Reds' Offensive Leaders Without Votto

The Reds are 16-4 since MVP Joey Votto went down with a torn meniscus.  A lot of the thanks has to go to the pitching staff, which was dominant during the first 13 games in his absence.  Yet, perhaps surprisingly, they've only posted 9 quality starts in the 20 games overall.  So the bullpen, without question, deserves a lot of credit as well.  

But let's not forget that a number of position players have really stepped up to fill the offensive void.  Here are the leaders in the past 20 games (July 16th through August 5th):

Runs:
1) Stubbs - 22
2) Bruce, Cozart, Phillips - 11

Hits:
1) Stubbs - 24
2) Ludwick - 21
3) Phillips - 19

Doubles:
1) Ludwick - 6
2) Bruce, Phillips - 5
3) Hanigan - 4

Triples:
1) Rolen - 2
2) Cozart, Heisey - 1

Home Runs:
1) Ludwick - 6
2) Stubbs - 5
3) Bruce, Phillips, Frazier - 3

RBI:
1) Ludwick - 21
2) Stubbs - 15
3) Phillips - 13

BB:
1) Bruce - 13
2) Rolen - 10
3) Stubbs - 9

Stolen bases:
1) Stubbs - 7
2) Bruce - 2

Batting average:
1) Ludwick, Paul - .350
3) Phillips - .339
4) Stubbs - .338
5) Rolen - .333

OPS:
1) Ludwick - 1.159
2) Stubbs - .999
3) Rolen - .986
4) Phillips - .956
5) Bruce - .871

Conclusions:
- Ludwick is definitely the Votto-less MVP
- Stubbs is the most improved player during this span, becoming the guy we all want him to be
- Phillips was putting up awesome numbers so it's too bad that he went down as well, just a few days ago
- Paul was a great shot in the arm, especially in pinch-hitting roles
- Rolen had seemed a lost offensive cause in the first half, but he has been a huge boost too
- Frazier has actually been somewhat less productive during this span, yet his overall numbers are still superb for a rookie, putting him in solid ROY contention

Cincinnati (and NL) Sacrifice Bunting Statistics

Disclaimer: Like everybody, I'm thrilled with how the Reds are playing these days.  Who wouldn't be?  With that out of the way, though...

During tonight's Reds TV broadcast, Thom Brennaman was lamenting Cincinnati's lack of bunting execution, and rightfully so.  Miguel Cairo had just fouled out on an attempt, the sixth time a Reds player has struck out while trying to bunt this year. 

Below are some statistics on success rate of NL teams.  But first, some important notes:

- I define "success rate" as:
(Hits on Sacrifice Attempts + Successful Sacrifices + Reached on Error on Sacrifice Attempt) / (Sacrifice Attempts + Strikeouts on Foul Bunts + Strikeouts on Missed Bunts). 

- You may disagree with my inclusion of errors as successes, but to some extent, placement of the bunt can lead to errors.  And more importantly, in most cases, the error is made in an attempt to record the out at first...which means it would've been a sacrifice anyway.  Besides, the Reds have reached base on errors in sacrifice attempts more (7 times) than any other NL team...so changing the methodology would only strengthen the overall point that the Reds are terrible at bunting.

- This analysis does NOT include attempts to bunt for base hits, nor those ABs in which the original intent was to bunt, but the hitter changed his mind with two strikes.  Most Reds fans, including myself, probably feel that our statistics would be among the worst in the league in these areas as well, but I can't offer any numbers on these situations at the moment.  If I figure out an accurate way to do so, I'll post it.

The best:
1) Pittsburgh - 89% success rate
2) Philadelphia - 87
3) Arizona - 83
4) Colorado - 81
5) Houston - 80
6) New York, San Diego - 79
8) Milwaukee - 78 (including a league-leading 13 base hits on their attempts)

The worst:
9) San Francisco - 77% success rate
10) St. Louis, Atlanta - 75
12) Los Angeles - 73
13) Cincinnati, Washington - 71
15) Miami - 67
16) Chicago - 61 

To make matters worse, the Reds are also second in the league in attempts (83), trailing only the Brewers (97).  Therefore, they lead the whole league in most ABs thrown away on failed sacrifice attempts:

Most failed ABs

1) Cincinnati - 24

2) Los Angeles, Milwaukee - 21
4) Chicago, Miami - 20

Just for good measure, I'll include success rate where "reached on error" is counted as a failure (although, as I said earlier, I disagree with this).

Alternate success rate rankings (reached on error counts as failure):
1) Philadelphia - 85
2) Houston - 80
3) Pittsburgh, Arizona - 79
5) New York - 75
6) San Francisco, San Diego - 74
8) Milwaukee, Atlanta - 73
10) St. Louis, Colorado - 72
12) Los Angeles - 70
13) Miami - 67
14) Washington - 64

15) Cincinnati - 63

16) Chicago - 59

And using the same method (errors count as failures):

Most failed ABs

1) Cincinnati - 31

2) Milwaukee - 26
3) Los Angeles - 23
4) Chicago - 21
5) Miami - 20

So now you may be wondering (if you made it this far) what the individual Reds' stats are in 2012....

Reds player success rate (sacrifice hits + hits / sacrifice attempts) (minimum 4 attempts)
Leake, Hanigan - 100%
Cueto - 86%
Valdez - 71%
Heisey - 60%
Latos - 58%
Bailey, Cozart, Stubbs, Arroyo - 50%

Most successful sacrifice attempts (sacrifices and base hits):
1) Cueto - 12
2) Latos - 7
3) Valdez - 5
4) Leake, Hanigan, Stubbs - 4

Most failures (force outs, strikeouts, or reached on error):
1) Latos, Bailey - 5
2) Stubbs - 4
3) Arroyo, Cozart - 3 

Cincinnati Reds: July 2012 Summary

The Reds went a ridiculous 19-7 in July (including the first 10-game winning streak since 1999) to remain in first place in the NL Central with an overall record of 62-41.  When the month began, they led Pittsburgh by 1 game.  In spite of Cincinnati's torrid pace, Pittsburgh barely lost any ground - they only trail by 3 games.  The Reds' lead over St. Louis expanded from 3.5 to 7 games.


Cincinnati won 5 series (including 4 sweeps), lost 1 (at the Dodgers) and split 1 (at home against the Diamondbacks). 



**From July 6th through July 29th, their record was an astonishing 17-2.**


Home record: 9-3 (8-2 on the only completed home stand, 1-1 ongoing)
Road record: 10-4 (4-4 to finish their 5-6 West Coast trip, 6-0 on their second trip)
vs West: 10-7
vs Central: 9-0 (nice!)


Overall offensive trends: The offense stepped up admirably in Joey's absence (he missed 15 of the 26 games).  The batting average dipped only 3 points from June to .262, and the OBP only 9 points to .323.  Five players trended up significantly in OPS+, five trended down, and three stayed about the same.  Ryan Ludwick was phenomenal, Rolen showed a surprising return to old form, and Xavier Paul provided some unexpected help as well.


Overall pitching trends: The staff was outstanding, and the main reason that the team was able to weather the Votto-less storm.  The overall ERA was 3.03 (the best of the year).  After an already-solid June, the rotation boasted even better stats, going 14-5 with a 3.29 ERA. In June, Aroldis was the only problem in the bullpen.  The exact opposite was true in July, when he was virtually the only dominant force.  Relievers not named Chapman posted a 1.68 WHIP.  But thanks to his exceptional work, the relief corps still went 5-2 overall with a 2.43 ERA. 


Individual hitting trends: 

UP significantly from June (20 or more OPS+ points): Rolen +91, Heisey +87, Ludwick +48, Mesoraco +46, Frazier +24


DOWN significantly from June (20 or more OPS+ points): Votto -102, Valdez -43, Cozart -37, Stubbs -30, Bruce -24


No significant change: Phillips, Hanigan, Cairo


Individual pitching trends:


UP significantly from June: Chapman, Arroyo, Bailey (all of whom had down months in June)

DOWN significantly from June: Leake, Simon, Arredondo

No significant change: everyone else




And finally, my "Randy Awards" for the month of July...

RANDY HITTER: Ryan Ludwick.  "Brother" led Reds regulars in batting average (.333), OPS (1.089), home runs (7) and RBI (19).

Honorable mention: Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier

RANDY MOST IMPROVED HITTER: Scott Rolen.  After looking like he was sinking toward retirement, he batted .321 in July with a .413 OBP (best among regulars).

RANDY STARTER: Homer Bailey.  4-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.23 WHIP that would've been even better without his implosion on the final day of the month.

Honorable mention: Bronson Arroyo (3-1), Johnny Cueto (4-1)

RANDY MOST IMPROVED STARTER: Also Bailey.  He was coming off a losing record and 6 ERA in June.

RANDY RELIEVER: Aroldis Chapman.  An insanely easy choice...14.1 sparkling innings of shutout ball.  Only 6 hits allowed, 2 walks, and 31 strikeouts.  A perfect 13 for 13 on saves.

RANDY MOST IMPROVED RELIEVER: Also Chapman.  June was his disaster month, with an 0-4 record and an ERA approaching 7.

RANDY NOOB: Xavier Paul.  7 for his first 13 as a Red, including 2 doubles and 2 key RBIs...we'll take it!

RANDY SINGLE-GAME HITTING PERFORMANCE: Drew Stubbs.  A guy who really needed a confidence builder provided a huge boost on July 24th at Houston, going 3 for 4 including a homer that brought the Reds from down 2-1 to up 3-2 in the top of the 9th.  That was one of the biggest hits of the entire season so far.  Altogether, he was on base 4 of 5 times, with a strikeout and CS the only two blemishes on an awesome day.

RANDY SINGLE-GAME PITCHING PERFORMANCE: Bronson Arroyo.  He started the Reds' first win streak of the month when, on July 6th at San Diego, he pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout.  Bronson struck out 8, walked 1, and needed only 110 pitches to post the best game score by any Reds pitcher this year - 88. 

Longest winning streaks in Cincinnati Reds history

Here's a list of all the double-digit winning streaks (17 total) in Reds MLB history:
1) 14 games (1899)
2) 13 games (1890)
3) 12 games (1939, 1957)
4) 11 games (1894, 1896)
5) 10 games (1882, 1884, 1895, 1897, 1919, 1939, 1943, 1975, 1998, 1999, 2012)

Of course, the 1869 Red Stockings were a perfect 65-0.  However, that was not only a different franchise than the current one - it also was not an MLB team, as it was the only fully professional team in existence at the time.

The Reds have had 16 double-digit losing streaks, including a 19-gamer in 1914.

Since 1900, the Reds have had 9 double-digit winning streaks, including the current one.

Among the previous 8, only 3 occurred as late in the season as the current one.  


Considering the season in which streaks occurred, the date at which they occurred, and the effect on the standings, here are the most important since 1900:

1) 1999. 10 game streak through July 1st.  Started behind 5.5 games, finished up a half game on Houston.  Even if they ultimately missed the playoffs because of the play-in game, this streak was huge at the time.

2) 1939.  12 game streak in May.  Started behind 1.5 games, finished up 2 games.  Eventually won the NL pennant, partly thanks to another 10-game streak in July that boosted their lead from 8 to 12 games.

3) 1919.  10 game streak through August 26th.  Started up 6 games, finished up 9 games.  Eventually won the World Series.

4) 1975.  10 game streak through July 13th.  Started up 7 games, finished up 12.5 games.  Eventually won the World Series.

5) 2012.  10 game streak (and counting) through July 29th.  Started tied in the division, currently up 3 games.    


In case you were wondering:
Longest winning streak in MLB history: 26 games (New York Giants, 1916)
Longest winning streak in AL history: 20 games (Oakland Athletics, 2002)

Bring the All-Star Game back to Cincinnati

Since 1991, 22 of the 30 current MLB franchises have opened new, baseball-specific parks.


The only exceptions (either older, non-specific to baseball, or both):
Toronto
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Dodgers
Boston
Chicago Cubs
Oakland
Kansas City
Tampa Bay


Note that Toronto, Boston, Kansas City, the Angels and the Cubs have all hosted since 1990 anyway.


And because the A's and Rays both play in such abysmal stadiums, the Dodgers are the only team listed above whose long wait (since 1980) needs to be rectified.


But to get back on topic...


Of the 22 new parks, 15 have already hosted or been chosen as host of the Midsummer Classic, and the average wait was only 4.5 years from the the park's opening.




So 7 teams haven't been reciprocated, but the following four haven't been waiting very long:
Marlins (Marlins Park) - just opened in 2012
Twins (Target Field) -  just opened in 2010
Yankees (new Yankee Stadium) - opened in 2009, and they hosted the game in old Yankee in 2008
Nationals (Nationals Park) - opened in 2008




That leaves only 3 teams which have been "screwed" to any appreciable extent:
1) Cincinnati (GABP) - opened in 2003 (9 year wait) and haven't hosted since 1988 (24 year wait)
2) San Diego (PETCO) - opened in 2004 (8 year wait) and haven't hosted since 1992 (20 year wait)
3) Philadelphia (Citizens Bank) - opened in 2004 (8 year wait) and haven't hosted since 1996 (16 year wait)


2013 is already decided (Citi Field)
2014 will be in an AL park, likely Target Field
2015 is rumored to be a battle between Nationals Park and Marlins Park
2016 will be another AL year


As you can see, it will be a ridiculous injustice if GABP isn't chosen for 2017.  Even if the Reds get 2017, the 14-year wait would be a record for new MLB parks.

Cincinnati Reds: June 2012 Summary

The Reds went 15-12 in June to remain in first place in the NL Central with an overall record of 43-34.  When the month began, they led St. Louis by 1.5 games.  That lead has expanded to 3.5, but Pittsburgh has remained a worthy challenger, trailing by only 1 game entering play on July 1st.


Cincinnati won 4 series (including consecutive sweeps of the Indians and Mets), lost 4 (including a subsequent sweep at the hands of those same Indians), and lead 2-1 in the incomplete San Francisco series.


Home record: 8-7 (5-4 on the first home stand, 3-3 on the second...overall a bit disappointing)
Road record: 7-5
vs Central: 5-4
vs East: 3-0
vs West: 2-1
vs AL: 5-7 (what else is new...they always find a way to screw up interleague play)


Overall offensive trends: The hitting side made a very respectable showing in June, with a .265 average (23 points higher than May), a .332 OBP (26 points higher) and 112 OPS+ (14 points higher).  Seven players trended up significantly in OPS+, only two went down, and four stayed about the same.  Scoring 4.7 runs a game is definitely sufficient for a playoff contender. Hopefully they can keep this production up.


Overall pitching trends: The staff had mixed but still solid results.  Its ERA was 3.62 (the worst of the year so far) but the WHIP was 1.16 - the best of the year.  The main theme of the month was that the starting pitching fared very well.  The rotation was 11-6 with a 3.74 ERA, with Cueto, Leake and Latos all in top form.  The relief pitching was due for a shaky month, and it had one...but really, the only problem was Aroldis Chapman.  His 0-4 record and 6.97 ERA for June tells the story.   Everyone else did fine, especially Marshall.  Heading forward, the rotation looks good enough to keep us in the mix (barring injury).  The closer situation is an obvious concern.


Individual hitting trends: 

UP significantly from May (20 or more OPS+ points): Valdez +132, Ludwick +49, Rolen +44, Stubbs +38, Cozart +35, Bruce +25, Phillips +24


Note that Cozart, Rolen and Valdez (especially the latter two) improved from pretty dismal previous numbers.  Improvement is still improvement though.


DOWN significantly from May (20 or more OPS+ points): Heisey -54, Hanigan -50


No significant change: Votto +5, Frazier -14, Mesoraco +1, Cairo -12


Individual pitching trends:


UP significantly from May: Marshall, Cueto, Leake, Arredondo, LeCure, Ondrusek, Latos

DOWN significantly from May: Arroyo, Bailey, Chapman, Hoover

No significant change: Simon


And finally, my "Randy Awards" for the month of June.

RANDY HITTER: Joey Votto.  Batted .392 with 6 HR, 18 RBI.  An insane 221 OPS+

Honorable mention: Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce

RANDY MOST IMPROVED HITTER: Ryan Ludwick.  Raised his OPS significantly, contributed 6 HR and 13 RBI.

RANDY STARTER: Johnny Cueto.  Went 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA, had a complete game. 

Honorable mention: Mike Leake, Mat Latos

RANDY MOST IMPROVED STARTER: Mike Leake.  Had a 2.55 ERA (1.8 runs lower) and deserved a better result than only a 2-0 record in 6 starts.

RANDY RELIEVER: Sean Marshall.  0.77 ERA and 0.60 WHIP with 9.3 K/9.  

RANDY MOST IMPROVED RELIEVER: Also Marshall (lowered his ERA another 2+ runs), for the second straight month.

RANDY NOOB: Because no significant call-ups or acquisitions were made, I'm leaving this blank.

RANDY SINGLE-GAME HITTING PERFORMANCE: Jay Bruce, 6/29 at San Francisco.  Went 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI, backing up Leake's gem in an important 5-1 win.

RANDY SINGLE-GAME PITCHING PERFORMANCE: Mat Latos, 6/25 vs Milwaukee.  Threw a dominating, 13 strikeout complete game, giving up only 1 run and 4 hits.

Reds' NL Central standing at the All-Star Break

In the 18 previous years of the NL Central's existence, the Reds have been in 1st at the break 3 times (1994, 1995, 2010) and went on to win the division in each of those years - their only three titles.


The Reds were in 2nd place at the ASB four times (1999, 2000, 2002, 2006) and finished 2nd or 3rd each of those years.

They've only improved their divisional standing (games back or games ahead) after the break four out of eighteen times - 1995 (+4), 2006 (+0.5), 2007 (+0.5) and 2010 (+4). 


In other words, let's hope that over the remaining 9 games of the first half, they can hang on to this lead.

More random notes:

Only 7 of 18 times, the Reds were .500 or above at the break.
Only 6 of 18 times, the Reds finished the season .500 or above.

The 1996 team improved from 39-43 to finish .500.
The 2002 and 2006 teams fell off their winning paces to finish below .500.


In the 14 previous years of the current 6-team configuration, the Reds have finished in the top three only 6 times.  Thankfully they've never finished dead last, a spot normally reserved for the Pirates.

Reds All-Time Offensive Leaders in Interleague Play

Since interleague play began in 1997 the Cincinnati Reds have, without question, been a team in flux.  They've made only one playoff appearance (in 2010) and the lineup, aside from a few mainstays, has shifted on an almost annual basis.


For example, the cutoff I used in comparing rate stats for this post was 55 interleague games - which is not even equivalent to four full seasons of such contests.  Even so, only 10 players made the mark.

Active players underlined.  All statistics through June 21st, 2012 - so they exclude the Reds/Twins series.


Most games:
1) Griffey - 115
2) Phillips - 106
3) Dunn - 98
4) Casey - 93
5) Larkin - 71
6) Bruce - 70
7) Votto - 67
8) Reese - 66
9) LaRue - 61
10) A. Boone - 55


Most hits: 
1) Phillips - 132
2) Griffey - 105
3) Casey - 94
4) Dunn - 87
5) Larkin - 82


Most doubles:
1) Tie - Larkin, Votto and Phillips - 18
4) Casey - 17
5) Tie - Dunn and Bruce - 16


Most triples:
1) Larkin - 4
2) Numerous others tied with 1


Most home runs:
1) Griffey - 32
2) Dunn - 28
3) Votto - 18
4) Phillips - 17


Most RBIs:
1) Griffey - 71
2) Phillips - 62
3) Dunn - 56
4) Votto - 49
5) Casey - 43


Most walks:
1) Dunn - 59
2) Griffey - 43
3) Larkin - 39
4) Votto - 38
5) Casey - 30


Most strikeouts:
1) Dunn - 125
2) Griffey - 102
3) Bruce - 72


Most stolen bases:
1) Phillips - 20
2) Reese - 14
3) Tie - Freel and Stubbs - 10


Best batting average:
1) Phillips - .317
2) Larkin - .314
3) Votto - .298


Best on-base percentage:
1) Larkin - .401
2) Votto - .394
3) Dunn - .361


The biggest surprises from this list, for me:


- Brandon Phillips dominated a bunch of categories.  I didn't expect him to have the best batting average or second-most RBIs.  Very impressive.


- Joey Votto with a batting average below .300 is a shocker.

Baseball Card Scans: 6 Murderers, 4 Mustaches and 3 Managers

Okay, so not actual murderers.  They just look like it.  But the mustaches and managers are real!


First, the guys who look like they might kill you, each in their own unique way.  Click the photos to enlarge.

On to the mustaches.  You'll notice that Tom Brookens appears again here, because he's got a killer 'stache...literally.

And finally, some early pictures of eventual managers.  How many of their teammates figured these guys would coach?

Cincinnati Sweeps Cleveland: Facts and Stats

The Reds successfully finished off a sweep of the Indians with a 12-5 afternoon victory at GABP, and are now back to their season-high mark of 8 games over .500.


- This was only the second time they've swept Cleveland in an interleague series.  The first was in May of 2008.  Cleveland has swept Cincinnati 3 times, in 1999, 2004 and 2011.


- The Reds' all-time record against Cleveland is now 39-38 in interleague play.


- This was the second-highest single-game run total for the Reds against Cleveland.  They won 14-5 on July 8th, 2000 at Cinergy Field.


- This was the highest single-game run total for the Reds in any interleague game since June 22nd, 2007 when they won 16-1 at Seattle.


- This is only the 6th time in 229 interleague games that the Reds have scored 12 or more.


- The Reds scored a total of 24 runs in the three-game series.  They've never done that against Cleveland.  


- The last time the Reds scored 24 or more in ANY three-game series was August, 2010 at Arizona (26 runs in a sweep).


- The last time the Reds scored 24 or more in a home three-game series was May, 2010 against Houston (27 runs in spite of being on the losing end of a shutout in the finale).


- The last time the Reds scored 24 or more in an interleague three-game series was June, 2005 against Tampa Bay (34 runs in a sweep).  They only accomplished it one additional time - 1999 at Kansas City (30 runs in a sweep).

- The Reds' interleague record now stands at 103-126, for a winning percentage of .450 which is still the fourth-worst in MLB.  Only the Orioles, Padres and Pirates have been worse.

Cincinnati Reds: May 2012 Summary

The Reds went 17-11 in May to surge into first place in the NL Central, holding a lead of 1.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals entering play June 1st.

Cincinnati won 5 series, split 3 and lost 2.


Home: 8-4
Road: 9-7
vs Central: 6-5
vs East: 7-4
vs West: 2-1
vs AL: 2-1

Overall offensive trends: Average stable at an ugly number (.240 April, .242 May).  OBP the same story: .306 in both months.  The only improvement was in power - slugging rose from .387 to .421, boosting the Reds' OPS+ from 95 to 98.  Bottom line: the Reds can win with this offense, but only if the pitching remains other-worldly.  They need to get on base more to help win this division.


Overall pitching trends: The starters posted almost identical, solid-but-not-spectacular numbers in May (3.86 ERA) relative to April (3.89).  The bullpen went from great to insanely great, lowering its ERA from 2.81 to 2.02 and its WHIP from 1.25 to 1.03.  All these numbers are good enough to make the playoffs.  Again, the question is offense.


Individual offensive trends:
UP significantly (40 or more OPS+ points): Votto, Heisey, Hanigan
DOWN significantly: Bruce, Cozart, Mesoraco
NOT MUCH CHANGE (GOOD): Phillips
NOT MUCH CHANGE (BAD): Stubbs


Individual pitching trends:
UP significantly: Latos, Bailey, Leake, Simon, LeCure, Marshall
DOWN significantly: Cueto, Arroyo, Ondrusek
NOT MUCH CHANGE (GOOD): Chapman, Arredondo

And finally, my "Randy Awards" for the month of May.

RANDY HITTER: 

Joey Votto - .355, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 23 walks

Honorable mention: Ryan Hanigan

RANDY MOST IMPROVED HITTER: 

Chris Heisey (raised his OPS+ by 46 points)

RANDY STARTER: 

Mat Latos (3-0, 3.26, and a 1.12 WHIP)

Honorable mention: Homer Bailey

RANDY MOST IMPROVED PITCHER: 

Mike Leake (his ERA was 2.1 runs lower)

RANDY RELIEVER: 

Aroldis Chapman (still sporting a 0.00 ERA, struck out 23 batters in May)

RANDY MOST IMPROVED RELIEVER: 

Sean Marshall (his ERA was 2.4 runs lower)

RANDY NEWBIE: 
JJ Hoover (0.90 ERA in 10 IP, 10 K) - yes he pitched in April, but May was his first full month with the Reds.

Oldest MLB franchises, cities and nicknames

For Reds fans, history is rightfully a point of pride.  But I do prefer to use facts instead of oft-repeated myths.


Professional baseball did, for all intents and purposes, start in Cincinnati in 1869.  However, that franchise is not connected to the current Cincinnati Reds as many fans believe.  In fact, it failed to remain financially viable, folded, and half the team became the original Boston Red Stockings who are now the Atlanta Braves.  Confused yet?  Good.  How about a few lists to muddy the waters a bit further?


The earliest MLB franchises still in existence (American Association, National League or American League teams):
1) Atlanta Braves (as the Boston Red Stockings, 1876 National League)
1) Chicago Cubs (as the Chicago White Stockings, 1876 National League)
3) Cincinnati Reds (as the Cincinnati Red Stockings, 1882 American Association)
3) Pittsburgh Pirates (as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, 1882 American Association)
3) St. Louis Cardinals (as the St. Louis Brown Stockings, 1882 American Association)
6) Philadelphia Phillies (as the Philadelphia Quakers, 1883 National League)
6) San Francisco Giants (as the New York Gothams, 1883 National League)
8) Los Angeles Dodgers (as the Brooklyn Atlantics, 1884 American Association)

All others began in the 20th century.




The earliest MLB franchises (still in existence) to inhabit their current cities
1) Chicago Cubs (as White Stockings in 1876)
2) Cincinnati Reds (as Red Stockings in 1882)
2) Pittsburgh Pirates (as Alleghenys in 1882)
2) St. Louis Cardinals (as Brown Stockings in 1882)
5) Philadelphia Phillies (as Quakers in 1883)
6) Detroit Tigers (1901)
6) Chicago White Sox (1901)
6) Cleveland Indians (as Blues in 1901)
6) Boston Red Sox (as Americans in 1901)
10) New York Yankees (as Highlanders in 1903) 


All others moved to, or started in, their current cities in the 1950s or later.




The earliest MLB franchises to adopt their current nicknames (even if later abandoned and re-adopted)
1) San Francisco Giants, 1885 (in New York)
2) Cincinnati Reds, 1890 (switched to Redlegs from 1954-1959, then back to Reds)
2) Philadelphia Phillies, 1890
4) Pittsburgh Pirates, 1891
5) St. Louis Cardinals, 1900
6) Detroit Tigers, 1901
6) Chicago White Sox, 1901
6) Oakland Athletics, 1901 (in Philadelphia)
9) Chicago Cubs, 1903
10) Boston Red Sox, 1908
11) Los Angeles Dodgers, 1911 (in Brooklyn, and switched to Superbas in 1913, Robins in 1914, back to Dodgers in 1932)
12) Atlanta Braves, 1912 (in Boston)
13) New York Yankees, 1913
14) Cleveland Indians, 1915


All others adopted their current names in the 1950s or later.




The earliest MLB franchises to exist with their current cities AND nickname (even if later abandoned and re-adopted)
1) Cincinnati Reds, 1890 (switched to Redlegs from 1954-1959, then back to Reds)
1) Philadelphia Phillies, 1890
3) Pittsburgh Pirates, 1891
4) St. Louis Cardinals, 1900
5) Detroit Tigers, 1901
5) Chicago White Sox, 1901
7) Chicago Cubs, 1903
8) Boston Red Sox, 1908
9) New York Yankees, 1913
10) Cleveland Indians, 1915

All others first matched the current configuration in the 1950s or later. 


The longest-standing previous forms of current franchises
1) San Francisco Giants - played as the New York Giants for 83 seasons
2) Minnesota Twins - played as the Washington Senators for 60 seasons
3) Oakland Athletics - played as the Philadelphia Athletics for 54 seasons
4) Baltimore Orioles - played as the St. Louis Browns for 52 seasons
5) Atlanta Braves - played as the Boston Braves for 41 seasons


A few oddities:


- The New York Yankees began as the Baltimore Orioles in 1901.


- The Baltimore Orioles began as the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901, then the St. Louis Browns from 1902 through 1953.


- The Dodgers have had a ridiculous number of nicknames: Atlantics, Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, back to Bridegrooms, Superbas, Dodgers, back to Superbas, Robins, and finally back to Dodgers.  That's ten different incarnations with seven different names.


- Two different current franchises began as two separate forms of the Washington Senators.  The 1901 version of the Senators eventually became the Minnesota Twins (in 1961).  The 1961 version of the Senators eventually became the Texas Rangers (in 1972).


- Of the 16 current franchises established in 1901 or earlier, only three have kept the exact same nickname throughout history: the Tigers, White Sox, and Athletics.




Baseball-reference.com was my main source for this post.  If you find any errors, don't hesitate to point them out.