Whenever I feel the need for a little humility in my life? I think of this event... and just how fortunate I have been to actually see them play as a kid, and to see this online. It makes me cry man-tears... each and every time I witness this 💦👍💦👍
Same here. I recall the endless hours of sandlot games and actually being confused about which player we kids would call ourselves. I'm Joe Morgan! No! I want to be Joe. We always felt our Reds had so much more character than anyone else's team.
You can’t get better than the Big Red Machine. They were the greatest starting lineup you could have! I love the Reds. Now and for the rest of my life.
Was there that night and a wonderful tribute to the greatest starting 8 ever that put Cincinnati on the map. Davey deserves to be in National HOF, Rose will eventually get in I believe after he is long gone sadly.
If it doesnt make you tear up you either weren't born yet or have no appreciation for the game. There are but a few great teams that mostly played together their whole career. Seeing Pete choke up all i could think of is once they were all in their positions had someone said were playing two today boys those old beat up bodies would of said bring it on. ❤️ My one word of caution would be that saying its the greatest lineup is arguably gonna split some fans. The Yankees witb murderers row might have something to say about that. Great presentation and thanks for posting it.
I loved watching these guys play. Baseball heroes one and all. Tony Perez should have been in the Hall of Fame a lot sooner. The guy was an rbi machine and the glue that kept everything together.
Cesar Geronimo was a personal favorite of mine. I always enjoyed watching him play in centerfield and cheered for him to get a hit. Back in 1978, the day after Pete's 44 game hitting streak was snapped...in Atlanta on a Sunday afternoon, after the game Mr. Geronimo personally handed a game ball to my sister and I after the game. I still have the baseball. We were thrilled. Cesar Geronimo is a class act all the way.
Almost everyone in America loved and watched the Reds and everyone’s favorite player was always Pete Rose!! During his hitting streak everywhere I went radios were on the games following Pete! And that was a small town in Washington State! Pete led the team by his hustle and made all of these guys around him play even better! I Loved every player and Sparky and Marge too!!!
Goosebumps and tears. Being born in Cincinnati, it was an absolute honor watching, and mainly listening to, this team perform for those two seasons of 75 & 76, arguably one of the greatest MLB teams of all time, their like will never be witnessed again...
Pete has me crying..damn he was the best to ever do it..and my man Concepcion is a HOF 2300 hits 5 gold gloves 9 allstars thats a HOFer all day they need to get it right
He and Clay Carroll should be enshrined in the HOF while they can still enjoy it. I feel the same way about the Red Sox's Fred Lynn and Dwight Evans. Pete Rose and Luis Tiant also should have been inducted into the HOF while they were still alive.
I'm a Rose fan, but when Davey trotted to his position, turned and waved to the Cincinnati faithful, it was emotional. Pete teared up when he saw that infectious smile, and again when Tony took first base.
As a 60-year-old and Reds fan all of my life, I say unto you that this vid was really emotional, I lost it when Rose started sobbing, thank you for the memories.
Pete loved the game of baseball more than anyone ever has. I think even more than Shoeless Joe Jackson or Lou Gehrig. That was before baseball was all about money and selfishness - it was the greatest american game ever played. I can't say that regarding the players of the past 30 years
It was really cool! It was special my son (17 yrs old at the time) was with me so he could meet The Big Red Machine. I thought it was really cool they used the original announcer for each player. It brought a flood of memories just hearing that Riverfront Stadium announcer voice again.
I was there that night, with my dad (who grew up watching these guys tear up Major League Baseball). I've heard more stories from him than I can count. These guys are legends. Humbling to even be in the same stadium as these baseball juggernauts. #FreePete
One of the biggest sports thrills of my life was sitting in the middle deck of left field with my dad and Johnny Bench crushing a homerun in our direction. You could literally feel that entire Stadium shake.
when im dead and gone and if my story is told, i want it to start with these guys. the best childhood memories a kid from Cincinnati could possibly have. Rose, Geranimo, Bench, Concepion, Griffey, Perez, Foster and Morgan thank you for making this boys summer days the best. it truly was the best of times.
I had my son watch this video. I told him he was watching true greatness of the game. One of the greatest teams of all time. You watch this and it brings me back to a time where you had amazing ball players. It did bring a tear to my eye. What a ball club and what a manager.
As a British fan of baseball it warms my heart to see the heart of the Big Red Machine together. I can remember reading articles and books about this team. What annoys me though is Pete Rose. He belongs in the Hall of Fame. Period.
Johnny Bench was my favorite player of all time . A hero. An idol. Just like my dad was. From Loudoun County ,VA all my life, I have been a Cincinnati Reds fan since childhood and still am. I'll be 54 in July and watching this took me back to the 70s even if only for 20 minutes. Very emotional. So many memories. Reminiscing! GO REDS! ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾👍👍👍👍👍💪💪💪💪💪☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️😎😎😎😎😎
I was a Reds fan back then even though I grew up in NY. I always asked for the number 8 on my jerseys because of Joe Morgan. I played 2B and hit lefty. At 6-years-old I used to run through the Reds lineup with my Dad before I went to sleep. I still remember it. Amazing video!
That's pretty cool. I remember as a kid growing up in SW Ohio and during the sandlot games kids would literally fight over which Red's player they would be. I'm George Foster! No! I'm George Foster. Those guys were our heroes and idols.
I grew up half an hour away from riverfront Stadium in the 70s and Johnny Bench was something like a superhero to kids around here. He was on wheaties boxes, tv shows and commercials, and doing things on the field nobody else could do
This reminds me of my youth. Going to Saturday double headers at Riverfront with my dad and grandpa. So blessed to have seen one of the best teams in baseball history.
Man, the Big Red Machine dominated the 1970s. That team virtually had no weakness. They had Golden Gloves, Batting Titles, MVPS, Home Run leaders, RBI leaders, stolen base leaders. They had so many weapons on that team. They were so good, and there were no egos on that team. Individual egos was checked at the door, Sparky did not allowed it in the clubhouse or dugout.
Pete Rose said if a player was injured, sick or kicked out of the game Sparky didn't allow them to go to the clubhouse-he expected them to be in the dugout supporting the team.
Joey Brooks no egos? Pete rose? Joe Morgan? Yes they were a good team, but overrated. 1972-74 A's were better. 3 in a row. The great " big red machine" only won 2 world series. Look at the 90s-2000s braves. With all their super pitching, Maddox smoltz and glavine, they won something like 14 nl pennants? Only one world series. Was it 1995? Pretty lame.
Heres how GREAT that team was. I'd bet money if you asked 100 ball players, who really know the game, who the greatest team of all time was, THE BIG RED MACHINE WOULD GET MORE VOTES THAN ANY OTHER. Not fans, ask the PLAYERS THEMSELVES.
During the 70's i probably attended 200 Reds games. I just had to walk across the bridge from Newport, Ky and i was there. GREATEST TEAM EVER. JOHNNY BENCH..PETE ROSE Players of decade on team of the decade
I was there the next day, for the Joe Morgan statue unveiling and game. I sat five rows behind the Reds dugout and they did this very same “Great 8” presentation. I was 15-20 feet away from my baseball heroes and had tears in my eyes. My emotional reaction surprised me… I didn’t realize how much this team meant to me until that moment.
Wow! Absolutely amazing to see my favourite team all together again. So exiting to watch them play throughout the 70's. Nothing like this roster ever since. ❤
Like so many others.... this brings tears to my eyes as I relive my childhood memory of not only my favorite baseball team of the time but watching games and talking about baseball with my father and grandfather, also huge Reds fans. Favorite player was #13.
Same here, my grandpa went to the games with us as kids; we all lived in a 50 mile radius of Cincinnati, but grandma and grandpa always lived in Cincy, those games and memories are also a snapshot of my youth.
I’m a 60 year old sf giants fan. I grew up watching or should I say mostly listened to games in the early and mid 70s hated the reds & dodgers. But those reds teams were so good. My favorite World Series was 1975. Sf giants could have had an outfield of George Foster, Gary Maddox and Gary Matthews but traded them all away
The 1975 team finished 108-54 and outscored their opponents 840 to 586. The Reds started the '75 season 20-20... which means they went 88-34 the rest of the way. Also in 1975, the Reds were an astounding 64-17 at home that season. The 1976 team finished 102-60 and outscored their opponents 857 to 633.
My first exposure to MLB was watching the 1976 postseason at age 8. I remember feeling awestruck by how the Reds steamrolled their way to the championship. Even as an 8-year-old newbie I knew they were a special team. Years later I now understand they were one of the best of all time. Love them all, especially Morgan and Rose.
I was honored to have grown up in the Cincinnati, Ohio area (my hometown is Goshen, Ohio), and was blessed to have scored tickets to see these men play; starting with my very first game at age 5 back in 1973, all the way until Johnny Bench (my favorite player) finished his illustrious career my Sophomore year of high school in 1983. Within that 10-year span, I saw Bench himself hit 5 grand-slams, and throw out more base runners than any other at that time. I've seen Pete Rose as both a a Phillie and a Red play, and was there during my Senior year of high school on September 11, 1985, when he broke Ty Cobb's all-time hit record. During that time, Joe Morgan was the perennial base stealer of his day, and hit more home runs than other 2nd basemen before him; even more than Rogers Hornsby, my distant relative, the Cardinal great. Tony Perez was once quoted as saying to Sparky Anderson during a game where they were down to the Dodgers, "Don't worry, Skip. We're going to win the game. I promise." Sure enough, Bench hit a single, "Big Doggy" hit a home run; "We hit (a) single... home run... we win!" in broken English. Without question, no other infielder of the day could play defense like Dave Concepcion, who played shortstop like no other, and was the predecessor of the great Ozzy Smith. But "The Wizard" would be nothing without styling his play from Davey! Concepcion should be in the Hall of Fame. As for Foster, Geronimo, and Griffey, they were the most under-rated outfield of all time. Unless you saw them play together in Cincinnati during the days of the Big Red Machine, as I got to several times during my youth, you would never understand. They all had strong, accurate arms, and could throw balls to that infield, or especially to Bench at the plate, to put out the best players in baseball at the time that didn't play for the Reds. Even the 1927 Yankees' great team would have a hard time comparing to the 7-year run this Reds team had from 1970-1976, before Bob Housam resigned as Reds General Manager, and the team later was consequently dismantled by the unpoplular GM, Dick Wagoner, the following year with the trading of Tony Perez. Rose, Morgan, Geronimo, Foster, and Griffey soon followed. Only Bench and Concepcion retired as Reds, and played for them for their entire careers. Probably the biggest thrill of my young life was seeing a home playoff game in 1975 between the Reds and Pirates at Riverfront Stadium. My aunt picked me up from school early, took me out to eat at a Skyline Chili Parlor, bought me a plastic Reds replica batting helmet, a pennant, a Coca Cola, a hot dog, and later, the famed Reds "Frosty-Malt" ice cream toward the end. I needed that ice cream for later in the game since I started losing my voice. That's what I remember about The Great Eight that made up The Big Red Machine.
Wow, thank you Edward!!! Such great memories. I live in WA state. Back in those days we didn't have a ballclub. Mariners didn't become a team until 1977. I was born in '65. The Reds were incredible and I will always cherish my childhood memories of jumping around as a 10 year old whenever my hero Johnny Bench hit a HR. This video brought a lot of good times out of the file cabinet in my mind. Awesome!! I might shed a tear ; ) I should stop here....haha!!!
As a Kentucky boy whose father was born in Covington, they were my team. I got Pete's autograph at Crosley, watched the BRM at Riverfront. Never been back, but I will never forget.
As a Dodgers fan, I hated the Reds because they were so damn good. Pete Rose said the road to the World Series went through the NL West and he was so right. My era of baseball growing up, was during that great Dodgers-Reds rivalry. I was blessed to see it all happen. In my generation, there was nothing better, then 70's baseball.
+pigjubby1 I was in high school @ the time; and spent many an evening @ Riverfront Stadium, we were always sold out when your Dodgers came to play. Indeed great memories
+pigjubby1 Yes. The Dodgers and Reds DID hate each other during those years. But the respected each other. Not one fight between them. I still love Tommy LaSorda, and he said Cincinnati was his favorite city on the road to visit. Two reasons: great food, and the fans in Cincinnati love their baseball. I think Cincinnati and St. Louis are the two best baseball towns in the country. Then again, they have both shared ownership and management groups in common for as long as both teams have been in the National League. The irony is that the Reds and Cards fight more with each other than with any other club. Not fun. Spikes do hurt.
Edward Hornsby The players, Coaches and Managers of those two teams were Gentlemen in the truest sense of the word; and they loved Baseball; as Pete Rose once said, "I'd walk through Hell in a gasoline suit to play Baseball" I think that captured the commitment of both those teams.
I can still taste the anticipation of when the Reds would play the Dodgers. It was clash of the titans, and everybody knew it. It seemed like every year the NL All-Star team was Reds and Dodgers, with a Hank Aaron or a Willie Stargell sprinkled in so the rest of the League didn't feel left out.
I also remember the Dodgers whipping the Reds asses in 1974. Mike Marshall just killed them all season long. Don't forget that the A's won 3 straight world championships in the 70's, more than the Reds. Up until the '75 season we thought Cincy was just never going to win the big one. Hell, the Red Sox had the lead in Game 7 but couldn't close.
I am a New Yorker & this team brings back great childhood memories.They were so inspirational,such a great chemistry & teamwork,diversity...A team like the “Big Red Machine”only comes by once in a lifetime...I was blessed to watch them.
I (tried to) emulate Joe Morgan as a kid. I was undersized. I used a small glove, played 2B, flapped my left wing at the plate... everything. Smartest player I ever saw.
when i was 9 years old, i thought joe morgan got too much credit. such an embarrassment of riches, he was somehow my least favorite starting player. i assumed he was immortal and when he died, i wept long and hard about seeing him that way. rip, joe.
I'm not a Reds fan but this was the greatest team of all time. Nobody, not even the 1927 Yankees, could beat them in 1976. Bench was my all-time favorite player. Rose needs to be in the HOF as he was the best hitter of all-time.
The Big Red Machine were truly GREAT ! The Reds of the 70's , The A's of the early 70's and the Yankees of the mid to late 90's were the best in my lifetime . I'm 49.
The 1998 Yankees are THE greatest team of all time. I LOVE the 1976 Reds team, and they are one of the greatest, but the '98 Yankees ripped through an entire season like no one before or since. 114 wins during the regular season, which was an AL record at the time, and 125 - 50 total record including the post season, were they went 11 - 2; sweeping the Padres in the World Series. Plus they had to get through another round of playoffs as there was no wild card in the 70s. They also won the World Series in 1996, and went on to win 2 more in 1999 and 2000... 4 out of 5!
@@howtolife6783 I remember seeing Rose at River Downs betting on horses back in 67-68. Then we'd go see him play later that evening. The guy was addicted for sure just couldn't stop himself. Horses are one thing, but to bet on your own team when you're the manager is unforgivable. That alone is worse than the Black Sox in 1919.
Thank you so much for this fine video, I am so pleased I found it. I swear someone must be cutting onions here because I was in tears the whole time. My childhood came flooding back to me and days of watching ball games with my father were here again.
You said well Rabane00. I was cryin' the whole time as well. My childhood came flooding back as well. Such great baseball from 1970-1976. It was a joy to watch and hear these great men play ball. Shalom my friend.....Kevin
Ditto, Rabane00. I always chose #5 because of Johnny, I learned to hit left-handed because of Joe, Cesar and Ken, I ran the bases like Pete, and it broke my heart when they traded Tony. These guys in a lot of ways WERE my childhood. I could watch this over and over again.
Thank you for posting this. When I was younger, my dad and I would listen to the Reds on 700 WLW Cincinnati, and Marty and Joe would broadcast every game. Dad always loved it when Marty would say, "And this one belongs to the Reds."
I was so blessed to grow up and watch the great 8, the Big Red Machine in their prime. They were all hero's to me. I wore #14 and played 3rd base. I also wore #5 and pitched. We won the big tournament in 1976 and our coach took us to a Reds game - Johnny Bench hit one into the center field red seats that night at old riverfront. Great, great memories! Thank You Scott Brooks for the video. Awesome!
Sure, I'll cherish this moment/video for as long as I can, it's the last time those 8 men will ever appear on a baseball diamond as a group/team, now that Joe Morgan has passed away...
Javier Diaz you didn't look too hard, the 1998 yankees were much better, or the 1927 murderers row yankees, so was the 1996,98,99,2000 yanks, or the 1949-1953 yanks 5 in a row, or the 1972-73-74 Oakland A's.....
It's ok to be a Yankee fan but just be an honest one. There will NEVER be another starting lineup like the BIG RED MACHINE and I'd bet the Yankees would agree.Oh I think they swept the Yankees in '76 by the way.
I grew up in covington ky.......could see the stadium from my house almost......was an awesome time, had a penant on my wall for years as a kid.....75 76........i remember walking the suspension bridge to go to games.....wow......what times!!!!!!!! i miss em so bad!!! :( ........... Pete Rose!!! brought a tear to my eyes!! Rock On!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i'm 47 years old ... i remember the big red machine in my early years because of my fellow countryman David Concepcion --- watching him and the reds on TV was part of my childhood. I remember crystal clear how awesome Pete Rose was ...
Phillies fan from New Jersey, here. Watching the Big Red Machine play at Veteran's Stadium was a memorable experience. Even as a kid i knew how good they were.
Dave Concepcion should be in the HOF! Played with the Reds for his entire career. Phil Rizzuto in the HOF is a joke and Sparky would probably choose Davey over Trammell!!
Being a lowly Met fan in the mid 70's, I was in awe of these guys. Most vivid memory were the all star games. I would have my 1 token Met represented and I'd see the field covered with REDS.
My whole reason for wanting to be a catcher was because of #5. Everybody had their own favorite team during that time, mine being the machine. But these guys typified the greats of that era, no matter the team. Hard to think of a time when baseball was any better... Great video!
This was the Best team Period, in that time with those 8 Players. I love the Baltimore Orioles and that's my Team. We beat the Reds in 1970. But the Reds had not gotten George Foster or Ken Griffey Yet, thank goodness for Us Oriole Fans. My all time favorite Baseball Player was Johnny Bench. The greatest Catcher in the History of Baseball. I am luckily old enough that I watched them play in the seventies. They were a Beast of a team and feared.
As a die hard Cubs fan. No doubt. Without debate. Greatest starting 8. Each was a model for each position . This will never be matched with free agency. As a young boy words can’t express how impressed I was seeing this team in person.
The best team ever 1976 Reds!! and the 1975 team won more games-Morgan, Bench, Rose, Griffey, Concepcion, Foster, Perez,Cesar Geronimo( he hit.306 that season)5 guys hit over .305 I loved watching these guys when I was little they seemed to have so much fun these guys sparked my love for baseball .Watching them embrace again brought back so many great memories and brought me to tears, you could feel the love and respect they all still share imagine how much money these guys would make today
And players of that era were approachable. In consecutive years, we had Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Tony Perez attend our Cub Scout Blue and Gold banquets (and I believe that they attended without collecting an appearance fee).
Had not seen this before. As a Dodger fan, it was always fun to watch the Dodgers and Reds go at it during the 70's. I enjoyed especially watching John Bench. Thanks for sharing.
Michael Brown Reds Dodgers games were epic back then. I remember going to a Reds & Dodgers Friday twi night doubleheader in July 1975 and the stadium was sold out with over 55,000 people.
I was raised as a Pirates fan and the Big Red machine gave the Buccos fits but this is one heckava video. It's sorta like watching the Natural in real life....very emotional and well done!
@jdubs22 In the decade of the 70's, the two best teams in the National League were the Reds and the Pirates, hands down. Being a Reds fan, I feared/respected the Pirates the most, they had a very good team, with very good players on it...
So many memories come rushing back from this. My mom grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. (as a little girl, she got to run out onto the field and shake Jackie Robinson's hand) After the Dodgers left, she stopped following baseball. Even though we lived in NJ and my dad was a Yankees fan, as a kid in the early 70's I was a dyed-in-the-wool Reds fan. And because of that, it sparked my mom's interest in baseball again, only now she was a Reds fan. She took me to my first game. At Shea Stadium when the Reds came to town. Pete was her favorite. Oh, she looooved Pete. I remember the heartbreak of losing the Series in '72. My mom letting me wait in the car with the radio on, listening to the '73 NLCS while she did the food shopping. Then the sheer jubilation, watching with my mom as they won it all in '75 and '76. She passed away last year, so seeing this is so bittersweet. Such wonderful memories.
Wow! What can ya' say? This was awesome. I am a Mets fan, but an MLB fan first. They were an offensive and defensive juggernaut. They could beat you every way a team can be beaten. They used all 5 tools! They could hit for average and power, they could run and steal bases as well as throw and catch. They had average to slightly above average pitching, but that's all you need when you trot out these eight guys every day. By the way, Concepcion should be in the HOF in my opinion.
I have been going back in time and reminiscing recently and this popped up. Goosebumps and tears watching all 8 players walk out onto that field. I had the privilege of watching these men play when i was a boy, little league age. I loved them all but Pete and Johnny were my favorites. I am glad that baseball allows Pete to go to the ballpark for these events and participate. He was so fun to watch and his bellyflop into third base was thrilling, especially as a kid. He made me want to be great. Thank you for this wonderful video and thank you to the Great 8 for inspiring all who watched them play!
What a great event to witness. If you love the game as much as I do, then you can understand why its such an emotional moment to watch this. I'm not from Cincinnati. I'm from Philly but these guys were the reason we would go to the ballpark. These are the guys that made the game great!
This group of amazing baseball players assembled for one of the greatest teams ever to take the field were my youth. So many evenings/afternoons at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati where it was almost a given that I'd witness after a Reds win. Thank you gentleman, one and all.
As kids, I was Pete Rose and my older brother was Johnny Bench! We lived and breathed The Big Red Machine, all throughout their 70s successes. There will definitely never be another starting line up like “The Great 8”!! Thanks so much for the wonderful memories!! ❤️
Without A Doubt The Greatest Starting 8 of All Time!!!,Could You Imagine this Team in their Prime Going Up Against The Bronx Bombers of 1927 in Their Prime!,I Still Think The Reds Would Come Out On Top!
wow...this is the team that made me love baseball...several of these players were my favorite player when i was little, especially bench, concepcion, morgan, and foster. i got to see them play vs. the Mets when pete rose hit in his 39th straight game and in the same game johnny bench hit his 300th HR. it was a time when players would not accept the individualistic participation trophy of a bat flip, but played to win as a team.
I watched the '75 and '76 World Series with my Grandpa. I was 6 and 7 years old and we always watched the Reds games together. He always made me a bowl of vanilla ice cream I'll never forget those days. RIP Grandpa
Allstar team Cincinnati Reds. Rose was the glue, but Bench made them the best. Concepcion was the best defensive player of all time. Dont need great pitching with those guys. lol
Certain cities fit the team like a Glove- Cincinnati and the Reds are like that. You can tell by the Love of the fans. Green Bay Packers similiar and others too. I was an Orioles fan, and watched mostly AL games as a kid. But Reds in 70s were awesome,
These Reds taught me how to play ball. At about 12 or 13, my dad took my brother and I to Wrigley Field on a Saturday afternoon to watch the Reds when they came into Chicago. Pete Rose Johnney Bench and the rest of the great 8 on a Saturday afternoon, it doesn't get any better. That was in 75 or 76 in my memory serves me correctly. Best 3-hour drive living in Michigan.
baseball in the 70's. Time forgotten. But for me i lived for this and knew every single player 1974-1980. Now i know nobody. I went from Mr. know-it-all baseball to a clueless 51 year old. I don't know anything baseball. I played wiffleball from 7am yes 7am with neighbors till 8pm daily. Great summer memories. Time forgotten. What the hell happen to me? If i went back in time to meet myself. I'd be teaching me business investments and the 10 year old me would say i met this really boring old man today talking stupid boring stuff. Sad. I'd walk away in tears thinking who was that kid. And yeah that kid it was me.
I was at this game. Believe it or not, I never realized until just now that this was the first time that the Big Red Machine reunited for a game played in Cincinnati. I was 9 and 10 years old during the '75 and '76 seasons...and I never saw them play live, even though I was a fan and watched them play on TV quite a bit. The first time I saw the Reds play live was the following year, 1977, as an 11 year old kid. It was my first ever MLB game and it was on George Foster poster day against the Padres...and fittingly, Foster homered to put the Reds ahead late in the game for what proved to be the final score. I had the honor and privilege to meet all of the starting 8 in 1998 at the Sharonville Convention Center for the Big Red Machine reunion and had all of them sign a picture that I have framed and is hung on my wall. That is my prize possession of sports memorabilia and will be the absolute last piece of memorabilia that I will part with (meaning, I will likely have it until the day I leave this earth).
Awesome, thank you !! As a kid playing baseball in the 70's, Cincinnati was my team, went to Riverfront several times. Baseball doesn't mean as much to me today. But.... these memories of the "Big Red Machine" as a kid mean EVERYTHING to me !! When they played for the LOVE of the game, before free agency destroyed the integrity of the game to me. Thx again
I'm a Mets fan. Grew up in NJ. And it is staggering how good the 76 Reds were. That team led the National league in EVERY offensive category, had four HOFers---Morgan, Bench, Perez and Rose ( should be in Hall.) You wanna talk defense?...That team had four Gold Gloves all up the middle...Bench, Concepcion, Morgan and Geronimo. We will never see a team like that again. The talent isn't there to put on one team.
I still watch the '75 World Series and still feel a real respect for both teams. And I love the beating they gave the Yanks in '76. I bet Boston fans enjoyed seeing that.
11:45 Seeing the catcher Bench pumped up like that at the home plate, and other teammates acknowledging in smiles, imagine how many past stories going through those once young hearts. Legendary!
Ohhhh I teared. My dad was from Cincinnati and we would go there every summer. I remember a long rain delay with my dad and my grandfather when I was 12. We weren't going back to Price Hill. We waited it out. Loved seeing the Great 8 play.
Whenever I feel the need for a little humility in my life? I think of this event... and just how fortunate I have been to actually see them play as a kid, and to see this online.
It makes me cry man-tears... each and every time I witness this 💦👍💦👍
When I was young, I knew his brother we sat with him at the Astrodome. I’ll never forget it.!!
I am so happy that MLB allowed Pete Rose to be included and that Joe Morgan was still alive to enjoy this moment.
I am not a Red fan but I love baseball. By the way I am Dominican
Wow Beautifully said !
My childhood heroes. So many memories of the greatest team ever.
Same here. I recall the endless hours of sandlot games and actually being confused about which player we kids would call ourselves. I'm Joe Morgan! No! I want to be Joe. We always felt our Reds had so much more character than anyone else's team.
You can’t get better than the Big Red Machine. They were the greatest starting lineup you could have! I love the Reds. Now and for the rest of my life.
Was there that night and a wonderful tribute to the greatest starting 8 ever that put Cincinnati on the map. Davey deserves to be in National HOF, Rose will eventually get in I believe after he is long gone sadly.
R. I. P. Pete!
How refreshing, these guys all loved each other, loved the game, and loved America!
From a life long Chicago Cub fan, this was the greatest team in baseball history!
as a cubs fan, most any team looks like "the greatest team, EVA...."
my dad always claimed the yankees team from 49-53, five straight
The greatest team in history wouldn’t lose the same number of World Series that they won. They were .500 in World Series appearances
Greatest baseball hitting machine lineup
Just a juggernaut of a team. Those 70’s Reds and three peat Oakland were just incredible. Not only individually great, WINNERS.
These guys were woven into the fabric of my youth... I actually got emotional watching this, LoL!
classic kool I completely understand. They are part of who I am.
Same here. Every boy who grew up in the Miami Valley during those times, idolized those players.
If this doesn't make you tear up then you're not a true Reds fan! Greatest team EVER!!!!!!
This Brewers fan is tearing up.
@Erich Von Manstein You had to be around back then to enjoy those times .... I WAS!!!!!!!
Not a Reds fan but a fan of the players who play with a passion & for the love of the games salute!!
Yankees fan here. The Big Red Machine is definitely one of the best of all time.
If it doesnt make you tear up you either weren't born yet or have no appreciation for the game. There are but a few great teams that mostly played together their whole career. Seeing Pete choke up all i could think of is once they were all in their positions had someone said were playing two today boys those old beat up bodies would of said bring it on. ❤️ My one word of caution would be that saying its the greatest lineup is arguably gonna split some fans. The Yankees witb murderers row might have something to say about that. Great presentation and thanks for posting it.
Awesome lineup! It was my pleasure and privilege to watch them in there hey day! All stars and winners, each one of them.
I loved watching these guys play. Baseball heroes one and all. Tony Perez should have been in the Hall of Fame a lot sooner. The guy was an rbi machine and the glue that kept everything together.
Doggie was the best clutch hitter that I’ve ever seen.
I'm a die hard Braves fan but this is without a doubt the greatest baseball team that EVER took the field.
Hard to argue that against that
CESAR GERONIMO IS MY BROTHER. MY TEARS, NOT BECAUSE THEY RUN ON MY CHEEK..HOW WE ARE PROUD OF OUR BROTHER.
lucky you! i loved to watch him
Cesar Geronimo was a personal favorite of mine. I always enjoyed watching him play in centerfield and cheered for him to get a hit. Back in 1978, the day after Pete's 44 game hitting streak was snapped...in Atlanta on a Sunday afternoon, after the game Mr. Geronimo personally handed a game ball to my sister and I after the game. I still have the baseball. We were thrilled. Cesar Geronimo is a class act all the way.
Loved him as child my team the reds fan favourite!
Almost everyone in America loved and watched the Reds and everyone’s favorite player was always Pete Rose!! During his hitting streak everywhere I went radios were on the games following Pete! And that was a small town in Washington State! Pete led the team by his hustle and made all of these guys around him play even better! I Loved every player and Sparky and Marge too!!!
His arm was an absolute cannon!
THE greatest group of men ever assembled on the field!!
agreed, for DAMN sure the best in MY lifetime.
Ain’t nobody beating the 76 Big Red Machine!!
@Erich Von Manstein Then who was close 27 yankee's. Not a fan of base ball. HEY you no nothing of baseball
Yes yes all good teams, but not great. None known as the great eight
Greatest baseball ⚾️hitting lineup before free agents stuff
Goosebumps and tears. Being born in Cincinnati, it was an absolute honor watching, and mainly listening to, this team perform for those two seasons of 75 & 76, arguably one of the greatest MLB teams of all time, their like will never be witnessed again...
Pete has me crying..damn he was the best to ever do it..and my man Concepcion is a HOF 2300 hits 5 gold gloves 9 allstars thats a HOFer all day they need to get it right
Wow did you take me to school . I didn’t know that about Dave C. Thanks a bunch
He and Clay Carroll should be enshrined in the HOF while they can still enjoy it. I feel the same way about the Red Sox's Fred Lynn and Dwight Evans. Pete Rose and Luis Tiant also should have been inducted into the HOF while they were still alive.
I'm a Rose fan, but when Davey trotted to his position, turned and waved to the Cincinnati faithful, it was emotional. Pete teared up when he saw that infectious smile, and again when Tony took first base.
As a 60-year-old and Reds fan all of my life, I say unto you that this vid was really emotional, I lost it when Rose started sobbing, thank you for the memories.
Pete loved the game of baseball more than anyone ever has. I think even more than Shoeless Joe Jackson or Lou Gehrig. That was before baseball was all about money and selfishness - it was the greatest american game ever played. I can't say that regarding the players of the past 30 years
Mets fan sitting here with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. That was pretty cool. Way to go!
It was really cool! It was special my son (17 yrs old at the time) was with me so he could meet The Big Red Machine. I thought it was really cool they used the original announcer for each player. It brought a flood of memories just hearing that Riverfront Stadium announcer voice again.
"Hell of a game, ain't it?"
Pete Rose to Carlton Fisk, game 6, '75 Series. Pete was right. It was.
@Paulo Lamontino
Look at the pitch Carbo foiled before the home run. Textbook protection swing. Lived to swing at another pitch. Which was important!
I was there that night, with my dad (who grew up watching these guys tear up Major League Baseball). I've heard more stories from him than I can count. These guys are legends. Humbling to even be in the same stadium as these baseball juggernauts. #FreePete
One of the biggest sports thrills of my life was sitting in the middle deck of left field with my dad and Johnny Bench crushing a homerun in our direction. You could literally feel that entire Stadium shake.
when im dead and gone and if my story is told, i want it to start with these guys. the best childhood memories a kid from Cincinnati could possibly have. Rose, Geranimo, Bench, Concepion, Griffey, Perez, Foster and Morgan thank you for making this boys summer days the best. it truly was the best of times.
I had my son watch this video. I told him he was watching true greatness of the game. One of the greatest teams of all time. You watch this and it brings me back to a time where you had amazing ball players. It did bring a tear to my eye. What a ball club and what a manager.
As a British fan of baseball it warms my heart to see the heart of the Big Red Machine together. I can remember reading articles and books about this team. What annoys me though is Pete Rose. He belongs in the Hall of Fame. Period.
Johnny Bench was my favorite player of all time . A hero. An idol. Just like my dad was. From Loudoun County ,VA all my life, I have been a Cincinnati Reds fan since childhood and still am. I'll be 54 in July and watching this took me back to the 70s even if only for 20 minutes. Very emotional. So many memories. Reminiscing! GO REDS! ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾👍👍👍👍👍💪💪💪💪💪☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️😎😎😎😎😎
This put tears in my eyes, no baseball like that any more
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C Soccer ...pffffftt..GTFOH..This is about the BIG RED MACHINE >>>YOU JERKOFF!!!
no doubt!!
I was a Reds fan back then even though I grew up in NY. I always asked for the number 8 on my jerseys because of Joe Morgan. I played 2B and hit lefty. At 6-years-old I used to run through the Reds lineup with my Dad before I went to sleep. I still remember it. Amazing video!
I grew up in NJ. I loved the Mets. But if u were a cather in Little League u wanted #5 Johnny Bench. It is what it is.
That's pretty cool. I remember as a kid growing up in SW Ohio and during the sandlot games kids would literally fight over which Red's player they would be. I'm George Foster! No! I'm George Foster. Those guys were our heroes and idols.
I grew up half an hour away from riverfront Stadium in the 70s and Johnny Bench was something like a superhero to kids around here. He was on wheaties boxes, tv shows and commercials, and doing things on the field nobody else could do
I was just a kid watching all of these baseball heroes, it’s great to see them all together again, they were the best ever❤❤️
This TEAM was special. You could never count them out.
They ALL should be in the Hall of Fame. I remember those years. I was a kid. I’ve been a Reds fan ever since.
This reminds me of my youth. Going to Saturday double headers at Riverfront with my dad and grandpa. So blessed to have seen one of the best teams in baseball history.
Man, the Big Red Machine dominated the 1970s. That team virtually had no weakness. They had Golden Gloves, Batting Titles, MVPS, Home Run leaders, RBI leaders, stolen base leaders. They had so many weapons on that team. They were so good, and there were no egos on that team. Individual egos was checked at the door, Sparky did not allowed it in the clubhouse or dugout.
Pete Rose said if a player was injured, sick or kicked out of the game Sparky didn't allow them to go to the clubhouse-he expected them to be in the dugout supporting the team.
Joey Brooks If MLB had more teams in the playoffs back then who knows how many more titles that team may have won.
Joey Brooks no egos? Pete rose? Joe Morgan? Yes they were a good team, but overrated. 1972-74 A's were better. 3 in a row. The great " big red machine" only won 2 world series. Look at the 90s-2000s braves. With all their super pitching, Maddox smoltz and glavine, they won something like 14 nl pennants? Only one world series. Was it 1995? Pretty lame.
Heres how GREAT that team was. I'd bet money if you asked 100 ball players, who really know the game, who the greatest team of all time was, THE BIG RED MACHINE WOULD GET MORE VOTES THAN ANY OTHER. Not fans, ask the PLAYERS THEMSELVES.
pitching was suspect
During the 70's i probably attended 200 Reds games. I just had to walk across the bridge from Newport, Ky and i was there. GREATEST TEAM EVER. JOHNNY BENCH..PETE ROSE Players of decade on team of the decade
I was there the next day, for the Joe Morgan statue unveiling and game. I sat five rows behind the Reds dugout and they did this very same “Great 8” presentation. I was 15-20 feet away from my baseball heroes and had tears in my eyes. My emotional reaction surprised me… I didn’t realize how much this team meant to me until that moment.
Wow! Absolutely amazing to see my favourite team all together again. So exiting to watch them play throughout the 70's. Nothing like this roster ever since. ❤
Like so many others.... this brings tears to my eyes as I relive my childhood memory of not only my favorite baseball team of the time but watching games and talking about baseball with my father and grandfather, also huge Reds fans. Favorite player was #13.
Same here, my grandpa went to the games with us as kids; we all lived in a 50 mile radius of Cincinnati, but grandma and grandpa always lived in Cincy, those games and memories are also a snapshot of my youth.
I’m a 60 year old sf giants fan. I grew up watching or should I say mostly listened to games in the early and mid 70s hated the reds & dodgers. But those reds teams were so good. My favorite World Series was 1975. Sf giants could have had an outfield of George Foster, Gary Maddox and Gary Matthews but traded them all away
The 1975 team finished 108-54 and outscored their opponents 840 to 586. The Reds started the '75 season 20-20... which means they went 88-34 the rest of the way. Also in 1975, the Reds were an astounding 64-17 at home that season. The 1976 team finished 102-60 and outscored their opponents 857 to 633.
My first exposure to MLB was watching the 1976 postseason at age 8. I remember feeling awestruck by how the Reds steamrolled their way to the championship. Even as an 8-year-old newbie I knew they were a special team. Years later I now understand they were one of the best of all time. Love them all, especially Morgan and Rose.
What a great sight to see PETE ROSE getting the RESPECT that he deserves!!!!!
any real baseball fan respects pete rose one of the greats.
I was honored to have grown up in the Cincinnati, Ohio area (my hometown is Goshen, Ohio), and was blessed to have scored tickets to see these men play; starting with my very first game at age 5 back in 1973, all the way until Johnny Bench (my favorite player) finished his illustrious career my Sophomore year of high school in 1983. Within that 10-year span, I saw Bench himself hit 5 grand-slams, and throw out more base runners than any other at that time. I've seen Pete Rose as both a a Phillie and a Red play, and was there during my Senior year of high school on September 11, 1985, when he broke Ty Cobb's all-time hit record. During that time, Joe Morgan was the perennial base stealer of his day, and hit more home runs than other 2nd basemen before him; even more than Rogers Hornsby, my distant relative, the Cardinal great. Tony Perez was once quoted as saying to Sparky Anderson during a game where they were down to the Dodgers, "Don't worry, Skip. We're going to win the game. I promise." Sure enough, Bench hit a single, "Big Doggy" hit a home run; "We hit (a) single... home run... we win!" in broken English. Without question, no other infielder of the day could play defense like Dave Concepcion, who played shortstop like no other, and was the predecessor of the great Ozzy Smith. But "The Wizard" would be nothing without styling his play from Davey! Concepcion should be in the Hall of Fame. As for Foster, Geronimo, and Griffey, they were the most under-rated outfield of all time. Unless you saw them play together in Cincinnati during the days of the Big Red Machine, as I got to several times during my youth, you would never understand. They all had strong, accurate arms, and could throw balls to that infield, or especially to Bench at the plate, to put out the best players in baseball at the time that didn't play for the Reds.
Even the 1927 Yankees' great team would have a hard time comparing to the 7-year run this Reds team had from 1970-1976, before Bob Housam resigned as Reds General Manager, and the team later was consequently dismantled by the unpoplular GM, Dick Wagoner, the following year with the trading of Tony Perez. Rose, Morgan, Geronimo, Foster, and Griffey soon followed. Only Bench and Concepcion retired as Reds, and played for them for their entire careers.
Probably the biggest thrill of my young life was seeing a home playoff game in 1975 between the Reds and Pirates at Riverfront Stadium. My aunt picked me up from school early, took me out to eat at a Skyline Chili Parlor, bought me a plastic Reds replica batting helmet, a pennant, a Coca Cola, a hot dog, and later, the famed Reds "Frosty-Malt" ice cream toward the end. I needed that ice cream for later in the game since I started losing my voice.
That's what I remember about The Great Eight that made up The Big Red Machine.
Wow, thank you Edward!!! Such great memories. I live in WA state. Back in those days we didn't have a ballclub. Mariners didn't become a team until 1977. I was born in '65. The Reds were incredible and I will always cherish my childhood memories of jumping around as a 10 year old whenever my hero Johnny Bench hit a HR. This video brought a lot of good times out of the file cabinet in my mind. Awesome!! I might shed a tear ; ) I should stop here....haha!!!
Andy Sanchez It’s still a damn shame that Seattle lost the Pilots after only one season. I remember being really damn mad about that!
As a Kentucky boy whose father was born in Covington, they were my team. I got Pete's autograph at Crosley, watched the BRM at Riverfront. Never been back, but I will never forget.
As a Dodgers fan, I hated the Reds because they were so damn good. Pete Rose said the road to the World Series went through the NL West and he was so right. My era of baseball growing up, was during that great Dodgers-Reds rivalry. I was blessed to see it all happen. In my generation, there was nothing better, then 70's baseball.
+pigjubby1 I was in high school @ the time; and spent many an evening @ Riverfront Stadium, we were always sold out when your Dodgers came to play. Indeed great memories
+pigjubby1 Yes. The Dodgers and Reds DID hate each other during those years. But the respected each other. Not one fight between them. I still love Tommy LaSorda, and he said Cincinnati was his favorite city on the road to visit. Two reasons: great food, and the fans in Cincinnati love their baseball.
I think Cincinnati and St. Louis are the two best baseball towns in the country. Then again, they have both shared ownership and management groups in common for as long as both teams have been in the National League. The irony is that the Reds and Cards fight more with each other than with any other club. Not fun. Spikes do hurt.
Edward Hornsby The players, Coaches and Managers of those two teams were Gentlemen in the truest sense of the word; and they loved Baseball; as Pete Rose once said, "I'd walk through Hell in a gasoline suit to play Baseball" I think that captured the commitment of both those teams.
I can still taste the anticipation of when the Reds would play the Dodgers. It was clash of the titans, and everybody knew it. It seemed like every year the NL All-Star team was Reds and Dodgers, with a Hank Aaron or a Willie Stargell sprinkled in so the rest of the League didn't feel left out.
I also remember the Dodgers whipping the Reds asses in 1974. Mike Marshall just killed them all season long. Don't forget that the A's won 3 straight world championships in the 70's, more than the Reds. Up until the '75 season we thought Cincy was just never going to win the big one. Hell, the Red Sox had the lead in Game 7 but couldn't close.
I am a New Yorker & this team brings back great childhood memories.They were so inspirational,such a great chemistry & teamwork,diversity...A team like the “Big Red Machine”only comes by once in a lifetime...I was blessed to watch them.
I (tried to) emulate Joe Morgan as a kid. I was undersized. I used a small glove, played 2B, flapped my left wing at the plate... everything.
Smartest player I ever saw.
Loved it when Joe Morgan was up to bat. The flap of the left arm was a part of the magic!
when i was 9 years old, i thought joe morgan got too much credit. such an embarrassment of riches, he was somehow my least favorite starting player. i assumed he was immortal and when he died, i wept long and hard about seeing him that way. rip, joe.
And also a fantastic broadcaster. Miss him every year in the postseason.
George foster the most underrated player of the bunch. 1977 52 home runs 149 rbis batters 320
Agreed. Fastest bat in baseball !
I'm not a Reds fan but this was the greatest team of all time. Nobody, not even the 1927 Yankees, could beat them in 1976. Bench was my all-time favorite player. Rose needs to be in the HOF as he was the best hitter of all-time.
Yankees were very good too!!!
The Big Red Machine were truly GREAT ! The Reds of the 70's , The A's of the early 70's and the Yankees of the mid to late 90's were the best in my lifetime . I'm 49.
They won’t put Rose in for gambling. It makes me really mad.
The 1998 Yankees are THE greatest team of all time. I LOVE the 1976 Reds team, and they are one of the greatest, but the '98 Yankees ripped through an entire season like no one before or since. 114 wins during the regular season, which was an AL record at the time, and 125 - 50 total record including the post season, were they went 11 - 2; sweeping the Padres in the World Series. Plus they had to get through another round of playoffs as there was no wild card in the 70s. They also won the World Series in 1996, and went on to win 2 more in 1999 and 2000... 4 out of 5!
@@howtolife6783 I remember seeing Rose at River Downs betting on horses back in 67-68. Then we'd go see him play later that evening. The guy was addicted for sure just couldn't stop himself. Horses are one thing, but to bet on your own team when you're the manager is unforgivable. That alone is worse than the Black Sox in 1919.
Thank you so much for this fine video,
I am so pleased I found it. I swear someone must be cutting onions here because I was in tears the whole time. My childhood came flooding back to me and days of watching ball games with my father were here again.
Rabane00 when they introduced Tony is when my eyes started watering.
Oh, my gosh.. I got verklempt as well...
You said well Rabane00. I was cryin' the whole time as well. My childhood came flooding back as well. Such great baseball from 1970-1976. It was a joy to watch and hear these great men play ball. Shalom my friend.....Kevin
Rabane00
Damn onions
Ditto, Rabane00. I always chose #5 because of Johnny, I learned to hit left-handed because of Joe, Cesar and Ken, I ran the bases like Pete, and it broke my heart when they traded Tony. These guys in a lot of ways WERE my childhood. I could watch this over and over again.
What a team Tony Perez ,Rose joe Morgan Johnny bench and all the other guys like come on !!!what a umbeliavable team !!!
I grew up in Cincy during those years. Those guys were bigger than life to me. I loved the Big Red Machine. Still do....
My family was reds fans❤
Thank you for posting this. When I was younger, my dad and I would listen to the Reds on 700 WLW Cincinnati, and Marty and Joe would broadcast every game. Dad always loved it when Marty would say, "And this one belongs to the Reds."
Great memories of Marty and Joe on Reds radio....! two more hall of Fame-er's for sure!
Marty certainly said that phrase allot during the decade of the 70's...
I was so blessed to grow up and watch the great 8, the Big Red Machine in their prime. They were all hero's to me. I wore #14 and played 3rd base. I also wore #5 and pitched. We won the big tournament in 1976 and our coach took us to a Reds game - Johnny Bench hit one into the center field red seats that night at old riverfront. Great, great memories! Thank You Scott Brooks for the video. Awesome!
RIP Joe Morgan, the first of the Big Red Machine to go. My father's favorite team during his childhood.
Sure, I'll cherish this moment/video for as long as I can, it's the last time those 8 men will ever appear on a baseball diamond as a group/team, now that Joe Morgan has passed away...
Now Pete Rose is gone, too, along with Joe Morgan, Sparky Anderson and Joe Nuxhall. May they all Rest in Peace.
never see a lineup like that again
Javier Diaz you didn't look too hard, the 1998 yankees were much better, or the 1927 murderers row yankees, so was the 1996,98,99,2000 yanks, or the 1949-1953 yanks 5 in a row, or the 1972-73-74 Oakland A's.....
It's ok to be a Yankee fan but just be an honest one. There will NEVER be another starting lineup like the BIG RED MACHINE and I'd bet the Yankees would agree.Oh I think they swept the Yankees in '76 by the way.
stripervince1 your fucking stupid big red machine is the best team ever
stripervince1 quit being a hater
@@guyjojay well he is the biggest meth addict on the east coast, just sayin'..
Wow
What a Tremendous Day.
For Pete, Johnny, & the entire team.
My youth was spent loving this team. This is so sweet.
I grew up in covington ky.......could see the stadium from my house almost......was an awesome time, had a penant on my wall for years as a kid.....75 76........i remember walking the suspension bridge to go to games.....wow......what times!!!!!!!! i miss em so bad!!! :( ........... Pete Rose!!! brought a tear to my eyes!! Rock On!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i'm 47 years old ... i remember the big red machine in my early years because of my fellow countryman David Concepcion --- watching him and the reds on TV was part of my childhood. I remember crystal clear how awesome Pete Rose was ...
@Erich Von Manstein en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Concepci%C3%B3n asshole!
Phillies fan from New Jersey, here. Watching the Big Red Machine play at Veteran's Stadium was a memorable experience. Even as a kid i knew how good they were.
Dave Concepcion should be in the HOF! Played with the Reds for his entire career. Phil Rizzuto in the HOF is a joke and Sparky would probably choose Davey over Trammell!!
Art T Agreed. Pee wee and rizzuto don’t hv relevant #s for HOF
@@michaelstallsmith2580
You and Artie should get a room.
Go YANKEES!
Lmao Ozzie smith is in the hall of fame too but not Dave lmao it’s a joke
I agree. Not a Red’s fan, but no denying greatness.
Being a lowly Met fan in the mid 70's, I was in awe of these guys. Most vivid memory were the all star games. I would have my 1 token Met represented and I'd see the field covered with REDS.
Yes, the amican all stars VS the Reds
the best contellation of stars formed in a single team of all time.
My whole reason for wanting to be a catcher was because of #5. Everybody had their own favorite team during that time, mine being the machine. But these guys typified the greats of that era, no matter the team. Hard to think of a time when baseball was any better... Great video!
Man I'm not a Reds fan but this is freakin awesome!
This was the Best team Period, in that time with those 8 Players. I love the Baltimore Orioles and that's my Team. We beat the Reds in 1970. But the Reds had not gotten George Foster or Ken Griffey Yet, thank goodness for Us Oriole Fans. My all time favorite Baseball Player was Johnny Bench. The greatest Catcher in the History of Baseball. I am luckily old enough that I watched them play in the seventies. They were a Beast of a team and feared.
As a die hard Cubs fan. No doubt. Without debate. Greatest starting 8. Each was a model for each position . This will never be matched with free agency. As a young boy words can’t express how impressed I was seeing this team in person.
The best team ever 1976 Reds!! and the 1975 team won more games-Morgan, Bench, Rose, Griffey, Concepcion, Foster, Perez,Cesar Geronimo( he hit.306 that season)5 guys hit over .305 I loved watching these guys when I was little they seemed to have so much fun these guys sparked my love for baseball .Watching them embrace again brought back so many great memories and brought me to tears, you could feel the love and respect they all still share imagine how much money these guys would make today
And players of that era were approachable. In consecutive years, we had Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Tony Perez attend our Cub Scout Blue and Gold banquets (and I believe that they attended without collecting an appearance fee).
I think 75 team was better or should I say the best ever.
Had not seen this before. As a Dodger fan, it was always fun to watch the Dodgers and Reds go at it during the 70's. I enjoyed especially watching John Bench. Thanks for sharing.
Michael Brown Reds Dodgers games were epic back then. I remember going to a Reds & Dodgers Friday twi night doubleheader in July 1975 and the stadium was sold out with over 55,000 people.
Michael Brown Lol, I like that, John Bench, kind of reminds me of what Sparky used to refer to him as, Jonathan...
Johnny bench was my favorite catcher and Joe Morgan was my favorite second baseman and Pete rose was one of my favorite players.
I was raised as a Pirates fan and the Big Red machine gave the Buccos fits but this is one heckava video. It's sorta like watching the Natural in real life....very emotional and well done!
@jdubs22 In the decade of the 70's, the two best teams in the National League were the Reds and the Pirates, hands down. Being a Reds fan, I feared/respected the Pirates the most, they had a very good team, with very good players on it...
I hear you 70 72, 75 but hey remember 79? Three rings in 20 yrs. 60,71, 79, since then 0
So many memories come rushing back from this. My mom grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. (as a little girl, she got to run out onto the field and shake Jackie Robinson's hand) After the Dodgers left, she stopped following baseball. Even though we lived in NJ and my dad was a Yankees fan, as a kid in the early 70's I was a dyed-in-the-wool Reds fan. And because of that, it sparked my mom's interest in baseball again, only now she was a Reds fan. She took me to my first game. At Shea Stadium when the Reds came to town. Pete was her favorite. Oh, she looooved Pete.
I remember the heartbreak of losing the Series in '72. My mom letting me wait in the car with the radio on, listening to the '73 NLCS while she did the food shopping. Then the sheer jubilation, watching with my mom as they won it all in '75 and '76.
She passed away last year, so seeing this is so bittersweet. Such wonderful memories.
Dan the Man Thanks for sharing. Great memories.
Wow! What can ya' say? This was awesome. I am a Mets fan, but an MLB fan first. They were an offensive and defensive juggernaut. They could beat you every way a team can be beaten. They used all 5 tools! They could hit for average and power, they could run and steal bases as well as throw and catch. They had average to slightly above average pitching, but that's all you need when you trot out these eight guys every day. By the way, Concepcion should be in the HOF in my opinion.
jdsoultrn
Concepcion definitely should be in there however since he didn’t do backflips someone else took all the glory at that position
Yes - Concepcion to the Hall.
Greatest team ever! My favorite team when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s. Pete Rose needs to be in the hall of fame now!
I have been going back in time and reminiscing recently and this popped up. Goosebumps and tears watching all 8 players walk out onto that field. I had the privilege of watching these men play when i was a boy, little league age. I loved them all but Pete and Johnny were my favorites. I am glad that baseball allows Pete to go to the ballpark for these events and participate. He was so fun to watch and his bellyflop into third base was thrilling, especially as a kid. He made me want to be great. Thank you for this wonderful video and thank you to the Great 8 for inspiring all who watched them play!
What a great event to witness. If you love the game as much as I do, then you can understand why its such an emotional moment to watch this. I'm not from Cincinnati. I'm from Philly but these guys were the reason we would go to the ballpark. These are the guys that made the game great!
I always loved watching them growing up in Chicago during the 1970's. Little Jo RIP !
This group of amazing baseball players assembled for one of the greatest teams ever to take the field were my youth. So many evenings/afternoons at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati where it was almost a given that I'd witness after a Reds win. Thank you gentleman, one and all.
En la presentacion de David Concepcion se me puso la piel de gallina... que increible...!!! orgullo de Venezuela...!!!
He belongs in Cooperstown! No question he was one of the greatest short stops to ever play the game!
Why is Foster not in Hall of Fame, at the time first guy after Willie Mays to hit 50 home runs
As kids, I was Pete Rose and my older brother was Johnny Bench! We lived and breathed The Big Red Machine, all throughout their 70s successes. There will definitely never be another starting line up like “The Great 8”!! Thanks so much for the wonderful memories!! ❤️
Without A Doubt The Greatest Starting 8 of All Time!!!,Could You Imagine this Team in their Prime Going Up Against The Bronx Bombers of 1927 in Their Prime!,I Still Think The Reds Would Come Out On Top!
Johnny Bench was my idol. When I played as a child I was a catcher. But this whole team were Ideally legendary What a great memory
This group not being together longer was a shame. They might have won more WS had this group stayed together a couple more years.
wow...this is the team that made me love baseball...several of these players were my favorite player when i was little, especially bench, concepcion, morgan, and foster. i got to see them play vs. the Mets when pete rose hit in his 39th straight game and in the same game johnny bench hit his 300th HR. it was a time when players would not accept the individualistic participation trophy of a bat flip, but played to win as a team.
I watched the '75 and '76 World Series with my Grandpa. I was 6 and 7 years old and we always watched the Reds games together. He always made me a bowl of vanilla ice cream I'll never forget those days. RIP Grandpa
I'm a Giants fan and this gave me chills.
Allstar team Cincinnati Reds. Rose was the glue, but Bench made them the best. Concepcion was the best defensive player of all time. Dont need great pitching with those guys. lol
The best team ever. The Big Red Machine. Love you guys! Thanks for the memories. You guys are second to NONE!
Certain cities fit the team like a Glove- Cincinnati and the Reds are like that. You can tell by the Love of the fans. Green Bay Packers similiar and others too. I was an Orioles fan, and watched mostly AL games as a kid. But Reds in 70s were awesome,
These Reds taught me how to play ball. At about 12 or 13, my dad took my brother and I to Wrigley Field on a Saturday afternoon to watch the Reds when they came into Chicago. Pete Rose Johnney Bench and the rest of the great 8 on a Saturday afternoon, it doesn't get any better. That was in 75 or 76 in my memory serves me correctly. Best 3-hour drive living in Michigan.
I loved watching the great 8.!! God bless the Cincinnati Reds!
This team had it all. Power, defense and speed.
I was there in in 2013 I saw some games in Cincinnati that year
baseball in the 70's. Time forgotten. But for me i lived for this and knew every single player 1974-1980. Now i know nobody. I went from Mr. know-it-all baseball to a clueless 51 year old. I don't know anything baseball. I played wiffleball from 7am yes 7am with neighbors till 8pm daily. Great summer memories. Time forgotten. What the hell happen to me? If i went back in time to meet myself. I'd be teaching me business investments and the 10 year old me would say i met this really boring old man today talking stupid boring stuff. Sad. I'd walk away in tears thinking who was that kid. And yeah that kid it was me.
Michshnly
baseball hotdogs and Chevrolet !!!
Apple pie damn almost forgot
@Erich Von Manstein .....Growing up doesn't mean you need to be pissed off angry grandpa like yourself. 24-7.
I was at this game. Believe it or not, I never realized until just now that this was the first time that the Big Red Machine reunited for a game played in Cincinnati.
I was 9 and 10 years old during the '75 and '76 seasons...and I never saw them play live, even though I was a fan and watched them play on TV quite a bit. The first time I saw the Reds play live was the following year, 1977, as an 11 year old kid. It was my first ever MLB game and it was on George Foster poster day against the Padres...and fittingly, Foster homered to put the Reds ahead late in the game for what proved to be the final score.
I had the honor and privilege to meet all of the starting 8 in 1998 at the Sharonville Convention Center for the Big Red Machine reunion and had all of them sign a picture that I have framed and is hung on my wall. That is my prize possession of sports memorabilia and will be the absolute last piece of memorabilia that I will part with (meaning, I will likely have it until the day I leave this earth).
I live in philly now but grew up in Huber heights in the 70s my favorite team of all time love to watch them. The big red machine. Thank you
Awesome, thank you !! As a kid playing baseball in the 70's, Cincinnati was my team, went to Riverfront several times. Baseball doesn't mean as much to me today. But.... these memories of the "Big Red Machine" as a kid mean EVERYTHING to me !! When they played for the LOVE of the game, before free agency destroyed the integrity of the game to me. Thx again
I'm a Mets fan. Grew up in NJ. And it is staggering how good the 76 Reds were. That team led the National league in EVERY offensive category, had four HOFers---Morgan, Bench, Perez and Rose ( should be in Hall.) You wanna talk defense?...That team had four Gold Gloves all up the middle...Bench, Concepcion, Morgan and Geronimo. We will never see a team like that again. The talent isn't there to put on one team.
I think the greatest lineup in baseball history maybe in the history of sports I don't know
Yes He should, plain and simple!
I still watch the '75 World Series and still feel a real respect for both teams. And I love the beating they gave the Yanks in '76. I bet Boston fans enjoyed seeing that.
11:45 Seeing the catcher Bench pumped up like that at the home plate, and other teammates acknowledging in smiles, imagine how many past stories going through those once young hearts. Legendary!
Ohhhh I teared. My dad was from Cincinnati and we would go there every summer. I remember a long rain delay with my dad and my grandfather when I was 12. We weren't going back to Price Hill. We waited it out. Loved seeing the Great 8 play.