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On Monday night in Denver—not Atlanta, as originally scheduled—the Cincinnati Reds will be represented in the All-Star Game by outfielders Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos.
Winker is a product of the Reds farm system and this has been a breakout season for the Reds left fielder. His selection was very well deserved. The same for Castellanos, who came to Cincinnati via free agency. This guy is a leader by example. I love the way he plays the game of baseball and also that he crushed a three-run homer against the Brewers on Saturday night.
The last time two Reds outfielders were named to the All-Star team wasn’t that long ago; Adam Duvall and Jay Bruce were selected in 2016.
But beyond that, there were only five other years in the modern era of Reds baseball (defined by Frank Robinson’s rookie year of 1956) in which the Reds had a pair of outfielders play for the National League. And in four of those five years, it was the same pair.
George Foster and Ken Griffey were selected in 1975 and 1976 and Gus Bell and Robinson were picked in 1956 and 1957. 1995 was the fifth year when Ron Gant and Reggie Sanders were selected. Other Reds outfielders were selected or voted in over the years such as Eric Davis, Pete Rose, Dave Parker, Ken Griffey Junior and Paul O’Neil. But they went solo.
It’s hard to believe but two of the best Reds outfielders since 1956—Vada Pinson and Robinson—were never selected together as outfielders for the All-Star game. In 1959, both made the team but that year Robinson played first base and Pinson was in his normal position as a centerfielder.
Even when both had monster seasons in 1961, it didn’t happen. Robinson (37/124/.323) was voted Most Valuable Player in the NL that season and Pinson (16/87/.343) finished third. But the two outfielders that beat Pinson out in the All-Star game were Orlando Cepeda and Roberto Clemente, who finished second and fourth respectively in the MVP vote as well.
Talk about one tough outfield.
So Winker and Castellanos are in good company. Of the total of 10 Reds outfielders selected by pairs in the same year, four are in the Reds Hall of Fame. Bruce should be a shoo-in down the road and Sanders is a favorite of many Reds fans to be voted in. Sanders played eight years for the Reds, with his best season being 1995 (28/99/.306) but he struggled in the post season (2 for 13 against the Dodgers with 9 strikeouts and 2 for 16 against the Braves with 10 strikeouts.)
After leaving the Reds, of course, Sanders drove in 10 runs in a playoff series victory for the Cardinals. Go figure. He also played for seven other teams in the next seven seasons but he will mostly be remembered as a Cincinnati Red.
But back to Winker and Castellanos: both carried the Reds offense early in the season when virtually everybody else except Jonathon India was struggling. With a struggling bullpen, little help from the front office and injuries, those two were key in keeping the Reds above the .500 mark going into the All-Star break.
How will those two be remembered in Reds history? It depends on their contracts which are both short term in Cincinnati.
I like both of them, especially Castellanos.
But my three favorite Reds outfielders since 1956?
That’s easy — at least for the first two.
Eric Davis, who was the best player in baseball when he was healthy in the mid-1980s. He was incredible. No one was close to him.
Vada Pinson, who was one of the best centerfielders in baseball for a decade. Pinson could slam two home runs in a game, beat out a bunt and steal bases plus was a great centerfielder. He could beat a team in a lot of ways.
The third one was a bit tougher. Griffey Senior could do it all. Griffey Junior was awesome. Robby was incredible for over a decade and one of the best ever. The insertion of Foster to left field in 1975 by Sparky Anderson completed the Big Red Machine and Foster was aggressive at the plate with his “Black Betsy” bat that integrated the bat rack. Dave Parker should have been the NL MVP in 1985 and was one of the best free agent signings in Reds history that brought him home to Cincinnati. The Cobra was an intimidating force at the plate.
But I go with Jay Bruce. He hit the dramatic home run in 2010. He exploded on the scene in 2008 when Reds fans needed a shot in the arm. He’s a future Reds Hall of Famer. Fans in the right field seats of Great American Ball Park cheered him on. He will always be remembered as a Cincinnati Red.
Here’s hoping Wink and Castellanos have a great All-Star Game for the National League.
[John Ring is a life-long Reds fan who lives in Galesburg, Illinois. John is a retired firefighter and veteran who served for 32 years. Thanks, John!]
Fun read. All-Star Game memories are great to revisit, for sure – I was texting with two of my brothers last night recalling Dave Parker’s MVP throw . Thanks, John!
Not trying to be too contrary, but Willie McGee was a very deserving MVP in ’85. He hit .353! 216 hits, well over 100 runs scored, 56 stolen bases. And looking back, when you add in his WAR– nearly 2x that of Parker that season — the right guy won the MVP.