In what is a real case of reading without comprehension, I blew right by the elephant in the room, as it were. This Reds media guide included Vida Blue(!) on the roster. Of course, thanks to meddlesome commissioner Bowie Kuhn, he never played for the Big Red Machine.
History lesson: in December of 1977, the Reds traded big first baseman Dave Revering (30 homers in AAA) and $1.75 million to Charlie Finley in return for his left-hander. Imagine: Blue and Tom Seaver in the same rotation. But Bowie said no. After a six-hour hearing in which both teams and players union chief Marvin Miller all gave it their seal of approval, Kuhn's verdict was still to void the trade.
Revering returned to the Reds only briefly; in February, he was dealt to the A's (again) for Doug Bair and played 152 games as a rookie. In March, Blue was then famously moved across the bay in a massive deal with the Giants that netted Oakland seven players and $300,000. Kuhn approved, and Blue was the NL All-Star Game starter.
Here is the photo of Blue in the Reds' '78 media guide. I would like to pretend it wasn't doctored, because I'm sure otherwise it would be the only photo of Blue in his phantom uniform.
To make a long story short, the 1978 Reds spring roster should include Bair as No. 40, not Vida.