1973 Recap: Cincinnati had that fun run in 1970 that was followed by two last-place finishes. In 1972 they showed new signs of life, even leading the NL West for a few days in mid to late August, before a season-ending tailspin (10-17 in September, 11-21 to end the year) took them all the way down to needing to beat the lowly Giants on the final day of the year to finish with an even record.
The tale of this season was of some great front-line play, highlighted by RF Jaden Weaver (.258/38/117) and SP Steve Waiters (19-13, 3.34), covering over poor team defense and and iffy pitching. Normally you expect a stars-and-scrubs type setup from a larger market team.
1974 Outlook: This team does not look like they're going to become the Big Red Machine of real life any time soon. They just need an awful lot of secondary help in tne lineup - after Weaver and #2 guy RJ Dominguez their 3rd place man in RBIs was leadoff hitter Pedro Ortiz with 50 - and around 4 or 5 more pitchers.
Rodrigo Aguilar
SP No. 32
LL, 6'4" 191 lbs.
Born 1942-04-27
Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| 1971 SD MLB | 11 | 10 | 0 | 3.47 | 27 | 27 | 5 | 196.2 | 198 | 83 | 76 | 68 | 59 |
| 1972 SD MLB | 18 | 9 | 0 | 3.57 | 32 | 32 | 7 | 242.0 | 198 | 100 | 96 | 89 | 96 |
| 1973 SD MLB | 5 | 6 | 0 | 4.61 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 80.0 | 82 | 44 | 41 | 28 | 29 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | 6 | 7 | 0 | 4.72 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 99.0 | 96 | 53 | 52 | 42 | 40 |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
The Reds paid a pretty penny to pry the 1972 18-game winner Aguilar away from their division rivals, a prospect to be named later and their starting catcher in Oliver Williams (who finished the year .218/10/43). Aguilar won games on smoke, mirrors, and guile in 72 and flat out wasn't able to repeat the performance in either San Diego nor Cincy. He throws a fastball with some speed but it's relatively straight and easy to track and he doesn't always hit his spots with it or an okay but not world-beating curve. Hitters sent that curve out of the park a combined 24 times last season including 14 after he joined the Reds.
Aguilar is now 5 time double-digit winner with 4 of those years coming with an expansion team. It can't all have been luck, can it?
Veit Bieler
C No. 20
RR, 5'11" 200 lbs.
Born 1946-10-15
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 DEN AAA | .236 | 57 | 157 | 23 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 0 |
| 1971 TEX MLB | .229 | 14 | 48 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 0 |
| 1972 PFD AA | .250 | 36 | 88 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 0 |
| 1972 DEN AAA | .155 | 21 | 58 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| 1973 IND AAA | .288 | 24 | 66 | 6 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 0 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .198 | 53 | 121 | 6 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 23 | 30 | 0 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
The Reds acquired Veit Bieler, who as far as I can tell was just a game-generated guy from Austria, in December assuming he'd be able to work out whatever issues he had in Denver in 1972 and become the team's new backstop. He hit well enough in Indianapolis to convince the team to send the incumbent Oliver Williams away in exchange for pitching help. Once promoted, Bieler struggled to hit and now the Reds don't really have a great answer behind the plate.
Bieler wound up losing out on catching opportunities because his mate behind the plate Leron Lee is a better defensive catcher. Bieler has a poor arm and caught only 27.3% of runners attempting to steal on him last year. He's okay at getting in front of wild pitches but he'll never be anything close to a Gold Glover back there. He's as slow as you'd expect a catcher to be and in fact just about the only skill he did show in 1973 was some pretty nice pitch recognition that pulled his OBP all the way up to .322 in spite of an average below the Timonen Line.
If Bieler could add even a little bit of power or cut down on the strikeouts he could be a solid performer. Those are kind of big things to need to add, and if nothing else Cincy has a couple of interesting looking guys, Keke Roosberg (.284/7/23 at Indianapolis) and an as-yet-unnamed top 200 prospect in AAA (.317/11/23 in 59 games at that level) who will compete for the job.
Dennis bin Naim
OF No. 13
LL, 6'2" 201 lbs.
Born 1947-02-14
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 TR AA | .264 | 59 | 220 | 28 | 58 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 35 | 26 | 9 |
| 1971 IND AAA | .194 | 22 | 67 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 4 |
| 1971 CIN MLB | .269 | 27 | 67 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 0 |
| 1972 IND AAA | .265 | 32 | 132 | 18 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 8 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .213 | 79 | 268 | 30 | 57 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 32 | 38 | 5 |
| 1973 IND AAA | .203 | 50 | 172 | 16 | 35 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 25 | 30 | 7 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .277 | 52 | 141 | 17 | 39 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 25 | 3 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
One of four men to play substantial games in centerfield for the Reds last year, bin Naim created as many new questions as he answered. Offensively he was... fine. The knock on him in 1972 was that he was hitting too many popups and strikeouts and not taking enough advantage of his natural speed. In 1973 at least he seemed to do a lot better than that. This sort of batting profile will never produce much in the way of power but at least he hit for contact well. Defensively it was another matter. Bin Naim caught most of the balls that he got to but he exhibited a really slow first step and the Israeli didn't seem to do a great job of anticipating when the ball was going to fly into the gap. He was better in right than in center after he was sent down to AAA Indianapolis in May but even then he didn't record a single baserunner kill against minor league baserunners.
It's hard to really say for sure what bin Naim's future is with this team. He doesn't field well enough to play a lot of center and he doesn't hit anywhere near well enough to play in the corners... plus, the Reds already have the corners pretty well full. A new city might be the best course of action for this guy.
R.J. Dominguez
LF No. 33
RR, 6'0" 198 lbs.
Born 1944-12-10
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 KC MLB | .284 | 150 | 518 | 99 | 147 | 24 | 1 | 26 | 85 | 124 | 91 | 2 |
| 1972 KC MLB | .251 | 113 | 394 | 49 | 99 | 20 | 2 | 19 | 77 | 62 | 72 | 3 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .279 | 156 | 566 | 96 | 158 | 37 | 8 | 25 | 100 | 98 | 68 | 4 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
Dominguez had an off year for the Royals in 1972 and the Reds swept in to take him off their hands. They paid a high price for the slugger's services - 1B Alonzo Rivera (.322, 8, 79), who contended for the batting title over in the junior circuit, and Joe Hagan (3-4, 5.40), who'd been a part of the Reds' rotation the season prior (8-13, 4.48) - but oh boy was he worth it. Dominguez finished 6th in HRs, 3rd in RBIs, and led the league in walks, generally terrorizing his new league.
Dominguez is more of a line drive hitter than a guy with a big uppercut swing and he manages to keep his average relatively high by avoiding easy strikeouts on breaking pitches. He's studied the game pretty hard and won't dive out of the way of a curveball thrown by a same-handed pitcher, to the point that last year he actually hit RHPs better than LHPs (.286 with 20 of his 25 HRs coming off of northsiders). He was hitting close to .300 before a late-season slump pushed his average down to .279, which is still great for what the Reds want him to do; still, a longer look at his stamina might be in order for 1974. Defensively Dominguez has one of the best outfield arms in the league, although it's somewhat wasted in left field (the argument for Weaver in right is a. he's a bit rangier and b. that's just where he plays).
Dominguez is an absolute stud and he and Weaver make one of the best 1-2 punches in the game today.
MC Gainey
1B No. 44
LL, 6'1" 200 lbs.
Born 1948-01-21
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 ASH AA | .220 | 89 | 314 | 40 | 69 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 38 | 55 | 65 | 3 |
| 1971 TUC AAA | .222 | 37 | 99 | 23 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 23 | 17 | 1 |
| 1972 IND AAA | .307 | 112 | 323 | 42 | 99 | 15 | 1 | 18 | 64 | 45 | 57 | 0 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .214 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1973 IND AAA | .204 | 36 | 93 | 11 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 0 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .264 | 102 | 356 | 47 | 94 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 45 | 58 | 87 | 2 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
Can horror comic books become a thing? Can MC Gainey turn into the "Swamp Thing" of the major leagues? These are two good questions. Trust me. Gainey was a low-round draft pick who has kind of suddenly turned into a potential player for the Reds since they traded for him in the winter of 1971, and 73 was his coming out party. Gainey showed some signs of being a middle of the order hitter for this team.
Gainey's best attribute is that he loves to take a pitch that's out of the zone. Sometimes he'll take a pitch inside of the zone as well and in fact he will swing and miss a bit too often to hit for a good average. Still, that plus some possibly 20+ HR power can make him an above average starter at first base. He's neither fast nor a good defender but that's not really why you have a guy like this in your lineup. For a guy who likes the high inside fastball as much as Gainey does, he did a pretty decent job of hitting across the splits last year with a .269 average vs RHPs and a .250 vs lefty throwers.
With the former first baseman Alonzo Rivera (.322, 8, 79) gone to Kansas City, finding a guy like MC Gainey on the scrap heap - the swamp heap? - was a really fine turn of events for these Reds.
Robert Hopkins
OF No. 17
RR, 6'0" 199 lbs.
Born 1945-07-26
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 TR AA | .302 | 29 | 86 | 12 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| 1971 IND AAA | .348 | 52 | 132 | 14 | 46 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 5 |
| 1971 CIN MLB | .000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 IND AAA | .237 | 13 | 38 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .254 | 46 | 118 | 11 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 1 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .242 | 73 | 207 | 19 | 50 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 16 | 36 | 0 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
Hopkins, like teammate Leron Lee, just kind of showed up to camp in Quebec in the spring of 1971 and got a job. Like Lee, he's very much a AAAA type of player with not a lot of great upside. He flashed a little bit of pop last year but also had a worrying tendency to go looking for the high inside fastball to the detriment of anything else. The Ks cut into his average and he doesn't walk much so his OBP over the past 2 seasons has hovered around .300 (.308 last year, .298 this year); getting on base is not his strong suit. He's not terribly fast although good instincts afield make him a good corner outfield and a guy you can kind of pass with in center. He is barely any threat to steal and doesn't handle situations well on the bases.
Cincinnati had some huge issues with team defense last season and Hopkins playing 49 games in center was, quite frankly, one of them. With the continued development of Manny Trillo, the Reds hope to not have to use Hopkins as much next season.
Alonzo Huanosta
1B No. 29
RR, 6'2" 202 lbs.
Born 1941-01-10
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 CLE MLB | .261 | 141 | 591 | 80 | 154 | 27 | 4 | 13 | 57 | 46 | 70 | 2 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .276 | 142 | 537 | 69 | 148 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 63 | 45 | 62 | 11 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .273 | 48 | 187 | 34 | 51 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 16 | 23 | 9 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
Alonzo Huanosta was a 3 time All-Star in Cleveland before the Reds picked him up for virtually nothing prior to the 1972 season. He made his 4th All-Star Game (how, I can't tell you - those are not AS numbers to me, even as a left fielder) in 72 and then was having a similar looking year in 73 before he broke his kneecap on June 4th and missed the rest of the season. MC Gainey came in for him and now Huanosta's role is unclear.
First base was actually a transition spot for Huanosta; he's a natural outfielder with more than 1000 games in the 3 OF positions in his career. He could move back there, I guess, although the Reds' outfield is pretty full as well. As a hitter, Huanosta carries a .303 career average including a batting title in 1970 (.345/20/92). He hasn't hit higher than .276 since then though and that power in particular appears to be a thing of the past. Huanosta has good speed and doesn't strike out much. He also doesn't walk a massive amount and what power he does have goes to the gaps rather than over the walls. He didn't prove to be a very good defensive first baseman but is at least historically speaking adequate in the outfield corners should he return to those spots.
It seems too early for the 32 year old Huanosta to be relegated to a new career as a pinch-hitter and backup. Where do you put him though? With MC Gainey at first, you have the team's two best hitters in RJ Dominguez and Jaden Weaver in left and right. Another trade seems like the most viable option.
Tracey Larazabal
SP/LR No. 14
LR, 6'0" 201 lbs.
Born 1945-01-20
Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| 1971 TR AA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3.17 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 56.2 | 53 | 25 | 20 | 18 | 22 |
| 1971 IND AAA | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6.49 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 34.2 | 46 | 26 | 25 | 15 | 12 |
| 1972 IND AAA | 7 | 6 | 0 | 3.85 | 22 | 22 | 1 | 149.1 | 163 | 76 | 64 | 44 | 78 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5.49 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 36.0 | 46 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 20 |
| 1973 IND AAA | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3.92 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 59.2 | 42 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 42 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | 1 | 8 | 0 | 4.20 | 24 | 13 | 2 | 107.0 | 117 | 58 | 50 | 38 | 59 |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
Larazabal wasn't quite as bad as that 1-8 record would suggest but it can't be said that he was all that good either. He allowed 11 HRs in 91.1 IP as a starter, which happens when you have to nibble at the plate with iffy stuff to get hitters out - sometimes his curve just didn't curve enough and hitters sent it a long way. He's done a decent job over the last couple of years from increasing his velocity from not even close to major-league viable to a point where he now gets to 90 on the radar gun every now and then.
Larazabal is as hard a worker as anybody on this team. Is that enough? Right now I'd say no but I guess stranger things have happened.
Leron Lee
C/1B No. 18
LR, 6'0" 199 lbs.
Born 1948-03-05
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 TR AA | .226 | 67 | 230 | 16 | 52 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 19 | 48 | 0 |
| 1971 IND AAA | .259 | 26 | 81 | 11 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 10 | 0 |
| 1972 IND AAA | .285 | 95 | 319 | 36 | 91 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 43 | 33 | 73 | 0 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .216 | 15 | 37 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .258 | 113 | 325 | 26 | 84 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 26 | 71 | 1 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
Lee just kind of showed up at the training camp of the Trois Riviers Aigles in 1971 and since then he's risen through the ranks by doing what the Reds needed him to do. Lee is a good defensive catcher although not blessed with a great arm. That and the fact that he bats left will probably keep him in the league for years in spite of a lack of real offensive skills. He did have double digit power in Indy in 1972 but there was no sign of that in the major leagues last year.
There's a great chance that 1973 will be the high water mark of Lee's career but backup catchers live forever so he also probably won't be going away any time soon.
Jake Leone
CF No. 28
LL, 6'1" 200 lbs.
Born 1946-02-07
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 TUL AAA | .253 | 22 | 83 | 11 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 3 |
| 1971 STL MLB | .156 | 14 | 45 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 2 |
| 1971 SD MLB | .249 | 68 | 269 | 42 | 67 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 29 | 33 | 55 | 12 |
| 1972 HAW AAA | .228 | 74 | 259 | 30 | 59 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 33 | 33 | 51 | 15 |
| 1972 SD MLB | .202 | 29 | 109 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 4 |
| 1973 IND AAA | .209 | 65 | 230 | 24 | 48 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 21 | 67 | 15 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .172 | 34 | 99 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 28 | 3 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
It's easy to see why Jake Leone keeps getting chances: the 27 yaer old Pennsylvania native has got 80 grade speed. If only he could make consistent contact, the feeling goes, he could be a great leadoff hitter. Reds hitting coach Brian Lavoie was the 3rd guy to try and solve this problem in three years and far from getting better, it seems like Leone is getting worse as he enters the prime years of his career. Last year he struck out in nearly a third of his at-bats (which is bad for 2026 but this is "last year of Mike Zunino" levels of bad for 1973). He's all right in the field but can get lackadaisical at times and miss the easy ones.
It'd be cool to see Jake Leone learn some pitch recognition. Stranger things have happened I guess.
Erico Liserio
3B/2B No. 9
RR, 5'11" 199 lbs.
Born 1945-11-15
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 TR AA | .257 | 28 | 105 | 12 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| 1971 IND AAA | .197 | 78 | 213 | 19 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 27 | 31 | 3 |
| 1972 IND AAA | .260 | 125 | 419 | 55 | 109 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 52 | 44 | 71 | 4 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .375 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 IND AAA | .235 | 52 | 183 | 23 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 31 | 16 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .261 | 61 | 184 | 18 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 40 | 6 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
The Reds finally got fed up with 3B Bobby Kralcevic (.234/4/38) and sent him off to the Angels in June, handing 27 year old organizational soldier Erico Liserio the job in his place. Liserio has never looked like a starting caliber major leaguer and hit an empty .260 in the role. He's a decent if not great fielder and does have a bit of speed although he's unlikely to get on base enough to use it a lot.
The Reds don't have a lot going on at third in their minor league system. There's Roberto Duran (307/6/39 at AA TR), who got promoted aggressively this year and hits more like a shortstop than a third sacker, 27 year old non-prospect Nick Weber (.231/18/55 at AAA Indy), who at least has some pop in his bat, and a few guys who aren't ready yet. It's not impossible that Liserio will open the year as the team's 3B.
Theodore Long
3B/IF No. 5
LR, 6'2" 204 lbs.
Born 1947-09-15
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 TAM A | .243 | 116 | 416 | 39 | 101 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 25 | 54 | 0 |
| 1971 TR AA | .216 | 12 | 37 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1972 TR AA | .293 | 29 | 99 | 12 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 0 |
| 1972 IND AAA | .324 | 77 | 299 | 32 | 97 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 32 | 16 | 21 | 0 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .269 | 24 | 78 | 5 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .241 | 61 | 170 | 12 | 41 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 4 | 22 | 0 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
Theodore Long is another Reds farmhand who finally got a chance to play after 4 years in the minor leagues. He can play all around the infield passably and can cover ground pretty okay in left and center field as well. A former 11th round draft pick, he doesn't do anything really spectacularly. On the downside of things, he's no threat to steal and isn't fond of drawing walks or hitting for power. A utility / 25th man on the roster role is about the maximum level of Long's abilities.
Pete Lynn
SU No. 8
RR, 6'1" 202 lbs.
Born 1945-10-02
Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| 1971 MIN MLB | 6 | 9 | 19 | 3.31 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 100.1 | 93 | 49 | 37 | 29 | 92 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | 6 | 11 | 11 | 2.95 | 55 | 4 | 1 | 94.1 | 90 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 80 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2.66 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 77.2 | 67 | 29 | 23 | 21 | 59 |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
Lynn, the former closer for the Twins when they were consistent contenders, proved to be a bit too up and down in that role in his first year with the Reds but settled into a good job as a setup man for teammate Brian Yates. Lynn throws as hard if not harder than Yates and has a varied enough arsenal that he could conceivably be called on to start on occasion - he does have 17 career starts, including 1 last year (a 7 inning quality start vs the Padres) so it's not out of the question. He seemed to wilt in high-pressure situations last season, allowing a .300 average with 15 RBIs in 50 at-bats with the game on the line.
Lynn himself is still just 28 in spite of a 4 1/2 year career as a closer, so he's still got time for a career change.
Bastien Maurice
LHR No. 41
RL, 6'2" 204 lbs.
Born 1944-08-23
Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| 1971 IND AAA | 11 | 7 | 0 | 2.41 | 22 | 22 | 2 | 156.1 | 133 | 53 | 42 | 70 | 62 |
| 1971 CIN MLB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4.66 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 46.1 | 42 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 23 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.07 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 38.0 | 25 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 21 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5.21 | 45 | 1 | 1 | 48.1 | 53 | 31 | 28 | 16 | 34 |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
The job of a lefty specialist can be a hard one sometimes. You don't get to play all that often and so if you get blown up once or twice it can really affect peoples' perceptions of you. Maurice gave up 3 runs on 4 hits in an inning of work on Opening Night and never really recovered from that, ERA-wise. He pitched pretty well in May and June but had another couple of month-destroying rough outings in July and September. Maurice throws 5 pitches, not always for strikes, but incudes a lot of swings and misses. Lefties hit just .215 againt him last year but unfortunately he has to play right-handed batters too and they tattooed him to the tune of a 320/348/492 triple slash.
Bastien did get to start a game last year but his role on Cincinnati is something like a left-handed one out guy. In 1973 you can't just be a one out guy, though.
Dusty McCully
SS/3B No. 38
RR, 6'0" 193 lbs.
Born 1946-06-07
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 STL MLB | .253 | 149 | 549 | 53 | 139 | 19 | 3 | 9 | 58 | 35 | 73 | 0 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .242 | 138 | 496 | 43 | 120 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 50 | 41 | 75 | 0 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .259 | 123 | 486 | 54 | 126 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 43 | 21 | 89 | 1 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
Dusty McCully spend the final month of the season on the IR thanks to a severe hip strain he suffered on September 7. Before then he was turning in a second solid if unspectacular season as the Reds' starting shortstop.
McCully is a pull hitter who has a tendency to swing at everything which, in spite of not bad power for a shortstop, will serve to keep him towards the bottom of the order. He laid down 13 sacrifice bunts last year but in spite of the volume he's not really very good at making contact with the ball on bunts. He's surprisingly slow afield so the tendency to pull the ball and hit it into the air isn't as bad for him as you might think. He's got a good first step and a nice arm at shortstop that make him an above average fielder as well as a guy who could possibly make the move to 3rd base later in his career (that would require some improvement as a hitter though).
McCully is probably not going to be making a trip to the All-Star Game any time soon but it wasn't a coincidence that the bottom fell out of the team defense when he was laid up in September. He and Ortiz make up one of the better double play combinations in the league.
Pedro Ortiz
2B No. 21
RR, 5'11" 181 lbs.
Born 1943-10-05
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+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 CIN MLB | .265 | 148 | 622 | 77 | 165 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 43 | 68 | 79 | 28 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .258 | 146 | 594 | 64 | 153 | 31 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 62 | 46 | 35 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .248 | 153 | 630 | 97 | 156 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 50 | 67 | 69 | 23 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
In a pretty tumultuous year, Pedro Ortiz was the Reds' most consistent member of the infield and he put together another Pedro Ortiz type season at the top of the lineup. Although he was an All-Star snub, ending his consecutive appearances at the Midsummer Classic at six, Ortiz nevertheless led the National League in at-bats and plate appearances and finished 2nd in runs.
Cincinnati fans call him "Speedy Ortiz" and for good reason: he led the league in steals in 1972 and he's finished in the top 10 in that category ever since he started playing 2nd for Cincy in 1967. Now 30 years old he's still as fast as ever on the basepaths. He's got a smooth swing that's geared more for line drives than groundballs, although last year there were a few more popups thrown into the mix, especially during a midseason slump that lasted throughout June (207/0/7) and much of July (237/0/10) and pulled his batting average to the lowest of Ortiz's career. Ortiz has the mentality of a leadoff man and will often foul off a pitch and coax a long at-bat just to let his teammates see a pitcher's stuff. He's a good defensive player, perhaps not worthy of having won the past 3 Gold Gloves but he does go out there every day and that counts.
Ortiz should rebound with the bat and be at least a .270 hitter in 1974. That should also give him another pass to the All-Star Game.
Graham Panarello
SP/LR No. 7
RR, 6'0" 202 lbs.
Born 1944-10-31
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+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| 1971 CIN MLB | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3.82 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 75.1 | 69 | 32 | 32 | 39 | 47 |
| 1972 IND AAA | 4 | 7 | 0 | 5.29 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 88.1 | 86 | 56 | 52 | 38 | 59 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | 8 | 9 | 0 | 4.58 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 125.2 | 118 | 69 | 64 | 58 | 91 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | 11 | 5 | 0 | 3.20 | 35 | 23 | 6 | 193.2 | 175 | 73 | 69 | 83 | 130 |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
Graham Panarello has been in and out of the rotation with the Reds and Angels his entire career. Last year he set career highs in starts, wins, and innings pitched but still finished the season in the bullpen as the team took a long look at some younger arms. Panarello didn't help his cause much with a 2-3, 3.98 August. All in all though it was a very good year for the 28 year old.
Panarello was very good in low leverage long-relief situations, which make his year look a little better than it was (he was 0-1, 2.12 in 29.2 relief innings). Still, 11-4, 3.40 is nothing to sneeze at as a back of the rotation starter and Panarello showed some signs that he could pitch late into games when asked to. Panarello throws in the low to mid 90s and has a very good curveball and change. He can get into spells where he has trouble controlling his breaking pitches and when that happens he turns into a 2-pitch pitcher and boom, there goes the ability to last. Still, he had 15 quality starts in 23 tries, which is pretty good overall. He's a career .218 hitter who managed to hit .254 with 8 RBIs last year - nice for a pitcher.
If Panarello can locate his curve just a little bit more often he could easily be a middle of the rotation guy for this team in 1974 and in years to come.
Manny Trillo
CF No. 12
RR, 6'1" 184 lbs.
Born 1950-12-15
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+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1972 TAM A | .250 | 13 | 56 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 5 |
| 1973 TR AA | .246 | 33 | 126 | 21 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 25 | 4 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .236 | 68 | 212 | 22 | 50 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 20 | 46 | 3 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
This iteration of Manny Trillo was rushed heavily through the minors leagues after being drafted 5th overall in 1972. Just 46 games into his pro career he found himself starting for the Reds in centerfield. Predictably, he got tied up by the curveball in the big leagues and never got an opportunity to showcare the speed that saw him steal 30+ bases three years running in college. Defensively he's got good hands but range-wise he doesn't look like he'll ever be a fantastic centerfielder so the Reds are going to need improvement from him offensively.
Trillo is still very young and very raw. He's got a good head on his shoulders and was named the #4 prospect in all of baseball at midseason so everyone sees the potential.
Bill Vanover
SP No. 24
SR, 5'12" 173 lbs.
Born 1941-06-12
Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| 1971 CIN MLB | 13 | 14 | 0 | 3.77 | 32 | 32 | 6 | 231.1 | 250 | 110 | 97 | 48 | 94 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | 13 | 15 | 0 | 3.44 | 32 | 32 | 10 | 238.0 | 221 | 98 | 91 | 41 | 107 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | 16 | 11 | 0 | 3.11 | 34 | 34 | 9 | 251.0 | 225 | 91 | 87 | 60 | 153 |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
Bullet Bill Vanover has been a real mystery wrapped inside of an enigma in seasons past. In spite of throwing one of the hardest fastballs in the game - his 4 seamer regularly tops 95 on the radar gun - he's never been much of a strikeout merchant. Last year in fact was not only his career high in Ks but it's 42 more than his next highest total, and even that was only around a league average number.
Vanover's stuff is relatively easy to track; if anything, his fastball is his best pitch for the velocity alone and everything else, including a slider, change, curve, and occasional cutter, just kind of come along for the ride. That said, Vanover is very, very good at keeping pitches both in the strike zone and on the corners. He's led his league in lowest BB/9 rate 5 times and finished 2nd this year. He also had the 10th lowest HR rate in 1973, with only 12 HRs allowed all season long. Cincinnati is not exactly a bandbox but it's not Dodger Stadium either. Vanover managed to lead the team in complete games due to teammate Steve Waiters sometimes having troubles staying out there. He got there with economy rather than endurance. Vanover's one real weakness outside of just throwing pretty straight is that he sometimes forgets there are runners on base. Last year he allowed 23 men to steal on him in 32 tries.
If Steve Waiters is a prototypical ace, Bullet Bill is a prototypical #2 starter.
Steve Waiters
LL, 6'4" 202 lbs.
Born 1943-11-20
Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| 1971 CIN MLB | 21 | 12 | 0 | 2.74 | 38 | 38 | 12 | 294.2 | 261 | 101 | 90 | 83 | 200 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | 11 | 13 | 0 | 2.59 | 31 | 31 | 13 | 242.2 | 192 | 73 | 70 | 74 | 164 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | 19 | 13 | 0 | 3.34 | 35 | 35 | 7 | 261.0 | 243 | 103 | 97 | 71 | 179 |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
Whether you call 1973 a return to form, a quiet downturn, or just more of the same from a great lefty pitcher depends on how much of and exactly what kind of a stat nerd you are. On the one level, Waiters won 3 of his last 4 decisions - the 4th was a game on September 19th where he got shelled by the Giants of all teams - to just miss his 3rd 20 win season in 4 years and that was a nice bump from 11 wins the previous year. A level one stat nerd sees the big bump in his ERA, which indeed was the worst of his career as a starter. A level two stat nerd sees that his peripherals were pretty much exactly what they were the year before and the only reason his ERA climbed was that a porous defense gave up a lot more hits behind him.
Whichever way you cut it, Waiters is one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in all of baseball. He throws a 2-seam fastball that hits the low and occasionally mid 90s and dips in and out of the zone, a good changeup, and a 12 to 6 curveball that does what it's advertised to do. He throws all three of those pitches for strikes and indeed consistently has one of the best K/BB ratios in the league (10th last year, 2.52). He did allow a career high 23 HRs last year but by and large, and in sharp contrast to most strikeout artists, "The Hulk" is not a feast-or-famine guy at all. He's got a herky jerky motion that puts him off balance in his follow through. If you can make contact, Waiters can be bunted on. He did fall below 10 complete games for the first time since 1967, which is one potential red flag going forward, although the stat nerds tell me that he was still throwing 111 pitches a game last year, comparable to 1972's 113 and just behind the 118 and 117 he threw in 70 and 71.
Waiters is the classic case of a guy who you trot out there every 4th or 5th day and expect wins. However he does it, he'll get you there.
Jaden Weaver
RF No. 3
LL, 6'2" 199 lbs.
Born 1942-07-11
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 HOU MLB | .303 | 131 | 501 | 77 | 152 | 27 | 2 | 37 | 104 | 52 | 85 | 1 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .234 | 132 | 495 | 73 | 116 | 20 | 1 | 32 | 88 | 54 | 90 | 1 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .256 | 149 | 559 | 78 | 143 | 25 | 2 | 38 | 117 | 68 | 103 | 3 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
It's now been 2 full seasons since the Reds engineered that inter-divisional trade for Houston's star slugger Jaden Weaver and if there was ever any question who won that deal, there's no question anymore. Weaver led the league in HRs and RBIs and if it weren't for the presence of Philadelphia's Alberto Juantorena he'd be the easy pick for MVP - as it is, he could win it.
Weaver is your classic pull hitting power hitter. If you give him anything inside and on the upper half of the plate, you had better get your binoculars out because that ball is going a long, long way. He eclipsed the century mark in strikeouts for the first time since 1970 although that was less of an issue with his actual K rate and more of a consequence of him playing more than he has the last couple years. Breaking .300 again seems unlikely but you'll take a slightly lower average when it means you get all of these HRs - which, speaking of, Weaver is 21 dingers away from 400 in his still-young career. He's got deceptive speed although he rarely steals. Defensively he's probably better suited for left than right but Weaver is a creature of habit and the Reds feel it best to keep him where he is.
Weaver once hit 48 HRs in the Astrodome. 48! The National League HR record is 65. Can Weaver get there?
Mike Wendt
SS/OF No. 25
RR, 6'1" 201 lbs.
Born 1944-04-05
Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
| 1971 CIN MLB | .236 | 143 | 471 | 44 | 111 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 54 | 26 | 83 | 17 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | .202 | 42 | 124 | 11 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 27 | 5 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | .242 | 55 | 128 | 15 | 31 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 30 | 10 |
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
Wendt, a former first round pick (1966) and 3 year starter for the Reds from 1969 to 1971, has seen seen his role and playing time curtailed over the past few seasons. He's reportedly not happy about this and one can understand why. Still, he hasn't been unhappy enough to quit the team - yet - and in this pre-free agency era that's the cards he's been dealt. Wendt has shown nice pop for a shortstop in the past but has a career .245 average and outside of the occasional HR has never hit well enough to justify being played somewhere else. He struck out 136 times in 1970 and that inability to make consistent contact has been a real issue for him all of his career. He's an okay but not great shortstop who's better as a fill-in than a starter with his level of defense.
The Reds could and probably should trade Wendt but let's be honest, he probably doesn't have a lot of options anywhere eise either. At this point in his career he's no more than a backup.
Brian Yates
CL No. 30
SR, 6'2" 191 lbs.
Born 1944-09-02
Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
| 1971 TR AA | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1.66 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 21.2 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 18 |
| 1971 IND AAA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6.13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14.2 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 9 |
| 1971 CIN MLB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1972 CIN MLB | 3 | 4 | 9 | 2.45 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 66.0 | 54 | 19 | 18 | 33 | 56 |
| 1973 CIN MLB | 9 | 8 | 26 | 1.70 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 84.1 | 58 | 23 | 16 | 45 | 63 |
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ +
Sometimes when a team underperforms what you'd expect their record to be by runs vs runs allowed - the Reds scored 656 runs last year and allowed 648, yet only finished .500 - it's because of a bullpen that fritters away wins. At least on the front line that was just not the case in 1973. Brian "Sonny" Yates stepped into the stopper role and was just plain great at it, finishing 3rd in the NL with 26 saves in 32 opportunities, recording 39 shutdowns vs just 9 meltdowns, and getting the job done an inning at a time.
Yates has that Kaz Sasaki arsenal - a 4 seamer and a splitter that comes out looking like the 4 seamer until it slows down and dips out of the strike zone. He had some problems keeping the split-fingered "fastball" in the strike zone but that's part of the charm of that pitch and of the way you want a stopper to throw. The one mark against him as a 2nd year guy is that Yates hasn't proven to be a guy who can give you 2+ innings when you need him. He'll never be a guy you'll want to send through a lineup more than once unless he learns a 3rd pitch but he's thrown just 19 and 21 pitches per outing in his 2 years in the bigs and that can improve. You wouldn't expect a guy who throws as hard has he does to leave himself in a position to field well and he does not.
Yates is a late bloomer and is already 29 years old in spite of having just 118 appearances to his name so far. He lacks that fiery attitude you expect from a stopper but what he lacks in the tude he makes up for with the heater.