1979 Cincinnati Reds season explained

The 1979 Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West under their first-year manager John McNamara, with a record of 90–71, 1½ games better than the Houston Astros. It was a year of great change for the Reds, who lost long-time star Pete Rose to the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed Rose as an unrestricted free agent. Also, long-time manager and future Hall of Famer Sparky Anderson was fired by new general manager Dick Wagner when Anderson refused to make changes in his coaching staff. McNamara guided the Reds to its first West Division title in three years. Wagner replaced long-time GM Bob Howsam, who retired after running the Reds for 12 years. Through some good drafts and several key trades, Howsam built a team that won six division titles, and played in four World Series, winning two, during the 1970s.

However, the Reds lost the NLCS to the eventual World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates in three straight games. It was the first time in four tries the Pirates had upended the Reds in a league championship series since Major League Baseball began divisional play in 1969. It would be Cincinnati's last postseason appearance until 1990.

The Reds played their home games at Riverfront Stadium.

Offseason

• January 9, 1979: Bill Bordley was drafted by the Reds in 1979, but the pick was voided.^[1]

Regular season

Notable transactions

• May 8, 1979: Paul Blair was signed as a free agent by the Reds.^[2]
• May 25, 1979: Champ Summers was traded by the Reds to the Detroit Tigers for a player to be named later. The Tigers completed the deal by sending Sheldon Burnside to the Reds on October 25.^[3]
• June 5, 1979: Jeff Jones was drafted by the Reds in the 20th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft.^[4]
• June 28, 1979: Pedro Borbón was traded by the Reds to the San Francisco Giants for Héctor Cruz.^[5]

Roster

1979 Cincinnati Reds
Roster
Pitchers		CatchersInfielders		OutfieldersOther batters		ManagerCoaches

Game log

Regular season

|-style="background:#fcc;"| 17 || || || Pirates || L 2–9|-style="background:#fcc;"| 18 || || || Pirates || L 2–3 |-|-style="background:#cfc;"| 24 || || || Astros || W 6–5 || Bair || Riccelli || — || 3:47 || 20,988 || 13–11 || W2|-style="background:#cfc;"| 25 || || || Astros || W 6–2 || Hume || Andújar || Pastore || 2:13 || 25,044 || 14–11 || W3|-style="background:#cfc;"| 26 ||
|| || Astros || W 17–5|-style="background:#fcc;"| 27 ||
|| || Astros || L 2–8 || Riccelli|-style="background:#cfc;"| 31 || || || @ Pirates || W 8–4|-style="background:#fcc;"| 32 || || || @ Pirates || L 2–3|-style="background:#cfc;"| 33 || || || @ Pirates || W 7–3|-style="background:#fcc;"| 47 || || || @ Astros || L 1–2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 48 || || || @ Astros || L 3–6|-style="background:#fcc;"| 49 || || || @ Astros || L 0–3|-|-style="background:#cfc;"| 57 || || || Expos || W 3–2|-style="background:#cfc;"| 58 || || || Expos || W 7–1|-style="background:#cfc;"| 59 || || || Expos || W 3–2|-style="background:#cfc;"| 66 || || || @ Expos || W 3–2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 67 || || || @ Expos || L 2–3|-style="background:#fcc;"| 68 || || || @ Expos || L 4–5 |-style="background:#cfc;"| 72 ||
|| || @ Astros || W 2–1 || || || Bair|-style="background:#fcc;"| 73 ||
|| || @ Astros || L 0–4|-style="background:#fcc;"| 74 || || || @ Astros || L 5–6 || || Bair|-|-style="background:#fcc;"| 81 || || || Astros || L 2–3|-style="background:#fcc;"| 82 || || || Astros || L 2–3 || Andújar|-style="background:#cfc;"| 83 || || || Astros || W 5–4 || || || Bair|-style="background:#cfc;"| 84 || || || Pirates || W 2–1|-style="background:#cfc;"| 85 || || || Pirates || W 6–2|-style="background:#cfc;"| 86 ||
|| || Pirates || W 4–2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 87 ||
|| || Pirates || L 1–2|- style="text-align:center; background:#bbcaff;"| colspan="12" | 50th All-Star Game in Seattle, Washington|-style="background:#cfc;"| 101 || || || @ Pirates || W 6–5|-style="background:#cfc;"| 102 || || || @ Pirates || W 6–5 |-style="background:#cfc;"| 103 || || || @ Pirates || W 9–7|-|-style="background:#fcc;"| 126 || || || Expos || L 2–5|-style="background:#cfc;"| 127 || || || Expos || W 3–2|-style="background:#cfc;"| 128 || || || Expos || W 7–2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 135 || || || @ Expos || L 7–8 |-|-style="background:#fcc;"| 136 || || || @ Expos || L 2–7|-style="background:#fcc;"| 137 || || || @ Expos || L 1–13|-style="background:#cfc;"| 145 || || || Astros || W 9–8 || Hume|-style="background:#cfc;"| 146 || || || Astros || W 7–4 || Pastore|-style="background:#fcc;"| 154 || || || @ Astros || L 2–3 || || Hume|-style="background:#fcc;"| 155 || || || @ Astros || L 1–4|-style="background:#cfc;"| 156 || || || @ Astros || W 7–1 || Pastore|-|- style="text-align:center;"| Legend:      = Win      = Loss      = Postponement
Bold = Reds team member

Postseason Game log

|-style="background:#fcc;"| 1 || || || Pirates || L 2–5 |-style="background:#fcc;"| 2 || || || Pirates || L 2–3 |-style="background:#fcc;"| 3 || || || @ Pirates || L 1–7|-|- style="text-align:center;"| Legend:      = Win      = Loss
Bold = Reds team member

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
C		130	464	128	.276	22	80
1B		150	515	129	.250	18	75
2B		127	436	109	.250	9	32
3B		150	551	175	.318	10	79
SS		149	590	166	.281	16	84
LF		121	440	133	.302	30	98
CF		123	356	85	.239	4	38
RF		95	380	120	.316	8	32

^[6]

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
	122	396	126	.318	3	35
	83	220	60	.273	1	17
	74	182	44	.242	4	27
	75	140	21	.150	2	15
	62	100	21	.210	1	12
	27	60	12	.200	1	11
	43	56	12	.214	0	5
	23	34	7	.206	0	4
	10	13	3	.231	0	2
	7	6	1	.167	0	0
	6	3	0	.000	0	0
	7	2	1	.500	0	0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	32	215.0	16	6	3.14	131
	35	205.2	14	8	3.50	73
	34	195.1	11	13	3.64	95
	29	175.2	9	7	3.79	78

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	57	163.0	10	9	2.76	80
	21	106.0	5	4	3.89	58
	30	95.1	6	7	4.25	63

Note: Tom Hume led the Reds in saves with 17.

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
	65	11	7	16	4.29	86
	53	2	2	1	2.62	30
	30	2	2	2	3.43	23
	25	3	2	0	5.30	32
	23	0	4	0	4.66	23
	5	1	0	0	8.53	0
	3	0	0	0	0.00	1

National League Championship Series

See main article: 1979 National League Championship Series.

Game 1

October 2, Riverfront Stadium

align=left width=25%	Team	width=5%	1	width=5%	2	width=5%	3	width=5%	4	width=5%	5	width=5%	6	width=5%	7	width=5%	8	width=5%	9	width=5%	10	width=5%	11	width=5%	R	width=5%	H	width=5%	E
Pittsburgh	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	10	0
Cincinnati	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	0
W: Grant Jackson (1–0)  L: Tom Hume (0–1)   SV: Don Robinson (1)
HRs: PIT – Phil Garner (1)   Willie Stargell (1)   CIN – George Foster (1)

Game 2

October 3, Riverfront Stadium

align=left width=26%	Team	width=5%	1	width=5%	2	width=5%	3	width=5%	4	width=5%	5	width=5%	6	width=5%	7	width=5%	8	width=5%	9	width=5%	10	width=5%	R	width=5%	H	width=5%	E
Pittsburgh	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	11	0
Cincinnati	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	8	0
W: Don Robinson (1–0)  L: Doug Bair (0–1)   SV: None
HRs: PIT – None   CIN – None

Game 3

October 5, Three Rivers Stadium

align=left width=28%	Team	width=6%	1	width=6%	2	width=6%	3	width=6%	4	width=6%	5	width=6%	6	width=6%	7	width=6%	8	width=6%	9	width=6%	R	width=6%	H	width=6%	E
Cincinnati	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	8	1
Pittsburgh	1	1	2	2	0	0	0	1	X	7	7	0
W: Bert Blyleven (1–0)  L: Mike LaCoss (0–1)   SV: None
HRs: CIN – Johnny Bench (1)   PIT – Willie Stargell (2)   Bill Madlock (1)

Farm system

See also: Minor League Baseball.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Nashville

References

• 1979 Cincinnati Reds season at Baseball Reference
• Book: Johnson. Lloyd. Wolff. Miles. The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. 2nd. Durham, North Carolina. Baseball America. 1997. 978-0-9637189-8-3.

Notes and References

1. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bordlbi01.shtml Bill Bordley page at Baseball-Reference
2. https://www.baseball-reference.com/b/blairpa01.shtml Paul Blair page at Baseball-Reference
3. https://www.baseball-reference.com/s/summech01.shtml Champ Summers page at Baseball-Reference
4. https://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jonesje02.shtml Jeff Jones page at Baseball-Reference
5. https://www.baseball-reference.com/b/borbope01.shtml Pedro Borbón page at Baseball-Reference
6. Web site: 1979 Cincinnati Reds Statistics.