Why didn't the Baseball Library include the 1976 Reds on its list of greatest teams? All they did that year was win 102 games, lead the NL in every positive batting category, lead in fielding percentage and saves as well. They had possibly the finest starting lineup to ever grace a ball diamond. Names like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, George Foster, Dave Concepcion, Ken Griffey and Cesar Geronimo. With talent like that, it was small wonder they had seven All-Stars, five hitters witha .300 batting average and four Gold Glovers. The 1976 Big Red Machine became the only team to sweep the playoffs AND World series in the same year, as they went a perfect 7-0 against the Phillies and Yankees in that year's postseason. They scored more runs than the 1961 Yanks who had Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris AND posted a better fielding percentage than the 1970 Orioles who featured Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger and Paul Blair. That's a pretty impressive combination, if you ask me. They deserve to be listed with the best of all-time.
» Mike Scott is a baseball fan from Pennsylvania.
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Copyright © 2003 by Nobody. Posted February 3, 2003.
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