Wednesday, January 12, 2000

Perez's election elevates Reds' dynasty

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BY JOHN ERARDI and CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Big Red Machine: (front) Bench; (second row) Rose, Concepcion, Morgan, Perez; (rear) Foster, Geronimo, Griffey. | ZOOM |

        The Big Red Machine's reputation as one of baseball's premier teams grew stronger Tuesday with news of Tony Perez's election to baseball's Hall of Fame.

        If not for Pete Rose's gambling, the Reds would be joining only three other teams with four position players — in their relative prime, from the same lineup — to reach Cooperstown.

        The others:

        • The New York Giants of the early 1920s (Dave Bancroft, Frankie Frisch, George Kelly and Ross Youngs);

        • The New York Yankees of the late 1920s (Earle Combs, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri and Babe Ruth);

        • The Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s (Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider).

        Sparky Anderson, who managed the Reds from 1970-78, summed up the importance of Hall of Fame representation.

        “I don't compare teams,” he said. “The only thing I say is when they're done, look at how many Hall of Famers they have. If they have a lot, they were a hell of a team.”

        Perez, who began his career as a third baseman but played first base on Cincinnati's World Series champion

        teams of 1975 and '76, joined second baseman Joe Morgan and catcher Johnny Bench in the Hall. Infielder-outfielder Rose was a certain Hall of Famer until he agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball in 1989.

        “(Perez's election) just sort of solidifies it to a great extent,” Bench said of the Big Red Machine's place in the game's lore. “Tony lived in somewhat of a shadow — it's hard to believe that — because Joe won two (Most Valuable Player awards) and I won two and Pete won one. But everybody knew, year-in and year-out, who was the most valuable person to that team.

        “I cried the day he left,” Bench said, recalling the December 1976 trade that sent Perez to Montreal, “and I cried today.”

        Many have compared the current New York Yankees, who have won three of the last four Series, to the vintage Reds. There's no doubt which team is favored by former general manager Bob Howsam, the Big Red Machine's architect.

        “They're a fine ballclub,” Howsam said of the Yankees. “But player-by-player, I don't think they come up to our standard at all.”

        Jim Bowden, the Reds' GM, pointed out that Howsam built the Reds without a disproportionately large payroll, as the Yankees have.

        “They really were a role model in how to build a baseball team,” Bowden said.

        Howsam assembled the Big Red Machine's starting position players in classic fashion: Rose, Bench, Perez, Dave Concepcion and Ken Griffey Sr. ascended through Cincinnati's farm system, while Morgan, Cesar Geronimo and George Foster joined the team in trades.

        The only Big Red Machine infielder who apparently isn't thought of as a Hall of Famer is Concepcion, who is widely regarded as one of the 25 best all-around shortstops to play the game. He was a nine-time All-Star and won five straight Gold Gloves (1974-78).

        But he received only 13.4 percent of the Hall of Fame vote this year; 75 percent is needed for election. There are only 19 shortstops in the Hall of Fame.

        Hall of Fame voting experts say that what has dampened Concepcion's support was the emergence of big-hitting shortstops in the 1980s such as Cal Ripken and Robin Yount.

        In 1996, Rose said Concepcion belongs in the Hall.

        “I guarantee you Davey is as good as Pee Wee Reese and Phil Rizzuto,” who are both in the Hall, Rose said.

        John Fay contributed to this article.

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