By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The New York Yankees, who are coming to town Tuesday, exemplify the great Yankee tradition.

That was not the case in 1976, which is the last time the Yankees came to town for the World Series.

The '76 Yankees had the name and the pinstripes. But they had neither the stature - nor the class - of their predecessors.

The '76 Yankees didn't have Babe Ruth (1920's), Joe DiMaggio (1930's and 1940's) or Mickey Mantle (1950's).

"But they still had the mystique - they are the Yankees," recalled former Reds slugger Tony Perez from his home in Florida late last week.

"That is why when they (the media) asked me after we beat the Phillies (in the National League Championship Series), 'Who do you want to play in the Series?' I said, 'The New York Yankees!' Normally, I would have said, 'Anybody.' But the Yankees are the team I wanted to beat. I did not expect to beat them four straight, though."

Reds manager Sparky Anderson did, however.

When he was asked, "How many games do you think it will take?" he answered: "Seven." Later, he confided the truth concealed within that remark: "Seven to beat the Phillies and the Yankees," he said.

Which is what the Reds did.

It was the '76 Reds who had the Yankee-like superstars: Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Perez, Pete Rose and - the staple of most of the great Yankees team - a terrific shortstop: Davey Concepcion.

Yankee manager Billy Martin, a former Yankee and Reds player, had nothing good to say about the Reds before or after the World Series. He had neither the calm demeanor of Miller Huggins, nor the dignified approach of Joe McCarthy.

The '76 Yankees hadn't been to the World Series since 1964, which they lost to the Cardinals.

And, while the Yankees' hitters were good - Chris Chambliss, Craig Nettles, Lou Piniella - they were no Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Earl Combs.

Yankees catcher Thurman Munson was certainly no Bench, as Anderson was later all too eager to remind the media, when they asked about it. (Sparky's response was: "Don't embarrass nobody by comparing 'em to Johnny Bench.")

The first two games of the World Series were in Cincinnati.

Reds Game 1 starter Don Gullett respected the Yankees, but he wasn't awed by them.

"There wasn't anyone in that lineup that overwhelmed me," Gullett said. "That was the attitude I had."

Gullett pitched 7 1/3 innings of five-hit, one-run baseball, and reliever Pedro Borbon no-hit them the rest of the way, as the Reds won 5-1. Perez had three hits.

Game Two was more dramatic.

The Reds took a 3-0 lead in the second inning off Catfish Hunter, but the Yankees tied it up. In the ninth, Hunter retired the first two batters, but shortstop Fred Stanley's throwing error allowed Ken Griffey to reach second base. When the Yankees intentionally walked Morgan, Perez turned to Bench and said: "Tell the batboy to pick up the bats. This game is over. "

He singled to left to score Griffey with the winning run.

The Reds went on to win the next two games in New York, and were compared to the 1927 Yankees as one of the greatest teams of all time.

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Enquirer reporter Kevin Kelly contributed to this story.