By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The history of Reds' general managers and daily operators*, 1869-present.

Before the hiring of general manager Larry MacPhail in 1933, Reds owners served as the team's general manager.

Aaron Champion-John Joyce, 1869-70

President Champion was a founder of the "Cincinnati Base Ball Club," who insisted on no "under the table" arrangements to pay players, thus forming the first admittedly all-professional team.

1871-75

No Reds team on field.

Josiah L. (Si) Keck, 1876-77

He owned the Reds during their ill-fated inaugural season (9-56) in the fledgling National League, then bailed out after a 3-14 start in 1877.

J. Wayne Neff, 1878-79

Reds owner who guided the team through the stormy waters of franchise foldings in the National League (St.Louis, Louisville and Hartford, Conn.), remaking the face of the team and finishing a strong second to the Boston Red Stockings, led by former Cincinnati captain Harry Wright.

Justus Thorner, 1880

Owner of Reds, whose biggest contribution to Cincinnati baseball was being the instigator - along with ballplayer-turned-newspaperman O.P. Caylor - of a new, rival, major league (American Association) founded upon cheaper tickets, Sunday games and beer sales.

1881

No Reds team on the field.

O.P. Caylor, 1882-1886

Caylor wasn't the owner of the team, but he was the equivalent of its GM. He didn't act as such openly; he did it behind the scenes. He was the baseball writer for the Cincinnati Commercial newspaper, and managed the team in 1885. Team had a very successful run under Caylor's guidance, including a championship in 1882.

Aaron Stern, 1887-90

Reds president did the first major promotion of Opening Day in 1889; the first-time opener drew over 10,000. He was a clothing merchant.

John T. Brush, 1891-1902

Indianapolis clothing store magnate was an absentee owner, relying largely upon business manager Frank Bancroft to run the club, which he did exceedingly well, operating it at a profit and establishing the tradition of Opening Day.

August Herrmann, 1902-27

Under Herrmann's direction, the Reds brought in New York Giants pitching star Christy Mathewson to manage the club in 1916, which immediately made it better and formed the basis of the team that won the 1919 World Series over the crooked Chicago Black Sox.

C.J. McDiarmid, 1928-29

Attorney, who had been serving as club secretary, was elevated to run the club after the resignation of Garry Herrmann. McDiarmid oversaw the first regular scheduling of the broadcasting of Reds games on radio (WLW).

Sidney Weil, 1930-33

His acquisition of future Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi in 1932 and future pitching great Paul Derringer in 1933 formed the foundation - and the key battery - of the 1939 NL pennant winner and 1940 World Champions.

Larry MacPhail, 1933-36

He was a Chicago attorney who got into baseball as president of the Columbus Club in the American Association, talked Cincinnati entrepreneur Powel Crosley Jr. into buying the team in 1934, and pioneered night baseball in the major leagues in 1935. He assembled yet more pieces of the 1939-40 clubs by acquiring outfielder Ival Goodman and shortstop Billy Myers.

Warren Giles, 1936-51

Completed the final pieces for 1939-40 clubs by 1.) hiring manager Bill McKechnie, 2.) acquiring pitcher Bucky Walters and third baseman Billy Werber. Giles led the Reds into the decade like a lion, but sent them out of it like a lamb - a second-division lamb He was named NL president in 1951.

Gabe Paul, 1951-60

By 1956, Paul had his team, adding to the mix of veterans (Ted Kluszewski, Wally Post and Gus Bell) the great Frank Robinson, and bringing in pitcher Brooks Lawrence and first baseman George Crowe. Paul's scouts also found Vada Pinson, Jim Maloney, Tony Perez and - after much cajoling from Buddy Bloebaum, a bird-dog scout who was the kid's uncle - Pete Rose.

Bill DeWitt Sr., 1960-66

His shrewd moves before the start of the 1961 season took the team that had ended the 1960 season 18 games out and put them in the World Series. DeWitt's tenure turned the club around from chronic losers into almost perennial winners. DeWitt's scouts found Johnny Bench and Gary Nolan. Despite all this, DeWitt will live in infamy for the trade of Frank Robinson ("an old 30," DeWitt called him) to Baltimore before the 1966 season, when Robinson won the Triple Crown and MVP.

Bob Howsam, 1967-78

King of the Reds GMs. He put the finishing touches on the Big Red Machine, for which DeWitt had provided him the core (Johnny Bench, Lee May, Gary Nolan). Howsam brought the scouting department into the computerized age without losing the old-fashioned seeing-is-believing touch: It yielded such finds as Dave Concepcion (Venezuela), Mario Soto (Dominican Republic) and the bullpen tandem of Rawley Eastwick and Will McEnaney. Most importantly, Howsam pulled off the greatest trade in Reds history when he acquired Joe Morgan from Houston before the 1972 season. (The Reds gave up May, Tommy Helms, and Jimmy Stewart, and besides Morgan got starting pitcher Jack Billingham, starting center fielder Cesar Geronimo and starting third baseman Denis Menke and extra outfielder Ed Armbrister.)

Dick Wagner, 1978-83

Most despised front-office executive by the fans in all of Reds history, because he dismantled the Big Red Machine, allowing Pete Rose to go to Philadelphia via free agency, firing popular Reds manager Sparky Anderson, and allowing to go to free agency such still-productive talent as Ken Griffey Sr., and George Foster.

Bob Howsam, 1983-84

He again made his mark, bringing home native son Dave Parker, who revitalized his career and teamed with another native son, Pete Rose (who was also brought back home as player-manager by Howsam) to resurrect what had become a moribund franchise.

Bill Bergesch, 1985-87

Will go down in Reds history as the "crown jewel GM" because he wouldn't give up what he called the "crown jewels" (Kurt Stillwell, Tracy Jones, Kal Daniels et.al) to land some front-line pitching. The result was four straight second-place finishes (1985-88).

Murray Cook, 1987-89

Cook had been GM in Montreal and in New York (Yankees) and made some great deals that ultimately led to the 1990 World Championship. He immediately traded Kurt Stillwell to the Royals for Danny Jackson (23-8 in 1988) and Dave Parker for Jose Rijo ('90 World Series MVP). What undid Cook were Pete Rose's extracurricular activities and the associated circus of 1989.

Bob Quinn, 1990-92

The 1990 World Championship sealed his destiny. He assembled the final pieces for it, by acquiring the following players soon after he was hired - Hal Morris from the Yankees, Billy Hatcher from the Pirates and Randy Myers from the New York Mets.

Jim Bowden, 1992-2003

Known as the "five-tool" GM, not because he had 'em, but because he loved 'em. It's at least part of the reason he made what would prove to be his worst trade, Paul O'Neill for Roberto Kelly. Bowden's downfall was he couldn't develop homegrown starting pitching. He thought that acquiring Ken Griffey Jr. would define his legacy, which it did. The oft-injured Griffey and a lack of starting pitching ultimately undid Bowden. Fired in the summer of 2003.

Sources: Books - The Cincinnati Reds, Total Baseball, First Boys of Summer, Redleg Journal, Crosley Field, Big Red Dynasty, The Cincinnati Game. Also -- 2003 Reds Media Guide.