1976

If the Reds’ 1975 World Championship provided confirmation that the Reds were one of the best teams in the game, the World Championship season of 1976 elevated the Reds to the ranks of one of the best teams in history.

Unfolding against the backdrop of America’s bicentennial celebration as well as the National League’s celebration of its centennial, the 1976 Reds won 102 games and made history by becoming the first team since the 1969 advent of the League Championship Series to go undefeated in the postseason, a feat that has yet to be equaled. After dispatching the Phillies in three straight games in the playoffs, the Reds steamrolled the Yankees in a dominant World Series sweep. The back-to-back World Championships were the first by a National League team since the John McGraw-led Giants won consecutive titles in 1921 and 1922. And no NL team has done it since the 1976 Reds.

The 1976 Reds placed seven of their eight starting players on the National League All-Star team. Joe Morgan was the league’s Most Valuable Player and joined Johnny Bench, David Concepcion and Cesar Geronimo as a Gold Glove winner.

Perhaps most impressively, the Reds as a team led the National League in every major offensive statistical category including batting average (.280), on-base percentage (.366), slugging percentage (.424), home runs (141), stolen bases (210) and runs scored (857). Indicative of their dominance, the league batting average in 1976 was .253 and the next highest runs scored total were Philadelphia’s 770, 87 runs fewer than the number scored by the Reds. In stolen bases, the Reds total bested that of second place Houston by 60.

Additionally, the Reds boasted the best overall defense in the league, committing the fewest errors with 102. On the mound, seven different pitchers posted double-digit victory totals and rookie Pat Zachry was named co-Rookie of the Year.

Simply put, the 1976 Reds were a team with no real weakness and there seemed to be little doubt that the back-to-back titles were but the beginning of a long run of championships. Very few would have believed that the 1976 World Series would represent the last title won by this special group of players.