Team Breakdowns Cincinnati Reds
24W 32L .429 Pct Tied for fifth place
Probably the most disappointing team in my replay. In real life, Cincinnati played Baltimore in the World Series. Here, in a short, 56 game season among eight teams, they finished tied for last place with Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. The Reds ended the season with a seven-game losing skid, in fact, they had two such losing streaks.
The Reds had three regulars which stood above the rest. Johnny Bench (.276/.316/.520) led the league in homeruns with 15, and runs batted in with 43. Bobby Tolan (.342/.393/.439) finished in the top five of several offensive categories. Tony Perez (.304/.371/.541) also had a solid campaign. Lee May (.220/.234/.358) 5HR, 21RBi, was the biggest bust of the regulars.
Pitching was what really held Cincinnati back. None of the four starters in the rotation had an ERA under 3.50. Jim Merritt had a record of 1-7 and an ERA of 5.05, but also the lowest WHIP of the four, at 1.27. The closer, Wayne Granger, did the best, with a 6-3 record in 21 and two thirds of relief. His ERA was 1.25 and his WHIP was 1.43. He had 5 saves.
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