The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division titles,four National League pennants,and two World Series titles. Between 1970 and 1979 the team averaged over 95 wins a season,with a total record of 953 wins and 657 losses.
David Ismael Concepción Benitez is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1970 and 1976.
George Arthur Foster is an American former professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1969 through 1986,most notably as an integral member of the Cincinnati Reds,with whom he won two World Series championships,in 1975 and 1976. He also played for the San Francisco Giants,New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox.
William Frederick "Woody" Woodward is an American former professional baseball player,college baseball coach,and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball,primarily as a shortstop from 1963 to 1971 for the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds. Woodward is better known for his tenure as general manager of the Seattle Mariners.
César Francisco Gerónimo Zorrilla,known as César Gerónimo,is a Dominican former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1969 through 1983,most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won three National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1972 and 1976. He also played for the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals.
Tony Lee Cloninger was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1961 through 1972 for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves,Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Lee Andrew May was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman and designated hitter from 1965 to 1982 for the Cincinnati Reds,Houston Astros,Baltimore Orioles,and Kansas City Royals.
Leonardo Lazaro Cárdenas Alfonso is a Cuban former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1960 to 1975,most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds,where he was the starting shortstop for seven seasons.
Denis John Menke was an American professional baseball infielder and coach. He played all or parts of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1974. He played for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1962–67),Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds (1972–73),all of the National League. He was elected to the National League All-Star team in 1969 and 1970.
Alexander Peter Grammas was an American professional baseball infielder,manager and coach. A native of Birmingham,Alabama,Grammas played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals,Cincinnati Redlegs and Chicago Cubs. He threw and batted right-handed,and was listed as 6 feet (1.83 m) tall and 175 pounds (79 kg). Grammas's family origins are from Agios Dimitrios,Greece.
Clay Palmer Carroll is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1964 through 1978,most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won three division titles,one National League pennant and the 1975 World Series title. He also played for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves,Chicago White Sox,St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ralph Allen Garr,nicknamed "Road Runner",is an American former professional baseball player,scout,and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1968 through 1980 —most notably as a member of the Atlanta Braves —and eventually with the Chicago White Sox and California Angels.
Robert Tolan is an American former professional baseball center fielder / right fielder,and coach,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1965–1968),Cincinnati Reds (1969–1973),San Diego Padres,Philadelphia Phillies (1976–1977),and Pittsburgh Pirates (1977);he also played one season in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB),for the Nankai Hawks (1978). Tolan batted and threw left-handed.
Larvell Blanks is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder from 1972 through 1980 for the Atlanta Braves,Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers. Blanks comes from a family of athletes. His uncle Sid is a former American football player. His cousin,Lance,was a former professional basketball player and was the general manager of Phoenix Suns of the NBA,while Lance's daughter,Riley,played tennis at the University of Virginia. Larvell currently resides in Del Rio,Texas.
Lee William Capra,is an American former professional baseball pitcher,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves,from 1971 to 1977. Nicknamed "Buzz",by a neighbor as a child,Capra was a National League (NL) All-Star and the NL earned run average (ERA) leader,in 1974.
Michael Ken-Wai Lum is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves,Cincinnati Reds,and Chicago Cubs,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yokohama Taiyo Whales. Lum became the first American of Japanese ancestry to play in MLB. He currently serves as the hitting coach with the GCL Pirates.
The 1973 Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West with a Major League-best record of 99–63,3+1⁄2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers,before losing the NLCS to the New York Mets in five games. The Reds were managed by Sparky Anderson,and played their home games at Riverfront Stadium.
Below are the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Atlanta Braves:
JoséFrancisco Peraza Polo is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman and shortstop for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Cincinnati Reds,Boston Red Sox,and New York Mets. Listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 180 pounds (82 kg),he bats and throws right-handed.
Calvin Wayne Conley is an American baseball shortstop in the Atlanta Braves organization. He played college baseball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
