by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

The 2015 All Star Game takes place this Tuesday July 14, at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. Previous to the opening there in 2003, the Reds played at Cinergy Field from 1970 to 2002. The Reds will probably not make it this year to the World Series, but in 1990 they beat the odds winning the October Classic for the last time as they swept the heavy favorites(at the time World Champion) Oakland Athletics.

For the Cincinnati Reds 1990 was a great season, as they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Championship Series, who had the best record in the league. That Pirates team had players like Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds, and NL Cy Young winner Doug Drabek. The Reds beat the Pirates in six games to advance to the World Series.

The Cincinnati Reds were facing the Oakland Athletics(103-59)who were going for their second consecutive World Series title. The previous season the A’s swept the San Francisco Giants, in that historic fall classic, the only one delayed by an act of God(Loma Prieta earthquake 1989). The Athletics were heavy favorites, even to sweep the Reds by many odds-makers in Nevada. The A’s had 22 game winner Dave Stewart, the great Rickey Henderson(Hall of Fame), also powerful sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark, McGwire, aka “The Bash Brothers”, the best closer in baseball ,Fremont’s own Dennis Eckersley (Hall of Fame).

They were a great team, under the direction of Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa.

The Cincinnati Reds had manager Lou Piniella, controversial Cincinnati-born owner Marge Schott, Eric Davis, Billy Hatcher, who established a new and still to date World Series record with seven consecutive hits, and Dominican-born ace righthander Jose Rijo, who was a member of the A’s prior to his years with the Reds and the Most Valuable Player of this series, dominating the great A’s lineup winning games one and four. The Reds also had the trio of relievers known as “The Nasty Boys”, Rob Dibble, Randy Myers and Norm Charlton.

Their shortstop was Barry Larkin (Hall of Fame) who wrote a team song, celebrating their success and the singers were members of the team.

I have many memories from that 1990 World Series, I was not traveling on the A’s charter, but was doing their games. All hotels were sold out in Cincinnati, so the A’s lodged my wife and I, and others in the A’s party at a hotel about 20-25 minute drive from the ballpark. I was in the same press elevator with Reds Owner Marge Schott, who was always with her beloved dog Schotzy, she was a chain smoker(in those days you could smoke at the park) also memories with Athletics colleague and play by play voice Monte Moore, as we talked a lot of baseball and even some business, as he asked me the potential of turning a radio station in Porterville he was the owner,into to Spanish format.

This was before the invasion of Spanish speaking people in California. now the largest minority in this state. I remember a great enthusiastic group of A’s Booster’s that followed the team to Cincinnati, the parties they had, the fun they seem to have. Everyplace you looked in downtown Cinci there were people dressed in Green and Gold, in hotels, restaurants and bars. And of course I also received the 1990 American League Championship ring.

I also remember after the first two games in Cincinnati won by the Reds, the A’s Rickey Henderson quote after that second game: “it’s over, because we are going home”. It was not only Rickey, but most A’s players had the confidence, as the best team in baseball, that coming back to Oakland, they would win there and then back in Cincinnati, they would close the deal, and win their second consecutive World Series. I remember doing interviews with both managers, both born in Tampa, Florida, Tony LaRussa and Lou Piniella, who both spoke Spanish. It was a good series, but obviously not a good result for the Athletics.

The 1990 World Series was the last World Series for the Reds and for the A’s. Now Cincinnati is showing their best face as they host the Mid Summer Classic, in the city where Pete Rose was born and played. This will be the fifth time in history that The Queen City host the All Star Game (1938,1953,1970 and 1988).

Next year the All Star Game will be held in San Diego, in 2017 it will be in Miami and in 2018 in Washington,D.C.

This Tuesday, Pete Rose will participate in an on field ceremony with other Reds greats Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Barry Larkin. Pete Rose hopes that with new baseball Commissioner Fred Manfred, the door to the Hall of Fame would be opened to him. I believe Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the TV Spanish voice for the Angels, the radio Spanish voice for the A’s, and does News and Commentary each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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