April 6th - Opening Day Preview

Opening Day Preview

The Reds will open their season at home tomorrow against the defending NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. This initial clash may provide some insight as to how the season will progress. Both teams will send their aces to the mound - Don Gullet for the Reds and Don Sutton (pictured) for the Dodgers.

In keeping with the tradition that the Reds kickoff the baseball season, this game will be the only one of the afternoon.

April 1, 1975 - Profile: Sparky Anderson

George "Sparky" Anderson

Sparky Anderson managed the Reds from 1970 through 1978, and then took the helm of the Detroit Tigers from 1979 through 1995. He was the first manager to win a World Series in each league. In sum, he won 5 pennants and three World Series, with a .545 winning percentage.

Anderson played and managed for many years in the minor leagues. He played one season for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1959. In 1964, at the age of thirty (that's right - he's only 41 in our replay!) he began his managerial career in Toronta with the triple AAA Maple Leafs.

Anderson was known for his aggressive substitution of pitchers. His willingness to quickly replace struggling pitchers, which foreshadows today's approach but was unusual in the 1970s, earned him the moniker "Captain Hook."

Anderson entered the Hall of Fame in 1990.
For a post career interview with Anderson, go here.

Art Credit: Dick Perez (go to www.dickperez.com for more fine baseball art)

March 15th, 1975 - Summary of Major Off Season Moves

Here are a few of the major trades and personnel moves that occurred in the off season:

10.22.74:1 The Giants send Bobby Bonds to the Yankees in exchange for Bobby Murcer.

10.24.74: The Red Sox release former Giants great and Hall of Famer, Juan Marichal. On March 15th, 1975 the LA Dodgers will pick him up.

11.2.74: The Braves trade Hank Aaron to Milwaukee for Dave May and a player to be named.

12.3.74: The Astros trade Lee May and others to the Orioles for Enos Cabell and others.

12.20.74: The Yankees release "Sudden Sam" McDowell.

12.31.74: Yankees sign Catfish Hunter - baseball's first free agency signing.

March 3rd, 1975 - Spring Training and 1974 Recap

Spring Training

As the Reds' 1975 spring training kicks off in Tampa, there is optimism in camp. Last year's squad won 98 games, but couldn't match the Dodgers' 102 win season. Reds' skipper Sparky Anderson is all fired up, telling people that there's no way his team, which won pennants in 1970 and 1972, will stand for failure this year. The Reds, however, have made no significant roster moves, and will be fielding the same team this year as last.

The defending NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers will also be fielding largely the same team, with one important exception. Starting pitcher Tommy John will miss the entire 1975 season after undergoing a radical operation after an injury in the 1974 season that replaced the tendon in his pitching arm with a ligament from his other arm, a procedure now widely copied and call "Tommy John surgery."

In the NL East, Pittsburgh narrowly beat out St. Louis, while losing to LA in the playoffs. They are expected to contend again, with Philadelphia and Montreal possibly contending as well.

In the AL, defending AL East division champ Baltimore will need to contend with New York and Boston, while World Series champion Oakland, which is beginning to show some signs of aging, will need to hold off Taxes, Minnesota and possibly Chicago in the AL West.

January 1st, 1975 - Introduction

1975 Reds Replay

This replay, unlike my 1934 Baseball Replay, will simply follow the Cincinnati Reds through a replay of their 1975 season using the Strat-O-Matic baseball game.

Mostly, it's just a record of my replay, but anyone who want to follow along is free to do so. It will serve as a bridge to another, more ambitious project I have set for later this year. It's primary purpose is as a personal souvenir of my replay and to provide an excuse to do so more research on my favorite team from childhood. It won't have the non-baseball material that my 1934 blog does, or the next replay blog I plan will (apologies to those looking for posts on Gerald Ford's Whip Inflation Now plan).