This Day in Reds History: Triples, Catchers, Maloney

September 25, 1925: For the first time in major league history and still the only time in National League history, teammates connect for bases-loaded triples in the same game as the Reds wallop the Brooklyn Robins, 18-7, in Cincinnati. Curt Walker clears the bases for the Reds with a triple in the third inning and teammate Rube Bressler does likewise in the fifth. The Reds scored a total of nine runs in the third inning alone.

Only 534 fans show up in Cincinnati to see the third place Reds, who finish the season 80-73, 15 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Reds gained possession of third place back in July and had held the spot for two months.

For the game, the Reds have four players with three hits: Walker, Bressler, Elmer Smith, and Chuck Dressen. Reds starting pitcher Jakie May went the distance for the win, giving up 14 hits and seven runs, walking four.

Walker was the Reds starting rightfielder from 1924-30, playing 953 games in those seven years, batting .303 with a .378 OBP, and an OPS+ of 113. Walker finished in the top ten triples five times with the Reds, finishing second three times (1925-26, 1929). Bressler played 11 seasons with the Reds (1917-27) and was a pitcher as well as an of-1b. Bressler batted .311 in his time with the Reds with a .379 OBP (OPS+ 115). As a pitcher, Bressler pitched in 42 games and was 12-9 with a 2.76 ERA (100 ERA+).

September 25, 1951: Reds catcher Johnny Pramesa wins the game for the Reds as he clubs a 14th inning grand slam walk off home run in a 7-3 Reds victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ken Raffensberger pitched a 14-inning complete game to get the win for the Reds. He allowed 12 hits, walked two and struck out eight. Raffensberger finished the season 16-17 with a 3.44 ERA and the lowest WHIP in the majors (1.086) for a team that went 66-85 for the season. He pitched five of his career 31 shutouts during the 1951 season.

All seven Reds runs came on home runs; four scored on Pramesa’s grand slam in the 14th, and the Reds first three runs came on outfielder Wally Post’s first career home run. Post would eventually hit 172 homers for the Reds and his .498 slugging percentage is one of the ten Reds’ highest SLP ever.

Pramesa played in three seasons for the Reds, batting .267 with 13 homers and 59 rbi. He was later traded to the Chicago Cubs in a deal where the Reds received another catcher, Smoky Burgess. Speaking of which…

September 25, 1955: Redlegs catcher Smoky Burgess drives in six runs as the Reds beat the Chicago Cubs, 13-0, in the last game of the season at home in Cincinnati.

Burgess went 4-4 with two homers to finish the year batting .306 with 20 home runs and 77 rbi in his first season with the Redlegs. Burgess had been received in trade in the Pramesa trade mentioned above, but the Reds had dealt him to the Pittsburgh Pirates before ever playing a game for the Reds. After appearing in two all-star games, the Redlegs traded for him again early in the 155 season and he became the Redlegs starting catcher.

The 1955 Redlegs finished the season 75-79 in fifth place, 23 1/2 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers.

September 25, 1964: Jim Maloney fires a one-hitter in a Reds 3-0 win over the New York Mets. Maloney walked two and struck out eight in winning his 15th game of the year (15-10). The only Mets hit was a second inning single by Joe Christopher. This win moved the second place Reds within 1 1/2 games of the first place Philadelphia Phillies.

September 25, 1965: Jim Maloney fires a two-hitter in a Reds 2-0 win over the Houston Astros. Maloney walked three and struck out six in winning his 20th game of the year (20-8). The only Astro hits were a leadoff double by Lee Maye and a fifth inning lead off single by catcher John Bateman. The win moved the third place Reds within three games of the first place San Francisco Giants.

September 25, 1968: Jim Maloney fires a two-hitter in a Reds 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Maloney walked one and struck out 11 in winning his 15th game of the year (16-10, he pitched once more). The only Pirate hits were a second inning Willie Stargell and a fourth inning single by Roberto Clemente. The win helped keep the third place Reds on pace 13 games behind the league champion St. Louis Cardinals. In this game, all three Reds were scored on solo home runs, two by Mack Jones and one by Lee May (no, not the same Lee Maye listed earlier that played for the Astros in the 1960’s).

Maloney ended the 1968 season by hurling three consecutive shutouts, a four-hitter vs. the Astros, this two-hitter vs. the Pirates, and a two-hitter vs. the Giants.

Concerning the above three Maloney entries, lets quote Homer Bailey from baseball-reference.com’s bullpen section:

“The only thing I knew about him was when he popped up on the scoreboard in Cincinnati, ‘This Day in Reds History’. Seems like he is in every other one — Jim Maloney threw 10 shutout innings; Jim Maloney threw another no-hitter; Jim Maloney struck out 25 or something.” – Homer Bailey, describing what he knew about Maloney before meeting him

That pretty much says it all.

September 25, 1993: Jose Rijo fires a one-hitter in a Reds 6-0 win over the Colorado Rockies. Rijo walked no one and struck out eight in winning his 14th game of the year (14-8). The only Rockie hit was a second inning broken-bat single by Charlie Hayes, who was removed from the bases on a double play ground ball. The only other Rockie baserunner was Nelson Liriano who reached base in the seventh inning on a Chris Sabo error.

September 25, 1999: Reds slugger Greg Vaughn hits his 14th home run of the month to tie Frank Robinson’s team record set in August, 1962. The Reds won the game, 6-1.

Vaughn went on to finish the season, batting .245 with 45 home runs, 118 rbi, and 104 runs scored. He finished fourth in the MVP race for a Reds team that finished the year 96-67 in a tie for the Wild Card berth. The Reds lost a one-game playoff to the New York Mets, 5-0, with the Mets advancing to the playoffs. In 1962, Robinson batted .342 with 39 homers, 136 rbi, 134 runs scored, 51 doubles, an OBP of .421, a slugging percentage of .624, an OPS of 1.045 with an OPS+ of 172. He won the 1961 MVP, but finished fourth in 1962 when he appears to have had a better year than his 1961 season.