I was born almost exactly a year after the Reds swept the Yankees in the 1976 World Series, which means I’m neither old enough to relate stories of what it was like to watch Joe Morgan at his peak or qualified enough to completely put his incredible Hall of Fame career in the proper context.
What I can tell you is what it was like to be melting in the early summer heat on the afternoon of June 17, 2017.
That was the day the Reds finally unveiled their Pete Rose statue with a small ceremony that took place on Crosley Terrace hours before a brief on-field pregame commemoration later that day. Rose was there, of course, having been given Major League Baseball’s blessing to participate, as were a handful of other club dignitaries, but most importantly, Rose was joined on stage by six of the Big Red Machine’s legendary Great Eight.
Only Cesar Geronimo was unable to make it. The other guys were there, including the “core four” members…
