Game Three - 1976 Cincinnati Reds vs. 1951 New York Yankees

Game Three in our series of classic baseball match-ups sees the 1976 Cincinnati Reds travel to New York to take on the 1951 Yankees.

Before listening to the broadcast, here are some things to know.

Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium opened on April 18, 1923.

Almost immediately, the stadium was given the nickname "The House that Ruth Built".

Why?

Excellent question.

That's because the park opened at the same time that the legendary Babe Ruth was hitting home runs for the Yankees and fans were flocking to the ballpark to see him play.

In fact, to increase the chances of spectators seeing Ruth slug a home run, the designers of the park made sure that the fence in right field wasn't more than a hoot and a holler away.

Just 295 feet down the line, it was a "short porch" by any ballpark standards.

Center field was called "Death Valley" because it was a colossal 490 feet to the deepest part of the park.

In other words, any fly ball hit to center had a just-about-zero chance of clearing the fence and, instead, would "die" in an outfielder's glove.

The playing field was surrounded by a running track which gave players a warning whenever they got close to the outfield wall.

And just like that, the warning track was born!

In 1974, the stadium went through some major renovations.

One of the biggest changes was the removal of 118 columns that supported the second and third tiers of the stadium.

That improved the sightlines for every Yankee fan in attendance.

The final baseball game played at the original Yankee Stadium took place on September 21, 2008.

The Teams

Led by manager Sparky Anderson, the 1976 Cincinnati Reds were a powerhouse.

Full stop.

They compiled a 102-60 record to win the National League West pennant.

Then, in the playoffs, the club went undefeated.

First, they swept Philadelphia to win the Championship series. 

Then, they disposed of the New York Yankees in four straight games to capture the World Series.

No problem.

Meanwhile, the 1951 New York Yankees were smack-dab in the middle of a remarkable streak that saw them win five consecutive championships.

Manager Casey Stengel could look down the bench and choose from any number of future Hall-of-Fame players to fill out his line-up card. 

The team posted a 98-56 won-loss record during the regular season then went on to defeat the New York Giants in six games to the win the World Series.

Again.

Ho-hum.

Key Players

Johnny Bench.

A rock-solid name.

And a great baseball player.

Bench was a catcher for the Reds and spent his entire career in Cincinnati.

He won the Gold Glove award for defensive excellence ten times.

Bench also had a rocket for an arm.

Opposing baserunners were playing with fire if and when they tried to steal a base.

Bench was no slouch at the plate, either.

In 1970, he hit 45 home runs and drove in 145.

Incredible numbers.

Johnny Bench was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Joe Morgan was an all-star second baseman for the Reds.

He was excellent defensively and a very good hitter.

So good, in fact, that he was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1975 & 1976.

Coincidentally, the Reds won the World Series in both of those years.

He played 22 seasons in the major leagues and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.

Joe DiMaggio was a nine-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees.

That's right.

A nine-time champion.

He was the Yankee center fielder for his entire 13 year career.

Joltin' Joe is best known for an unbelievable hitting streak that he put together during the 1941 season.

He had a base hit in 56 consecutive games.

Many baseball experts think that DiMaggio's streak is a record that might never be broken.

He had a career batting average of .325 and hit 361 home runs.

Joe DiMaggio's final season in the majors was 1951.

It was fitting that this Hall of Famer retired as a champion.

Move over, Joe DiMaggio, because Yankee catcher Yogi Berra played on 10 World Series winning teams!

That's more than anyone else in major league history.

He was voted to the all-star team 18 times and won the American League Most Valuable Player award on three occasions.

Beyond the playing field, Berra was also a war hero, receiving numerous medals and citations for his service during World War II.

He was a crowd favourite with Yankee fans and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Other Nuggets to Know

• Reds third baseman, Pete Rose, is the major league all-time leader in base hits with 4,256
• Yankee skipper Casey Stengel won the World Series twice as a player and seven times as a manager
• In 1976, Reds left fielder George Foster led the National League in runs batted in with 121 
• 1951 was Mickey Mantle's rookie season with the Yankees

By The Numbers

57 - the number of years that public address announcer Bob Sheppard worked at Yankee Stadium

4,500+ - the number of Yankee games that Bob Sheppard worked during his career

$15 - the wage that Sheppard earned per game in 1951, his first year with the team

While you Listen

• Find out about how Joe Morgan prepared to hit every time he stepped into the batter's box
• Learn what happened to Mickey Mantle in the 1951 World Series
• See if you can find out the uniform number that Mickey Mantle wore when he was first called up to the Yankees

After you Listen

• Research Joe DiMaggio's incredible 56 game hitting streak
• Discover more about Reds right fielder Ken Griffey & his son, Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.
• Read "Yogi" by Barb Rosenstock

Now, grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the game!