Post by doc on Sept 26, 2019 14:05:24 GMT
Opening day for Major League baseball. Back then, the Cincinnati Reds were always the first team to play every year (thank you ESPN for destroying another sports tradition - now the season opens in frickin' Japan, but I digress). The Reds were playing the Atlanta Braves that day and Hank Aaron was sitting on 713 home runs to begin the season. Early in the game Aaron smashed a Jack Billingham fastball over the left field wall and the immortal Babe had been tied. Controversy soon set in as the Braves wanted Aaron to break the record in Atlanta so they hinted that Hank might sit out the following games until they played at home on April 9. I think the commissioner strongly suggested that he not sit out, and I don't think he did, but Aaron did break the record on April 9, in Atlanta off Al Downing of the Dodgers.
Back to the game on April 4, the Reds won the game in extra innings as Pete Rose raced all the way from second base on a wild pitch. And it was following that mad dash for home that we first heard the phrase, 'And this one belongs to the Reds!' Marty Brennaman was calling his firsr game as the Reds play-by-play announcer and that phrase became synonymous with him - every Reds win since that day would culminate with, 'and this one belongs to the Reds!'
45 seasons later, Marty is hanging it up. Today is the last game he will call for our Reds - he's called 3 World Series championships, the only perfect game in Reds history and got to see Hall of Famers like Bench, Perez, Morgan, Larkin and Sparky Anderson. He's in the Hall of Fame himself - it's been an amazing run. And every year since '74 I've spent countless hours in my car or sitting by the radio listening to Marty call Reds games. I was 15 when he called his first game in Cincinnati, next month I'll be 61; what a run.
So today I'm heading down to the ballpark to see the final game of Marty's career. The last time he got to say, 'and this one belongs to the Reds!' was last Saturday against the Mets. i sure hope the Reds give him the opportunity to say it one more time - it would be really cool to be there for that final win. Thanks for the memories, Marty - you will truly be missed!