re: If you are want to feel old, this is the Cincinatti Reds "Big Red Machine" reunion photo.

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I’m a contrarian about the Big Red Machine in that I think the 1975 team was better than the 1976 team, even though 1976 ran the table in the postseason and it took 1975 seven games to win the Series. The pitching in 1975 was miles better and the overall squad had more depth. The 1976 team was simply not tested in the postseason because the competition was so weak, IMO the 1975 Red Sox would have annihilated those opponents too.

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I love to listen to my father, uncles, and their friends debate which was the better team and most of them agreed with You. They said that the team was extra special.

And anything they told you about the 1975 World Series was gospel truth.

Where are Pedro Borbon, Bernie Carbo, Johnny Bench and Wayne Simpson

I know a couple that named their vibrator Joe Morgan.

I was in my early years yet I can recall Dad listening to Marty and Joe call the games on AM radio.

When I really got into following the Reds it was during the Big red machine decline in the early 80’s. They had some missed opportunities after the 76 season- running into the Pirates in the 79 NLCS, MLB nixing the Vida Blue trade the season before and the emergence of the Dodgers in the late 70s

The Reds still had a few of the BRM left in 81 and got screwed over by the strike and MLB’s decision not to go by overall record for the playoffs.

In the seasons after, what was left of the machine was gone. Bench and Concepcion were in the twilight of their careers and management struck out a lot with scouting and development. They were arguably the worst team in baseball until Pete came back to manage and new talent emerged ( Barry Larkin, Eric Davis, Chris Sabo etc)

I have several Bug Red Machine items in my living room. They were before my time though. Wish I could have seen those teams