So, I was kicking back the other day, just thinking about some classic baseball seasons, you know? And somehow, my mind landed on 1995. Specifically, the Cincinnati Reds from that year. They went all the way, won the whole thing. A really solid team.
I started trying to piece together the lineup in my head. Barry Larkin, obviously, the shortstop and MVP. Absolute legend. Then, let’s see… outfielders… Ron Gant, Reggie Sanders? Yeah, those guys were definitely there. Hal Morris at first base, I think. Bret Boone at second? It starts getting a bit fuzzy after the big names.
My memory was playing tricks on me, especially with the pitching staff beyond maybe Jeff Brantley, the closer? I remembered Pete Schourek had a monster year, won the Cy Young. But who else was starting? Who was in the bullpen? I couldn’t quite pull all the names out.
So, I figured, alright, let’s make this today’s little project. Time to actually look it up properly. I went over to my computer, opened up a browser, and just typed in something simple like “1995 cincinnati reds roster”.
Clicked around a bit, you know how it is. Found a sports reference page that looked pretty detailed. It had the whole squad listed out, position players, pitchers, the works. Took me a minute to scroll through it all.
Okay, here’s what I found:
Key Position Players I recalled (and confirmed):
- Barry Larkin (SS) – Yep, heart and soul.
- Reggie Sanders (OF) – Power and speed combo.
- Ron Gant (OF) – Another big bat out there.
- Hal Morris (1B) – Consistent hitter.
- Bret Boone (2B) – Solid fielder.
- Benito Santiago (C) – Remembered him behind the plate!
- Jeff Branson (3B/Utility) – Saw his name and thought, “Ah yeah, him!”
Pitching Staff standouts:
- Pete Schourek – The Cy Young winner, ace of the staff that year.
- John Smiley – Another key starter I’d forgotten.
- Jeff Brantley – The closer, got a ton of saves.
- Hector Carrasco – Important arm out of the bullpen.
- Mike Jackson – Another reliever I remember seeing a lot.
- Dave Burba – Swung between starting and relieving if I recall correctly.
There were obviously more guys, utility players, other bullpen arms, guys who came up for a bit. Seeing the full list really brought that team back into focus. Guys like Thomas Howard, Mark Lewis, Eddie Taubensee… names I hadn’t thought about in ages.
It was a fun little exercise, just digging back into that specific team. Amazing how fast you forget some of the supporting cast, even on a championship team. That ’95 Reds squad was pretty special, well-rounded. Good hitting, solid defense, and pitching that really came together that year. Glad I took the time to refresh my memory on them.
