Cincinnati Reds Legends Camp... part 1

I wanted to go back and post up some of the pictures that we were able to take at the Cincinnati Reds Legends Camp held in Marietta, OH, June 23-25, 2008. Cole and I had a great time at the camp and learned a lot going through the drills that were being taught and he got to meet some of the all-time greats from the great game of baseball. Scroll down, take a look at the pictures, and I've included some of the bios of the players that I found out on Wikipedia.com. Enjoy!

Above is my son Cole (obviously) with Leo Cárdenas.

Leo Cárdenas (Leonardo Lazaro Cárdenas Alfonso) (born December 17, 1938 in Matanzas, Cuba) was a prominent shortstop in American Major League Baseball for 16 years (1960-75). A right-handed batter and thrower, Cárdenas was a dangerous hitter in his prime and a superior fielder. He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1960-68), Minnesota Twins (1969-71), California Angels (1972), Cleveland Indians (1973) and Texas Rangers (1974-75), batting .257 with 118 home runs in 1,941 games. He was a National League All-Star in 1964-66 and 1968 and an American League All-Star in 1971. Cardenas led NL shortstops in fielding percentage in 1963 and 1966. He tied an AL record for assists by a shortstop in 1969 (570), and led in fielding percentage in 1971. He is also a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

Leo Cárdenas Shortstop Born: December 17, 1938 (1938-12-17) Batted: Right Threw: Right MLB debut July 25, 1960 for the Cincinnati Reds. Final game September 26, 1975 for the Texas Rangers. Career statistics AVG .257, Hits 1725, HR 118, Teams Cincinnati Reds (1960-1968)

Minnesota Twins (1969-1971) California Angels (1972) Cleveland Indians (1973) Texas Rangers (1974-1975) Career highlights and awards All Star 1964-1966, 1968, 1971. Gold Glove in 1965

Above is Jim Maloney teaching the kids proper pitching form...

James William Maloney (born June 2, 1940 in Fresno, California) is a former righthanded pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cincinnati Reds (1960-70) and California Angels (1971). One of the hardest-throwing pitchers of his era, Maloney boasted a fastball clocked at 99 miles per hour, threw two no-hitters, won 10 or more games from 1963 to 1969, and struck out more than 200 batters for four consecutive seasons (1963-66). He won 23 games in 1963 and 20 in 1966. But Maloney was overshadowed by eventual Baseball Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Don Drysdale and other National League contemporaries. Arm miseries shortened his career, robbing him of the chance to pitch for the "Big Red Machine" -- the fabled Cincinnati NL dynasty from 1970-76. Maloney was able to pitch in only seven games for the 1970 Reds, and was winless in three starts. Maloney attended Fresno State University and the University of California, Berkeley before signing with Cincinnati. Over his career, he won 134 games (all with the Reds) and lost 84, with an ERA of 3.19. In 1973, he was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. No Hitters: Maloney pitched two games in which he gave up no hits through nine innings in 1965, while going on to win 20 games that year. His first hitless nine-inning performance in 1965 was on June 14 against the New York Mets. It lasted 10 innings, including 18 strike outs, but Johnny Lewis led off with a home run in the 11th inning (Maloney lost the game 1-0). At the time, that game was officially recognized as a no-hitter, but the rules were later changed to omit no-hit games that were broken up in extra innings. His first official no-hitter came in August 19 against the Cubs, which he won 1-0, and his second came on April 30, 1969, in which he beat the Astros 10-0 at Crosley Field. The very next day, Don Wilson returned the favor on the Reds, pitching his second career no-hitter. The double no-hit feat was the second in Major League history, the first having been accomplished by Gaylord Perry and Ray Washburn—in September of just the year before.

Jim Maloney Pitcher Born: June 2, 1940 (1940-06-02) (age 68) Batted: Left Threw: Right MLB debut July 27, 1960for the Cincinnati Reds Final game September 21, 1971for the California Angels Career statistics Record 134-84 ERA 3.19 Strikeouts 1605 Teams Cincinnati Reds (1960-1970) California Angels (1971) Career highlights and awards All-Star (NL): 1965 Led N.L. in shutouts in 1966 (5) Three no-hitters Won 23 games in 1963.

Cole (again) with Herm Winningham

Herm Winningham, Herman Son Winningham (born December 1, 1961, in Orangeburg, South Carolina) was a Major League Baseball outfielder. Drafted by the New York Mets in the 1st round of the 1981 MLB amateur draft, Winningham would make his Major League Baseball debut with the New York Mets on September 1, 1984, and appear in his final game on October 3, 1992. Winningham was a member of the Cincinnati Reds team that defeated the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 World Series. TeamsNew York Mets: 1984 Montreal Expos: 1985-1988 Cincinnati Reds: 1988-1991 Boston Red Sox: 1992

Herm Winningham Center Fielder Born: December 1, 1961 (1961-12-01) (age 46) Batted: Left Threw: Right MLB debut September 1, 1984for the New York Mets Final game October 3, 1992for the Boston Red Sox Career statistics Batting Average .239 Hits 452 SB 105 Teams New York Mets (1982) Montreal Expos (1985-1988) Cincinnati Reds (1988-1991)) Boston Red Sox (1992)) Career highlights and awards Drafted by the New York Mets in the 1st round (9th pick) of the 1981 amateur draft.

Above Ron Oester teaches hitting fundamentals to the kids.

Ron Oester, Ronald John Oester (born May 5, 1956, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. Bill James described him as "a quiet, efficient player who was always overlooked". Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 9th round of the 1974 MLB amateur draft, Oester made his debut with the Reds on September 10, 1978, and appeared in his final game on October 3, 1990. Oester was one of the few major leaguers who did not wear batting gloves. He perpetually developed blisters on his hands, and according to teammates, they would develop into deep wounds on his palms. On July 5, 1987, during a Mets-Reds game at Riverfront Stadium, the New York Mets' Mookie Wilson slid hard into second base during a double-play attempt. During the slide, Oester, who was playing second, collided with Wilson. His cleats got caught in the turf, and he tore his left ACL. Oester did not return to action until July 16, 1988. Oester was a member of the Cincinnati Reds team that defeated the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 World Series. Although he lost the starting second baseman job to Mariano Duncan that season, Oester was one of the team's top pinch hitters, hitting .299 that season and going 2-for-4 (.500) in the postseason. He is currently the manager of the Cincinnati Steam.

Ron Oester Second Baseman Born: May 5, 1956 (1956-05-05) (age 52) Batted: Switch Threw: Right MLB debut September 10, 1978 for the Cincinnati Reds Final game October 3, 1990 for the Cincinnati Reds. Career statistics Batting average .265 Home Runs 42 RBIs 344 Teams Cincinnati Reds (1978-1990) Career highlights and awards 1988 Hutch Award

Above Cole hangs out with Mr. Redlegs

Mr. Redlegs is a mascot of the Cincinnati Reds. He was reintroduced in 2007 to play a supporting role, along with Mr. Red. Mr. Redlegs appeared as a patch on the Reds' uniforms for two seasons in the 1950s. In 2008, Mr. Redlegs gained national notoriety by falling off of an ATV during pre-game antics. This caused the large, baseball-shaped head to fall off of the Mr. Redlegs costume, exposing the head of the person inside the costume.

I'll continue this in part 2, with a few more pictures and such, so as not to anger the Blogger-gods.

Regards,

cheer_dad