Cincinnati Red and Dodger Blue: Baseball's Greatest Forgotten Rivalry

The Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers had a fierce rivalry in the 1970s, with the biggest names in the game and seven World Series appearances. Tom Van Riper's book, Cincinnati Red and Dodger Blue: Baseball's Greatest Forgotten Rivalry, explores the players, managers, executives, and broadcasters of the rivalry and its impact on baseball. It also recounts the 1973 season, when both teams were at or near their peak form, and includes never-before-published interviews with former players. Despite baseball's realignment in 1994, this rivalry remains one that will be enjoyed by fans and historians of all generations.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 06 February 2024
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers, two iconic teams in Major League Baseball, had a rivalry that captivated the nation in the 1970s. Despite their geographical distance and not playing in the same division today, their rivalry was considered the best in the league during that time. The rivalry featured some of the biggest names in baseball, including Johnny Bench, Steve Garvey, Pete Rose, Don Sutton, and Ron Cey, who appeared in the World Series seven out of nine years. In Cincinnati Red and Dodger Blue: Baseball's Greatest Forgotten Rivalry, author Tom Van Riper takes a fresh look at these two teams and the circumstances that made them so pivotal. Van Riper delves into the players, managers, executives, and broadcasters from the rivalry, including the first recipient of Tommy John surgery (Tommy John himself), the all-time hit king turned gambling pariah (Pete Rose), and two young announcers who would soon go on to national prominence (Al Michaels and Vin Scully). The book also recounts in detail the 1973 season, when both teams were at or near their peak form, particularly the extra-inning nail-biter between the Reds and Dodgers that took place on September 21 and effectively decided the divisional race. Cincinnati Red and Dodger Blue includes never-before-published interviews with former players from the rivalry, providing a personal and in-depth look at this decade in baseball full of upheaval and change. Baseball's realignment in 1994 may have rendered this great rivalry nearly forgotten, but its story is one that will be enjoyed by baseball fans and historians of all generations.

Weight: 358g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538192511