1976 World Series

Cincinnati Reds (4) vs New York Yankees (0)

The 1976 season witnessed the return of baseball's most successful postseason-dynasty to the Fall Classic. After a twelve year hiatus, the New York Yankees had rebuilt themselves back into the American League champions of old. After the team was purchased by a cunning-businessman named George Steinbrenner (in 1972) they filled several gaps with some shrewd trading and finished in third during the '75 season.

This year, former "Bronx Bomber" Billy Martin was at the helm and his crew consisted of several standouts including Thurman Munson, Chris Chambliss, Graig Nettles, Sparky Lyle and Jim "Catfish" Hunter (who had made good on his threat to Oakland).

It seemed fitting that the perennial champions were to face the defending champions as the Cincinnati Reds returned for their second consecutive Classic. Manager Sparky Anderson may not have had a ship, but he did have "The Big Red Machine" and it ran on cylinders like Tony Perez at first, Joe Morgan at second, Pete Rose at third, Dave Concepcion at shortstop and George Foster, Cesar Geronimo and Ken Griffey on the grass.

They also boasted one of the best pitching rotations in all of Major League baseball. Gary Nolan led the pitching staff with fifteen victories, Pat Zachry won fourteen, and Fred Norman and Jack Billingham each won twelve games. Their bullpen was just as good with Manny Sarmiento and Rawly Eastwick, both with an ERA below 2.10 and a combined record of 16-6. The Reds had also remained one of the most consistent ball clubs in the league winning one-hundred eight games in '75, ninety-eight in '74 and ninety-nine in '73.

Cincinnati hosted the Series opener at Riverfront Stadium and showed their hometown fans who was in charge. Morgon launched a first-inning homer, Perez added three hits of his own and Gullett and reliever Pedro Borbon combined on a five hitter for the 5-1 victory.

Game 2 looked much the same as Perez snuck a two out single in the ninth to score Griffey for the 4-3 win. Hunter had retired the Reds' first two batters, but New York shortstop Fred Stanley's throwing error on Griffey's roller put the National League champs back in business. The Yankees may have been back as well, but the dust and cobwebs were certainly showing. As the Series returned to the "not-so familiar" surroundings of Yankee Stadium (due to the two year long modernizing process that had sent the Yanks to Shea from '74-'76) the Reds continued to dominate the home team. Perhaps "The Babe" was displeased with his new decor as the "Big Red Machine" became the "Bronx Bombers" for a day.

With the American League's designated-hitter rule being used in the Series for the first time, Dan Driessen cracked a homer and went three-for-three while helping the Reds to a third, 6-2 victory. On the other side, shortstop Jim Mason managed the only home run for the Yankees (in his only career at-bat ever in a Series).

Now on the verge of elimination, New York was determined to extend the contest, but the visiting team had a different idea. After blasting them for two and three run homers, the defending champions cruised to another title with a 7-2 sweeping triumph. Yankees fans were devastated (after all, losing in the Bronx was unacceptable) but Steinbrenner wasn't done yet and they would have their dynasty back, eventually.

Cincinnati became the first National League team to win back-to-back crowns since the New York Giants had in '21 and '22. Seven of their hitters batted above .300, led by Bench's .533 and Foster's .429.

Amazingly, Anderson did not make a single change during the entire Series among his nine regulars, forsaking the use of a pinch-hitter or a pinch-runner and never making a switch in either his batting order or fielding alignment. On the mound, his rotation boasted a combined 2.00 earned-run average and the franchise's two year totals consisted of two-hundred ten regular-season victories, a 6-0 record in Championship Series play, and two consecutive World Series triumphs. The mistaken fans at Yankees Stadium had witnessed the play of a dynasty, unfortunately for them though, they weren't wearing pinstripes.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"I don't want to embarrass any other catcher (specifically Thurman Munson) by comparing him with Johnny Bench." - Cincinnati Reds' Manager Sparky Anderson (after the 1976 World Series)

1976 World Series

1976 World Series Program

1976 World Series Official Program

1975 | Cincinnati Reds (4) vs New York Yankees (0) | 1977

Game 1 Date / Box Score 10-16-1976
Location Riverfront Stadium
1st Pitch From To
Waite Hoyt (Yankees Pitcher / Reds Announcer) Johnny Bench
Attendance 54,826
National Anthem Charley Pride(Singer / Former Minor Leaguer)
Game 2 Date / Box Score 10-17-1976
Location Riverfront Stadium
Attendance 54,816
Game 3 Date / Box Score 10-19-1976
Location Yankee Stadium
1st Pitch From To
Joe DiMaggio Thurman Munson
Attendance 56,667
National Anthem Robert Merrill (Opera Singer)
Game 4 Date / Box Score 10-21-1976
Location Yankee Stadium
1st Pitch From To
Mel Allen (Yankees Broadcaster) Thurman Munson
Attendance 56,700
National Anthem Seaman Robert Johnson (U.S. Navy musician)
1976 World Series Fast Facts

1976 World Series
Game 1

Line Score / Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 1
Cincinnati 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 x 5 10 1
Doyle Alexander (L)
Sparky Lyle (7th)
Don Gullett (W)
Pedro Borbon (8th)
None Joe Morgan (1st)

1976 World Series
Game 2

Line Score / Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 9 1
Cincinnati 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 10 0
Catfish Hunter (L)
-
Fred Norman
Jack Billingham (W, 7th)
None None

1976 World Series
Game 3

Line Score / Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cincinnati 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 6 13 2
New York 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 8 0
Pat Zachry (W)
Will McEnaney (S, 7th)
-
Dock Ellis (L)
Grant Jackson (4th)
Dick Tidrow (8th)
Dan Driessen (4th) Jim Mason (7th)

1976 World Series
Game 4

Line Score / Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cincinnati 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 7 9 2
New York 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 8 0
Gary Nolan (W)
Will McEnaney (S, 7th)
-
Ed Figueroa (L)
Dick Tidrow (9th)
Sparky Lyle (9th)
Johnny Bench (4th)
Johnny Bench (9th)
None
-

1976 World Series

Cincinnati Reds

Composite Hitting Statistics

Johnny Bench
Jack Billingham
Pedro Borbon
Dave Concepcion
Dan Driessen
George Foster
Cesar Geronimo
Ken Griffey
Don Gullett
Will McEnaney
Joe Morgan
Gary Nolan
Fred Norman
Tony Perez
Pete Rose
Pat Zachry
c
p
p
ss
dh
of
of
of
p
p
2b
p
p
1b
3b
p
4
1
1
4
4
4
4
4
1
2
4
1
1
4
4
1
15
0
0
14
14
14
13
17
0
0
15
0
0
16
16
0
8
0
0
5
5
6
4
1
0
0
5
0
0
5
3
0
1
0
0
1
2
1
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
1
4
3
3
2
0
0
3
0
0
1
1
0
6
0
0
3
1
4
1
1
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
0
.533
.000
.000
.357
.357
.429
.308
.059
.000
.000
.333
.000
.000
.313
.188
.000
0
0
0
1
2
2
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
1
0
0
3
0
3
2
1
0
0
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
2
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
Totals 134 42 10 3 4 22 21 .313 12 16 7

1976 World Series

New York Yankees

Composite Hitting Statistics

Doyle Alexander
Chris Chambliss
Dock Ellis
Ed Figueroa
Oscar Gamble
Ellie Hendricks
Catfish Hunter
Grant Jackson
Sparky Lyle
Elliott Maddox
Jim Mason
Carlos May
Thurman Munson
Graig Nettles
Lou Piniella
Willie Randolph
Mickey Rivers
Fred Stanley
Dick Tidrow
Otto Velez
Roy White
p
1b
p
p
of-2
ph
p
p
p
of-1,dh-1
ss
dh
c
3b
of-2,dh-2
2b
of
ss
p
ph
of
1
4
1
1
3
2
1
1
2
2
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
3
4
0
16
0
0
8
2
0
0
0
5
1
9
17
12
9
14
18
6
0
3
15
0
5
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
9
3
3
1
3
1
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
.000
.313
.000
.000
.125
.000
.000
.000
.000
.200
1.000
.000
.529
.250
.333
.071
.167
.167
.000
.000
.133
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
3
0
1
1
3
0
0
3
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
1
1
0
3
2
1
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
Totals 135 30 3 1 1 8 8 .222 12 16 1

1976 World Series

Cincinnati Reds

Composite Pitching Statistics

Jack Billingham
Pedro Borbon
Don Gullett
Will McEnaney
Gary Nolan
Fred Norman
Pat Zachry
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.2
1.2
7.1
4.2
6.2
6.1
6.2
0.00
0.00
1.23
0.00
2.70
4.26
2.70
0
0
5
2
8
9
6
1
0
4
2
1
2
6
0
0
1
0
2
3
2
0
0
3
1
1
2
5
Totals 4 0 8 4 0 2 0 36.0 2.00 30 16 8 12

1976 World Series

New York Yankees

Composite Pitching Statistics

Doyle Alexander
Dock Ellis
Ed Figueroa
Catfish Hunter
Grant Jackson
Sparky Lyle
Dick Tidrow
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6.0
3.1
8.0
8.2
3.2
2.2
2.1
7.50
10.80
5.63
3.12
4.91
0.00
7.71
9
7
6
10
4
1
5
1
1
2
5
3
3
1
5
4
5
3
2
0
2
2
0
5
4
0
0
1
Totals 0 4 9 4 1 0 0 34.2 5.45 42 16 21 12
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

The 1976 World Series was the first ever to utilize the designated hitter. Those who played the "position" were Dan Driessen of the Cincinnati Reds (who hit the first home run for the position) and Elliott Maddox / Carlos May / Lou Piniella of the New York Yankees.

Did you know that the Cincinnati Reds were the first National League team to win back-to-back World Championships since the New York Giants in 1921 & 1922?

The Cincinnati Reds were once swept by the New York Yankees during the 1939 World Series and when this factoid was brought up to Joe Morgan he replied, "How can you have a much better team than this one?"