1990 World Series Appearance

Lore & Background

The Reds' sweep was the fifth four-game sweep by the NL and second by the Reds after they did it in 1976. It was the second consecutive World Series to end in a sweep, after the Athletics themselves did it to the San Francisco Giants in 1989. It is remembered for Billy Hatcher's seven consecutive hits. The sweep extended the Reds' World Series winning streak to nine games, dating back to 1975. This also was the second World Series meeting between the two clubs (Oakland won four games to three in 1972). To date, this remains both teams' most recent appearance in the World Series, and is Cincinnati's second most recent victory in a playoff series. The Reds win made them the ninth straight unique team to win a championship, the second longest streak in MLB and American sports history after the 1978-87 streak of ten straight years. In fact, between 1978 and 1990, only the Dodgers won more than one championship. Athletics manager Tony La Russa and Reds manager Lou Piniella were old friends and teammates from their Tampa American Legion Post 248 team.

In Their Own Story

The lights of Riverfront Stadium hummed over the damp October air as Barry Larkin stepped into the batter's box, the weight of a city on his shoulders. The crowd, a sea of red and white, held their breath, knowing that one hit could change the narrative against Oakland's elite pitchers. In the silence before the pitch, the ghosts of past champions whispered encouragement, urging the young team to defy the odds.

Reader's Guide

The Cincinnati Reds won the National League West division by five games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. They set an NL record by staying in first place in the division for the entire season or 'wire-to-wire', which had been done only one other time, by the 1984 Detroit Tigers. The Reds then defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, four games to two, in the National League Championship Series. The strength of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen and timely hitting led them to a quick sweep of the AL champions. The Reds' bullpen had three primary members—Norm Charlton, Randy Myers, and Rob Dibble—collectively they were known as the 'Nasty Boys', who wouldn't let the A's score against them in nearly nine innings of work. Media talk of a forthcoming A's dynasty led Reds fans to call their own team the 'dyNASTY.' The Nasty Boys originally referred to five pitchers, with the other two being Tim Layana and Tim Birtsas (though history relates it to the aforementioned three). On his XM show, Dibble still adds these two pitchers into the 'Nasty Boys', stating it was a collective bullpen effort.

Did You Know?

• Billy Hatcher had seven consecutive hits in the series.
• The Reds' sweep was their second four-game sweep in the World Series, after 1976.
• This was the second World Series meeting between the Reds and Athletics; Oakland won in 1972.
• The Reds' World Series winning streak extended to nine games, dating back to 1975.
• The Nasty Boys bullpen trio of Norm Charlton, Randy Myers, and Rob Dibble held the A's scoreless in nearly nine innings.