The Greatest Reds: #26 - #24

26. Red Lucas

Of all the full-time pitchers on this list, no one added more value with their bat than Red Lucas, who essentially added the equivalent of a league-average hitter to the lineup every time he pitched (over 8 seasons and 1100 plate appearances with the Reds, Lucas hit 300/361/375 for a 97 OPS+). Early on in his career, the Reds occasionally played Lucas in the infield, but one wonders if there was a rather notable defensive breakdown that ceased the practice (in three appearances at shortstop in 1927, Lucas had three assists and two errors). Throughout his career, however, he was a frequent pinch-hitter. As a pitcher, Lucas was decidedly above average, although not spectacular. In his time with the Reds, his W-L record was 109-99, and he paired strong control with a decent workload en route to an ERA+ of 110. There were a couple high-quality seasons on the mound: in 1929 he went 19-12 with a 3.60 ERA (127 ERA+) over 270 innings, and in 1932, it was 13-17 with a 2.94 ERA (131 ERA+) across 269 innings. Strangely, Lucas received down-ballot MVP support four separate times, which makes me believe that his pinch-hitting was seen as an extraordinary achievement, regardless of its success.

25. Cy Seymour

This fleet-footed centerfielder was a whiz at tracking down balls in the field, and was—during his time with the Reds—one of the best hitters in baseball. Seymour was bought by the Reds in 1902 without fanfare; he was not a player of much regard, despite having been in the league since 1896. Things clicked in Cincinnati, however: Seymour put together 2.5 very good seasons (OPS+’s of 135, 134, and 134). Then, in 1905, Seymour was the best hitter on the planet: 377/429/559 (OPS+ of 181), with 219 hits, 40 doubles, 21 triples, 21 steals and 121 RBI. The 181 OPS+ was better than any player in either league. By midway through the following year, Seymour had fallen back to earth (99 OPS+), and the Reds sold him to the Giants.

24. Lonny Frey

In 1938, in his first season with the Reds, Lonny Frey was not only with a new team (his third in three seasons), but was also at a new position (he had previously been a shortstop). His defense seemed to be better suited to 2nd base, but his offense remained strictly mediocre. The following year, Frey decided to hit exclusively from the left side of the plate after having been a switch-hitter his whole career. It was a good move: Frey responded with the best season he’d ever have (291/388/452 – 124 OPS+), and curiously, his defense got much better as well. Otherwise, Frey hit around league average in most seasons with better than average defense at second. Obviously, 1939 was a banner year for the rest of the club as well, heading to the World Series against the Yankees. Frey, despite his excellent regular season, ran into a doozy of a week: hitless in 17 at-bats. The following year, as the Reds again neared postseason action, Frey dropped an iron water cooler lid on his foot, and was forced to miss most of the World Series. Years later, as a member of the Yankees, Frey got to return to the World Series, but only made one plate appearance. His career post-season record was 0-for-20, with one walk. Frey served in World War II during the 1944-45 seasons, and returned to have one more typically average season in 1946 before being sold to the Cubs.