1924 – At Orlando, Florida, Cincinnati Reds manager Pat Moran dies from Bright’s disease at the age of 48. A veteran of nine National League seasons as a manager, Moran guided the Reds to a record of 91-63 and a second-place finish in 1923. Coach Jack Hendricks replaces the popular Moran, who was the Reds’ manager when they won the controversial 1919 World Series.
1923 – Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis allows former New York Giants pitcher Rube Benton to return to the National League. Benton had admitted prior knowledge of the 1919 World Series fix, but remained active, winning 22 games for St. Paul (American Association). NL President John Heydler disagrees with Landis, calling Benton undesirable, but does not stop the Cincinnati Reds from signing him. Benton, at age 35, will be 14-10 for the second-place Reds.
Cincinnati Reds trade future Hall of Famer Rube Marquard and shortstop Larry Kopf
1922 – The Brooklyn Robins obtain shortstop Sam Crane from the Cincinnati Reds. Crane will play in three games and later be convicted of murder. He will be visited in prison by Connie Mack, who works for his parole and gives him a job.
1921 – The Cincinnati Reds trade Heinie Groh to the New York Giants for George Burns, Mike Gonzalez and cash.
1921 – The Cincinnati Reds trade P Jimmy Ring and OF Greasy Neale to the Philadelphia Phillies for lefty Eppa Rixey, who led the National League with 22 losses in 1920. Rixey will continue to pitch his way into the Hall of Fame over the next 13 years. Neale is also a future Hall of Famer – for football. He will play just 22 games in Philly before returning to the Reds.
Brooklyn trades Rube Marquard to the Reds for Dutch Ruether. The Robin’s southpaw fell in displeasure with the team after being arrested in a Cleveland hotel lobby before Game 4 for scalping World Series tickets worth $52.80 for $400 to a city police detective.
October 2, 1920 at Forbes Field – With the last two games rained out, fans get their money’s worth in Pittsburgh as the Pirates and Reds, battling to determine 3rd place, play the century’s only tripleheader. Starting at noon, the Reds win the first, 13 – 4, to clinch 3rd place. The Reds win game two…
1920 – Edd Roush of the Cincinnati Reds falls asleep in center field during a long argument in the infield. Heinie Groh goes out to wake him, but the chief umpire ejects Roush for delaying the game.
“Wanting to make a clean breast of things”, Lee Magee admits to National League president John Heydler and Chicago Cubs president William Veeck that he tried to “toss” a game with the Boston Braves when he was with the Cincinnati Reds in 1918, but that the Reds won the game in the 13th inning. Heydler will later testify on June 8th that Magee told him he became suspicious that Hal Chase had double-crossed him and so he stopped payment on the check.
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