A look back at Crosley Field, the former home of the Cincinnati Reds. Page 4: Reds career highlights, the final days of the ballpark.
The Reds won back-to-back pennants in ’39 and ’40. The first year the Yankees swept the Reds, the final game featuring a tenth inning collision at the plate that knocked Reds catcher Ernie Lombardi out, allowing two more runs to score, putting the game out of reach at 7-4. The Reds got revenge the next year. With the brilliant pitching of Paul Derringer and Bucky Walters, they defeated the Tigers in seven games.
The first of Johnny Vander Meer’s back-to-back no-hitters was thrown at Crosley on June 11, 1938. Nine years later Ewell “the Whip” Blackwell almost duplicated the feat. On June 18, 1947, Blackwell no-hit Boston. Four days later, he went eight and one-third hitless innings until visiting Brooklyn second baseman Eddie Stanky broke up the bid in the ninth.