Cincinnati Reds bid adieu to longtime scout Gene Bennett

The Cincinnati Reds’ family is mourning the passing of longtime scout Gene Bennett, who joined the organization in 1952 as a player.

Gene Bennett was a scout for the Cincinnati Reds as most of the Big Red Machine players were found and signed to contracts.  He was also the scouting supervisor for the Reds beginning in 1975 when they were trying to stay competitive as the Big Red Machine aged.  Much like a coaching tree or a family tree, the players that Bennett signed tell the story of his scouting tree in the best way possible.

The most notable signing of Bennett’s career was that of Hall of Famer Barry Larkin.  Larkin grew up in Cincinnati before attending the University of Michigan.  He was the Reds’ shortstop from 1986 until 2004, earning the National League MVP in 1995.

Another notable player that Bennett signed was Reds’ fans’ favorite and 1988 NL Rookie of the Year, Chris Sabo.  Sabo was a teammate of Larkin’s at Michigan and passed up a contract from the Montreal Expos to play college ball.  Sabo played for the Reds in seven of his ten MLB seasons.

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Perhaps Bennett’s most important signing was that of future Big Red Machine member, starting pitcher Don Gullett.  Gullett was a lefty with a 109-50 record covering nine seasons.  Gullett also played in for six teams in the World Series before shoulder injuries cut his career short in 1978.

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In addition to signing high profile players for the Cincinnati Reds, Gene Bennett signed some of the most memorable players in team history.

For Reds’ fans one of the most often remembered players is former right fielder Paul O’Neill.  He played on the Reds during their last World Series team in 1990 and tried to punt a ball in from right field once.  O’Neill also appeared on a Seinfeld episode after he became a New York Yankee where he became a symbol of tough, gritty play.

Another memorable player is Jeff Russell.  The Reds signed him to be their next ace starter, but it didn’t work out.  Instead, Russell moved on to the Texas Rangers.  There he became, arguably, the best closer in the history of the franchise.

Bennett continued working for the Reds in some capacity until 2011.  Even we he retired, he didn’t move fair away.  He passed away at age 89 in his hometown of Portsmouth, OH.

This comes closely after the passing of Reds’ great Lee May.  These leaders of a bygone era are slowly fading away. It is important to remember the impact they had on so many others.  That is true of Gene Bennett as one of the tried and true members of the Reds’ family.