Cincinnati Reds: Top five home runs in team history

2. Eric the Red sends a message

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Oakland Athletics were the most dominant team in baseball. As the 1990 World Series got underway, the A’s were making their third consecutive trip to the Fall Classic and looking for back-to-back titles. Despite leading the NL West from wire-to-wire and dispatching the favored Pirates in the NLCS, the Reds were heavy underdogs against their AL counterparts.

However, someone forgot to share this information with the Reds and, specifically, Eric Davis. After Reds ace Jose Rijo set the A’s down in order in the top of the first inning of Game One, the Reds bats started what would soon become an avalanche that would engulf the A’s.

With two down and Billy Hatcher on first base following a one-out single, Cincinnati left fielder and clean-up hitter, Eric Davis, sent the first offering he saw from Oakland ace Dave Stewart over the center field fence with plenty of distance to spare, giving the Reds an early advantage that they would refuse to surrender.

Keep in mind, Dave Stewart was one of the best and most intimidating pitchers in the game, but as he glared at Davis as he gave his signature hop out of the batter’s box, everyone knew with one swing of the bat this series was over. Davis provided the Reds a confidence and swagger that would propel them to their first championship in 14 years.

That’s not to say the A’s wouldn’t fight back. You don’t win 103 games in the regular season without bowing down easily. But even the close games went in the Reds favor and Cincinnati closed out the series with a four-game sweep, recording the final out before a stunned Oakland A’s team and crowd.