The Bench

The Staff

Team Synopsis, by Gantry

Cincy is quite the solid team - plenty of big-hitting lefties, two huge hitting righties, a good starting pitcher, a left-handed reliever, and (FINALLY!!!) a good natural eight hitter. All these traits add up a a top-tier team who is capable of running with the big boys.

Pitching

Mario "I'm very full after the" Soto is who want to start the game with. While lacking in speed, he keeps the gopherballs to a respectable level (well, respectable for straight-pitch arcade). He doesn't have the greatest endurance, but it's more than adequate. I go for Walters in the situation where Soto is fading, yet it's too early to bring in Borbon. That being said Borbon is the closer, and Gullet (Who the fuck is Don Gullet?) the lefty is used in matchup situations. If you notice, both relievers are from the year of the Big Red Machine, so they know how to win games...

The Lineup

1. I must say, for being one of the greatest second basemen of all time, I find Joe Morgan to be a bit disappointing. He isn't bad by any means, but his play on the fictional RBI field don't do the stats justice. He will get the hits and is quite speedy on the basepaths, but he really doesn't hit that many homers. While certainly good enough to keep in, don't expect too many dingers from the leadoff spot.
   
   
2. It must suck to know that while you played nearly 20 years in the big-leagues, made 3 All-Star teams and won two World Series, you are only known for being somebody's father. Yes, Ken Griffey's son is good and we wish his big power numbers were here in the two spot. But alas, they are not and he has to be taken out. Fortunately for us, we have Frank Robinson and his triple-crown sitting on the bench. Frank is one hell of a player, just a hair below Willie Mays in terms of RBI ability.
   
   
3. This is the weak spot in the Cincy lineup. While other big-time teams have studs in the three spot (Gehrig, Williams, Musial), the Reds get Vada Pinson. Ouch... Not nearly enough power for the three spot (think Keith Hernandez on the NES), yet, assuming you sub Robinson at the 2 spot, there's nobody on the bench who's really better. Drissen is close, but he isn't enough of a boost to warrant bringing him in. So stick with Vada and hope for some singles.
   
   
4. Foster, Australian for beer. What a studhorse! Easily the best player on the team and one of the best in RBI Arcade. He isn't exactly Secretariat on the base paths, but you should be aiming for the stands with him. Assuming you aren't a monkey or amputee, you should notch at least 2-3 dingers per game with Foster. Free tip - yelling "Beer!" in an Australian accent while swinging yields 13% more power.
   
   
5. Tony Perez is everything you want out of a five hitter, outside of being right-handed. Double-play percentage is a bit high, but his power more than makes up for that. If you happened to O.D. while Foster was batting and couldn't bring home the runners, there's no need to fret. Simply wipe the vomit off your hands and swing away with Perez, he'll get the job done.
   
   
6. Pete Rose is banned from baseball, yet you are still playing with him. That makes him the most exciting player to hit with outside of "Mr. Zero HR" Ozzie Smith on the NES. Crimes and misdemeanors aside, Rose is a decent player. I find him a bit more powerful than Morgan, and he keeps the outs to a minimum. If his production drops, you can be sure he bet on the game.
   
   
7. Outside of having a unique pronounciation to his name, Conception doesn't have any worthwhile abilities. Take him out and go for Drissen, aka Vada Pinson. If you prefer the righties, go for Vince Lombardi instead, as the numbers are similar. Either way, you would like to have more power out of this spot, but the inflated power in the eight hole more than makes up for it.
   
   
8. I have finally found a cure to "The Curse of the Natural Eight Hitter", and he's righty to boot! Who would have thunk it? Johnny Bench is THE man, seems to hit a dinger everytime he bats. Now I know what I've been missing all these years with the natural eight hitter.
   
   




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