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 “Big Red Machine” Photo Gallery
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A Follow Up To “Immaculate Innings”

And

The “Big Red Machine”!

Before we move on from “Immaculate Innings,” let’s have a little more fun with them. If you will remember, an immaculate inning is one in which the pitcher strikes out three batters in succession on exactly nine pitchers. It’s only been done by 95 pitchers over a total of 104 innings in the history of the major leagues (some of the 95 have done it more than once). With approximately 3.9 million innings in baseball history, the chances of throwing one are two one-thousandths of one percent. 

I was recently reminded about an “Immaculate Inning” that I had completely forgotten about.

Let’s go back to 1975 when the “Big Red Machine” was in its heyday (see featured photo above). There was a game late in the season, I believe it was in the last week of the season, when the Reds already had the pennant sewn up. The rest of the league was well into September call-up time. And it was also a rare game in which the Reds were being blown out. 

The Reds’ bullpen had been pretty much depleted and the game was barely out of the middle innings.  As the game moved into the late innings – and with the playoffs just around the corner – Manager Sparky Anderson decided to save another pitcher and was looking over his roster to find a position player to close out the game. Sensing what was on Sparky’s mind, Dave Concepcion suddenly jumped up and offered to “take one for the team.” The conversation probably went something like this:

“Give me the ball Sparky…I pitched in high school in Venezuela and in the minor leagues. I’ll help you out”

“That’s great. You’re in, Dave…Here’s the ball. Do the best you can. Do it for the team.”

So Dave Concepcion ambled to the mound and took a few warmup tosses. He nodded to his catcher, the great Johnny Bench, that he was ready as the first batter stepped into the box.

Well, as luck would have it, Dave was “on his game” that day. After all, he had originally been drafted as a pitcher, so he knew what he was doing on the mound. It was just like his days back at Agustin Codazzi High School in Maricaibo where he was the star pitcher on the team. Sparky had made a good choice, and Davey was determined not to let his manager down.

The first batter went down on three pitches without making contact…as did the second! The third batter swung and missed the first two pitches and then miffed badly on a slider low and away. Dave Concepcion had retired three consecutive batters on nine pitches! Not only had Davey bailed out his manager, he had entered the record books!

So what do we call what Dave had done?? Yes, he had thrown a rare “Immacualte Inning.”

Except in this case, we can call it…

An “Immaculate ‘Concepcion’ Inning”!

Haha! I fooled ya’ didn’t I? I bet you fell for it…just as I did when I first heard it! As Harry Caray would say, “Ahh…you can’t beat fun at the old ball park!”

Dave Concepcion’s Career

Anyway, this gives me a chance to say a few words about the fine career of Dave Concepcion, one of the Reds’ and the National Leagues’ all-time great shortstops. Originally drafted as a pitcher (that’s why Sparky picked him to pitch in my fantasy story above!), he played his entire career for one of the greatest teams in major league history, the Big Red Machine, that won four National League pennants and two World Series championships.

Over his career, Dave hit .267, with 101 home runs, 950 RBIs, and 321 stolen bases. His best year was probably 1974 when he hit .281 with 14 home runs and 82 RBIs, winning his first of five Gold Gloves awards. In 34 post-season games, he hit .297, with two home runs and 13 RBIs. A nine-time All-Star player,  he teamied up with Hall-of-Fame second baseman Joe Morgan to form one of the best middle-infield combinations of their era. Dave also won two Silver Slugger Awards and was named the MVP of the 1982 All-Star Game. He’s been inducted into the Reds’ Hall of Fame and his #13 has been retired by the Reds. 

Gary Livacari

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Stats from Baseball-Reference.com