CINCINNATI, OH – APRIL 4: Albert Pujols # 5 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim slips home before the day of Ryan Hanigan # 29 of the Cincinnati Reds during the third inning. (Photo by Joe Robbins / Getty Images)
Since 1970, these five thugs have given the Reds’ pitchers and fans more sleepless nights than they’d like to remember.
How often have Cincinnati Reds The fans collectively sighed as St. Louis’ Yadier Molina or Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun stepped onto the plate in a pressure situation with runners on the base. Let me answer that question for you – far too many to mention.
Inevitably, Molina or Braun would deal a crushing blow to the Reds and make the fans shake their heads in disgust while the seemingly endless nightmare waited for their sleep. We often wonder if Molina and Braun do this to every team, or if it’s just our beloved Redlegs who seem to enjoy torture so much.
With the Riverfront Stadium opening in 1970 as a starting point, we’ll look back over the past 50 years to see who is Cincinnati’s greatest enemy. What you will find are famous names and players with plaques in Cooperstown and others with unparalleled résumés.
While Molina and Braun didn’t manage to crack the top five, which is shocking, they deserve a dishonorable mention for the broken hearted trail they left behind. So without further ado, here are the opponents who made a living destroying the Cincinnati Reds.