The Big Red Machine

Dan Driessen of the Cincinnati Reds



While sitting at my dining room table this morning having coffee, while watching starlings check out the gourds that they cannot enter because of SREH's, I was reminiscing about some of the places I have lived, and remembered an episode while living in Jacksonville Florida.

I grew up in Kentucky a huge Cincinnati Reds fan. I was 15 & 16 years old when the Big Red Machine won World Championships in 1975 & 1976. My family would go to a dozen to twenty games a year, or at least it seemed like that many, not bad for it being a three hour drive one way.

Jump to 1988, I was 28, and I was at a Greyhound race track in Jacksonville, FL. A guy was hanging out near where I was and after some time, we made eye contact and I recognized him immediately. It was Dan Driessen, a first/third baseman for the Reds back in the 1970's. I could tell from the look on his face that he recognized that I had recognized him.

Now Dan Driessen was no huge baseball star, although he did have a long career with 153 HR, .267 BA, and 763 career RBI's. So Driessen could go about his business without any or very little interference. I wanted to say something to him, but I didn't. I have never been star struck. While in the military I had pulled a security detail for President Jimmy Carter, a duty I tried to get out of so I could sleep late. True, Jimmy Carter was not an impressive man and a horrible president, but he was President of the United States. But I digress.

After a hour or so, Driessen sat down at a table that was in front of one of the many track closed circuit TV's, the same table I was sitting at. He attempted some small talk, but finally I asked if he was Dan Driessen. He acknowledged that he was and admitted that hardly anyone recognizes him outside the Cincinnati area. He introduced me to his brother, and during our conversation he talked about trying to sign with the San Francisco Giants, or maybe going to Japan to play ball. He was obviously late in his career and trying to prolong it.

After the last dog race, we walked together to the parking lot and he invited me to hang with him and his brother again the next night at the track. I responded I would try if I could find the free time. You bet I found the time!