The Real Voices of the Game Productions · David Dagostino

Epsiode 1984 Former Big Red Machine Broadcaster Bill Brown goes On the Record with Jerry Trupiano and Dave Dagostino

April 9, 2026·49 min·4 clips

Former Reds broadcaster Bill Brown reveals untold stories from the 1970s dynasty in his new book.

Bill Brown comes on with an old friend. Dave D'Agostino sets up another On the Record visit with Jerry Truppiano, then mostly lets the room breathe. It feels easy from the start. The baseball history comes through names, small turns, and details that stick because somebody was close enough to remember them. Mickey Rivers is one of the first stops. Brown talks about how Rose got in his head, leaving Rivers with one stolen base and, in Brown's memory, two hits. From there, the conversation slides into a time when stolen bases could change the mood of a game. Tim Raines and Lou Brock get named in that lane. Then Johnny Bench enters as the answer on the other side. Brown says Bench's arm covered for pitchers who were not quick getting the ball home. The Cardinals are never far from the story. Ted Simmons comes up as another great catcher, which made those Reds and Cardinals series even better when speed ran into strength behind the plate. The coaching staff brings Ted Kluszewski into the room. Brown first remembers him as the hitting coach, but the story drifts to his Cincinnati restaurant. That is where the episode gets its best little detour. Brown remembers hearing Harry Carey and Jack Buck talk about the place, then finally getting there while traveling for hockey. The meal was not exactly magic. The steak gets compared to the old Charlie Chaplin bit, which is just the right kind of dry joke for this crew. Kluszewski still gets respect. Brown calls him a giant of a man, a fantastic hitter, and a good hitting coach. The numbers are kept plain: he hit .300, hit 40 home runs, and did not strike out much. Near the end, Dave turns to the audience and asks them to support Bill's book on Amazon, maybe one for themselves and one for a friend, as both a good read and a good cause.

As heard by us

A relaxed Reds history chat that leans on memory, detail, and an easy broadcast rhythm.

This episode is a relaxed baseball memory session, with Bill Brown revisiting the Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s and the names that still carry weight from that era: Johnny Bench, Ted Kluszewski, and the speed game around them.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want a conversation about the Cincinnati Reds, Johnny Bench, Sparky Anderson, and a new Bill Brown book.

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