Episode 3

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Published on:

16th Oct 2025

Ballpark Banter: Big Red Machine Memoirs with Terence Moore

In this episode of PSP, Nii Wallace-Bruce discusses the legacy of the Cincinnati Reds' Big Red Machine with acclaimed author, writer, and historian, Terence Moore. Moore shares his journey from being a passionate fan of the Reds to covering the team as a professional sports journalist (02:12). He reminisces about his interactions with legendary players like Pete Rose (09:20) and provides a deeper understanding of the socio-cultural impact of the team (31:21).

The conversation also touches on current Major League Baseball topics, including the Hall of Fame candidacy of steroid-era players (28:15) and Canadian baseball (22:23). Moore's new book, 'My Big Red Machine,' explores his personal experiences and insights into one of baseball's most iconic eras.

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Terence Moore:

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Check out our website

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Leave a review and let us know what you thought!

Opening and closing music courtesy of Jeremiah Alves - "Evermore".

Transcript
PSP:

Welcome back to PSP.

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My name is Ne Wallace

Spruce, and it is October.

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How good is October?

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Baseball is all around coast to coast.

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Here in Canada we have the A

LCS between the Toronto Blue

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Jays and the Seattle Mariners.

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Two teams that came into the Major League

baseball competition in:

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1977, we had a mini dynasty known as the

big red Machin of Cincinnati with names

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like Johnny Bench, Pete Rose among others.

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So take us through that and more.

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We've got a friend of the

show who grew up in Cincinnati

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during the heyday of the Reds.

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It is author, writer, and

historian, Terrence Moore.

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You've seen his work.

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ESPN.

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You've seen it.

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Forbes and now he's joining us to go

over his new book, my Big Red Machine.

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He joined us today, Terrence, it's

always a pleasure to have you on.

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How are you doing?

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Terence Moore: Well, I'm doing quite

well and you know, with the Toronto Blue

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Jays back in the playoffs, I always go

back to:

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Journal Constitution and I covered the

:

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and the Blue Jays, at the brand new

Skydome, and that was a great, great time.

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PSP: Absolutely.

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And the skydome has changed

a little bit since then.

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It's now baseball specific as

opposed to being a multi-sport

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venue as it was back then.

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If I'm not mistaken, that 92 series

between the Brass and the Blue Jays,

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that was when primetime, Dion Sanders

was playing two sports, right.

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Terence Moore: It it, it was

when he played for the Falcons

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and the Braves at the same time.

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And it, when you look back, I mean, that

was a very remarkable thing that he did.

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And, you know, there was a, a brilliant

ESPN, so-called 34 30 on that.

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Not just because I'm in that

that particular document or

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documentary I should say, but rather

extraordinary, particularly when

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you see what he's doing right now.

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As a coach for Colorado playing

basically, or coaching I should say,

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PSP: and wish him all the best

because the world is definitely a

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better place with prime time in it.

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Now, Terrence, let's take it

back to, to where it started.

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You mentioned that you

were on the 30 for 30.

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Interviewed for that documentary and

you were interviewed as a capacity,

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as a a journalist before being a

journalist, though you were a fan and

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you write in My Big Red Machine, your

transition from being a fan of the Reds

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to becoming someone who covered sports.

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Tell us a little bit about that.

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Terence Moore: Yeah.

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You know, I'll tell you this

book, I get chills every time I

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think about a writing this book.

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And I got chills while writing

this book it was almost an outer

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body experience, the whole deal.

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And I'm talking about not only

writing the book, but also the

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experience I went through, what

you're, what you're alluding to here.

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And that is that as a 12-year-old, my

family, my dad was an at t supervisor,

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transferred from South Bend, Indiana

to Cincinnati in, in the November 68.

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And I mentioned that because the

very next year was the first.

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Well, I should say unofficial year of

something called the Big Red Machine,

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and that was the Cincinnati Reds teams

of the eventually of the:

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more game games than anybody in baseball.

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But but we just happened to move

to Cincinnati that first year in

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68 and it, it fall 68, but the

69 season was their first year.

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that time I became this diehard.

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Baseball fan, diehard Cincinnati Reds

fan, and Pete Rose in particular.

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Pete Rose, one of the stars of the team.

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And to make a long story

short, I went from being that.

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12-year-old fan eventually going to

college at Miami of Ohio, which is

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right off the road from Cincinnati.

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A week after graduating from

Miami of Ohio in May of:

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Became a full-time sports writer for

the Cincinnati Enquirer back during

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that time, and got a chance to cover

and interact with my heroes on, on those

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Cincinnati reps teams You always hear

this saying never meet your heroes.

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Well, I got a chance to do it and more,

not only meet them, but cover them, write

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about them, and develop relationships

with several of them afterwards.

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PSP: Especially a sport like

baseball, . It's America's pastime,

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but it's, there's something about

it that's, you just have to be

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engrossed in the sport to understand.

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It's hard to describe, but going

from a fan to a journalist, was

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it hard to, become more objective

and impartial for, folks, who are

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your heroes that you looked up to?

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Terence Moore: And, and,

and that right there.

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I'm glad you asked that question.

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'cause that's the essence of the book.

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It talks about that journey.

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And this is something even though I'm

talking about baseball, even though

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I'm talking about the ridge even

though I'm talking about the bigger.

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A machine, anybody who buys this book.

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We'll see something

that they can relate to.

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'cause it, it's just a journey of

this young man just trying to develop

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the, to deal with all these different

emotions that you just talked about,

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trying to realize that his heroes

are just human and at the same time.

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I have to be this professional.

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I have to be this professional journalist.

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And while I was always , a fan

of the Big Red machine throughout

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this entire journey from.

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My teenage years right through college.

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Always wanted to be a professional

sports journalist too.

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And so I was able to, as you'll find

in the book, to handle that balance

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pretty well of making that transition

from being a fan, which you can't

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be anymore as a journalist, to

being this professional journalist.

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One of the things I point out in the

book, there's a saying that the old

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times saying back in the old days,

and maybe not so much anymore because

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journalism has changed so much, that

you are told no cheering in the press

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box, which means that once you become

a journalist, you're no longer a fan.

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And must say I made that transition.

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As well as anybody could have made that

transition, given the circumstances

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of my feelings for that team, for all

those years and, and even a decade or so

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PSP: And it is interesting that you

say that because we are in a race now.

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The postseason, MLB is now at

the league championship stage.

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Canada's team, if you will, is there.

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Seattle, which has a strong

fan base, is also there.

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And then you have the

Dodgers and the brewers.

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The brewer's one of the smallest

markets in America for baseball.

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Also, one of the most passionate.

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You only need to go on to social media

to see how fanatical some folks can be.

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Yet some of those folks also have access

to, to clubhouses and locker rooms.

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How, how would they find the balance in

today's world of being passionate for

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their team, but also so trying to still

maintain some neutrality when it comes

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to interviewing players and the like.

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Terence Moore: I love that question,

and, and, and I'll, I'll answer it

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it this way, among other things.

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I am a journalism

professor at Georgia State.

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I live here in Atlanta, Georgia.

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PSP: 70 years

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Terence Moore: Prior

to Georgia State, I was

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PSP: in Ohio,

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Terence Moore: professor

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PSP: modern

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Terence Moore: years at

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Miami,

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PSP: love

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Terence Moore: Ohio, my alma mater.

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PSP: so much

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Terence Moore: the reason I love

that question is because one of

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PSP: truth

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Terence Moore: things I tell my students,

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PSP: the book.

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Terence Moore: Is the truth.

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and that is I discovered

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PSP: being

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Terence Moore: you

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PSP: objective as a journalist.

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Terence Moore: supposed to

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PSP: This is sports or otherwise

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Terence Moore: as a

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PSP: journalism.

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Terence Moore: and this is sports

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PSP: That's the mindset.

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Terence Moore: objective journalism.

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PSP: the truth of the matter is

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Terence Moore: mindset.

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PSP: there's no such thing as objective

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Terence Moore: of the

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PSP: because we're all subject.

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Terence Moore: as objective

journalism we're all subjective.

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You know, me growing up in South

Bend, Indiana, that's the home

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of the University of Notre Dame.

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Notre Dame, the most famous

college football team of all time.

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And when you're born in South Bend.

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Notre Dame football is

in your blood, okay?

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And so whenever I cover a Notre

Dame game, I've gotta always

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have in the back of my head.

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I've got this in me and the objective

then becomes to be to, is to become

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the least subjective as possible.

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that's what it comes down to.

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You have to realize your, about

your biases as a journalist.

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So getting back to the Big Red machine,

when I was covering that team a week

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outta college they ended up meeting my

heroes and seeing what they were like.

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My objective was to be the

least subjective as possible.

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There was no way I was gonna be able to

get those emotions outta my mind, body and

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soul from growing up as this diehard fan.

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So the objective at that point is like,

okay, I realize I've got these feelings.

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I realized I got this background.

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I've gotta push that

aside the best as possible

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PSP: It's a bit of a tight rope.

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It's a fine balance.

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You have to navigate there,

but , you've done it for so long,

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so have to give you kudos there.

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And it's, it's a beautiful thing

when you're able to, to teach

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some, to teach these things to.

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future journalists.

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So kudos for that.

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Now dig, digging a bit deeper

into the big red machine.

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You are in a unique position in that

you moved to Cincinnati just as a

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machine is getting started, if you will.

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So players like Rose Johnny Bench

Perez, Dave Koon, Ken Griffey, Sr.

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Seeing these players come up, did you

feel like this is gonna be the dynasty

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or mini dynasty that it ended up being.

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Terence Moore: It really did.

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And, and, and again, this is where

it becomes surrealistic because,

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I'm a spiritual person and I believe

there's no such thing as coincidence.

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I look back all my life on a lot of things

and, and I just start connecting the dots.

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And it was, it just tells you

that it was just all meant to be.

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And one of the things that people

will find in this book, book very much

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shows that because there's just so many

things that happened that that could

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not have happened if there, if it wasn't

for some sort of a spiritual force

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that would make the this take place.

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Now I'm gonna give you

a class example of this.

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Pete Rose, who I'm sure a lot

of readers are familiar with.

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Listeners, I should say, Pete Rose and,

you know, the, the bad part of it at the

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end involved with a gambling situation

where he was banned from baseball and

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was not allowed to be in Baseball's

Hall of Fame while, while he was alive.

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And now that he's dead, he

died in September of:

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Major League Baseball says that

he now could be eligible to be

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in the baseball Hall of Fame.

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That Pete Rose is not the

Pete Rose that I idolized.

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He was my multi favorite player.

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He's my multi favorite athlete to deal

with from a professional standpoint.

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And certainly as a fan, he was my

favorite player as a, as a fan.

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Pete Rose was great with me through

the decades, but I wanna get tell you

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a couple things in particular that kind

of tie into your original question here.

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Pete Rose, first time I I ever

th,:

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I was 20 years old.

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It was my first time ever

in a professional clubhouse.

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And I got there kind of by happenstance.

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I was a, a sophomore at Miami University

working for the, for the student newspaper

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and just happened to be able to get

in the clubhouse and I was mesmerized.

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'cause I mean, these guys are my heroes.

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I'm looking around, it's like, oh

my goodness, there's Johnny Bench,

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there's 20, there's Joe Morgan.

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And I'm getting ready to leave and the one

guy I had not seen was my guy, Pete Rose.

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And I thought, well, okay, well there

goes that opportunity and I look

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around and he is walking toward me.

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And you gotta realize at this point,

Pete Rose does not know me from Adam.

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I had never talked to Pete Rose before.

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I just watched him from

afar as a fan in the stance.

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He comes up to me with

a smell on his face.

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years old, sophomore from

Ville, Ohio shakes my hand and

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he says, hi, I'm Pete Rose.

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What's your name?

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I'm like to, to to to

to to to Terry Moore.

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And he, he looks at me and he says, so

do you work for the Cincinnati Enquirer?

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I said no.

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I, I'm just a, a student up

at road Up at Ville Ohio.

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And Pete Rose, May 14th, 1976

says, well, you'll be working for

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the Enquirer someday year later.

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an intern at the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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I'm in the Cincinnati Reds

clubhouse, approximately the same

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spot I was the year before that.

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same Pete Rose comes up to

me, hadn't seen me in a year,

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comes up and says, hi, Terry.

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You work for the Cincinnati Enquirer yet?

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I, I thought I was gonna faint, and

I told him, no, I'm just an intern.

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And then Pete Roll says.

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You'll be working there full time,

turns and leaves next year if people

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can follow what I'm telling you.

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This is exactly two years just about

after I first met Pete Rose, the first

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time, May 14th, 1976, years after that, a

week after I graduated from Miami, Ohio.

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I'm working for the Cincinnati

Enquirer for real as a, as

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a professional journalist.

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My first story ever as a

professional sports journalist.

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I suggested to the sports editor,

said that I wanted to do a

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story on Pete Rose had this new

soft drink that just came out.

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It was awful, by the way, but

it's a whole nother story.

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the the editor said, yeah, go ahead

and you can, you can do the story.

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So I go to the Riverfront Stadium.

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Okay.

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First week out of college, work

for full-time for Cincinnati choir.

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through the clubhouse since

everybody's clubhouse.

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Walk up to Pete Rose.

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Rose looks at me and he says,

without me mi missing a beat.

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You work for the Cincinnati

choir now, right?

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And I was like, oh my gosh,

how does he know this?

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I said, yes.

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He says, so I guess you're here to talk

to me about my soft drink, which I was.

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And we grew up and talk about that.

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I to always tell that story, which

is in the book, that's just a

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classic example of the things that

have happened to me through my

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life, and certainly as a journalist

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PSP: Also reading your

book about Hank Karen.

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The real Hank Aaron and Yeah.

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, your written work doesn't

get enough credit.

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I don't think so.

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Yeah.

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That book really educated me on

the importance of Hank Aaron.

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Not just in terms of hitting home runs,

but also off the field of playing tennis.

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Connecting the dots between what

he did with Jackie Robinson and

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also the pathway that he left

for others that came after him.

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So I'm not surprised that you are

able to make that connection again

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with Pete Rose here in Cincinnati.

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That's quite a story that you've told.

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Is there another encounter or story about

Pete Rose that our audience may not be

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aware of that you can recount for us?

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Terence Moore: There, there's are so

many and, and, and one of the ones

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that, that I will tell in the book

and, that mentioned in the book is that

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how he and I just were connected at

the belt and at the waist and at the

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PSP: Just kept in my life.

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Terence Moore: unbelievable how he

just kept popping up in my life.

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And I give you a couple quick things.

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One, so I'm working at the

Cincinnati Enquirer and Pete Rose

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PSP: What.

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Terence Moore: born and

raised in Cincinnati.

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He was the Cincinnati re born and

raised in Cincinnati, diehard Reds fan.

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I'm talking about Pete Rose was a, a

star player there for 16 years then

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we get to the, to the fall of 78.

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And there's re these reports that Pete

Rose is going to file for free agency.

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And we gotta remember, at the

time, free agency was very

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new in Major League baseball.

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So it was after the 78 season.

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Here's Pete Rose, the hometown hero

and it becomes out that he actually

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is going to become a free agent.

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After the season, which meant that was

a possibility of him leave leaving the

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team, which he eventually did by the way.

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So in November of 1978, the first person

to write the, the story the, in the,

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in the country about Pedro becoming

a free agent and officially filing

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for free agency was Wait for it me.

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The sister that Inquirer, I was

the one that wrote that story.

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you, he can't make this stuff up.

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I, go from this 12-year-old fan of Pete

Rose to being the guy who wrote the

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story that he's gonna leave the sister

well, well following for free agency.

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that's one example.

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Another example, let's fast forward.

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He goes to the Philadelphia,

Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent.

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Two years after that, 1980,

Pete Rose is in the World Series

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with the Philadelphia Phils.

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At this time I'm working for

the San Francisco Examiner.

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And you know, my first year as a

full-time baseball writer covering a

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team for the, on a full-time basis,

I'm covering the San Francisco Giants.

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20 do quick math here, 24 years old.

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I'm like.

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One of the youngest, if not the

youngest, beat writer, major

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league, covering a major league

baseball team for a major newspaper.

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And I'm also the only African

American covering a major League

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baseball team at that time.

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And so here, here I'm at the World

Series for the first time ever, 24

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years old and just just mesmerized

and I walk into the Philadelphia.

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Clubhouse and this is right before

the World Series and Pete Rose

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has all these veteran writers

surrounding him at his, at his locker.

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Pete Rose looks up and he sees

me and he stops the interview

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and he says, there's Terry Moore.

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He and I go back a long

way, how's it going, Terry?

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And I was just like.

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Mesmerized.

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And, and just so the listeners understand

what's going on here, this is unheard of.

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I mean, usually, folks of that nature,

you know, they might not acknowledge

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you with a, with a head nod, if at all,

but for him to, to stop the, all the

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interviews with all these veteran writers,

to, to acknowledge this young African

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American kid like this, it just blew

me away, but, you can read all kind of

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stories like this throughout this book

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PSP: I read the book on Hank Garron,

so that's set the table for me.

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I know that there's gonna be some

good stuff about the Cincinnati

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Reds and the big red machine.

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Now, when it comes to Pete Rose,

it's no longer a case of if, but

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when he goes into the Hall of Fame,

as you said, he probably should have

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been in there while he was alive.

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Is there any doubt now that he goes

into Cooperstown in your opinion?

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Terence Moore: He goes into Cooperstown,

and once again I'm getting chills with

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what, what I'm gonna tell you here.

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Here's yet another of the million

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PSP: So,

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Terence Moore: how Pete and

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PSP: I have a baseball hall fame.

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Terence Moore: I

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PSP: I haven't.

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Terence Moore: Hall of fame writer.

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And so I had a chance if Peter Rose had

not gotten banned from baseball have

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voted for Peter Rose for the Hall of

Fame, get him a all time favorite player.

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I mean,

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PSP: Never

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Terence Moore: would that have been?

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Okay.

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And never got the chance because when he

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PSP: back in

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Terence Moore: Vanished from

baseball back in:

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PSP: ineligible

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Terence Moore: on the sport.

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PSP: of Fame

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Terence Moore: That made him

ineligible for the Hall of Fame and

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PSP: on the Hall of Fame

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Terence Moore: to appear

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PSP: Baseball.

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Right.

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Terence Moore: of Fame ballots.

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And I'm a member of the

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Writers of of America

Association and we're the

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PSP: Debate

376

:

Terence Moore: some of

377

:

PSP: may

378

:

Terence Moore: who are,

379

:

PSP: for me to vote,

380

:

Terence Moore: Baseball Hall of Famers.

381

:

So that made it

382

:

PSP: but here

383

:

Terence Moore: for me to

vote for him as a baseball

384

:

PSP: of the book

385

:

Terence Moore: here's the thing,

which I also pointed out in the book.

386

:

Pete told

387

:

PSP: he,

388

:

Terence Moore: numerous

occasions, particularly

389

:

PSP: what was happen,

390

:

Terence Moore: he was convinced what

391

:

PSP: was convinced

392

:

Terence Moore: happen.

393

:

PSP: and as soon as he died,

394

:

Terence Moore: to happen.

395

:

He was

396

:

PSP: they were going to

397

:

Terence Moore: soon as he died

398

:

PSP: my Facebook.

399

:

Terence Moore: lift this,

400

:

PSP: Baseball

401

:

Terence Moore: of

402

:

PSP: and that's exactly what happened.

403

:

And I,

404

:

Terence Moore: And that's

exactly what happened.

405

:

And and I wrote a column for Forbes about

just how bitter I personally was by this,

406

:

because it was almost cruel that almost

you know, within weeks, certainly maybe

407

:

a month or so after his death, that's

408

:

PSP: baseball

409

:

Terence Moore: Rod

410

:

PSP: enough

411

:

Terence Moore: the, the.

412

:

PSP: that

413

:

Terence Moore: Baseball commissioner

414

:

PSP: that now that to.

415

:

Terence Moore: that that, you know,

now that Pete Rose is dead, they,

416

:

they've decided that it was it was

okay to lift this lifetime band

417

:

PSP: one thing that I've always

heard is you should always honor and

418

:

cherish people while they're alive.

419

:

It's almost like you should give someone.

420

:

, The good notes that you were

putting in an obituary to their

421

:

face while they're still living.

422

:

It's not really much

use when they're gone.

423

:

Right.

424

:

, There was an outpouring after

Pete Rose passed away about

425

:

Terence Moore: true.

426

:

PSP: his, his record on the field of

play, what he brought to the city of

427

:

Cincinnati, and then naturally the

talk of him going into Cooperstown.

428

:

But Unfortunately, it falls on dead

ears when he's no longer with us.

429

:

He doesn't get to enjoy that accolade.

430

:

Something that he, I'm sure he, he

was dreaming of while he was a player.

431

:

Now, this also happens, in the

current realm, where is:

432

:

major League Baseball has this.

433

:

Relationship with gambling companies.

434

:

There's baseball games being

televised on sports networks that

435

:

bear the name of betting companies.

436

:

you can't escape whether it's network,

which I love watching by the way, or

437

:

any station that is a broadcast partner.

438

:

You're being hit with odds for games.

439

:

So it is, perplexing.

440

:

It's a little bit ironic.

441

:

It's almost oxymoronic that.

442

:

The game which kept Pete rose out for

so long because of gambling is now

443

:

pushing gambling at every opportunity.

444

:

But these are the times

we're in, right, Terry?

445

:

Terence Moore: Well, I

mean, you're exactly right.

446

:

I mean, you know listeners can't

see the disgust on my face because

447

:

I mean, every time I hear this and

every time I, I've written this

448

:

many times before I, it's just.

449

:

But I mean, the, the

short answer is, and it

450

:

PSP: I just saw something

451

:

Terence Moore: or sports in general.

452

:

I mean, I just saw something the other

day that said, now the, the NCAA is gonna

453

:

PSP: sword

454

:

Terence Moore: athletes to bet on sports,

455

:

PSP: legally

456

:

Terence Moore: outside

of college athletics.

457

:

They can legally

458

:

PSP: a worm.

459

:

Terence Moore: on NFL

games and stuff like that.

460

:

Which, opening up a can of worms.

461

:

I mean, I mean, the hypocrisy is just, it.

462

:

I guess the word I think of is very, very

463

:

PSP: One thing I thought about the

464

:

Terence Moore: disgusting.

465

:

But you know, one thing I thought

about before I forget, I wanna

466

:

mention one Canadian tie I've got

in the book involving Pete Rose.

467

:

PSP: I,

468

:

Terence Moore: And it's

just, is actually it makes

469

:

PSP: one of things I, in the book.

470

:

Terence Moore: say one of the things

I write in the book, the one time.

471

:

That I had a problem with Pete

Rose, involved Canada, and

472

:

actually more specifically

the Montreal Expos, Pete Rose.

473

:

Spent

474

:

PSP: This was in 19

475

:

Terence Moore: with the Montreal

Expos, and this was in:

476

:

PSP: 83.

477

:

Terence Moore: was after he played

for the Philadelphia Phillies in 83,

478

:

and he wanted more playing time, so

479

:

PSP: Election

480

:

Terence Moore: he, he wanted to

481

:

PSP: didn't last very long.

482

:

Terence Moore: him to the

483

:

PSP: Thank

484

:

Terence Moore: Expos

485

:

PSP: it's problem.

486

:

Terence Moore: long, and thank God

it didn't, and here's the problem

487

:

I had with him, with the expos.

488

:

Those uniforms.

489

:

I, you know, first of all, I, those were

490

:

PSP: uniform.

491

:

Terence Moore: baseball traditionalist.

492

:

Those, those expos uniforms

493

:

PSP: Yeah.

494

:

I'm old fashioned.

495

:

I'm old.

496

:

Terence Moore: nuts.

497

:

PSP: The old track

498

:

Terence Moore: I'm old

fashioned, I'm old style.

499

:

Yeah, just gimme the old time religion.

500

:

PSP: of.

501

:

Terence Moore: the old time uniforms.

502

:

PSP: So that was part one, part two,

503

:

Terence Moore: and what

504

:

PSP: because

505

:

Terence Moore: so that

was part one, part two.

506

:

Pete Rose at that time in 84 was you

know, he was, he was not the, the slim

507

:

PSP: 19

508

:

Terence Moore: Pete Rose

509

:

PSP: have in that uniform.

510

:

Mitral,

511

:

Terence Moore: So to have him in that

512

:

PSP: like designed by maybe a third grader

513

:

Terence Moore: that looked

514

:

PSP: was almost cool, unusual,

515

:

Terence Moore: maybe a third

516

:

PSP: and

517

:

Terence Moore: was

518

:

PSP: and used to just

hurt my eyes and feel it.

519

:

Terence Moore: and

520

:

PSP: Well,

521

:

Terence Moore: to just hurt

522

:

PSP: the best thing that baseball

523

:

Terence Moore: every time I saw

524

:

PSP: did

525

:

Terence Moore: So I

526

:

PSP: later that fall wasn't

527

:

Terence Moore: guards did.

528

:

It was later that fall.

529

:

He wasn't a,

530

:

PSP: bridge, worked the deal,

bring back to the red and the

531

:

Terence Moore: the Reds

worked the deal to bring

532

:

PSP: player manager.

533

:

Terence Moore: at the end

of the 84 season to be

534

:

PSP: For everybody.

535

:

Terence Moore: and and it

worked out for everybody.

536

:

That's when he ended up hitting

breaking tight Cs all time Hits

537

:

record later that next year in 85

in a red uniform, and thank God

538

:

PSP: I understand where

you're coming from.,

539

:

It was a little bit different to what.

540

:

We're used to seeing on the field of play.

541

:

However, I do think we should

see more baseball in Canada.

542

:

It's, it's sad the way

that the x wass went out.

543

:

Although the nationals did win

a championship in:

544

:

way the X wass went out was sad.

545

:

I wanted to ask you a question about.

546

:

Canadian.

547

:

Baseball , it's not often.

548

:

a baseball rider who has a

vote for the Hall of fame.,

549

:

There is a narrative in Canada that some

players have played up in Toronto and

550

:

Montreal especially someone like Carlos

Delgado may not have been given as much

551

:

consideration because they didn't get

as many games televised in America.

552

:

What's your thoughts on that?

553

:

Terence Moore: Oh,

there's no doubt about it.

554

:

I mean there, there's all

kind of, examples of that even

555

:

in the United States here.

556

:

I mean, 'cause you know, one of the

things that, that has happened through

557

:

the years and one of my pet peeves

as a guy who grew up in the Midwest,

558

:

and like I said, I grew up in born

and raised in South Bend, Indiana.

559

:

My dad being at t Supervisor.

560

:

Moved from South Bend to Cincinnati

and then got transferred to

561

:

Chicago and then to Milwaukee.

562

:

So I know a lot about the brewers, so

we're Midwestern people, and it was very

563

:

apparent to me, certainly at an early

age when it came to all things in the,

564

:

in the United States that has all tilted.

565

:

Media wise toward the east,

coast media is just so powerful.

566

:

Boston, New York, Philadelphia, it,

it's almost like if it didn't, it

567

:

didn't happen anywhere near the the

Atlantic Ocean, then it, you know,

568

:

PSP: And I put my way to Canada.

569

:

Terence Moore: So, and I'm

570

:

PSP: Historically

571

:

Terence Moore: here in a minute.

572

:

So historically,

573

:

PSP: it was

574

:

Terence Moore: Certainly in

the Midwest and in the West.

575

:

It just, it's inferior from a

media standpoint to anything

576

:

that happens in the East.

577

:

And that's one of the things I write

about in this book, by the way.

578

:

The, and I, I'll get to the

579

:

PSP: 1970.

580

:

Terence Moore: as a

explain this part of it.

581

:

In 1975, that Big Red Machine

582

:

PSP: Over Boston Prince

583

:

Terence Moore: of Back to Back World

Series over the Boston Red Sox,

584

:

PSP: seven Game series.

585

:

Terence Moore: One game.

586

:

It was a seven game

587

:

PSP: Series.

588

:

Terence Moore: The Boston

589

:

PSP: This a dramatic home run,

590

:

Terence Moore: World Series on

this dramatic home run in the

591

:

PSP: run

592

:

Terence Moore: of the 12th

593

:

PSP: foul

594

:

Terence Moore: Fisca, a home run

595

:

PSP: game.

596

:

Terence Moore: the foul poll.

597

:

Okay?

598

:

Reds won.

599

:

Game seven the next day at Fenway

Park to win the World Series.

600

:

But even to this day, 50

years ago, 50 years later.

601

:

If you go by baseball historians and by

everything you see on television, they

602

:

keep showing that boss, that Carlton Fisk

home run over and over and over again.

603

:

So the majority of the people believe

that the Red Sox won the World Series,

604

:

and whenever the media talks about that

World Series, the 75 World Series, they

605

:

always begin and end with Carlton Fisk.

606

:

When in fact the Reds

won the World Series.

607

:

Why is

608

:

PSP: Had

609

:

Terence Moore: Well, east Coast

610

:

PSP: develop

611

:

Terence Moore: Boston,

612

:

PSP: What's happened,

613

:

Terence Moore: Cincinnati's irrelevant,

and that is what's happening with Canada.

614

:

If the rest of America outside of

the East is considered irrelevant by

615

:

East Coast media, we've got the bulk

of the baseball writers, by the way,

616

:

who vote for Baseball Hall of Famers.

617

:

Then you can, you know, just add to that.

618

:

What they think about

Canadian players and teams,

619

:

PSP: yeah, it was illuminating to

see that even in the recent A LDS

620

:

when the New York Yankees played

against the Toronto Blue Jays.

621

:

I saw a number of analysts and folks

watching the game, and they were

622

:

saying, oh, who, who's this player?

623

:

Who's this?

624

:

Addison Barger, who's this?

625

:

Ernie Clement guys who have

been in this lineup for the Blue

626

:

Jays throughout the season, but.

627

:

F because the blue days don't

get gains on Fox and TBS.

628

:

They're relatively new to the,

the American national audience.

629

:

So it, it's illuminating to see that.

630

:

Another thing that was illuminating

during your journalist career is the

631

:

steroid era, Terry as a baseball hall

of fame voter, do you see an instance

632

:

where players on the third era.

633

:

May get into one day.

634

:

Terence Moore: I certainly hope not.

635

:

And one of the things I write

about in the book, I, I deal with

636

:

this in, in addition to Pete Rose,

I was very close to Joe Morgan.

637

:

Greatest second baseman of all time.

638

:

And, and the, certainly the

one of the spark plugs of the

639

:

big red machine for years.

640

:

And Joe Morgan, if you wanted to see

him go into tirade, have him talk about

641

:

these steroid guys about what and what

642

:

PSP: Were to.

643

:

Terence Moore: an insult the steroid guys

work to him and to other great players.

644

:

And Joe Morgan even wrote

a letter to all of us.

645

:

Baseball Hall of Famers urging us to

never let us these ster guides in because

646

:

of what it, what effect it has on them.

647

:

You mentioned Hank Aaron.

648

:

I was very close to Hank Aaron, and

as you mentioned, I wrote the book on

649

:

Hank, and Hank is the first guy that

pointed this out to me about how people

650

:

get this all wrong, about steroids,

thinking that steroids is all about power.

651

:

And Hank asked me this

question, I'll never forget it.

652

:

He says what position do you think.

653

:

Test positive for steroids

more than any other position.

654

:

And like everybody else,

I said outfielders.

655

:

He said, Nope.

656

:

I said first base.

657

:

Yeah.

658

:

Third base.

659

:

Nope.

660

:

Pictures, pictures consistently,

661

:

PSP: Asking, what is that all about?

662

:

Terence Moore: positive for steroids.

663

:

And I asked him, I said,

what is that all about?

664

:

He said, this is Hank

Aaron telling me this.

665

:

PSP: More about

666

:

Terence Moore: don't understand that Hank,

that steroids is more about recovery.

667

:

PSP: to

668

:

Terence Moore: Durability,

669

:

PSP: games.

670

:

Terence Moore: able to,

671

:

PSP: Said many days,

672

:

Terence Moore: multiple games.

673

:

PSP: said it still works for, for around

674

:

Terence Moore: to get out there and

675

:

PSP: days.

676

:

He.

677

:

Terence Moore: if steel wars

were were around, there would be

678

:

days that he would play when he

didn't really feel like playing

679

:

PSP: He would've had like 900.

680

:

Terence Moore: 755 home runs,

681

:

PSP: That's a long

682

:

Terence Moore: had

683

:

PSP: way to say

684

:

Terence Moore: runs.

685

:

PSP: this is wagon should never

686

:

Terence Moore: way to say.

687

:

is

688

:

PSP: And I think of another Canadian,

689

:

Terence Moore: allowed.

690

:

And I

691

:

PSP: I was there,

692

:

Terence Moore: Canadian tie in here.

693

:

By the way, I was there

at the skydome, it was

694

:

PSP: can't remember exactly which,

695

:

Terence Moore: And the and I

can't remember exactly which a

696

:

PSP: but.

697

:

Terence Moore: this was, and you

probably remember off the side of your

698

:

head, it was when the Oakland a were

there playing Toronto and Jose Conseco

699

:

hit this shot into the upper deck.

700

:

PSP: At the time

701

:

Terence Moore: And I wanna

702

:

PSP: was

703

:

Terence Moore: or left center

704

:

PSP: blocker.

705

:

Terence Moore: And at the time they

706

:

PSP: Blocker.

707

:

Terence Moore: an auxiliary

708

:

PSP: home was coming.

709

:

Terence Moore: I was in the

710

:

PSP: That

711

:

Terence Moore: box and his home

run was coming straight toward me.

712

:

That ball was heading toward

Mars or maybe Jupiter.

713

:

Okay.

714

:

And this is before we realized

about the how prevalent the

715

:

PSP: Things

716

:

Terence Moore: thing was.

717

:

PSP: unfair.

718

:

Terence Moore: I think back about things

like that, it's totally unfair to have.

719

:

guy like that in the Hall of Fame

720

:

PSP: And that was actually

the first year of the skydome.

721

:

How about that?

722

:

So Canseco did kind of christen the

skydome with that deep shot to the, I

723

:

think it was the fifth deck of the dome.

724

:

Wow.

725

:

Have you ever spoken to the big

me red machine class about what

726

:

went on with the 2017 Astros?

727

:

What were some of the

players' thoughts on that,

728

:

Terence Moore: I never heard

anybody per, per se talk about

729

:

PSP: Hmm.

730

:

Terence Moore: honest with you, with the,

the cheating scandal you're referring to.

731

:

And that's on a whole different

level, obviously, but from a big red,

732

:

PSP: That was.

733

:

Terence Moore: standpoint I.

734

:

That was kind of like a, a non-factor

because, you know but I will tell

735

:

you this, the you know, the, the

big tion was the antithesis of that.

736

:

No one has ever said anything about

anybody with that team doing anything

737

:

that was that was cheating or anything.

738

:

They, that was a, you talking about

a team that did it the right way.

739

:

And, and besides everything else.

740

:

again, I, I my theme.

741

:

I, I just get goosebumps

talking about this team.

742

:

I mean, even here, all these years, I, I

still get emotional talking about them.

743

:

One of the reasons that was the greatest

team of all time, besides the fact they

744

:

did, did it clean as you're alluding

to, or like, as Al was alluding to

745

:

think about this in 1975 or 76, let's

stick team, they won 108 games and.

746

:

They led major league baseball in

virtually all hitting categories.

747

:

led major league baseball in speed

categories, stolen bases, and

748

:

they led major league baseball

in all fielding categories.

749

:

Was like four gold glovers up the middle.

750

:

I mean, they,

751

:

PSP: Baseball.

752

:

Terence Moore: they had the third

best ERA in major league baseball

753

:

with the best bullpen in baseball.

754

:

PSP: It's a beautiful thing

755

:

Terence Moore: get much

756

:

PSP: and we're, we're starting

to see some, some shoots, I guess

757

:

some green shoots in the, the

current iteration of the, the Reds.

758

:

When you see Ellie de La Cruz powering

around the base paths and what Terry Fran

759

:

Kona had with this season's Cincinnati

Reds, they, they s shuck the weld.

760

:

They, they pushed out the mets and

made it to the wild cod series.

761

:

Do you feel like we'll ever see

another version of the Big Red

762

:

Machine again in Cincinnati?

763

:

Terence Moore: No, no, no.

764

:

That, that, that one and done th

that there's n there will never

765

:

be anything close to that, and

they call it the Great eight.

766

:

And the great eight is

the starting lineup.

767

:

And as the goosebumps develop all.

768

:

I don't around me here.

769

:

I mean, let's look at,

let's do it this way.

770

:

Okay.

771

:

The grade A, let's go

around the horn Catcher,

772

:

PSP: 22nd

773

:

Terence Moore: Tony Perez, hall of Fame.

774

:

Second base, Joe Morgan, hall of Fame.

775

:

Dave Conception on the shortstop

should be in the Hall of Fame.

776

:

Perenio perennial Gold,

Glover, perennial all star.

777

:

Third base, Pete Rose.

778

:

Well, we just talked about him.

779

:

I mean,

780

:

PSP: baseball.

781

:

Terence Moore: of Famer if

nothing else, he still holds

782

:

baseball record for all time hits.

783

:

field.

784

:

George Foster perennial all-star two.

785

:

Time home Run Champion Center Fielder

Cesar Geronimo, one of the greatest center

786

:

fielders of all time and one of the best.

787

:

at the bottom of a lineup.

788

:

a Peral Gold Glover, Ken Griffey Senior.

789

:

And by the way, I wrote the first

story ever about Ken Griffey senior's

790

:

son, some kid named Ken Griffey Jr.

791

:

And I wrote the story

about Ken Griffey Jr.

792

:

Which I write about the

book when Ken Griffey Jr.

793

:

Was eight

794

:

PSP: Just overlooked

795

:

Terence Moore: Ken Griffey Sr.

796

:

The father gets overlooked because

of the son, but Ken Griffey Sr.

797

:

Perennial All Star for the bigger

machine and his career betting average.

798

:

2 96.

799

:

I mean there it's a Anderson,

the manager Hall of Famer.

800

:

PSP: it was.

801

:

Terence Moore: Gillet, one of

the star pitchers for that team.

802

:

He was a, a flame thrower as a

teenager, right through his adult years.

803

:

Jack Billingham, one of the most

underrated clutch pitchers of all time,

804

:

his ERA in the World Series was sub 1.00

805

:

and, and the thing that made that

team so incomparable, like I mentioned

806

:

before, it wasn't just a slugging team.

807

:

They had speed, the best speed in

baseball, the best fielding in baseball,

808

:

but they also were charismatic.

809

:

Just so much, so many colorful players,

810

:

I want to tell you something,

the beautiful part of this, you

811

:

can get the book through me.

812

:

will autograph it at this website

and it's easy to remember.

813

:

It is my big red machine.com.

814

:

big red machine.com

815

:

comes directly to me.

816

:

Sign it, give it to you.

817

:

The ear, the early are just

going through the roof.

818

:

And I keep telling people,

I mean, of course I'm,

819

:

PSP: Gift,

820

:

Terence Moore: but you, you talk

about a great Christmas gift.

821

:

Oh my goodness

822

:

PSP: write the book

823

:

Terence Moore: this, this would be

if I were, if I didn't write the

824

:

book and I wanted something to give

825

:

PSP: and I can definitely cosign

not having seen your previous work.

826

:

And it's definitely gonna,

I don't already know.

827

:

It's in depth.

828

:

It's.

829

:

Very, very, it almost takes

you into the clubhouse.

830

:

You feel like you're in the riverfront

stadium with the players, with some

831

:

of the stories that you recount.

832

:

So definitely can co-sign

what you've said there.

833

:

Derek, it's been a pleasure to talk you

through you about my big Red machine and

834

:

some of the goings on around the league.

835

:

Is there anything else you

wanted to share with us?

836

:

Terence Moore: A quick thing,

because you've been so kind here,

837

:

but I'm gonna tell you two things

about this book that I'm very, very

838

:

PSP: Martyn

839

:

Terence Moore: One,

840

:

PSP: was broadcast

841

:

Terence Moore: was the

broadcaster for the Reds for 46

842

:

PSP: Bre,

843

:

Terence Moore: He

844

:

PSP: Baseball Hall of Fame.

845

:

Terence Moore: Marty

846

:

Brennaman told

847

:

PSP: he was.

848

:

Terence Moore: that when he read

this book, he was mesmerized.

849

:

He said

850

:

PSP: Marty

851

:

Terence Moore: in this book that he did

852

:

PSP: every day.

853

:

Terence Moore: Again, this is

854

:

PSP: The other guy,

855

:

Terence Moore: who was

with that team every

856

:

PSP: baseball Hall of Fame,

857

:

Terence Moore: other guy I wanna mention.

858

:

Baseball Hall of Fame writer

859

:

PSP: the big

860

:

Terence Moore: McCoy.

861

:

Hal McCoy covered the big red

machine for the Dayton Daily News.

862

:

He even

863

:

PSP: last Sunday.

864

:

Terence Moore: about

865

:

PSP: So.

866

:

Terence Moore: red machine.

867

:

Hal McCoy last Sunday Civil writes

a column for the Dayton Daily News

868

:

in his column That this is, he

said there's been dozens of books

869

:

written on the big round machine.

870

:

He said, this is the most unique book

ever written about the big round machine.

871

:

He said it was a great read and

he said that there are things in

872

:

this book that he did not know.

873

:

PSP: And

874

:

Terence Moore: me feel

875

:

PSP: yeah, really looking forward to

getting into those stories and more.

876

:

It's always a pleasure

to have you on Terry and.

877

:

Hope you enjoy , the rest of the

playoffs and we wish you well

878

:

with , the release of the book and

everything else that comes with it.

879

:

You're doing a fine work out there.

880

:

You can find Terry's work

when he is not writing books.

881

:

You can find his work@vos.com

882

:

and he's also making appearances all

around the beautiful sports world.

883

:

Terry, thank you for being on the show.

884

:

This has been another episode of PSP.

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About the Podcast

Pro Sports Podcasters
No Sport Left Behind
The Pro Sports Podcasters is hosted by Nii Wallace-Bruce, and Justen Williams. On this podcast there is no sport too big, or too small for us to cover. You'll learn something every episode!

#NoSportLeftBehind

Our guests include the top athletes in their sport, coaches, sports broadcasters, sports agents, league administrators, and dedicated fans. We cover every sport from every angle, and provide perspectives that other podcasts ignore. Each host has expert knowledge in a number of sports. So when the opportunity arises to educate our audience, we take every opportunity.

Our hosts Nii Wallace-Bruce, and Justen Williams have all spent time in front of the camera as well. Having appeared in commercials, dramatic roles, music videos, public events, and Live performances. The Pro Sports Podcasters are more than the voices you have come to recognize hearing twice a week.

Enjoy the podcast, and to connect with the Pro Sports Podcasters there are links in the show notes of every episode!
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