YEAR: 1990
SIGNIFICANCE: Reds became the very 1st NL team to lead their division from Opening Day all the way to the end
The eventual 1990 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds became the first NL team ever to lead their division since Opening Day and not fall below first place at all in a full 162-game season. The Reds became the second team in modern baseball history to lead their division from day one all the way to the final pitch of the season after the 1984 Detroit Tigers. The difference between the teams is that the Reds actually followed through and went on to win the World Series. Cincinnati defeated the Pirates four games to two in the NLCS and then went on to beat the defending World Series champs and back-to-back AL champions, Oakland Athletics to win it all.
The A’s, who featured a lineup with Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Walt Weiss, and Willie McGee, were swept by the Reds. Cincinnati had a great lineup, but during the season it did not perform as expected (they had a below league average team OPS+ of 97). The reason for their success was their elite pitching. In the rotation they had Jose Rijo (2.70 ERA), Tom Browning (15-game winner), and Jack Armstrong (3.42 ERA). The team’s heart and soul, however, was the bullpen. More specifically, “The Nasty Boys” that consisted of Norm Charlton (2.74 ERA, 154.1 IP), Rob Dibble (1.74 ERA, 98 IP, 12.5 K/9), and Randy Myers (2.08 ERA, 31 SV, 10.2 K/9).