Mario Soto’s rise with the early 1980s Reds feels sharper when you remember the club was drifting through a down period. The Big Red Machine was gone, the roster was thinning, and the city leaned hard on a right-hander from the Dominican Republic who pitched with a kind of stubborn fire. Soto wasn’t big, but his fastball and diving change drew quiet respect around the league. Cincinnati writers liked to note how he carried himself on days he pitched: calm voice, loose shoulders, almost serene until the first hitter stepped in.

By 1982 he had become the anchor of a staff that badly needed one, piling up strikeouts on a team that wasn’t giving him much support. Fans remember the way he worked quickly and held the ball low at his waist as if measuring the next pitch. Even when the Reds struggled, he was the constant presence, the player you tuned in for. In an era defined by transition, Soto gave Cincinnati a sense of identity when it didn’t have much else.

It’s a 1980s Mattingly Monday flashback edition of #WhatsOnYourDesk.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

#BeTheGood

Rare original factory press photo! Pencil date of 1985 on the back

In 1989 Dalton was the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,200 yards, catch 50 or more passes, score 18 or more touchdowns, and fumble fewer than 8 times in a single season. That would average ~21 pts per game today in Fantasy Football PPR leagues

Here’s a link to all of Daltons memorabilia available on eBay: https://ebay.us/lIoLqU

Michael Lorri Scoscia had tremendous chemistry with the pitcher Fernando Valenzuela

In 245 games with Scioscia behind the plate, Valenzuela had a 3.32 ERA with a .242 batting opponents batting average. Valenzuela was known to have five pitches, a lot to for the battery mates to align on -- screwball, changeup, slider, fastball and curveball.

Mike knew talent as player which helped him later as a coach. He caught 20 year olds FV’s rookie start - a five hit shutout

As a young pro -Mike was mentored by the legendary Roy Campanella 🤯

Here’s a link to the Mike Scoscia cards on eBay: https://ebay.us/Tz7zAm