Todd Benzinger, a key member of the Reds’ 1990 World Series championship team, died on Wednesday, the team announced.
He was 63.
“Todd will forever be remembered by Reds fans for catching the final out of the 1990 World Series, but those of us who had the privilege of knowing him will remember so much more,” Rick Walls, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame Museum, said in a statement.
“Todd remained close to the Cincinnati community and was a tremendous friend to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, generously participating in our events and sharing his time with fans. We will miss his friendship, his kindness and his presence in our community.”
The first baseman’s cause of death has yet to be announced, but Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, a Reds teammate of Benzinger, said that his death came as a “shock.”
“I saw him at an event this past summer in Cincinnati and he looked good. It’s kind of a shock out of nowhere,” Larkin told MLB.com. “I know he’s got some young kids, so I feel really bad for his family.”
A Cincinnati-area native, Benzinger was drafted by the Red Sox out of high school in 1981 and spent two MLB seasons in Boston before being traded to his hometown Reds during the 1988 offseason.
Benzinger spent parts of three seasons with the Reds before they dealt him to the Royals midway through the 1991 season.
His most famous moment in Cincinnati was catching the final out in Game 4 of the 1990 World Series to seal the Reds’ most recent championship.
Across his nine-year MLB career, Benzinger put up a slash line of .257/.301/.386 with 733 hits and 376 RBIs in 924 games.
After retiring in 1995, Benzinger maintained a close relationship with the Reds and was a regular at select events and team camps.
He also managed the Dayton Dragons, Cincinnati’s High-A affiliate, from 2009-10.
“He was a super nice guy,” Larkin said. “He was always a hard worker, not real loud. Just about doing his business. He was just a steady, consistent contributor. There was no craziness about him. He fit in well with the team.
“Just a really good, solid guy.”
