When the Phillies acquired Reed, for perennially underachieving outfielder Mike Anderson, manager Danny Ozark thought he was acquiring another starter for his rotation. Reed had more than 200 starts in his career with Atlanta and St. Louis. The day after the Reed trade, however, the Phillies acquired veteran lefty Jim Kaat from the White Sox and Reed was asked to make the transition to reliever. He and Tug McGraw made up a formidable right/left tandem out of the bullpen for most of the championship years.
The young 6' 6", 215-pound Reed, a three-sport star at LaPorte (Indiana) High School, went to Notre Dame on a basketball scholarship. He averaged 19 points and 14.3 rebounds a game in his college career and in 1965 was drafted in the third round by the NBA's Detroit Pistons. Shortly after signing with the Pistons, he also signed a major league baseball contract with the Milwaukee Braves. He played two seasons for the Pistons and then told his coach, Dave Debusschere, himself a pro baseball/basketball player, that he had decided to focus on baseball. In ten years as a starter with the now Atlanta Braves, Reed went 80-88. His best season was in 1969, when we was 18-10 and led the Braves to the National League West title. Traded to the Cardinals in 1975, he went 9-8, again as a starter.
Reed got off to a rocky start in the Phillies bullpen, and possessed a 5.00 ERA by mid-May, but he settled into his role and pitched terrific ball through the end of the season, recording 14 saves, with an ERA of 2.46. McGraw had 11 saves and a 2.50 ERA. The Phillies won a team record 101 games and the National League East title. They then dropped the National League Championship series to Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine", 3 games to 0. Reed pitched well in the Game 2 loss but was hit hard in the decisive Game 3, after relieving Jim Kaat.
Reed was solid again in 1977 season. He recorded 15 saves and a 2.75 ERA in 60 games and 124.1 innings. During one stretch from the end of April to early June, Reed appeared in 18 games, threw 33 innings and allowed just four earned runs (1.09 ERA). The Phillies again won 101 games, again won the National League East Division, and again lost he National League Championship Series, this time to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1. Reed appeared in three of the four games and pitched very well, allowing just one earned run in his five innings of work.
Reed had arguably his finest season in 1978. In 66 games and 108+ innings, he recorded 17 saves and an excellent 2,24 ERA. He was the Phillies best reliever all season and a real hero in the season's final week. On September 20, the Phillies held a one game division lead over the Pirates. Reed notched his 14th save, throwing a perfect inning behind Randy Lersch as the Phillies won, 4-2. In his next appearance on September 25, Reed threw three one-hit, no run innings at the Expos as the Phillies scored a walk-off win over the Expos in 11 innings. Larry Bowa's single drove home Orlando Gonzales* with the game winner.
On September 26, Reed pitched in both games of a doubleheader. In the first game, he came to the rescue of Warren Brusstar, who had just loaded the bases on wildness** and given up a run scoring single to the Expos Stan Papi. Reed got former Phillie Tommy Hutton to ground out with the tying run in scoring position. In the second game, Reed threw two innings in relief of surprise starter Tug McGraw. The Phillies lost to the Expos, 3-0. The next night Reed came on again, this time to save a game for Larry Christenson who was struggling to hold a 5-3 lead over the Expos in the ninth. After giving up a single to that same Tommy Hutton, which made the score 5-4, Reed retired two other former Phillies, Dave Cash and Del Unser to seal the victory.
September 29 brought another doubleheader, this time against the Pittsburgh Pirates, The Phillies were now 3.5 games up on the Pirates. Reed came on to start the ninth inning in relief of McGraw, who had pitched two innings in relief of Dick Ruthven. The score was tied, 4-4. Catcher Ed Ott lofted a high fly ball between centerfielder Garry Maddox and right fielder Bake McBride. These two fine fielders allowed the ball to drop between them and then Maddox threw wildly to third and the slow-footed Ott came all the way around to score the winning run. Steve Carlton lost to Bruce Kison in the nightcap and the Phillies lead was down to 1.5 games.
The penultimate game of the season was on September 30. A Phillies win clinched the division title. A Phillies loss would mean the October 1 game would be winner take all. The Phillies entered the ninth inning with a 10-4 lead and McGraw on the mound. McGraw gave up four singles and three runs, while recording one out. The score was now 10-7 and Dave Parker was on second base. Manager Ozark called on Reed to put out the fire. It was Reed's sixth appearance in six days and his sixth appearance in the Phillies last seven games. After giving up a run-scoring single off Schmidt's glove to former Phillie Bill Robinson, Reed struck out Willie Stargell. "A fastball, a slider, and another fastball. All hard stuff," said Reed. "He was going to have to hit my best stuff. It was him or me in that situation." Phil Garner then rolled out to Bowa at short and the Phillies had clinched the division title. The team mobbed Reed on the mound.
In the 1978 playoffs, the Phillies were again frustrated by the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3 games to 1. Reed pitched in two of the games, pitching four innings and giving up one run. Tug McGraw was on the mound in the final game, when Garry Maddox dropped the fly ball from Dusty Baker that led to the winning run.
Reed won 13 games out of the bullpen in the Phillies disappointing 1979 season, but his ERA climbed to 4.15 and he was not entrusted with as many save situations. The championship year of 1980 saw Reed's struggles continue at the same time that McGraw went on a miraculous run that carried the Phillies all the way to their first championship. After getting lit up in his one appearance against Houston in the National League Championship series, Reed pitched well in his two World Series appearances, saving Carlton's 6-4 win in Game 2.
For reasons I have not been able to determine, Reed was the only Phillies player to skip the Championship parade down Broad Street. Reed, like a lot of the players, had a stormy relationship with manager Dallas Green, but it is hard to say if that had anything to do with his decision. Reed also had an adversarial relationship with the press, which may have been a contributing factor. ***
Speculation after the 1980 season was that Reed would be traded or released. No deal happened, however, and Reed returned to form in his final three seasons in a Phillies uniform. While not quite the horse he had been from 1976-78, he was steady and reliable throughout. At 40, he was 9-1 with eight saves for the 1983 "Wheeze Kids" pennant winners. He also acquitted himself well in the post season against the Dodgers and Orioles.
Ron Reed was a key member of the very good Phillies teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Like most relievers he had his ups and downs, but he has more than earned his place on the Wall of Fame.
* This was the only run that Gonzales scored in his 26 game Phillies career.
** In the ninth, Brusstar got the first two batters out and then struck out Warren Cromartie, but the final pitch was a wild pitch and Cromartie got to first when the pitch eluded catcher Bob Boone.
*** Update: In a television appearance on August 6, 2022, on the occasion of his Wall of Fame induction, Reed recounted that he left the locker room after the World Series with no clear idea of when the parade would be held. He chose to drive all night to his home near Atlanta because his daughter was a little sick. He regretted not being there.
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