Strickley: Reds super-scout Gene Bennett dies at 89
From Bob Strickley at the Cincinnati Enquirer on August 17, 2017:
In 1952, Gene Bennett joined the Reds organization. He never worked anywhere else.
In nearly 60 years with the Reds, Bennett, who died Wednesday in Portsmouth, Ohio at the age of 89, was responsible for a thing or two that shaped the history of the franchise.
No, you aren’t forgetting an underrated player or manager. Although he joined the organization as a second baseman, Bennett’s greatest impact came from signing some of the biggest names in franchise history such as Barry Larkin, Don Gullett, Chris Sabo and Paul O’Neill. He also signed Jeff Russell and Charlie Leibrandt.
In total, Bennett was a member of the organization for six of its nine World Series appearances and three of the organization’s five World Series titles. As one of the Reds’ top scouts, he was a constant presence within the organization until his retirement in 2011.
Read the full article here: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/columnists/2017/08/17/life-baseball-reds-scout-gene-bennett-dies-89/576948001/
Originally published: August 17, 2017. Last Updated: August 17, 2017.