[Tiger Fan]

Back to the present (well, 1965) I just finished writing about Ted Williams and his major league debut at the tender age of 17. It looks like the World Champion Cincinnati Reds may be clearing the way for another teenager to make the majors. The Reds top prospect is catcher Johnny Bench, who won't turn 18 until December, and is coming off a great rookie pro season that saw him hit .284 with 20 homers and 70 rbi's in 108 games for the Pennisula Grays of the Carolina League.

The Reds number one prospect, and 9th overall in MLB, Bench just saw his path to the majors open up after Cincinnati dealt catcher Johnny Edwards to the Los Angeles Dodgers less than a week after winning the World Series. Edwards, 27, has been the Reds starting catcher the past four seasons but missed two months this year with a variety of injuries. An all-star in 1964 and a gold glove winner the previous year, Edwards still managed to hit .289 in his 83 games even with the injuries but he was just 3-for-17 (.059) in 5 World Series games.

With the trading of Edwards the only real competition for Bench comes from 27 year old Don Pavletich. Pavletich spent 8 years in the minors before making his major league debut with 3 games in September of 1964. He was the Reds full-time back up to Edwards as a rookie this past season and fared quite well, batting .322 with 11 homers and 40 rbi's in 77 games. Unless they make another deal the only catchers even close to be major league ready aside from Pavelitch and prospect Bench are 29 year old Jesse Gonder, who has played a handful of games for the Reds each of the past half dozen years or long-time minor leaguer Jimmie Coker, who hit just .178 at San Diego of the PCL this year.

In return for Edwards, the Reds get 23 year old third base prospect Ken McMullan and 28 year old reliever Joe Grzenda. Grzenda spent most of this past season with the AAA Spokane Indians, where he was 3-4 with 14 saves in 39 appearances but he did also pitch briefly for the Dodgers. McMullan started the season in the California League but was promoted to AA Albuquerque where he hit .312 in 27 games and earned a September call-up by the Dodgers, with whom he was 4-for-16 with 2 homers.

The Reds have McMullan penciled in as their everyday third baseman which will mean Cesar Tovar will shift to shortstop and Leo Cardenas becomes a bench player. Tovar is much better suited for second base or the outfield but the Reds already have 24 year old Pete Rose at second and a tremendous outfield of Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson and Jim Wynn. It is also a surprise the Dodgers would send McMullan to their bitter rival over the past few years, although LA did need an upgrade at catcher.

If Bench makes the Reds out of spring training he might be one of two 18 year olds on the roster. Pitcher Gary Nolan, a 17 year old from Oroville, California is tabbed as the Reds number two starter despite the fact that he pitched high school ball this season.