THURSDAY: UC Sports Researcher Takes A Swing At The Bad Boys Of Summer

University Libraries wraps up its “Off the Page” lecture series with an entertaining look at the Cincinnati Reds’ famous bad boys of summer. UC sports researcher Kevin Grace has the stories behind the Reds’ most notorious characters in “Gamblers, Smokers, Drinkers and Spitters – A Cincinnati Baseball Rogues’ Gallery.” The presentation – free and open to the public – is at

3 p.m. Thursday, May 13

in Room 427 of the Engineering Research Center.

“One thing we’ll explore is why we see these characters in sports and why we love them,” Grace says. “We love them because they flout the rules – they thumb their noses at authority and as Americans, that’s a trait that we appreciate. We want to be thought of as responsible and orderly, but it’s in our heritage to sort of look askance at people who tell us what to do.”

Among the gamblers, of course, is Pete Rose, but Grace says there was also Garry Herrman, a former president and owner of the Cincinnati Reds, who bet regularly on baseball games. “We’ll talk about first baseman Hal Chase, who was probably the most notorious gambler in baseball history, because he had no charm like Pete Rose.”

The smoking section will include Marge Schott, of course, and Grace says he’ll also explore the controversy over the spitball, banned in 1920.

Pay garage parking is located near the Engineering Research Center at the Langsam Library Garage and the CBA Garage.