Todd Benzinger, the former Cincinnati Reds first baseman who recorded the final out of the club's 1990 World Series championship, has died at 63.
The Reds announced his death on Thursday without disclosing a cause.
Benzinger secured his place in Cincinnati baseball history on October 20, 1990, when he caught Carney Lansford's popup in foul territory behind first base to end Game 4 against the Oakland Athletics.
That victory completed a four-game sweep and remains the franchise's most recent World Series title.
Larkin Recalls a Steady Teammate
Barry Larkin, a Hall of Fame shortstop who played alongside Benzinger for three seasons and later became a Reds broadcaster, said the news came as a shock.
Larkin told MLB.
com he had seen Benzinger at an event in Cincinnati the previous summer and thought he looked good.
He also expressed concern for Benzinger's family, noting that Benzinger had young children.
Larkin described his former teammate as a quiet, hard worker who contributed consistently without drawing attention to himself.
Born in Dayton, Kentucky, and raised in New Richmond, Ohio, Benzinger was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 1981 MLB Draft.
He spent nine major league seasons from 1987 through 1995 with Boston, Cincinnati, the Kansas City Royals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.
Benzinger played for his hometown Reds from 1989 to 1991, sharing first-base duties with left-handed hitter Hal Morris during the championship season.
Cincinnati led the National League West standings throughout that year before defeating the heavily favored Athletics in the World Series.
After retiring as a player, Benzinger stayed close to the organization and the Cincinnati community, regularly attending Reds Caravan events, Redsfest, fantasy camps and programs run by the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
He also managed Dayton, then the Reds' Single-A affiliate, from 2009 to 2010 and frequently coached youth baseball in the area.
Rick Walls, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame Museum, said Benzinger would be remembered for far more than the championship-clinching catch.
Walls praised his generosity in supporting museum events and sharing his time with fans, adding that the community will miss his friendship and kindness.
