Photo a friend of mine came across

[bbcard1]

Gordy Coleman, former player and head of the Reds speakers bureau, catcher Johnny Bench, outfielder Pete Rose and pitcher Gary Nolan were a part of the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Caravan which met with local press at the Exchange Club in the Daniel Boone Hotel in Charleston. Bench would finish the 1968 season as the National League's Rookie of the Year and would also earn his first of 10 straight Gold Glove awards. Rose had a fine season, batting .335 and finished second in the National League's MVP voting. Nolan had a decent season in his second year with the Reds, going 9-4 with a 2.50 era. Overall, the Reds finished fourth in the National League with an 83-79 record. These three would prove to be key players on the 1970 team when the Reds reached the World Series. Coleman was a player with the Reds from 1960-67. He would remain with the Reds public relations office until his death of a heart attack in 1994. All four are members of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. Feb. 5, 1968, photo by Ray Wheeler, Charleston Daily Mail

[Chris Counts]

Gary Nolan was coming off a fantastic rookie year. If it wasn't for injuries, he might have rivaled the best pitchers of his era. Johnny Bench was just getting started, but big things were expected of him. The following month, Bench landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated, before he had any success in the majors ... Go Redlegs!