Former Boston Red Sox First Baseman Has Died

Todd Benzinger, the switch-hitting first baseman and outfielder who began his major league career with the Boston Red Sox and later helped the Cincinnati Reds capture the 1990 World Series, died on Wednesday. He was 63.

The Reds announced his passing on Thursday; no cause of death was disclosed.

Born February 11, 1963, in Dayton, Kentucky, and raised in the Cincinnati suburbs, Benzinger was drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round out of New Richmond High School in Ohio in 1981.

He made his MLB debut on June 21, 1987, and quickly showed promise, batting .278 with 8 home runs and 43 RBIs in 73 games as a rookie.

His defining stretch in Boston came during the 1988 “Morgan Magic” surge.

After Joe Morgan replaced John McNamara as manager in mid-July, the Red Sox reeled off 12 straight wins and 19 of 20, climbing from deep in the American League East. Benzinger became the everyday first baseman and a clutch performer.

On July 20, 1988, he delivered one of the era’s signature moments at Fenway Park: a 10th-inning, three-run walk-off home run against the Minnesota Twins that hooked just inside the Pesky Pole for a 9-7 victory.

The blast, part of Boston’s hot streak under Morgan, has been called “The Benzinger Game” by some fans. That season he hit .254 with 13 homers and 70 RBIs as the Red Sox won the division before falling to the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS.

After the season, Benzinger was traded to his hometown Reds in a deal that brought Nick Esasky to Boston.

In Cincinnati, he posted career highs in 1989 (17 HR, 76 RBI, 161 games) while leading the National League in at-bats. The following year he was a platoon first baseman on the World Series championship team.

On October 20, 1990, Benzinger ranged into foul territory behind first base and caught Carney Lansford’s popup for the final out of Game 4, sealing a stunning four-game sweep of the heavily favored Athletics—the Reds’ last title.

Over nine MLB seasons (1987–95) with the Red Sox, Reds, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants, Benzinger batted .257 with 66 home runs and 376 RBIs in 924 games.

After retiring he remained active in the Cincinnati area, managing the Class-A Dayton Dragons in 2009–10, coaching youth baseball, and frequently participating in Reds community events and fantasy camps.

The Reds remembered him for “his place in one of the most memorable chapters in Reds history,” while former teammate Barry Larkin expressed shock at the news. Benzinger is survived by his family, including a son who played college basketball.