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Chris
Sabo and Pedro Borbon pose after being inducted into the team’s Hall of
Fame in 2010
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Reds great
Borbon dies at 65
reds.com
CINCINNATI -- Former reliever Pedro Borbon, the Reds’ all-time leader
in appearances and a member of two World Series championship teams,
died on Monday. Borbon was 65 years old.
Borbon was a key figure in the Reds’ bullpen from 1970-79 -- when he
appeared in more games than any pitcher in the NL. He broke into the
Majors in 1969 with the Angels and spent the final two seasons of his
career with the Giants and Cardinals.
Over his 10 seasons in Cincinnati, the right-handed Borbon was 62-33
with a 3.32 ERA and 76 saves in a club-record 531 games.
“The entire organization is very sad to hear of the loss of another
member of our baseball family,” Reds CEO Bob Castellini said in a
statement released by the club. “Pedro was an important contributor to
the success of the Big Red Machine, and he always will be remembered
for his colorful personality and his contributions to that wonderful
time period in our history.”
As a member of the 1975-76 World Series winners and playoff teams in
1970, 1972 and 1973, he pitched in 20 postseason games during his Reds
career and posted a 2.42 ERA.
In 2010, Borbon became the third relief pitcher to be inducted into the
Reds Hall of Fame, when he joined Clay Carroll (1980) and Wayne Granger
(1982).
“On behalf of the Reds Hall of Fame’s board of directors and the Reds
Hall of Famer fraternity, we are saddened by the news of Pedro’s
passing and join Reds fans everywhere in keeping his family in our
thoughts and prayers,” said Rick Walls, the executive director of the
Reds Hall of Fame. “We should remember Pedro’s contributions to the
Reds’ legacy and rejoice in the fact that we were able to honor him and
his family in 2010 with induction into the Reds Hall of Fame.”
Borbon’s son, Pedro Borbon Jr., was a Major League pitcher for nine
seasons with five different clubs from 1992-2003.
A friend and business advisor of Borbon’s, Charles Sotto, confirmed
that that Borbon died from complications of cancer and had been in
hospice care.
“He was in Cincinnati at the end of April for a local sports show and
see he was feeling good,” Sotto said on Monday. “It was a pretty quick
downslide from then until now.”
Borbon was a good draw for many of Sotto’s memorabilia shows that often
featured members of the Big Red Machine.
“Outside of the starting eight, he was by far the most popular among
the pitchers because of some of the things he did,” Sotto said. “He was
a pleasure to deal with and funny. He liked being around the other
guys.”
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