Reds No-Shows at Hall of Fame Game : Red Sox Play Pickup Team With Cincinnati Still in Montreal

The Cincinnati Reds’ streak of bad luck continued today when transportation problems in Montreal kept them from playing the annual Hall of Fame game against the Boston Red Sox at Doubleday Field.

The game was scheduled to start at 2 p.m. EDT, but at that time the Reds were in Montreal.

A Hall of Fame official said the Reds had bus problems and then difficulty chartering a plane for the trip to central New York. The bottom line was that they didn’t make it.

Commissioner Bart Giamatti made the announcement to a crowd of about 9,100, who did not seem overly disappointed.

The Red Sox did arrive on time and took batting practice and played an intra-squad game, also using players from Elmira of the New York State-Penn League.

Even if the Reds had made it, Manager Pete Rose planned to stay away.

Rose, facing allegations that he bet on baseball games, said last week that he did not want to take any of the spotlight away from former teammate Johnny Bench, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday along with Carl Yastrzemski.

Although neither he nor his team was here, and although the induction of Bench and Yastrzemski was the highlight of the Hall of Fame weekend, the undercurrent was all Rose.

There were signs criticizing Giamatti’s handling of the Rose matter hanging from local pubs and a smattering of boos when he was introduced at the induction ceremonies Sunday.

In the baseball shops that line the narrow streets of Cooperstown, Pete Rose memorabilia remained a hot item.

The last thing the Reds needed today was an exhibition game.

The unexpected day off probably will help a team that has been devastated by injuries and controversy.

The team came off a four-game sweep by Montreal and has lost eight straight to fall out of the National League West pennant race.

‘Real Confused Team’

“It can’t get much worse than this,” reliever John Franco said. “It’s been one thing after another.”

The Reds have been devastated by injuries and are playing without shortstop Barry Larkin, outfielder Paul O’Niell and reliever Rob Dibble. Along the way, just about every starter has missed some time, and 12 players have been on the disabled list.

“We got a real confused team right now because of all these injuries,” Rose said Sunday after the Reds lost 12-4 to Montreal.

“What do you do about it? Maybe you guys (reporters) can tell me.”

The Reds are to play San Diego at home Tuesday night.