Todd Benzinger, Reds first baseman who caught final out of 1990 World Series, dies at 63

Todd Benzinger, the Cincinnati Reds first baseman who caught the final out to seal the 1990 World Series, has died. He was 63.

The Reds announced on Thursday that Benzinger died on Wednesday. No cause of death was released.

On 20 October 1990, Benzinger ranged into foul territory behind first base to catch Carney Lansford’s pop-up for the final out of Game 4, completing a four-game sweep of the heavily favoured Oakland Athletics. It remains Cincinnati’s last championship.

A native of Dayton, Kentucky, raised in New Richmond, Ohio, Benzinger was drafted in the fourth round by the Boston Red Sox in 1981 out of New Richmond High School. He played nine major-league seasons from 1987 to 1995 with Boston (1987-88), Cincinnati (1989-91), Kansas City (1991), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1992) and San Francisco (1993-95), batting .257 with 66 home runs and 376 RBIs in 924 career games. His best season was 1989, when he hit 17 home runs with 76 RBIs and led the National League with 628 at-bats.

Benzinger managed the Class-A Dayton Dragons in 2009-10 and remained a regular at Reds Caravan, Reds Fantasy Camp and Redsfest.

“Todd will forever be remembered by Reds fans for catching the final out of the 1990 World Series,” said Rick Walls, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame Museum. “We will miss his friendship, his kindness and his presence in our community.”

His 1990 teammate Barry Larkin said: “I saw him at an event this past summer in Cincinnati and he looked good. It’s kind of a shock out of nowhere.”

Sources

• Reuters / Field Level Media: https://www.reuters.com/sports/1990-world-series-champ-todd-benzinger-dies-63—flm-2026-10-22/
• Sportsnet (AP): https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/todd-benzinger-1990-world-series-champion-dies-at-63/
• Geo News: https://www.geo.tv/latest/687846-todd-benzinger-1990-world-series-champion-dies-at-63