Todd Benzinger, who caught Cincinnati's championship-clinching out in 1990, dies at 63

Todd Benzinger caught the ball that ended the 1990 World Series. When Carney Lansford's foul pop settled into his glove behind first base, Cincinnati had its championship. It is a small piece of baseball's visual history: one player securing the last out, an entire team finally free to celebrate.

Benzinger died Wednesday, October 21, at 63, the Associated Press reported. The Reds announced his death Thursday and offered condolences to his family, friends and former teammates. The club remembered him as an important part of its 1990 championship team. No cause of death was announced.

Cincinnati beat Oakland 2-1 in Game 4 to complete a four-game sweep. The ending was decisive, but a final out can make a long career look shorter than it was. Benzinger played nine major-league seasons, from 1987 through 1995, including three with the Reds from 1989 through 1991. His career also took him to Boston, Kansas City, the Dodgers and San Francisco.

A connection beyond the final out

His Cincinnati ties began before that championship. He was born in Dayton, Kentucky, and attended New Richmond High School in Ohio, according to the AP. Later, he managed the Reds' Dayton Dragons affiliate in 2009 and 2010. Coaching offered a different relationship with the game: helping players whose major-league careers were still ahead of them.

The Reds also recalled his participation in alumni and community activities. That matters alongside the familiar highlight. A championship gives a player a permanent place in a club's history; returning to its events gives supporters opportunities to encounter the person behind the moment.

For Cincinnati, Benzinger's glove will always be part of how 1990 ended. Thursday's announcement is a reminder that the life being remembered extended well beyond that last catch.