Former Cincinnati Reds catcher, member of Big Red Machine era, dies at 76

Bill Plummer, a former member of the Cincinnati Reds’ Big Red Machine era, has died at age 76.

Plummer, who served as a backup catcher to Hall of Famer Johnny Bench from 1972 to 1977, died on Tuesday, WKRC reported.

He was originally signed by the Cubs in 1967 and was traded to the Reds in 1969, according to a social media post from the Reds Museum.

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Plummer appeared in 324 games over eight seasons in a Reds uniform, the post said. After his playing career, he had a long career of managing and coaching.

Plummer had stints coaching in the Majors with Seattle from 1982-83 and from 1988-91 and with the Colorado Rockies in 1993 and 94, according to WKRC. He also managed the Mariners for one season, 1992, and the team went 68-94.

The Cincinnati Reds said in a social media post it is saddened to learn of Plummer’s passing.