World Series Champion, Sports Radio Host Rob Dibble To Visit Enfield

ENFIELD, CT — One of the most dominant relief pitchers and colorful personalities in Major League Baseball during the early 1990s will be visiting Enfield this Saturday, meeting fans and signing autographs as part of a huge sports card and memorabilia show.

Rob Dibble, who claimed a World Series ring in 1990 and pitched in two MLB All-Star Games, will be a guest at the monthly show by Ideal Cards at the Tanguay-Magill American Legion Post 80, 566 Enfield Street. He will be appearing from 11 a.m. to noon, with autograph packages ranging from $10 to $35, and photo opportunities available for $15.

Featuring more than 75 tables on two floors from regional memorabilia dealers, the show runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is just $2, with kids age 12 and under admitted free.

Dibble rose to prominence as one of “The Nasty Boys,” a trio of hard-throwing relief pitchers who led the Cincinnati Reds to the World Series championship in a stunning 4-game sweep of the defending champion Oakland Athletics in 1990. However, he proved himself to be anything but nasty in 2022, upon learning of his selection as a recipient of the Gold Key Award, one of the most prestigious sports honors in the state, by the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance.

A protégé of legendary Southington High School baseball coach and 1989 Gold Key honoree John Fontana, Dibble humbly said, “It is an honor to be considered worthy of an award he received.”

In two seasons with the Blue Knights, he compiled a 14-3 record, striking out 168 batters in 154 innings. He was a two-time All-Conference player and an All-State pitcher in 1982, but Dibble was just as nasty at the plate. He went .333 as a junior and .376 as a senior, collecting five triples in 1981 and seven for his career - both school records.

He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 11th round following his graduation in 1982, but did not sign. Instead, he enrolled at Florida Southern College and played in the Greater Hartford Twilight League before being selected by the Reds in the first round (20th overall) in 1983.

Primarily a starter in his first two minor league seasons, Dibble converted to a reliever at Class A Cedar Rapids in 1985. After five and a half years as a pro, he was called up to the major leagues midway through the 1988 season, and made his debut with two scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres on June 29. He earned his first big league win on July 9 in a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

After an impressive first two seasons (11-6, 1.99 ERA, 200 strikeouts in 158 innings), Dibble and the Reds put it all together in 1990. The team won its first nine games and was in first place every day of the regular season, with Dibble posting an 8-3 record, 11 saves and a 1.74 ERA in 68 appearances.

He was spectacular in the National League Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, hurling five scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts to earn co-MVP honors will fellow Nasty Boy Randy Myers. He held Oakland scoreless in three World Series games, earning a victory over Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley in Game 2.

Installed as Cincinnati’s closer prior to the 1991 season, Dibble made his second straight National League All-Star team, and recorded 75 saves over the next three campaigns. Following an arm injury, he retired following the 1995 season.

He began a broadcasting career in 1998, and currently hosts The Rob Dibble Show weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on Fox Sports Radio 97.9. He was inducted into the Southington Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.