The Reds play in the National League Central; their divisional foes were the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
[1] The 2008 season was manager Dusty Baker's first with the Reds; the 19-year major league veteran outfielder from 1968 to 1986 with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics, previously managed the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2002 and the Chicago Cubs from 2003 to 2006.
Primarily, former Reds left-handed pitcher and longtime announcer Joe Nuxhall, affectionately known to fans as "The Ol' Lefthander", who died on November 15, 2007, of cancer.
The Reds again stirred up controversy in Cincinnati in late July and early August by first trading right fielder Ken Griffey Jr., who a month earlier had hit his 600th home run, to the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline.
On their next off day they sent popular left fielder Adam Dunn to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two minor leaguers and pitcher Micah Owings.