Graves, former GM Paul elected to Reds HOF

CINCINNATI -- Bronson Arroyo will have company during the 2023 Reds Hall of Fame induction ceremony this summer. The club announced on Tuesday that former reliever Danny Graves and former general manager Gabe Paul were selected by the Hall’s veterans committee, which consists of Reds executives, Hall of Fame board members, baseball historians and media members.

• Reds Hall of Fame Directory

The franchise’s all-time leader with 182 saves, Graves arrived from Cleveland in a trade on July 31, 1997. For five seasons from 1998 until 2002, he was Cincinnati’s primary closer and had an ERA of 3.23 during a stretch that included his being a National League All-Star in 2000.

There was an ill-fated decision to make Graves a starting pitcher in 2003, but once back in the bullpen in ‘04 he recorded a career-high 41 saves and made his second All-Star team.

Graves, 49, is the only Vietnamese-born player in Major League history.

Paul, who died in 1998 at the age of 88, was the Reds’ GM from 1951-60 after previously working as the club’s traveling secretary and publicity director.

During Paul's tenure, the Reds integrated and broke the color barrier by adding Nino Escalera and Chuck Harmon in 1954 before future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson debuted in 1956. The club focused on cultivating talent from Latin America under his direction and established an affiliate agreement with the Havana Sugar Kings in Cuba.

Among the players Paul signed or traded for were Robinson, Tony Perez, Leo Cardenas, Pete Rose, Gus Bell, Jim Maloney and Jim O’Toole. The Reds Hall of Fame was established in 1958 under Paul’s watch as well.

Paul is the fourth GM to be elected to the Reds Hall of Fame.

A former starting pitcher, Arroyo was elected to the Reds Hall of Fame last month via the modern player ballot.

Reds Hall of Fame induction festivities are scheduled for July 15-16, 2023.