C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

Plenty of legends walked out of the Reds' clubhouse through the years — from Frank Robinson to Pete Rose to Johnny Bench to Ken Griffey Jr. — but inside the clubhouse, nobody was bigger than Bernie Stowe.

Stowe, the team’s long-time clubhouse manager, died on Tuesday at age 80. He is survived by his wife, Priscilla, and children Mark, Kimberly, Jeff and Rick.

“There is no one in the Reds’ family more loved, admired and respected than Bernie Stowe,” said Bob Castellini, Reds president and chief operating officer, in a statement released by the team on Tuesday. “For almost 70 years he deeply touched the lives of our players, our coaching staffs and our front office. Bernie and his family have dedicated their entire lives to this organization and to our city, and for that we are forever grateful.”

Bernie Stowe began his career with the Reds as a batboy in 1947 at age 12 and went from clubhouse attendant to equipment manager in 1968 and finally to senior clubhouse and equipment manager. He worked for the team until 2013, when he retired.

Stowe was the clubhouse manager for the Big Red Machine, as well as the 1990 World Series-winning team. Castellini recently called him “the generational glue” of the franchise.

“He was one of us. He wasn’t a player, but he was like a player,” Rose said. “He was always there for us, just like Ricky is now. Ricky is a chip off the old block.”

Bernie’s son Mark has worked for the Reds since 1975 and is currently the visiting clubhouse manager, while Rick Stowe joined the team in 1981 as an assistant to his father and has been the home clubhouse manager for the last 20 years.

“You consider where the family has gone: Rick runs the home clubhouse now, Mark runs the visiting clubhouse. What that says to me is, that they were so impressed with the way he went about his job, that they were so impressed with the level of respect that he was accorded by everybody who ever walked into those doors, that it was something they wanted to follow suit in,” said longtime Reds radio announcer Marty Brennaman. “I think that’s the greatest compliment that a son or daughter can pay a parent — I want to do what you did. That in itself says a lot about the man.”

After 67 seasons, Reds' clubhouse manager retires

A picture of Stowe hangs in the Reds' clubhouse, alongside the greats of past and present. That clubhouse was named in his honor when Great American Ball Park was opened in 2003. At the entrance of the clubhouse is a plaque of Stowe that reads, “His commitment to his hometown team has . . . spanned three ballparks, seven decades and more than five thousand Reds victories.”

“He’s been a part of it all, going back to the '40s when he was a batboy and ultimately ascended to running the clubhouse,” Brennaman said. “He’s done it all, he’s seen it all. He’s rubbed elbows with some of the greatest players in the game, and the one constant of it all, was nobody had greater respect inside that clubhouse than he did. I don’t care if you were Pete Rose or Johnny Bench or Joey Votto, whoever it was, nobody had a greater level of respect than Bernie Stowe did.”

Journey back to 1953 MLB All-Star Game with Bernie Stowe

Rose echoed that statement when asked about Stowe recently.

“I go back and I remember when Bernie was No. 99, the batboy,” Rose said. “He worked for Chesty Evans, Ray Evans, who was the clubhouse guy at Crosley Field. Every time we went to a World Series, we gave Bernie two full shares — one for him and one for all the clubhouse guys. He was part of us. Bernie was part of us.”

To pay your respects

- Visitation for Bernie Stowe will be Sunday, Feb. 14 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Elder High School (Schaeper Center), 4005 Glenway Ave.

- Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, Feb. 15 at 9:30 a.m. at Holy Family Church, 3006 W 8th St.

- Read his obituary from the funeral home