Jim O'Toole, Reds Hall of Famer, passes away at 78

Jim O'Toole, a Reds Hall of Fame pitcher and fan favorite who helped the Reds to an appearance in the 1961 World Series, passed away at 78, according to the team.

Fellow Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Bench offered the following response: "I know people have admired a lot of former Reds. Joe Nuxhall is at the top of the list, but Jim O'Toole was to me the epitome of class any player has ever had! He always wore a smile and was represented by his family in the highest of esteem. He loved his Reds and the time he spent in the organization. He came to all the functions and brightened the room. For those that knew him, no words are needed. For those that didn't, no words are adequate. RIP. MY LOVE TO THE FAMILY"

A Tweet from @Reds:

O'Toole spent eight of his nine big-league seasons with the Reds after debuting with the team at age 21 in 1958. He went 19-9 with a 3.10 ERA in 1961 - when the Reds advanced to the World Series and lost to the Yankees - and finished 10th in National League MVP voting.

He was 94-81 with a 3.59 ERA in 255 games for Cincinnati.

O'Toole was an All-Star in 1963. In fact, he started the 1963 All-Star Game for the National League, on a roster that featured Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn. He allowed one earned run in two innings of work.

He finished 1964 with a career-best 2.66 ERA (with a 17-7 record) in 30 starts.

He was traded to the White Sox in 1967, and appeared in 15 games for Chicago before retiring.

He appeared often and signed autographs with Reds alumni at Redsfest and many other events for the team and Reds Hall of Fame.

Mike Dyer contributed.