Longtime clubhouse manager Stowe dies

Bernie Stowe (left) was presented a plaque naming the home clubhouse after him by Johnny Bench. He joined the Reds as a batboy in 1947. (AP)CINCINNATI -- Bernie Stowe, a Reds fixture and an employee for six decades, died Tuesday after a long illness. Stowe, who had up-close-and-personal experiences with great players and teams that included the Big Red Machine, was 80 years old.

In a career that saw him working out of three different Reds homes -- Crosley Field, Riverfront Stadium and Great American Ball Park -- Stowe began as a clubhouse boy for the team in 1947 before elevating to clubhouse manager in '68. He retired in 2013, long after he had already passed on the family business to his…