CINCINNATI (WKRC) — The Big Red Machine teams were some of the most dominant in Major League Baseball.

Fifty years after their first World Series title, they’re together once again. Nearly two dozen members of the iconic 1975 and 1976 Cincinnati Reds teams made their return for the Big Red Machine 50th Anniversary Reunion.

“It’s 50 years; we knew it was going to be our last, you know, you’re not going to wait five, you’re not going to wait ten,” said Johnny Bench, Reds Hall of Fame catcher. “I want it to be something special for each and every one of them.”

It’s a chance for these living legends to swap stories. Reds Hall of Famer Tony Perez spoke about the ’75 series and how they came back to win it all.

“I went to hit, and Billy threw me that bloop pitch. I hit a home run, 3-2, and then we came back and won the series,” said Perez.

It also allowed those, like Big Red Machine outfielder Ken Griffey Sr., to reflect on the glory days.

“We enjoyed playing with each other, we had a lot of fun out there, and we didn’t make very many mistakes, you know, because that was Sparky’s pet peeve,” said Griffey Sr.

Three members of “The Great Eight” were not in attendance.

“We miss Joe Morgan first, then Pete, and David is still in the hospital,” said César Gerónimo, Big Red Machine outfielder.

On Thursday, players gathered and walked the red carpet outside of the Aronoff Center. James Marino is a Reds fan who drove seven hours from Huntsville, Alabama.

“It just brought back so many memories as a kid growing up. I always scored games, so it was just great to see them in person,” said Marino.

Hundreds of fans, including Marino, gathered outside the Aronoff Center to see their childhood heroes.

“Just pretty much the greatest team, I mean, they can go against the ’27 Yankees, the ’61 Yankees, and all the other previous teams, but this team was stacked and had hall of famers galore,” said Marino.

For players, like Bench, he touched on the importance of this reunion.

“This is a situation where the most gratifying thing is that almost every one of them has come up and said, ‘Thank you, thank you,'” said Bench.

The players later took part in “An Evening with the Big Red Machine” at the Jarson-Kaplan Theater. The event was hosted by Reds Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman.

Other events will continue throughout the rest of the weekend with parades, tributes, and meet and greets.