10 greatest Cincinnati Reds players of all time, ranked

There is no doubt that Johnny Bench is one of the greatest catchers in the history of Major League Baseball. The only catchers mentioned in his class are Josh Gibson and Yogi Berra. Gibson was a magnificent power hitter in the Negro Leagues with great defensive skills. Berra was the backbone of the New York Yankees from 1946 through 1963. He was a three-time MVP who belted 338 career home runs.

Bench was the best catcher of his era and he combined the greatest arm the catching position has ever seen with game-changing power.

Bench was a two-time MVP, a 14-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glove winner and a World Series MVP. Bench had a remarkable 1970 season, batting .293 while leading the National League in home runs and runs batted in with 45 and 148, respectively.

He drove in 100 runs 6 times in his career and was at his best when the game was on the line.

2. 2B Joe Morgan

The Reds’ championship teams in 1975 and ’76 were nearly unbeatable and loaded with incredible talent at every position. However, this team may have had Bench, Tony Perez, Pete Rose, Dave Concepcion and George Foster, but it was Morgan who won the MVP award in both of those championship seasons and was the best player on the team.

Morgan may be the No. 2 second baseman in the history of the sport behind the legendary Rogers Hornsby. He delivered the World Series-winning base hit against the Boston Red Sox in ’75 that gave the team its first championship since 1940.

Morgan combined power, speed, brilliant hands on defense, instincts and leadership. Morgan’s 1976 season was one of the greatest individual seasons of the last 60 years. He slashed .320/.444/.576 with 27 home runs, 111 RBI and 60 stolen bases along with a Gold Glove.

3. 3B-OF Pete Rose

Rose is one of the most controversial figures in the sport because of the way his career came to an end and the fact that he was drummed out of Major League Baseball because of his decision to gamble on the sport.  However, Rose is the game’s all-time hit king and that can never be denied.

Rose played 24 years and finished his career with 4,256 hits and a .303 batting average. He was a 17-time All-Star and was a remarkably competitive player. He would do anything he could to help his team win, and that included moving from left field to third base at the suggestion of manager Sparky Anderson without any hesitation early in the ’75 season.

4. RF Frank Robinson

Robinson ranks with Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente as the greatest National League outfielders of his era. Unfortunately for the Reds and their fans, Robinson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles after the 1965 season. He would lead that team to the World Series titles in 1966 and ’70 (against the Reds).

However, when Robinson was in a Reds uniform from 1956 through 1965, he was a 6-time All-Star who belted 30 home runs or more 7 times. He hammered 324 home runs and knocked in 1,009 runs during his time in Cincinnati. He also slashed .303/.389/.554 while playing tremendous defense on a consistent basis.

Robinson won the MVP Award in both leagues and was one of the dominant figures in the sport throughout his lifetime. He became the first African-American to manage in the Major League when he was at the helm of the Cleveland Indians in 1975.

The Reds decision to trade him to the Orioles for Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson was one of the worst decisions in the history of the franchise.

5. SS Barry Larkin

Larkin was one of the National League’s best shortstops during his 19-year career that lasted from 1986 through 2004.

The Hall of Famer was the center piece of the 1990 team that swept the Oakland A’s in the World Series. Larkin was a 12-time All-Star, a 9-time Silver Slugger and a 3-time Gold Glove winner.

He belted a career-best 33 home runs and drove in 89 runs during the 1996 season.

6. CF Eric Davis

Few players have ever combined all the tools the way Eric Davis did during his peak years with the Reds. Davis had a 17-year Major League career and nine of those seasons were with the Reds.

He was at his best in the 1989 season when he belted 34 home runs and drove in 101 runs. Davis also stole 21 bases that season and displayed great range in the outfield.

He suffered a brutal injury while the Reds were sweeping the Oakland A’s in the 1990 World Series. If he had been able to stay healthy, Davis had the tools to become a Hall of Famer.

7. OF Vada Pinson

Pinson was one of the key stars of the 1961 National League champion Reds, and he was a brilliant outfielder as well as a dynamic offensive force.

He had an 18-year Major League career that included 11 years with the Reds. He was a two-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner.

He had a memorable 1959 season in which he slashed .316/.371/.509 with 20 home runs, 84 RBI and 21 stolen bases.

8. 1B Tony Perez

The Reds had many brilliant players on their Big Red Machine teams and Perez was one of the team’s most impactful players. When it came to driving in key runs, Perez was the man for Sparky Anderson. He had a career that included 23 years in the big leagues and 16 of those seasons were with the Reds.

He drove in 100 runs or more six times with the Reds, and he belted a key home run in Game 7 of the ’75 World Series that allowed the Reds to get back in the game that they had been trailing. The Hall of Famer was a seven-time All-Star and he was the Most Valuable Player of the 1967 All-Star Game.

9. P Jim Maloney

The history of the Reds features some of the greatest position players the game has ever seen, but their pitchers have not been at the same level. However, Maloney was a consistent and at times brilliant hurler for the Reds.

Maloney had a 12-year Major League career and 11 of those seasons were with the Reds. He had a 134-84 record with a 3.19 ERA and 1,605 strikeouts in 1,849.0 innings.

Maloney won a career-best 23 games in 1963 and had 20 victories in 1965.

10. SS Dave Concepcion

If Concepcion had not had so many brilliant teammates — Bench, Morgan, Rose and Perez — his might be remembered as one of the greatest shortstops in the last 50 years.

While he may not have the flash of St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith, he was a brilliant fielder with excellent range and a strong arm.

He was a 9-time All-Star, a 5-time Gold Glove winner and 2-time Silver Slugger. He also won the All-Star MVP during his 19-year career with the Reds.