by Bob Swanson

Created on: July 31, 2008   Last Updated: August 01, 2008

The Cincinnati Reds are a great franchise with some of the greatest players of all time. They are known for "the Big Red Machine." This was a Reds team that dominated the National League in the 1970's under managerial great Sparky Anderson. Some of the franchise's best players were all on this team, dominating the opposition.

Joe Morgan

Joe was the second baseman for the Red's. He played on the Big Red Machine for 8 years, experiencing true glory. Joe was a 10-time All-Star with 5 Gold Gloves for flashing the leather. He would win 2 National League MVP Awards in his career. This was a career that included over 2,500 hits and 1,650 runs scored. Morgan pounded 268 home runs while driving in 1,133. Morgan was a speed demon, stealing 406 bases while in a Red's uniform. His stolen base mark is good for first on the all time Red's list.

Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken is a current Red that started his career in Seattle. He was a Cincinnati boy that just wanted to come home to play for the hometown fans. Griffey signed with them in 2000 and has played 8 seasons as a Red. In a Red's uniform he has over 200 home runs and almost 600 runs batted in. Ken has been plagued by injuries during his stay that have surely cost him numbers. Ken makes this list because he is one of the greatest home run hitters of all time, with over 600. He could have been the greatest ever, had he just stayed healthy.

Frank Robinson

Many will argue that Frank is the most underrated player of all time. I'll put it out there right away, Frank could hit. Excuse me, Frank couldn't just hit, he crushed the ball. Frank would end his career with 586 home runs and 1,812 runs batted in. He was a career .294 hitter that would go on to win the Triple Crown in 1966. Frank was a 12-time All-Star selection that was awarded 2 MVPs. Robinson also accumulated 2,043 hits in his career. Frank was traded by the Reds to the Orioles and would win a MVP and the Triple Crown with them. They must have kicked themselves over that one.

Johnny Bench

Johnny spent his entire 17- year career as a Cincinnati Red. Bench is the greatest hitting catcher of all time. With 389 home runs and over 2,000 hits, he was great for a catcher. Bench also drove in over 1,300 runs while scoring over 1,000. These amazing statistics earned Johnny some serious hardware. His awards included 2 National League MVPs and 10 Gold Gloves. By the way, his 14 All-Star selections aren't bad either.

Pete Rose

"Charlie Hustle" is the greatest Cincinnati Red of all time. Pete is one of the greatest hitters to ever grace a baseball field. He was a lifetime .303 hitter that massed 4,256 hits. He was not much of a power hitter with only 160 home runs, but he did drive in over 1,300 runs. One thing that made Pete special was the way he played the game. He didn't earn the nickname "Charlie Hustle" for nothing. Pete played the game with intensity that only a select few could match. He gave his all every second of every game and it showed. He would win 1 MVP, 2 Gold Gloves, and be selected to 17 All-Star games. Pete made some bad choices off the field, but he made all the right ones on it. Off the field he could have been better. On the field, he is the greatest Cincinnati of all time.

Learn more about this author, Bob Swanson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.