by William Menna

Created on: July 13, 2010

In recent seasons, the Cincinnati Reds have been one of baseball's best home run-hitting teams. Adam Dunn climbed the charts of Reds' home run leaders and helped the team establish their power-hitting reputation in the seasons following the opening of Great American Ball Park. Despite the power, this has not been one of the team's more successful eras. The greatest stretch for the franchise came in the 1970s as the team known as the Big Red Machine was led by the player who still reigns as the Cincinnati Reds all-time home run leader.

Johnny Bench: 389 home runs

One of the best catchers to ever play and the Cincinnati Reds' all-time home run leader is Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. From 1967 to 1983, Bench spent his entire career in a Reds' uniform as a great offensive and defensive player. Bench won a pair of NL MVP Awards in 1970 and 1972 with totals of 45 and 40 home runs respectively. Johnny Bench led the Big Red Machine team of the 1970s to two World Series Championships.

Frank Robinson: 324 home runs

Frank Robinson was not just an elite home run hitter, but one of the best players in the history of baseball. Robinson began his career with the Reds and was an All-Star from the first time he stepped on a Major League field. He eclipsed the 30 home run mark in seven of ten years with the Reds, never hitting fewer than 21 in any season. In 1966, Robinson was traded by the Reds in a deal they dearly regretted. Frank Robinson reached 586 career home runs, the eighth highest total in baseball history. He is the only player to have won an MVP Award in both the AL and the NL.

Tony Perez: 287 home runs

Hall of Fame corner infielder Tony Perez ranks third among Cincinnati Reds all-time home run leaders. Perez played 23 Major League seasons, the first 13 of which were with the Reds; he eventually returned to Cincinnati to finish his career, though he only hit ten home runs in three seasons during that stint. Tony Perez had a couple of great home run seasons of 37 and 40, but he did most of his damage by having many consistent 15 to 25 home run years.

Adam Dunn: 270 home runs

Ranking fourth among Cincinnati Reds all-time home run hitters is slugger Adam Dunn who played for the team from 2001 to 2008. Dunn defines the all-or-nothing hitter, always ranking among the league leaders in both home runs and strikeouts, often with a very low batting average. From 2004 to 2008, he strung together a remarkable five straight seasons of 40 or more home runs, the final of which was split between Cincinnati and Arizona.

Ted Kluszewski: 251 home runs

Ted Kluszewski ranks fifth among the top home run hitters in Cincinnati Reds' history. Known as Big Klu during his playing days, he was with Cincinnati for 11 seasons from 1947 to 1957. Kluszewski had a few stellar seasons during his prime, including a 49 home run 141 RBI season in 1954. He posted two other 40-plus homer seasons in 1953 and 1955 in the midst of four consecutive All-Star appearances. He is responsible for two of the three highest single-season home run totals in Reds' history.

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