Cincinnati Reds:The legacy of Pete Rose, and other great Reds players

What an awesome player Pete Rose was for the Cincinnati Reds

The legendary Pete Rose played in the major leagues for a whopping 23 years, most of them with the Cincinnati Reds. That’s a long time, even though the MLB was a different animal then. Also, the Reds just unveiled a statue for the man nicknamed ” Charlie Hustle.” The ceremony was deserved, as Rose put up Hall of Fame numbers.

The Cincinnati born played 3,562 Major league games. In that amount of time, the switch-hitter socked 4,256 hits. A career .303 batting average showcases a part of that. Equally important, Rose compiled a total 79.1 WAR according to Baseball Reference.

Even with the huge numbers, Rose was banned from the MLB because of his scandal. Unfortunately, his mishap has hindered him from going into the Hall. The Reds have tried to make what money they can off of Rose.  Lets dive into other great Reds’ players that didn’t and did make the HoF.

MLB has its first potential 40-40 player from the Cincinnati Reds

Eric Davis was special. Not only that he could club bombs into the seats, but he could also steal a base. In 1987, Davis smacked 37 home runs with 100 RBIs. The outfielder stole 50 bags that year. In the season before, the righty hit 27 home runs and stole 80 bases. Along with his bat, Davis also was known for his above average defense. The ability to throw runners out and make the outstanding play was a precursor of his greatness. He was essentially a five-tool player for his Cincy days. He will most certainly be remembered as one of MLB’s first 40-40 threats.  Unfortunately due to a short career, Davis will likely never make the Hall.

Want your voice heard? Join the Blog Red Machine team!

Write for us!

The Cincinnati Reds find their captain

More from Reds History

• Reds: 3 players who’ll force their way onto the roster by the All-Star break
• Merry Clinchmas: Jay Bruce’s greatest moment with the Reds
• Cincinnati Reds: Historically, hot start may mean start of something great
• Cincinnati Reds: The best draft class in team history
• On this day in 2000, the Cincinnati Reds traded for Ken Griffey Jr.

The 1990’s were an OK time to be a Reds fan, as they won the NL Central pennant twice in the decade. But in the seasons in between, Cincinnati lost quite a bit. In contrast, a bright spot was shortstop Barry Larkin. He developed into the face of Cincinnati during that period. He had 11 All-Star game appearances. In 1989, he hit .342 in what was his second All-Star year that put him on the map.  Larkin won a World Series ring in 1990. As a symbol of a great player, the Reds’ captain won the NL MVP in 1996. Defensively, the man at the keystone spurned a .975 fielding percentage. To go along with that stat, the Reds’ shortstop hit a career .295 batting average. Overall, Larkin was a great player.  He was a leader among men and above average on the field.  He just recently entered the Hall.

Certainly not a Bench warmer

Arguably one of the best catchers of all time is Johnny Bench. Again, another player that plays their position well, and can hack it at the dish. The catcher bopped a career 389 homers with a .267 batting average. Bench won the RoY in 1968, and won quite a bit more awards. He earned 10 Gold Gloves, 2 MVP’s, 14 All-Star appearances, and 2 World Series rings. I’d say that’s a solid career. Bench clearly was a great player, and he was so humble. Baseball is a marathon, and the legendary catcher gave so much every season.  He is the best catcher in Reds history and is in Cooperstown.

Next: Jose Peraza is forced to play shortstop everyday

Overall, these are some of the best Reds players ever.  Going forward, they are clearly an example to the younger generations. Keep grinding and stay humble. It will be intriguing in the future to see the next great Reds’ players, and how they stack up to the greats.