Cincinnati Reds: Top 5 first basemen over the last 50 years

Who are the Top 5 first basemen to play for Cincinnati Reds over the last 50 years?

The Cincinnati Reds have a storied legacy. As the first professional sports franchise in the United  States, their history goes back over a century. The Reds have been fortunate enough to maintain the services of some of the baseball’s greats.

Most Reds fans fondly remember The Big Red Machine of the 1970’s, Tom Browning‘s perfect game in 1988, Pete Rose‘s 4,192nd hit and the miracle run of the 1990 Reds team that swept the heavily-favored Oakland A’s.

First base has been a position of strength for the Reds over the years. “The Big Dog”, “The Mayor” and “The Hit King”, just to name a few, were all prominent fixtures at first base. Let’s take a look back over the last 50 years (1969 – 2018) to see who are the Top 5 first basemen for the Reds.

5. Dan Driessen (1973-84)

Nicknamed “The Cobra”, Dan Driessen debuted for the Reds on June 9, 1973, at the age of 21. Driessen played 102 games during his rookie season, hit .301 with 47 RBIs. He  came in 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting. Not too bad for a rookie on The Big Red Machine.

Driessen split a lot of his first seasons in Cincinnati between first and third base. Afterall, the Reds did have Pete Rose and Tony Perez occupying the corner infield spots during his first several seasons.

In 1976, during the Reds second consecutive World Series run, Driessen became the National League’s first-ever designated hitter in a World Series. In that World Series against the Yankees, Driessen’s slash line was .357/.438/.714.

After the Reds traded Tony Perez to Montreal, Driessen took over as the everyday first baseman for Cincinnati from 1977-1981. In 1977, probably Driessen’s best season, he slashed .300/.375/.468.