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

Who are the Top 5 second 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.

Second base in the Queen City has seen some of the best players in the history of the game over the years. “The Little General” and “Dat Dude BP” are a couple who come to mind. Let’s take a look back over the last 50 years (1969 – 2018) to see who are the Top 5 second basemen for the Reds.

5. Pokey Reese (1997-2001)

Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in first-round of the 1991 MLB Draft, Pokey Reese, whose real first name is Calvin, brought some high expectations to the River City. Though drafted in 1991 out of high school, Reese didn’t make his major league debut until 1997.

During his rookie season, Reese played in 128 games, hit only .219 and drove in 26 runs. The bat was not where Reese excelled. Reese was, however, and outstanding fielding second baseman.

Reese nabbed two Gold Gloves (1999, 2000) while with the Redlegs. He was also speedy on the basepaths, swiping 120 bags during 5 seasons in Cincinnati.

During the 2001 season, Reese spent time with four different teams. In the 2001 offseason, the Reds traded Reese to the Colorado Rockies, who one day later traded Reese to the Boston Red Sox. Reese was not given an offer by Boston and signed with Pittsburgh. He played two seasons with the Pirates before heading back to Boston in 2004 where he would win a World Series Championship.