Cincinnati Reds: Who’s on the Mount Rushmore of former players?

1. Johnny Bench, Catcher (1967-83)

Is there any doubt that Johnny Bench would make the Mount Rushmore of former Cincinnati Reds greats? Bench played for the Reds throughout his entire career, and you’ll find very few who will argue that he was the greatest catcher to ever play the game.

Bench debuted in 1967, but played only 26 games that season. The following year, Bench won the Rookie of the Year Award, a Gold Glove and made a trip to the All-Star Game. That would be the norm for the next decade.

From 1967 to 1980, Bench collected 13 All-Star appearances, 10 Gold Gloves, two MVPs and two World Series titles. Bench also finished in the Top 10 of the MVP vote on three other occasions and took home the World Series MVP in the 1976 sweep of the New York Yankees. Bench hit .533 with two home runs during the series.

Bench closed out his Reds career, playing 110 games in 1983. Bench hit .255 that season with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs, earning him his 14th and final trip to the Midsummer Classic. During Bench’s final game in front of the home crowd at Riverfront Stadium, the backstop from Oklahoma hit a home run over the left field fence and rounded the bases one last time.

Johnny Bench is an icon in the sport of baseball. He revolutionized the position and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, receiving 96% of the votes, the third-highest total at that time. Bench’s No. 5 was retired by the Cincinnati Reds in 1986 and the former catcher is immortalized in the Reds Hall of Fame.

2. Barry Larkin, Shortstop (1986-2004)

Hopefully, there’s not much debate with the inclusion of Barry Larkin on the Reds Mount Rushmore either. A Cincinnati native, Larkin was drafted in the first-round by his hometown team and roamed the infield for 19 seasons.

Larkin probably deserves more accolades than he has to his name. However, 12 All-Star appearances, nine Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Gloves and an MVP look pretty impressive in Larkin’s trophy case. Oh yeah, he was one of the key players on the 1990 wire-to-wire World Championship team.

Barry Larkin was one of the most impressive shortstops of his generation. He didn’t provided the flash of Ozzie Smith, but Larkin was still able to pick it. The University of Michigan alum also didn’t have the ridiculous power of Alex Rodriguez, but on nine occasions hit more than 10 home runs in a season.

Larkin had big shoes to fill when he took over as the full-time shortstop, as he was replacing Reds legend Dave Concepcion. Larkin, however, showed no fear and asserted himself as one of the best players of his generation. Larkin had a productive final season in the Queen City, hitting .289 and earning himself on last trip to the All-Star Game.

Larkin is beloved by the fans in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. You’ll oftentimes see Larkin spending springs in Goodyear, Arizona, helping young players improve their game. The Reds captain was elected to Cooperstown in 2012, receiving 86.4% of the vote. Later that summer, Larkin’s No. 11 was retired by the Reds.

3. Pete Rose, Infielder (1963-78, 1984-86)

This is not a debate about whether or not Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of the Fame. We’re not here to debate his candidacy for Cooperstown, nor delve into his personal life. This is about what happens on the field, and when you look exclusively at the events that occurred during Rose’s 24-year career, there’s no doubt that he belongs on the Mount Rushmore or former Reds players.

Rose was one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball. “Charlie Hustle” spent two different stints with the Cincinnati Reds, taking the reins as player-manager from 1984 to 1986.

Pete Rose is most well-known as The Hit King. On September 11, 1985, Rose broke Ty Cobb‘s all-time hits record with his 4,192nd hit, a single to left-center field off San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show. A celebration, like few the fans in Cincinnati had ever seen, ensued at Riverfront Stadium.

Rose’s stats are astounding. The switch-hitter took home Rookie of the Year honors in 1963, hitting .273 with 170 hits. Pete Rose went to 17 All-Star Games, won two Gold Gloves and the MVP in 1973. Rose would lead the league in hits on seven different occasions and also took home the batting title during three different seasons.

Everyone knows the story surrounding Rose’s absence from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but the all-time leader in hits is enshrined in the Reds Hall of Fame. Rose’s No. 14 was retired by the Cincinnati Reds in 2016.

4. Joe Morgan, Second baseman (1972-79)

The final player to make the cut is Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. This was a tough call, as Morgan only spent eight seasons in a Reds uniform, but The Little General was one of the best players to ever lace ’em up and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Reds greats.

Morgan’s arrival in Cincinnati may have been one of the greatest heists in the history of Major League Baseball. On November 29, 1971, Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart were dealt to the Houston Astros, and in return, the Reds received Morgan, Denis Menke, Jack Billingham, Ed Armbrister and César Gerónimo.

During Morgan’s tenure in Cincinnati, he went to eight-straight All-Star Games and finished in the Top 10 of the MVP vote on five different occasions, taking home the award in 1975 and 1976. Joe Morgan also took home five Gold Gloves during his time in the Queen City.

Morgan returned to Houston in 1980, but the impact he left on the Cincinnati Reds was indescribable. Morgan, along with the other members of the Great Eight, helped shape Cincinnati into The Big Red Machine, which took home back-to-back World Series trophies in 1975 and 1976.

Morgan was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990, receiving 81.8% of the vote during his first appearance on the ballot. Joe Morgan was selected to the Reds Hall of Fame in 1987 and his No. 8 is hanging above the crowd at Great American Ball Park.

So there you have it Reds fans, our Mount Rushmore of former players. It’s a difficult decision to be sure, but these four former Reds greats are some of the best players to ever see a major league field. Did we get it right? Who did we forget? Is there a player who doesn’t belong?