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

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.