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

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?