MLB Network's all-time Mount Rushmore of Reds is flawless, but some fans will dissent

When you think about the best players who've ever laced 'em up for the Cincinnati Reds, it's difficult to whittle the list down to just four names. But George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln are the only U.S. Presidents whose likenesses are chiseled into the mountainside in the Black Hills of South Dakota, thus you have to narrow your list to just four.

MLB Network's Matt Vasgersian and Dan O'Dowd recently revealed their Mount Rushmore of Reds' all-time greats and it's difficult to argue against the four players they chose. While names like Johnny Vander Meer and Eric Davis were mentioned, the two eventually settled on Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, and Barry Larkin.

MLB Network's all-time Mount Rushmore of Reds players includes Pete Rose and Johnny Bench

But, as is the case when this type of exercise takes place, there's bound to be some disagreement. Two of the four players are unquestionably part of the Reds' Mount Rushmore. Nobody will dispute Rose and Bench. If you do, you don't know ball.

Morgan's short-ish tenure in Cincy makes some Reds fans feel as if he's an easy target for removal from the list. But 'The Little General' did more in his eight seasons than most players have ever done during their entire career.

During that time, Morgan went to eight consecutive All-Star Games, won five Gold Gloves, and finished in the top-5 of the NL MVP voting four times; including two years in which he won the award. Morgan was also key in the Reds' back-to-back World Series titles and is a Hall of Famer. He's in.

Larkin is borderline, but being from Cincinnati and spending his entire career with the organization definitely gives him a leg up. While some fans disprove of his broadcast ability, Larkin's on-field performance speaks for itself. In 19 big league seasons, Larkin hit .295 with 12 All-Star appearances, nine Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Gloves, the 1995 NL MVP, a World Series trophy, and an induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. That's a tough resumé to argue against.

Joey Votto and Frank Robinson were great, but don't belong among the greatest Reds players of all time

Some Reds fans will want to see Joey Votto on that list, but his accomplishments fall woefully short of the other four players. While someday it's likely that Votto will punch hit ticket to Cooperstown, a lack of winning-baseball during his tenure certainly deflates his case a bit. Votto went to six All-Star Games and won the 2010 NL MVP (and was robbed of another in 2017).

There are some among the Cincinnati faithful that will argue for Frank Robinson, and that's a logical choice. But it's a tough sell given that Robinson's greatest season came the year after the Reds foolishly traded him to the Baltimore Orioles. Robinson did, however, earn an NL MVP while with the Reds and also went to the Midsummer Classic six times. If you want to make the case for 'The Judge', be my guest.

Sometimes this type of exercise can be seen as splitting hairs, but MLB Network got it right. The hope throughout Reds Country, of course, is that Cincinnati finds a way to keep Elly De La Cruz in Cincinnati for the rest of his career, and then eventually add him to the discussion. But that's going to be easier said than done.

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