Cincinnati Reds ranked among ESPN's Top 100 of all-time

ESPN recently put together it's Top 100 MLB players of all-time. While there are a few omissions, and some of the placements are all screwed up, a large majority of the list is accurate. Which Cincinnati Reds players made the cut?

Well, you can forget any current players. Joey Votto may be the leader in the clubhouse in terms of greatest active Reds player, but the former MVP did not make the list. The highest ranked active player is Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (94).

Which Reds made the ESPN Top100 MLB players of all-time?

Former shortstop Barry Larkin squeaked in, coming in at No. 100 on ESPN's list. The Archbishop Moeller High School product was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2012 after a stellar career with his hometown Reds. Larkin started and finished his career in Cincinnati with 70.5 bWAR, a lifetime batting average of .295, 12 All-Star appearances, three Gold Gloves, and an MVP Award to his credit.

The next player with considerable ties to the Cincinnati Reds organization is Joe Morgan (37). The Hall of Famer spent eight years in the Queen City and was one of key pieces during Cincinnati's run in the 1970s. Morgan won back-to-back MVPs in 1975 and 1976, went to eight straight All-Star Games during his time with the Reds, and took home five consecutive Gold Gloves.

A longtime teammate of Morgan's, Pete Rose comes in at No. 34. It seems like a bit of a disservice to the The Hit King, but I'm sure his off-the-field activities led some of the editors and writers at ESPN to rank Rose a little lower than he should be.

Rose broke Ty Cobb's record for the most hits all-time, and his 4,256 is a record that will likely never be broken. During his 24-year career, Rose won NL Rookie of the Year (1963), NL MVP (1973), went to 17 All-Star Games, won two Gold Gloves, three batting titles, three World Championships, and was the World Series MVP in 1975.

Among the prominent Reds legends, Johnny Bench take the crown the greatest catcher of all-time and was ranked No. 29 by the writers and editors at ESPN. A two-time MVP, the Hall of Famer won 10 Gold Gloves and went to 14 All-Star Games during his 17-year career. Every game Bench ever player was for the Cincinnati Reds.

Christy Mathewson, ranked No. 25, who spent most of career with the New York Giants, was with the Cincinnati Reds during the 1916 season. Mathewson was named player-manager and appeared in just one game as a pitcher. The Hall of Famer managed the Reds for the 1917 season and the majority of the 1918 season as well.

Tom Seaver is likely remembered most for his career with the New York Mets, but the Hall of Famer spent six years in Cincinnati and went to two All-Star Games during his time along the banks of the Ohio River. Seaver ranked No. 22 among the ESPN writers and editors.

A two-time MVP, Frank Robinson comes in at No. 19 on the list. Robinson won the Rookie of the Year in 1956 and took home the triple crown in 1966, the year after he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. Robinson went to 14 All-Star Games and was a two-time World Champion.

The top spot on ESPN's list among former Cincinnati Reds goes to Ken Griffey Jr. (13). While his best years were in Seattle, Griffey Jr. still mashed his 500th and 600th home runs while in a Reds uniform. The Kid might have been the greatest baseball player of all-time had he remained healthy. Still, Junior amassed an 83.8 bWAR and 630 career round trippers during his Hall of Fame career.