5 Reds players who had success after switching positions

3. Former Reds third baseman Tony Perez had success after switching to first base.

Tony Perez is regarded as one of the best players to even put on a Cincinnati Reds uniform. Perez spent his first 13 major league seasons with the Reds and returned to Cincinnati for the last three seasons of his big league career.

When he debuted at Crosley Field in 1964, Perez played first base. He would stay there for 192 games before moving to third base in order to better fit the needs of the Reds during the late 1960s and early 1970s that saw Lee May at first base.

Tony Perez would proceed to spend the next five seasons and over 700 games at the hot corner. Though his defense was suspect, owning a fielding percentage of .950. This, however, was the least of the Reds concerns, as the slugger would continue to produce at the plate.

In 1972, the Reds lost their slugging first baseman (May) to the Houston Astros in a trade that brought Joe Morgan to Cincinnati. That resulted in the Reds moving Perez back over to first base where he would play the rest of his 15 years in the MLB. After the 1971 season, Perez never returned to third base.

Tony Perez is a baseball legend. The slugger was part of two World Series Championship teams during his career, appeared in seven All-Star Games, and tallied 2,732 hits and 379 home runs. Perez's versatility was a very underrated part of his career, allowing him play both corners of the infield during his lengthy MLB career.