All-time best Reds starting lineup based on WAR

Few franchises throughout baseball rival that of the Cincinnati Reds. Widely regarded as the birthplace of professional baseball, the Reds fanbase has seen some of the best players of all-time pass through the Queen City.

You'll hear talk all the time about the Mount Rushmore of this team or that team, or who was the greatest to ever play this position. But what about the best starting lineup to ever be assembled by joining all the great players from the past.

Obviously, opinions can be subjective, and very few Reds fans were alive back in the 1930s. So in order to be a bit more objective, let's use WAR as provided by Baseball Reference as a measuring stick for some of the best players to ever suit up for the Cincinnati Reds.

1. All-time best Reds starting lineup: Pete Rose, LF

Leading off for the greatest Cincinnati Reds team of all-time is no other than Peter Edward Rose. While Rose may never find a spot in Cooperstown, he's still mostly beloved throughout his hometown of Cincinnati.

And his record over his 24-year career tells you why Rose is one of the greatest players to ever do it. Rose longevity led him to be the all-time leader in games played, at-bats, and of course base hits (4,256).

Finding a defensive home for Rose isn't the most difficult thing to do, as he played all over the diamond throughout his major league career. But, in order to piece together the best group of talented Reds players, left field is probably well suited for Rose. It was, after all, the position he played during his MVP season in 1973.

Rose has all the accolades including 17 trips to the All-Star Game, two Gold Gloves, and won the batting title on three separate occasions. Pete Rose is the all-time leader in bWAR (78.0) in Cincinnati Reds history and has to be included in the greatest all-time lineup.