Reds Hall of Fame Member Directory

George "Sparky" Anderson came to the Reds in October 1969 with no major-league managerial experience. Many believed that General Manager Bob Howsam made a tremendous mistake by hiring this "unknown" manager. However, Anderson quickly proved the critics wrong and won over the hearts of Reds fans. Sparky went on to become the most-successful and most-beloved manager in Reds history.

During his nine seasons in Cincinnati, Anderson guided the Reds to five division titles, four pennants, and back-to-back World Championships in 1975-1976. The consecutive world titles were a first by a National League team since the 1921-1922 New York Giants.

During his tenure, Sparky piloted the Reds to a franchise managerial-record 863 victories and a .596 winning percentage that also tops the club's all-time list. Sparky Anderson and Buck Ewing are currently the only Reds managers to produce five or more consecutive winning seasons. Anderson holds the record with seven, from 1972 through 1978.

Following the 1978 season, Anderson's run in Cincinnati came to end. Sparky went on to Detroit, where he won the Manager of the Year Award in 1984 and 1987, and another World Series title in 1984. Anderson's third championship made him the first manager to win World Championships in the American and National Leagues.

Sparky retired from baseball following the 1995 season with 2,194 career victories -- the sixth-highest total in Major League Baseball history. Anderson was enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame during the same year. The Reds retired his number 10 in 2005, and the Tigers followed in 2011 by retiring his number 11. Sparky Anderson died November 4, 2010, at age 76.

George Lee Anderson

Nickname: Captain Hook

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 170

Born: February 22, 1934, Bridgewater, SD

Death: November 4, 2010, Thousand Oaks, CA

High School: Dorsey (Los Angeles, CA)

How Acquired: Hired as manager on Oct. 9, 1969

Debut: April 6, 1970 vs. Montreal Expos

Final Game: October 1, 1995 vs. Baltimore Orioles

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2000

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2000

Jersey Number Retired (10) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2005

Jake "Eagle Eye" Beckley came to Cincinnati as a seasoned veteran with an already long and distinguished career. He played eight seasons with the Pirates, one with the Players' League's Pittsburgh club, and one-and-a-half seasons with New York. He struggled during his second season with the Giants and was released by the club in May 1897. The Reds wasted little time signing him.

Beckley enjoyed a fine first season with the Reds, posting a .345 batting average in 97 games. On September 26 of that season, he hit three home runs in a game, setting a record that would stand until 1922. The 1897 campaign was the first of six seasons in which Beckley hit well over .300 for the Reds; his .325 career batting average in a Reds uniform ranks third on Cincinnati's all-time list.

A complete offensive player, Beckley ranked among the league's leaders during various seasons in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, triples, home runs and RBI. His seventy-seven triples as a Red ranks tenth on the franchise's all-time list.

Beckley was also a colorful character during his era, and he became a master at first base of the hidden-ball trick, a method that he used on base-runners successfully throughout his career. He also had a rather unorthodox style of bunting. When the pitcher would throw the ball, Beckley would flip the bat while the orb was still in flight and swing at the pitch, using the handle to hit.

Beckley finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. He was enshrined in the Reds Hall of Fame in 2014.

Jacob Peter Beckley

Nickname: Eagle Eye

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 200

Born: August 4, 1867, Hannibal, Missouri

Death: June 25, 1918, Kansas City, Missouri

How Acquired: Signed as a free agent on May 27, 1897.

Debut: June 20, 1888 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: June 15, 1907 vs. Boston Doves

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1971 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2014

David "Gus" Bell was acquired from the Pirates in a trade on October 14 , 1952 and became a fixture in the Reds' outfield for nine seasons.

In his first year as a Red, Gus belted 30 home runs, collected 105 RBI, tallied 102 runs and finished the season with a .300 batting average. During his breakout year, he was elected to the National League All-Star roster where he would start in center field in front of his home crowd at Crosley Field. Bell would go on to have three more All-Star appearances for the Reds in 1954, 1956 and 1957. In 1956, Bell contributed 29 round-trippers to the then-Major League record-tying 221 home runs the Reds hit during the season.

In addition to his strong bat, Bell was one of the most gifted defensive outfielders of his era, regularly placing among the National League's leaders in putouts, assists and fewest errors committed.

A member of the Reds' 1961 National League Championship club, Bell was left unprotected in the expansion draft and was taken by New York Mets as their eighth pick. He recorded the first hit in Mets history on Opening Day in 1962. Bell was traded to the Milwaukee Braves in the middle of the 1962 season and retired as a Brave after the 1964 campaign.

 Gus Bell's baseball legacy was carried on by his son Buddy and grandsons David and Mike. The Bells are one of only four three-generation families to play in the Major Leagues, and Gus, Buddy and Mike are the only three-generation family to play for the Reds. Gus Bell was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1964.

David Russell Bell

Nickname: Gus

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 196

Born: November 15, 1928, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Death: May 7, 1995, Montogomery, Ohio

High School: Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget High School (Louisville, KY)

How Acquired: Traded by the Pirates to the Cincinnati Reds as part of a four-player deal on Oct. 14, 1952

Debut: May 30, 1950 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: May 1, 1964 vs. Milwaukee Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1964

In the debate over the greatest catchers in baseball history, Johnny Bench is inevitably at or near the top of the list. So complete a player was Bench that his longtime manager Sparky Anderson once chided a sportswriter for comparing another catcher to Bench by saying, "I don't want to embarrass any other catcher by comparing him to Johnny Bench."

Behind the plate, Bench redefined the catching position, setting a standard by which all catchers who followed him have attempted in vain to meet. Overshadowed by the glow of Bench's defensive achievements are his staggering a accomplishments as a hitter. The physical demands of the catching position have compromised catchers' abilities to excel at the plate since the game's beginning. Of the select few catchers who have overcome the physical toll their position exacts on them to become elite hitters, few have approached Bench's level.

In a career that found Bench catching 100 or more games for a staggering 13 consecutive seasons, he led the National League in home runs twice and RBI three times. In five seasons in the 1970s, Bench had one of the ten best OPS percentages in the league. He retired as the most prolific home run-hitting catcher in baseball history, a record that was eventually surpassed by Carlton Fisk and current record-holder Mike Piazza.

In Reds history, no player has hit more home runs in a Cincinnati uniform than Bench's 389, nor has any player driven in more runs than Bench's 1376. Playing alongside great power hitters and run producers such as George Foster, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez on the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s, Bench led the club in home runs four times and RBI five times, including four consecutive season from 1972 to 1975.

A two-time World Champion, two-time Most Valuable Player, 10-time Gold Glove winner, 14-time All-Star and a Reds and National Baseball Hall of Famer, Bench has been justifiably lauded for a career that embodied excellence in all facets of the game. He was as much of a weapon behind the plate as he was standing astride it with a bat in his hands. He was a more complete weapon than any catcher, if not any player, before or since.

Johnny Bench

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 197

Born: December 7, 1947, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

High School: Anadarko High School (Binger, Oklahoma)

How Acquired: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the amateur draft in 1965

Debut: August 28, 1967 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: September 29, 1983 vs. San Francisco Giants

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1989 (431/447 ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1986

Jersey Number Retired (5) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1984

"Cactus Jack" Billingham came to Cincinnati in what is considered the best trade in Reds history. Acquired from the Astros in November 1971 with Ed Armbrister, Cesar Geronimo, Denis Menke and Joe Morgan, the trade transformed the Big Red Machine into the juggernaut that would dominate the National League for the next five seasons.

Billingham won 12 games with a 3.18 ERA in his first season with the Reds, as Cincinnati won the Western Division by 10.5 games. Billingham's best year was 1973, when he won 19 games with a 3.04 ERA. His performance earned him a spot on the National League's All-Star team and resulted in a fourth-place finish in voting for the National League's Cy Young Award. Billingham enjoyed another 19-win season in 1974 and tied for the club lead in victories with 15 in the Reds' World Championship season of 1975. Billingham was credited with 12 wins in the Reds' 1976 World Series-winning season and finished with double-digit victories in his last season as a Red in 1977.

A strong performer in the regular season, Billingham was superb in the postseason. Billingham posted a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings of postseason pitching, including a microscopic 0.36 ERA in 25-1/3 innings over the 1972, 1975 and 1976 World Series. Billingham's career World Series ERA was the Major League record until it was bested by the Giants' Madison Bumgarner in 2014. Jack Billingham was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1984.

John Eugene Billingham

Nickname: Cactus Jack

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 195

Born: February 21, 1943, Orlando, FL

High School: Winter Park High School (Orlando, FL)

How Acquired: Traded by the Houston Astros to the Reds as part of an eight-player deal on Nov. 29, 1971

Debut: April 11, 1968 vs. New York Mets

Final Game: June 20, 1980 vs. California Angels

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1984

Ewell Blackwell, nicknamed "The Whip" for his sidearm, snap delivery, was one of the most intimidating pitchers of his era. After a brief stint with the Reds in 1942, Blackwell was drafted into the Army, and served overseas until World War II came to an end in 1945. He returned to the Reds' roster in 1946, where he became a mainstay of the club's starting rotation and enjoyed the first of six consecutive All-Star seasons.

In 1947, Blackwell authored the finest season of his career, and arguably the best season of any pitcher in Reds history. Blackwell led the Majors in wins with 22, and paced the National League in complete games and strikeouts. His 2.47 ERA was the league's second-best. From May 10-July 25, Blackwell won 16 consecutive games, highlighted by a no-hit effort against the Boston Braves June 18. In his next start, he came within two outs of matching teammate Johnny Vander Meer's feat of pitching consecutive no-hitters. Had the Cy Young Award existed at the time, there is little doubt that Blackwell would have won it. A second-place finish in National League MVP voting was his consolation prize.

Blackwell was hampered by numerous injuries throughout his career that compromised his effectiveness and ultimately forced him out of baseball when he was only 32 years old. Despite the brevity of his career, Blackwell and his distinctive throwing motion came to symbolize the best of Reds baseball in the years following the Second World War.

Ewell Blackwell and Edd Roush comprised the Reds Hall of Fame Class of 1960.

Ewell Blackwell

Nickname: The Whip

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 6"

Weight: 195

Born: October 23, 1922, Fresno, California

Death: October 29, 1996, Hendersonville, North Carolina

High School: Bonita (Bonita, CA)

College: University of La Verne

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1942

Debut: April 21, 1942 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: April 18, 1955 vs. Cleveland Indians

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1960

He was a licensed barber who once claimed that his grandfather was still alive at age 136. He was well-schooled in the sport of cock fighting -- illegal in the United States, but a thriving industry in his native Dominican Republic. He once bit an opposing player in the heat of an on-field fight. He was Pedro Borbón, one of the most durable and effective relief pitchers of the 1970s, and the pitcher who holds the Reds career record for most games pitched.

The stories and myths that surround Borbón are almost enough to cause one to look past an amazing pitching career -- one in which he anchored the best bullpen on baseball's best team for almost a decade. Acquired in 1969 in a five player deal that found the Reds trading outfielder Alex Johnson and infielder Chico Ruiz to the Angels for pitchers Jim McGlothlin, Vern Geishert and Borbon, Pedro turned out to be the most important player in the deal.

On a team noted for its strong bullpen, led by manager Sparky Anderson (nicknamed "Captain Hook" for the frequency with which he cycled pitchers off and on the mound), Borbón was arguably the most-reliable arm called into service. His was certainly the most oft-used arm and the most resilient. From 1970-1978, no pitcher in the National League appeared in more games. Borbón finished in the top five in the league in games pitched each season from 1972 to 1977.

Borbón was not only durable but extremely effective. The pressure of postseason competition seemed to bring out the best in him. From 1972 to 1976, Borbón appeared in 20 postseason games for the Reds, and he posted a combined ERA of 2.42 with a sterling 1.26 ERA in League Championship Series play.

In 2010, the Reds' most-durable reliever was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. He passed away two years later at the age of 65.

A fixture in the Reds radio booth from 1974-2019, Brennaman was the voice of Reds baseball for generations of radio listeners throughout Reds country as he provided the soundtrack to some of the most unforgettable and historic moments in Reds history. For the first 31 seasons of Brennaman’s career, he and Joe Nuxhall formed one of the longest-running duos in the history of baseball broadcasting. And his “This One Belongs to the Reds!” exclamation that punctuated Reds victories is one of the most iconic phrases ever associated with the Reds. Brennaman’s distinguished career has been celebrated through induction into numerous broadcasting Halls of Fame including the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame and the National Radio Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was the recipient of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award, an honor bestowed annually on a broadcaster “for major contributions to the game of baseball.” Marty Brennaman was the lone member of the Reds Hall of Fame’s 2021 Induction Class and the first broadcaster honored with induction into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Marty Brennaman

Born: July 28, 1942 in Portsmouth, VA

How Acquired: Hired by the Reds as radio broadcaster on January 21, 1974

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2021

Raymond "Rube" Bressler began his career at the age of 19 as a promising pitcher, and ended his career at the age of 37 having transformed himself into a good-hitting outfielder and first baseman possessed of exceptional fielding skills.

Injuries bedeviled Bressler almost from the start of his career, and were the main factor behind his release by the Philadelphia Athletics, the club for which he had made his big league debut at age 19 in 1914. Cut loose by the A's in 1916, Bressler was signed by the Reds the next year

Initially used as a spot-starter, Bressler began his transition from the mound to the field in 1918 when he played in the outfield for the first time. He appeared on the mound in 18 games over the course of the season, and ended the year with an 8-5 record. During the Reds' 1919 World Championship season, Bressler appeared with far more frequency in the outfield; he only pitched in 13 games.

The following season, Rube suffered another arm injury that ended his pitching career and forced him to put all of his focus on transitioning into a full-time fielder. Bressler pitched in 42 games for the Reds during his first four years in Cincinnati.

As a full-time outfielder and first baseman, Bressler excelled at the plate, becoming the Reds' top pinch-hitter and batting over .300 four times in seven seasons from 1921 to 1927.

From 1924 to 1927, Bressler posted averages of .347, .348 and .357, respectively -- marks that would have placed him among the league's leaders in average had he accumulated enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title. Bressler ended his Reds career with a batting average of .311, tied for eighth-best career in franchise history. His career on-base percentage of .379 is also tied for eighth on the Reds' all-time list.

Bressler made Cincinnati his home after his playing career ended. He was rewarded for his productive career in a Reds uniform with induction into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1963.

Raymond Bloom Bressler

Bats: Right

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 187

Born: October 23, 1894, Coder, Pennsylvania, USA

Death: November 7, 1966, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Drafted by the Reds from Atlanta of the Southern Association in the Rule 5 draft on Sept. 20, 1917

Debut: April 24, 1914 vs. New York Yankees

Final Game: July 17, 1932 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1963

James David Bristol was born on June 23, 1933 in Macon, GA. The Bristol family moved to Tennessee where he became a three-sport letterman at the Baylor School for Boys in Chattanooga. He passed on a football scholarship to Georgia Tech in favor of pursuing a professional baseball career. Signed by the Reds in 1951, Bristol played for ten different clubs over the next eleven seasons in the Reds' minor league system.

Although Bristol did not make it to the Major Leagues as a player, Reds management took note of his work ethic, vast baseball knowledge and leadership skills and in 1957 named him the player/manager of the club's Class D affiliate in the New York-Penn League. It was the first of thirteen consecutive seasons Bristol spent as a manager in the Reds organization, a tenure that saw Bristol climb to the top of the Reds' minor league ladder and that culminated with his promotion to manager the parent club in 1966.

Bristol enjoyed great success as minor league skipper, winning five league titles including the 1964 Pacific League Championship as the manager of the Reds' top farm club, the San Diego Padres. But of far greater importance than his club's on-field success was the impact Bristol had on a host of minor league players who, in large part because of his guidance, became critical contributors to the Reds' vaunted Big Red Machine of the 1970s.   Bristol was vital in the development of Big Red Machine members and Reds Hall of Famers Tommy Helms, Lee May, Tony Perez and Pete Rose among many others.

 As the Reds' manager, Bristol continued to nurture the Reds' young talent including future Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, who made his major league debut under Bristol in 1967.   Overall, Reds players amassed twelve All-Star selections with Bristol as their manager and he was selected as a coach for both the 1968 and 1969 NL All-Star teams. Bristol's Reds clubs were among the most formidable offensive clubs in baseball and posted winning records in each of his three full seasons at the helm. In the first season of divisional play in 1969, the Reds fell only four victories short of winning the division title. Bristol's 298 career victories as Reds manager ranks 10^th in franchise history and his career winning percentage of .529 is tied for the 11^th best in the history of the club.

Dave Bristol, one of the men who helped build the Big Red Machine, is the fifth manager elected to the Reds Hall of Fame.

Dave Bristol

Position: Manager

Bats: -

Throws: -

Height: -

Weight: -

Born: June 23, 1933 in Macon, GA

Death: 

High School: Baylor School for Boys in Chattanooga, TN

How Acquired: Hired by Cincinnati Reds as manager on July 13, 1966s

Debut: July 14, 1966 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: October 2, 1969 vs. Atlanta Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2018

Tom Browning was drafted by the Reds in 1982. Soon after, he learned how to throw a screwball -- the pitch that helped get him to the big leagues -- and that became his signature delivery throughout his career. Not gifted with a blazing fastball, Browning learned early on that in order to succeed, he would have to rely on his wits as much as his arm.

Browning earned a spot in the rotation in 1985, and he put together one of the great rookie seasons ever enjoyed by a major- league pitcher. His 20 wins were the most by a rookie since 1954, and the most by a Reds rookie since 1899. He finished in the league's top ten in wins, starts, innings pitched, strikeouts and shutouts. His performance merited a second-place finish in league Rookie of the Year voting, and won him The Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year award.

Browning remained a fixture in the starting rotation for the next nine years. He led the league in starts four times and pitched more than 200 innings in six seasons. He anchored Reds pitching staffs that helped the club to four consecutive second-place finishes and a World Championship. His work ethic centered on taking the ball whenever it was given to him, and finishing what he started. Being removed from games before he felt it was necessary rankled him. He pitched quickly and was not afraid to pitch inside. His tenacity and fearlessness led his teammates to liken him to a bulldog when he was on the mound.

For more than a decade, Tom Browning was inextricably linked with Cincinnati and the Reds. From his stellar rookie season to his unannounced departure from Game 2 of the 1990 World Series to see the birth of his son, Browning gave Reds fans a host of memorable moments. But for all of the memories he created, none resonates more than the rain-soaked night of September 16, 1988 when he threw the first -- and to date, only -- perfect game in Cincinnati Reds history. Browning retired each of the 27 Los Angeles Dodgers to bat against him that night at Riverfront Stadium, in a game that will forever enjoy a place of honor on the short list of greatest games in Reds history.

For his night of perfection and so much more, Tom Browning was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.

Thomas Leo Browning

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 190

Born: April 28, 1960, Casper, Wyoming, USA

Death: December 19, 2022, Union, Kentucky, USA

High School: Chadwicks High (Utica, NY); Franklin Academy (Malone, NY)

College: LeMoyne College, Tennessee Wesleyan College

How Acquired: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth round of the 1982 amateur draft

Debut: September 9, 1984 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Final Game: May 19, 1995 vs. Oakland Athletics

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2006

The Reds have a strong history of excellence in executing one of baseball's most challenging tasks: the fine art of pinch-hitting. Much of that tradition can be attributed to Reds Hall of Famer Smoky Burgess.

A catcher by trade, Burgess quickly established himself as one of the game's best pinch-hitters. Initially acquired in a trade with the Cubs in October 1951, Smoky was dealt to the Phillies in December of that year without ever having suited up for the Reds. Smoky was reacquired by the Reds in April 1955 and remained with the club through the end of the 1958 season.

Burgess served as the Reds' starting catcher in 1955, and he earned the second All-Star berth of his career. For the balance of his Reds career, he split the catching duties with Ed Bailey, as Smoky's value as a weapon off the bench became increasingly apparent. Always in possession of a dangerous bat, it was Smoky's line-drive home run in the second-to-last game of the 1956 season that gave the Reds 221 home runs. The mark tied the Major League record set by the 1947 New York Giants, and would stand as the Major League mark until the 1961 Yankees belted 240. The Reds' 1956 home run total remained the National League record until the 1997 Colorado Rockies hit 239.

Known primarily for his hitting abilities, Smoky was also behind the plate when three Reds pitchers (Johnny Klippstein, Hershell Freeman and Joe Black) combined to hold the Milwaukee Braves hitless for 9-2/3 innings May 26, 1955. The Braves broke the tie in the 11^th to win the game 2-1.

Incredibly, four years later to the day, Smoky was the batterymate of the Pirates' Harvey Haddix when Haddix tossed 12 perfect innings against the Braves, only to lose the game in the 13^th inning.

In an unfortunate trade for the Reds, the club had dealt Smoky (along with Haddix and Don Hoak) to the Pirates after the 1958 season for four players who did little in their brief tenures with Cincinnati. Smoky was a member of four more All-Star teams before he retired after the 1964 season.

At the time of his retirement, Smoky had more pinch hits (145) than any player in baseball history. His record stood until 1979, then the Dodgers' Manny Mota singled off Houston's J. R. Richard for the 146^th pinch hit of his career. Mota's mark stood until former Red Lenny Harris passed it in 2001.

Smoky Burgess was elected to the Reds Hall of Fame in 1975. He died September 15, 1991 in his native North Carolina. He was 64.

Forrest Harrill Burgess

Nickname: Smoky

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 185

Born: February 6, 1927, Caroleen, North Carolina

Death: September 15, 1991, Asheville, North Carolina

High School: Caroleen High School (Caroleen, NC)

How Acquired: Traded by the Cubs to the Reds on Oct. 4, 1951; Reacquired on April 30, 1955 via a trade with Phillies

Debut: April 19, 1949 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: October 1, 1967 vs. Washington Senators

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1975

Cuban-born Leo Cárdenas signed a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds in 1956 at the tender age of 16. He spent four-and-a-half years working his way through the minor-league system. He made his Major League debut July 25, 1960 when he started for the Reds at shortstop against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

In 1961, his first full season with the Reds, Cárdenas split playing time at short with veteran Eddie Kasko, and he was an integral part of that season's pennant-winning club.

Cárdenas took over the starting shortstop position in 1962, and became one of the top shortstops in baseball. He was named to the National League All-Star team each season from 1964 to 1966, and again in 1968. One of the game's top defensive shortstops, Cardenas was dubbed "Mr. Automatic" for the reliability of his fielding; he won a Gold Glove for defensive excellence in 1965.

In addition to being a fine defensive shortstop, Cárdenas also possessed a potent bat. In 1966 he hit 20 home runs, which set a record for Reds shortstops that stood for 30 years.

The Reds traded Cárdenas to the Twins for future 20-game winner Jim Merritt following the 1968 season. In Minnesota, he played for two division-winning teams and was named to the American League All-Star roster in 1971. He also had stints with the Angels, Indians and Rangers before retiring after the 1975 season.

After his playing career, Leo settled in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1981.

Leonardo Lazaro Cárdenas

Nickname: Mr. Automatic

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 150

Born: December 17, 1938, Matanzas, Cuba

How Acquired: Acquired from Tucson of the Arizona-Mexico League in 1957

Debut: July 25, 1960 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: September 26, 1975 vs. Kansas City Royals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1981

Clay "The Hawk" Carroll was a workhorse reliever for the great Big Red Machine bullpen of the first half of the 1970s. Acquired by the Reds in a midseason 1968 trade from the Atlanta Braves, Carroll developed into one of the game's top relief pitchers.

During his eight-year Reds career, Carroll earned All-Star selections in 1971 and 1972. In that 1972 season, Carroll led the National League in games pitched and saves. He was named The Sporting News Fireman of the Year for his efforts. Carroll's saves title was the high point of a stretch that saw Carroll finish in the top ten in the NL in saves each season from 1970-1972. Durable as he was effective, Carroll also ranked in the top ten in the league in games pitched each season from 1969 - 1972.

In World Series play, Carroll posted a career ERA of 1.33 and was the winning pitcher in the Reds' lone victory in the 1970 World Series. He was also credited with the win in the Reds' Game 7 victory in the 1975 World Series that clinched the franchise's first World Championship in 35 years.

Following the 1975 season, Carroll was traded to the White Sox and had stints with the Cardinals and Pirates before retiring after the 1978 season. In Reds history, only two pitchers have appeared in more game than Carroll's 486, and only four pitchers had a better career winning percentage than Carroll's .623 mark.

In 1980, Clay Carroll became the second relief pitcher honored with induction into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Clay Palmer Carroll

Nickname: The Hawk

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 178

Born: May 2, 1941, Clanton, AL

How Acquired: Traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Reds as part of a six-player deal on June 11, 1968

Debut: September 2, 1964 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: October 1, 1978 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1980

Sean Casey arrived in Cincinnati in a rather surprising trade. On the eve of Opening Day 1998, the Reds dealt Dave Burba, the team's scheduled Opening Day starting pitcher, to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for the 23-year-old Casey -- a player who had only 12 major league plate appearances to his credit. The trade was widely derided throughout Reds Country, but Casey's talent, enthusiasm and outgoing disposition quickly won over Reds fans. He remains one of the most beloved players to wear a Reds uniform.

Casey enjoyed the first of his three career All-Star seasons in 1999 when he helped lead the Reds to within one victory of a playoff berth. He finished fourth in batting in the NL with a .332 average, collected 42 doubles, hit 25 home runs, scored 103 runs and drove in 99.

Casey then became a fixture at first base. He eclipsed the .300 mark in batting average in four of the next six seasons, drove in 85 or more runs four times, and enjoyed two seasons in which he hit 40 or more doubles. He earned All-Star selections in 2001 and 2004.

Casey was traded to his hometown Pirates after the 2005 season, and he was a member of the 2006 American League Champion Detroit Tigers in 2006. He retired after playing his final Major League season with the Boston Red Sox in 2008.

The player whose popularity led him to be christened "The Mayor," was the top choice by fans in 2011 Reds Hall of Fame voting; he was inducted the following year.

Sean (Thomas) Casey

Nickname: The Mayor

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 215

Born: July 2, 1974, Willingsboro, NJ

High School: Upper St. Clair (PA) High School

College: University of Richmond (VA)

How Acquired: In a trade with the Cleveland Indians on March 30, 1998 in exchange for pitcher Dave Burba

Debut: September 12, 1997 vs.

Final Game: September 28, 2008 vs.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2012

When the Reds traded popular longtime second baseman Johnny Temple to the Cleveland Indians in December of 1959 for second baseman Billy Martin, pitcher Cal McLish and first baseman Gordy Coleman, it was something of a surprise that Coleman ended up being the key player in the deal for the Reds. Martin and McLish were off to other clubs after one season, but Coleman established himself as the Reds' starting first baseman during the pennant-winning season of 1961. He held down the position for much of the next five years.

A fine defensive first baseman with a powerful left-handed bat, Coleman swatted 26 home runs in Cincinnati's unexpected title season of 1961. His two-run home run in the fourth inning of the Reds' 6-2 Game Two victory over the Yankees in the World Series was only the second home run hit by a Reds batter in postseason play up to that time. Coleman followed his breakout 1961 season with another strong campaign in 1962, belting a career-high 28 home runs and driving in 86 runs as the Reds finished a strong third in the NL with a 98-64 record. Injuries beset Coleman beginning in 1963 and plagued him until his career ended in 1967.

After retiring as an active player, Coleman became an integral part of the Reds' front office, helping to establish the Reds Speakers Bureau, through which he made many personal appearances on behalf of the club in towns large and small throughout Reds Country. In 1990, the gregarious Coleman joined the Reds television broadcast team as a color commentator -- a position he held until his sudden death from a heart attack at age 59 on March 12, 1994.

Gordon Calvin Coleman

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 208

Born: July 5, 1934, Rockville, Maryland

Death: March 12, 1994, Cincinnati, Ohio

High School: Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, Maryland)

How Acquired: Traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Cincinnati Redlegs on December 15, 1959

Debut: September 19, 1959 vs. Kansas City Athletics

Final Game: May 3, 1967 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted nito the Reds Hall of Fame 1972

David Concepción was signed as an amateur free agent by Cincinnati September 12, 1967. Initially eyed to be a second baseman, he proved a much better fit at shortstop -- a position he would play for the rest of his career. The young Venezuelan moved through the minor-league ranks quickly, and debuted with the Reds as the team's starting shortstop on Opening Day 1970.

During Concepción’s era, most of the stadiums in the National League had artificial-turf fields. Concepcion was a defensive master on these speedy surfaces, and he perfected the technique of the one-bounce throw to first base. During the 1970s, he teamed with Joe Morgan for baseball's best middle-infield combination. Concepción’s prowess at shortstop earned him five Gold Gloves, including four consecutive awards from 1974 to 1977.

Concepción was also one of the best-hitting shortstops of his era, collecting two Silver Slugger awards during his career; he batted over .280 eight times. In 112 plate appearances in the postseason, he batted an impressive .297 with a .455 slugging percentage.

A nine-time All-Star, Concepción was named the MVP of the 1982 Midsummer Classic.

Concepción retired following the 1988 season, having played his entire career in a Reds uniform. He ranks second in Reds history in career games played and at-bats; third in hits, fourth in doubles, sixth in stolen bases and total bases, and seventh in runs scored. He and Barry Larkin share the franchise record with 19 seasons played in a Reds uniform.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2000, Concepción’s uniform #13 was retired by the club in 2007.

One of the most gifted defensive players to ever patrol the outfield for the Cincinnati Reds, Harry Craft was a key component of the Reds' back-to-back National League championship clubs in 1939 and 1940 and the 1940 World Champions. In Craft's first full season as the club's centerfielder in 1938, the Reds notched their first winning record since 1928. In addition to playing superlative defense, Craft also established career highs in most offensive categories during his rookie campaign and was a central figure in teammate Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back no hitters, catching Dodger Leo Durocher's fly ball to secure the last out of the second game.

The Reds' championship clubs of 1939 and 1940 were built around stout pitching and exceptional defense, and Craft excelled in the field, setting a Major League record for fielding percentage by an outfielder (since broken) with a .997 mark in 1940. Craft's second foray into the record books took place June 8, 1940 when he became only the third Red since 1900 to hit for the cycle -- a feat that has been equaled only twice since.

In July 1942, Craft was traded to the New York Yankees, who sent him to the minor leagues. World War II was underway and Craft served with distinction in the U.S. Navy during the conflict. When he returned from the war in 1946, his time away from the game had eroded his skills. After playing parts of the next three seasons with the Yankees' top farm club in Kansas City, Craft retired in 1948 and embarked on a lengthy and distinguished career as a minor and major league coach and manager, which included serving as Mickey Mantle's first manager in professional baseball with the Independence club of the Kansas/Oklahoma/Missouri League in 1949.

Craft was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1963 and along with Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion, Barry Larkin, Bid McPhee, Ron Oester and Mario Soto, is one of only seven members of the Reds Hall of Fame to have played his entire Major League career with the Reds.

Harry Francis Craft

Nickname: Wildfire

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 185

Born: April 19, 1915, Ellisville, Mississippi

Death: August 3, 1995, Conroe, Texas

College: Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi

How Acquired: Signed as an amateur free agent in 1937

Debut: September 19, 1937 vs. Boston Bees

Final Game: July 14, 1942 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1963

"Wahoo" Sam Crawford is easily one of the great Cincinnati players who got away. He was purchased by the Reds from Grand Rapids of the Western League September 9, 1899 and the 19-year-old immediately made an impression. In his debut the following day, the Reds' played a triangular doubleheader at League Park against Cleveland and Louisville. In the two games, Crawford combined for four singles and a triple.

In 1901, Crawford had a stellar season in what turned out to be a preview of the kind of player he would become. Crawford hit .330 with 20 doubles, 16 triples, 13 stolen bases and a Major League-best 16 home runs. The next year, Crawford was again an offensive force, batting .333 with a league-leading 256 total bases.

The early part of the 20^th century saw the rise of the American League as a major competitor to the established National League. One manifestation of the leagues' battle for supremacy involved contact "jumping" that found players abandoning contracts signed with teams in one league to accept offers from teams in the opposing league.

Crawford became one of the contract jumpers when he left the Reds after the 1902 season to sign with the American League's Detroit Tigers.

Crawford's departure was a tremendous loss for the Reds; he went on to become one of the greatest players of his era. A Tiger for the balance of his 15-year career, Crawford teamed with Ty Cobb to lead Detroit to three consecutive pennants from 1907 to 1909. His 309 career triples is baseball's all-time record.

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Tiger in 1957, Crawford was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1968, the same year he passed away at the age of 88.

Samuel Earl Crawford

Nickname: Wahoo Sam

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 190

Born: April 18, 1880, Wahoo, Nebraska, USA

Death: June 15, 1968, Hollywood, California

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from Grand Rapids of the Western League on September 9, 1899

Debut: September 10, 1899 vs. Louisville Colonels

Final Game: September 16, 1917 vs. Chicago White Sox

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1957 ( ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1968

Hugh Melville Critz was purchased by Cincinnati from Minneapolis of the American Association on May 29, 1924 and became one of the best second basemen in baseball, starting at the position for the Reds from 1924 to 1929.

One of the best defensive second basemen to ever play for the Reds, Critz finished in the top five in fielding percentage by a second baseman five times during his Reds career, and he was the league's leader twice. His excellence at the position was a major factor in the tremendous performances turned in by Reds pitchers during his tenure with the club.

A good hitter, Critz compiled a .280 average during his Reds career, including a .322 mark in his first season with the club. His good hitting and superlative defense twice resulted him finishing in the top-five in league MVP voting, including a second-place finish in 1926. In that near-MVP campaign, Critz batted .270 with 24 doubles, 14 triples and 79 RBI. The 588 assists he recorded that season remains a modern Reds record for a second baseman.

By 1930, the Reds found themselves in a rebuilding mode and they traded Critz to the New York Giants in May of that season. The Giants were one of the league' best teams, annually vying for the pennant. In 1933, with Critz starting at second base, New York captured the flag and defeated Washington in the World Series.

Critz retired after the 1935 season and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1962. He died in his native Mississippi in 1980 at the age of 79.

Hugh Melville Critz

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 147

Born: September 17, 1900, Starkville, MS

Death: January 10, 1980, Greenwood, MS

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from Minneapolis of the American Association on May 29, 1924

Debut: May 31, 1924 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: September 27, 1935 vs. Boston Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1962

Jake Daubert came to the Reds in a trade with the Brooklyn Dodgers on February 1, 1919 following a contract dispute. The acquisition of Daubert was arguably the most significant addition the Reds made in the offseason that preceded the club's World Series championship.

Daubert became the Dodgers' starting first baseman in 1910 and was a fixture at the position for the next nine seasons. Along the way, he won National League batting titles in 1913 and 1914 and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1914. His steady presence helped the Dodgers win their first pennant in 1916.

His acrimonious departure from the Dodgers proved to be a boon to the 1919 Reds' pennant chances. At 35, the oldest player on the Reds (and one of the oldest players in the league), Daubert's veteran influence helped to solidify a club that included a number of players who were long on talent but short on experience. So respected was Daubert that he was named the team's captain.

Daubert posted solid numbers in 1919, but had his best statistical years for the Reds in the early 1920s as the club remained competitive but fell short of winning another title. He hit .300 or better for three consecutive seasons from 1920 to 1922. The 1922 season proved to be his finest as a Red ; he posted a .336 batting average and led the team in runs scored, hits, home runs and led the league in triples with 22.

Late in the 1924 season, during the Reds' last road trip, Daubert complained of feeling ill. The severity of Daubert's condition prompted Reds manager Jack Hendricks to send him home to Pennsylvania to seek medical attention. Against the counsel of his doctors, Daubert insisted on returning to Cincinnati for the Reds' last homestand, and on September 20, he went 2-5 in his last game. Within days of the end of the season, Daubert was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. A week after having his appendix removed, Daubert died of postsurgical complications. He was 40 years old.

In 1966, Jake Daubert became the fifth member of the 1919 championship club to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. No other member of the club has received the honor since Daubert's induction.

Jacob Ellsworth Daubert

Nickname: The Big Bopper

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 160

Born: April 17, 1884, Shamokin, Pennsylvania

Death: October 9, 1924, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Traded by the Brooklyn Robins to the Cincinnati Reds for Tommy Griffith on Feb. 1, 1919

Debut: April 14, 1910 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: September 20, 1924 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1966

Eric Davis was drafted and signed by the Reds in June 1980 and made his Major League debut in 1984. It did not take long for Reds fans to appreciate Davis's enormous talents, as he quickly demonstrated that he was one of the most complete players to wear a Reds uniform.

In his first full season with the Reds, Davis hit 27 home runs and stole 80 bases -- the first of three consecutive years in which he hit at least 25 home runs and stole at least 35 bases. Over the course of Davis' Reds career, he stole 270 bases (eighth-most in franchise history) and hit 203 home runs (tenth in Reds history). A two-time All-Star, Davis won Gold Gloves each season from 1987-1989 and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. On June 2, 1989, Davis became the first Reds player since 1959 to hit for the cycle.

A key member of the 1990 World Champion Reds, Davis's first-inning home run in Game One of the World Series sparked the Reds' sweep of the heavily-favored Oakland A's.

Following the 1991 season, Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Beset by multiple injuries throughout his career, Davis stepped away from the game in 1995 to let his body heal. The Reds resigned him for the 1996 season, and Davis returned with authority, hitting 26 home runs with 83 RBI and 23 stolen bases. The performance earned Davis Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Davis was granted free agency after the 1996 campaign, and he went on to play for the Orioles, Cardinals and Giants. While playing for the Orioles in 1997, Davis successfully overcame an in-season colon cancer diagnosis and was awarded MLB's Roberto Clemente Award for his courageous conquest of the disease.

Eric Davis retired after the 2001 season, and he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2005.

A rare bright spot on Reds teams that struggled mightily for most of the 1930s, and an integral part of the powerhouse Reds teams that won back-to-back pennants in 1939 and 1940 and the 1940 World Series, Paul Derringer ranks high on the list of great starting pitchers in franchise history.

After suffering a 27-loss season in 1933, Derringer rebounded the following year to lead the Reds' staff in victories with 15. Despite playing on weak clubs, Derringer continued to improve. He won 22 games in 1935, earning the first of his six career All-Star selections. On May 24 of that season, Derringer got the complete-game victory in the first night game in Major League history, a 2-1 victory over the Phillies at Crosley Field.

In 1938, Derringer's 21 victories and 2.93 ERA helped the Reds to the team's first winning record since 1928. The 1939 and 1940 seasons represented the two best years of Derringer's career, and his pairing with fellow starting pitcher Bucky Walters propelled the Reds to the top of the baseball world. Derringer was credited with 45 victories during the 1939 and 1940 seasons, and his .781 winning percentage led all National League pitchers in 1939. In the 1940 World Series, Derringer won two games, including a complete-game victory in decisive Game 7.

Derringer enjoyed two more All-Star seasons with the Reds in 1941 and 1942. He pitched for the Cubs from 1943 to 1945, and he retired from baseball after the 1945 season.

In Reds history, Paul Derringer ranks third all-time in career victories and innings pitched, and ninth all-time in career strikeouts. In 1958, he was one of the five players who comprised the Reds Hall of Fame's first induction class. He died November 17, 1987 at the age of 81.

Samuel Paul Derringer

Nickname: Duke, Oom Paul

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 205

Born: October 17, 1906, Springfield, Kentucky, USA

Death: November 17, 1987, Sarasota, Florida

High School: Springfield High (Springfield, KY)

How Acquired: Traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Reds as part of a six-player deal on May 7, 1933

Debut: April 16, 1931 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Final Game: September 27, 1945 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1958

Peter Joseph "Pete" Donohue was a member of the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff during the 1920s -- the most successful and durable staff in Reds history. The "Big Three," Eppa Rixey, Dolf Luque and Donohue, played together from 1922-1929 and combined for an average of 92 starts and 45 wins a season. They accounted for 363 of the Reds' 648 victories. All three were 20-game winners in 1923, and each led the league in wins and shutouts once.

Signed by the Reds out of college in 1921, Donohue moved into the starting rotation and went 18-9 for a league-leading .667 winning percentage. He had the first of his three 20-win seasons in 1923, posting a 21-15 record. In 1925 he was again a 21-game winner, and he led the league with 27 complete games and 301 innings pitched. Donohue led the league in wins with 20 in 1926 and paced the league in innings pitched and shutouts.

Much of Donohue's success rested on the effective use of a changeup -- a pitch that many baseball historians credit him with developing.

Beset by injury in 1927, Donohue fought valiantly to continue pitching, but his days as an effective pitcher had come to an end.

Pete Donohoe was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1964, joining longtime teammate Eppa Rixey (Class of 1959). The "Big Three" was reunited as Hall of Fame teammates when Dolf Luque was inducted in 1967.

Peter Joseph Donohue

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 185

Born: November 5, 1900, Athens, Texas, USA

Death: February 23, 1988, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

High School: North Side High (Fort Worth, TX)

College: Texas Christian University

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1921

Debut: July 1, 1921 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: May 6, 1932 vs. St. Louis Browns

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1964

Dan Driessen was signed as an amateur free agent by the Reds in August 1969 and made his Major League debut in June 1973. His promotion from the minor leagues provided the Reds with a much-needed spark that helped propel the team to its third division title in four seasons. Driessen finished his first major-league campaign with a batting average of .301, 110 hits and 47 RBI and finished third in voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Driessen saw significant playing time at third base, first base, and in the outfield during the next three seasons, and he proved to be a solid offensive contributor regardless of his defensive position.

When the Reds squared off against the Yankees in the 1976 World Series, Driessen was Cincinnati's designated hitter -- the first player in National League history to fill the role. He starred in the Reds' sweep, batting .357 with a .714 slugging percentage. That performance contributed to the Reds' decision to deal longtime first-baseman Tony Perez that winter.

With Perez's departure, Driessen finally had a starting position to call his own, and he became one of the finest defensive first basemen of his era, finishing his 15-year career with a .995 fielding percentage. He helped guide the Reds to another division title in 1979, and to the best overall record in baseball in 1981.

Driessen was traded to the Expos in 1984 and went on to play for the Giants, Astros and Cardinals before retiring after the 1987 season. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2012.

Daniel Driessen

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 187

Born: July 29, 1951, Hilton Head, SC

High School: Hardeeville High School, Hardeeville, (SC)

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent on August 29, 1969

Debut: June 9, 1973 vs.

Final Game: October 23, 1987 vs.

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2012

Adam Troy Dunn was born in Houston, TX on November 9, 1979. The second of three sons born to Skip and Pat Dunn, Adam was an athlete almost from the start, learning to swing a bat at the tender age of four. Dunn excelled at baseball and football throughout his elementary school years and starred in both sports at New Caney High School. An outfielder on the baseball team and the quarterback on the football squad Dunn was considered one of the top prep prospects in the country and received a football scholarship to the University of Texas. The Reds made him their second round pick in the June 1998 amateur draft and his signing was contingent on the club allowing him to play for the Longhorns. After making his professional debut with the Reds' rookie league affiliate in Billings, Dunn spent the 1998 college football season as a redshirt quarterback with Texas. Following the season, Dunn decided to focus exclusively on baseball and quickly moved through the Reds' minor league system, ultimately making his Major League debut on July 20, 2001. In his debut season, Dunn distinguished himself as one of the league's top rookies and finished in fourth place in that season's voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He followed his impressive debut season with a 26 homer, 128 walk season in 2002 and represented the Reds in that season's Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Milwaukee. The exceptional combination of power and plate discipline Dunn displayed in his All-Star season became hallmarks of his career as

Dunn established himself as one of the great sluggers of his era and one of the great power hitters in Reds history. From 2004 - 2007, he hit 40 or more home runs and walked 100 or more times each season. Dunn's .520 career slugging percentage as a Red ranks third in franchise history trailing only the career marks of Frank Robinson and Joey Votto and only Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Robinson hit more home runs in a Reds uniform than Dunn's 270. Dunn led or tied for the club lead in home runs a franchise-record seven consecutive seasons and holds the club record for most 40 home run seasons with four. His career on-base percentage of .380 is the seventh best in franchise history and only Robinson and Votto rank higher than Dunn in career on-base plus slugging percentage as a Red. Dunn also ranks second on the Reds' all-time list for walk-off home runs with seven, grand slams with nine and game winning home runs with 46. His ratio of one home run per every 13.8 at bats ranks first in club history. Adam Dunn not only homered with great frequency but also with great authority as long, soaring drives were one of his trademarks. Of his many memorable homers perhaps none stands out more than the 535-ft shot he blasted off of the Dodgers' Jose Lima on August 10, 2004. Dunn's drive soared out of the ballpark and eventually came to rest on a piece of driftwood on the bank of the Ohio River. It remains the longest home run in the history of Great American Ball Park.

Adam Troy Dunn

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 6"

Weight: 285

Born: November 9, 1979 in Houston, TX

High School: New Caney High School, New Carney, TX

Drafted: By the Cincinnati Reds in the 2^nd round of the 1998 amateur draft

Debut: July 20, 2001 vs. Florida Marlins

Final Game: September 28, 2014 vs. Texas Rangers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2018

George Lemuel "Long Bob" Ewing parlayed his (for the time) unusually large size and mastery of the then-legal spitball to become the ace of the Reds' pitching staff in the latter half of the first decade of the 20^th century.

His career began at age 29 -- an age when most players of the period's careers were beginning to decline. Such was not the case with Ewing. Pitching for mostly pedestrian Reds clubs throughout his tenure in Cincinnati, Ewing finished in the top ten in victories in the National League four times, including a second-place ranking in 1905 with a career-best 20 wins.

Although his 20-win season was the high-water mark of his career, arguably his finest overall season was the 1907 campaign. Despite a losing record of 17-19 (for a Reds team that finished in sixth place with a 66-87 record), Ewing's ERA of 1.73 was the seventh-best in the league; and his 37 starts, 32 complete games, and 332- 2/3 innings pitched ranked second on the league's leader board.

Only four Reds pitchers have posted career ERAs better than Ewing's 2.37, and his notable ability to keep runners off base is ably reflected in a career WHIP of 1.16 -- the fifth-best mark in club history.

Age finally seemed to catch up with Ewing in 1909, when the 36-year-old pitcher managed only 11 victories, with an ERA of 2.43 (his highest since 1905). The Reds traded Ewing to the Phillies in 1910, where he enjoyed one more productive season before his durable right arm finally faltered, effectively ending his career.

George Lemuel Ewing

Nickname: Long Bob

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 170

Born: April 24, 1873, New Hampshire, Ohio

Death: June 20, 1947, Wapakoneta, Ohio

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent in 1902

Debut: April 19, 1902 vs. Chicago Orphans

Final Game: May 13, 1912 vs. Boston Braves

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2001

In 1977, George Foster did what no other Red had done before or since: he hit 50 home runs in a season when the feat was a rare occurrence. The home runs highlighted a remarkable season for one of the great power hitters in Reds history.

In the summer of 1977, there was no more feared hitter in baseball than George Foster. The Reds' slugging left-fielder terrorized National League pitchers with a league-best 52 home runs and 149 RBI. He also led the league in runs scored, total bases and slugging percentage on his way to being named the National League's Most Valuable Player. Foster's dominating season was the culmination of three years of steady improvement that found George rounding out the powerful Great Eight lineup of the Big Red Machine.

The Reds acquired Foster in a trade with the Giants that found Cincinnati sending backup shortstop Frank Duffy and pitcher Vern Geishert to San Francisco. Foster was only 22 at the time of the trade, and he needed more seasoning - he spent the better part of the 1973 season as the starting center fielder for the Reds' AAA club in Indianapolis. Still a part-time player in 1974, Foster came into his own in 1975. Taking over as the starting left fielder in May following Pete Rose's shift to third base, Foster batted .300 with 23 home runs in 463 at bats.

In 1976, Foster belted 29 home runs, drove in a league-best 121 runs, and made his first All-Star appearance. The 1976 season established Foster as one of the league's genuine power threats, but that was a mere hint at what was to come.

Foster starred for the Reds for three more seasons after his historic MVP campaign before he was traded to the Mets after the 1981 season. Only six players have hit more home runs in a Reds uniform than Foster's 261, and only eight players have driven in more runs than Foster's 861.

In 2003, George Foster became the fifth member of the Big Red Machine's Great Eight starting lineup to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

George Arthur Foster

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 180

Born: December 1, 1948, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

High School: Leuzinger High School (Lawndale, California)

How Acquired: Traded by the SF Giants to the Reds for Frank Duffy and Vern Geishert on May 29, 1971

Debut: September 10, 1969 vs. Atlanta Braves

Final Game: September 6, 1986 vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2003

Lonny Frey broke in to the Major Leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933 before being traded to the Cubs in 1937. He was acquired by the Reds prior to the 1938 season, and he beat out incumbent Alex Kampouris for the starting second-base position. A solid player throughout his career, Frey became one of the game's best players after donning a Reds uniform. He was named to the All-Star team in the Reds' pennant-winning season of 1939, and again in 1941 and 1943. During the Reds' World Championship season in 1940, Frey led the National League in stolen bases with 22 and finished fourth in the league in runs scored with 102.

Known as "The Leopard" in the famed Jungle Cat infield of 1939-1940 (Frank "Wildcat" McCormick at first; Frey at second; Billy "Jaguar" Myers at shortstop; and Bill "Tiger" Werber), Frey was considered perhaps the finest defensive player of the group. He led all-NL second basemen in fielding from 1941-1943.

After devoting 1944 and 1945 to military service during World War II, Frey returned to the Reds for a final season in 1946. After leaving the Reds, Frey split the 1947 season between with the Cubs and Yankees, winning a second World Championship when the Yankees beat the Dodgers in the 1947 World Series. He moved across town to the New York Giants in 1948 and appeared in his final Major League game September 28 of that year. Frey ended his baseball career with stops at AAA Buffalo (1948) and Seattle (1949).

At the time of his death in 2009, the 99-year-old Frey was the oldest living veteran of the Pacific Coast League, and the last living player to have played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and New York Yankees. He was also the oldest living Cincinnati Red.

Lonny Frey

Nickname: Leopard

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 160

Born: August 23, 1910, St. Louis, Missouri

Death: September 13, 2009, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Chicago Cubs on February 4, 1938

Debut: August 29, 1933 vs. Chicago Cubs

Final Game: September 28, 1948 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1961

When the Reds acquired César Gerónimo in the blockbuster deal that brought Reds Hall of Famer Joe Morgan to Cincinnati prior to the 1972 season, few would have predicted that Gerónimo would become the center fielder who would anchor the outfield of the Big Red Machine teams that dominated baseball during the 1970s. Gerónimo had been little more than a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-runner in parts of three seasons with the Astros.

Upon his arrival in Cincinnati, Gerónimo fell under the tutelage of hitting coach Ted Kluszewski, a Reds Hall of Famer renowned for his ability to hit for power while also demonstrating tremendous discipline at the plate. The former Reds slugger instructed Gerónimo to eliminate the uppercut from his swing, and to start to hit down on the ball to better take advantage of his speed on ground balls. The advice paid immediate dividends as the formerly light-hitting Gerónimo hit a solid .275 in limited action in 1972. Geronimo's peak offensive season occurred in 1976 when he batted .307 for the World Champion Reds. The successful offensive campaign in 1976 was preceded by a seven-hit, two-home-run performance in the Reds' seven-game victory over the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 World Series.

Impressive though Gerónimo's offensive development may have been, it was his defense that made him truly special. Reds Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson described his defense as "ungodly" and his contemporaries compared his arm to that of Roberto Clemente when Clemente was at his peak. Gerónimo's arm was matched only by his uncommon grace in patrolling centerfield. His long, smooth strides allowed him to close on fly balls that most outfielders simply could not get to. Gerónimo's prowess in the outfield resulted in four consecutive Gold Glove awards from 1974 to 1977.

Gerónimo was traded to the Royals prior to the 1981 season, and he retired two years later. In 2008, he became the seventh member of the Big Red Machine's "Great Eight" starting lineup to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Warren Giles began his professional baseball career in the minor leagues, following his service in the military during World War I. After he put together a pennant-winning team in Moline, Illinois, Giles moved up the minor-league ranks quickly, and caught the eye of Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey. Rickey hired him to run St. Louis' top farm club in Rochester, New York, where his clubs won four consecutive pennants.

In September 1936, Reds general manager Larry MacPhail unexpectedly announced his resignation. The first person who came to Reds owner Powel Crosley's mind for MacPhail's replacement was Warren Giles. Crosley was thoroughly impressed with Giles' track record in the minor leagues, and offered him the chance to be Cincinnati's vice president and general manager. The deal was inked on September 19, 1936.

Giles had his work cut out for him. The club he took over had not been competitive since the 1920s. Giles knew the club had potential, with players such as catcher Ernie Lombardi; outfielder Ival Goodman; and pitchers Lee Grissom, Paul Derringer, and rookie Johnny Vander Meer. In 1938, Giles brought in proven winner Bill McKechnie to manage the Reds. McKechnie had won pennants with Pirates and Cardinals, and his 1925 Pittsburgh club won the World Series. Cincinnati outbid three other clubs for his services.

The team that Giles built and McKechnie helmed won consecutive National League championships in 1939 and 1940, and the 1940 World Series, and were seen as the best teams in franchise history prior to the arrival of the Big Red Machine clubs of the 1970s.

In 1951, Giles left the Reds to take over the presidency of the National League, moving the league offices to Cincinnati. He held the position until his retirement in 1969. Later that year, he became the first executive inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, shortly after his death at age 82.

Warren Crandall Giles

Born: May 28, 1896, Tiskilwa, IL

Death: February 7, 1979, Cincinnati, OH

How Acquired: Hired as vice-president and general manager on September 9, 1936

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1979

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1969

The first Red to hit 30 home runs in a season, Ival Goodman was a mainstay in right field for the Reds from 1935 to 1940 -- a period considered the best in Reds history before the 1970s. An All-Star in 1938 and 1939, Goodman's Reds won back-to-back pennants in 1939 and 1940 and captured the 1940 World Series in seven games over the Tigers.

Prior to the 1938 season, the fences at Crosley Field were moved in, and Goodman quickly took advantage of the new dimensions. Having tied for the club lead in home runs in 1935 with 12 and leading the team outright with 17 in 1936, Goodman exploded for 30 long balls in 1938, eclipsing the previous club high of 19 set by Harry Heilmann in 1930. Only Mel Ott 's 36 homers prevented Goodman from leading the National League. Seventeen of Goodman's home runs were hit at home.

Although Goodman's home run mark was eclipsed by Hank Sauer in 1948 and has been bypassed many times in the years that followed, one of Goodman's records stands to this day: No player in Reds history has a higher batting average on Opening Day than Ival Goodman's .419 (minimum of 20 at bats). Goodman had 13 hits in 31 Opening Day at-bats covering the 1935-1940 and 1942 openers. His Opening Day heroics were highlighted by an eighth- inning solo home run in the 1940 opener that gave the Reds a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Ival Goodman was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1959. He died in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati November 25, 1984.

Ival Goodman

Nickname: Goodie

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 170

Born: July 23, 1908, Northview, Missouri

Death: November 25, 1984, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the St. Louis Cardinals on November 3, 1934

Debut: April 16, 1935 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: August 23, 1944 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1959

Acquired from the Cardinals along with Bobby Tolan in the blockbuster trade that sent Vada Pinson to St. Louis in October 1968, Wayne Granger blossomed into one of the great relief pitchers of the period as the Reds fielded the first incarnation of the fabled "Big Red Machine" club that would dominate the 1970s.

A gangly right-hander, Granger was installed as the Reds' closer in 1969 -- the first year that the save became an official statistic in the Major Leagues. Granger was an immediate success in the role, finishing second in the league with 27 saves and setting a then-National League record (still a club record) by appearing in 90 games en route to being named The Sporting News National League Fireman of the Year.

During the Reds' pennant-winning season of 1970, Granger was the winning pitcher and threw the final pitch in the last game played at venerable Crosley Field, the Reds' home ballpark since 1912. The 1970 Reds lived up to the "Big Red Machine" nickname, winning 70 of their first 100 games and christening their new home, Riverfront Stadium, with a National League pennant. Granger was instrumental to the Reds' success, setting a record (since broken) with 35 saves. He again won The Sporting News's award as the league's top reliever.

The Reds slumped in 1971, posting their only losing record of the decade. Granger shared closing duties with the newly-acquired Clay Carroll and Joe Gibbon, but he still led the league in games pitched and recorded 100 innings pitched for the second and final time in his career. The Reds traded Granger to the Twins after the 1971 season. Granger pitched for four other clubs before retiring after the 1976 season. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1982 -- the second relief pitcher to be so honored.

Wayne Allan Granger

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 165

Born: March 15, 1944, Springfield, MA

High School: Huntington (Huntington, MA)

College: Springfield College (Springfield, MA)

How Acquired: Traded by the Cardinals with Bobby Tolan to the Reds for Vada Pinson on Oct. 11, 1968

Debut: June 5, 1968 vs. Houston Astros

Final Game: June 25, 1976 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1982

One of the most gifted athletes to wear a Reds uniform, Ken Griffey Jr., became a Red in a trade with the Seattle Mariners February 10, 2000 The trade brought the Cincinnati product home and was celebrated by Reds fans.

Griffey came to Cincinnati with one of the finest resumes of any player in baseball history. He was a ten-time All-Star, an American League MVP, a ten-time Gold Glove winner, seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner, an All-Star Game MVP, a four-time home run leader, and AL RBI leader and in 1999 had been named to baseball's All-Century Team.

In Griffey's inaugural season in Cincinnati, he hit 40 home runs, drove in 118, and was selected for his eleventh consecutive All-Star team. An All-Star again in 2004, Griffey's season was cut short by injury. He rebounded in 2005 to hit 35 home runs and drive in 92 and was named Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts. Griffey hit 30 home runs in his final All-Star campaign in 2007.

Griffey ranks seventh on the Reds' all-time home run list with 210, sixth on the club's all-time list with a career on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .876, and is tied for fourth on the club's all-time list in career slugging percentage with a .514 mark. Two of his career milestone home runs -- #500 and #600 -- were hit as a Red.

Shortly after he hit his 600^th home run, Griffey was traded to the White Sox. He eventually returned to Seattle, where he finished his career.

In 2014, Ken Griffey Jr. joined his father Ken Griffey Sr. in the Reds Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 on the first ballot, receiving 99.3% of the votes.

Ken Griffey Jr.

Nickname: Junior

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 195

Born: November 21, 1969, Donora, Pennsylvania

High School: Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

How Acquired: In a trade with the Seattle Mariners on February 10, 2000.

Debut: April 3, 1989 vs. Oakland Athletics

Final Game: May 31, 2010 vs. Minnesota Twins

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2014

One of three baseball legends to hail from Donora, Pennsylvania, Ken Griffey followed all-time great Stan Musial and preceded his son, Ken Griffey, Jr. in the annals of baseball stars born in the small town. A late-round draft pick by the Reds in 1969, Griffey debuted with the Reds in 1973. It wasn't until 1975 that Griffey emerged as the club's starting right fielder, and he would forever after be known as one of the "Great 8," the moniker affixed to the Big Red Machine's starting-eight position players.

The fleet-footed Griffey hit .305 in his first full season as a starting player, the first of five .300-plus seasons he would enjoy in a Reds uniform. Griffey also recorded a .391 on-base-percentage in 1975, serving a crucial top-of-lineup role as a table-setter for the Machine's middle-of-the order bats. The Reds surged to the best record in baseball in 1975, winning a franchise-record 108 games en route to the club's first World Series victory since 1940.

The Reds repeated as World Champions in 1976, and Griffey advanced the cause with a career season. He engaged in a season-long race for the National League batting championship -- a title he lost by a single point on the regular season's last day. In addition to a career-best .336 batting average, Griffey also set career highs in on-base-percentage (.401), stolen bases (34) and hits (189) and earned the first of his three All-Star selections.

Griffey continued to perform at an All-Star level through the end of the decade and into the next, as his .311 batting average paced the 1981 Reds club that finished with baseball's best overall record. Griffey was traded to the Yankees at the end of the season, and he continued to be a productive player for New York (and later, Atlanta) for the next six seasons. He returned to the Reds in 1988 and played for the club during the 1990 World Championship season. He ended his career playing two seasons with his son, Ken, Jr., for the Seattle Mariners.

Elected to the Reds Hall of Fame in 2004, Griffey is the only player in Reds history to play for three Reds World Champion teams.

George Kenneth Griffey Sr.

Nickname: Ken

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 190

Born: April 10, 1950, Donora, Pennsylvania

High School: Donora (PA)

How Acquired: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 29th round of the amateur draft in 1969

Debut: August 25, 1973 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Final Game: May 31, 1991 vs. Texas Rangers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2004

One of the most iconic bats ever wielded by a major-league player was the "bottle bat" used by longtime Reds third baseman Heinie Groh. According to Lee Allen in The Cincinnati Reds, the bottle bat emerged from Groh's difficulty hitting curve balls. Allen writes:

"Unable to hit a curve when he started playing professional ball, Groh decided he needed a bat with plenty of hitting space. But the big bats that he would have liked to use were unsuited to him, because he could hardly swing them. So he started cutting down the size of the handle, until the bat was light enough for him to swing. One day a teammate shouted, 'Hey, Heinie, what are you using, a bottle?' and there it was. The handle was only about six inches long, but the bat weighed forty-one ounces."

The advent of the unusual bat helped Groh to become one of the better hitters in baseball throughout the 1910s. Originally a second baseman, Groh began his career with the New York Giants in 1912. In May of 1913, Groh was traded to Cincinnati, where the Reds immediately made him their starting second baseman. In 1915, the club shifted him to third base, and by 1916, Groh posted the fifth-highest batting average in the National League.

One of the stars of the Reds first World Championship team in 1919, Groh played with the Reds through the 1921 season, posting a .298 lifetime average as a Red. He regularly ranked among the league's leaders in on-base percentage (he led the league in 1917 and 1918), walks, doubles and runs scored.

 Discord resulting from a lengthy holdout that saw Groh miss most of the first three months of the 1921 season prompted the Reds to trade him back to the Giants at season's end. Groh played on Giants pennant-winners in 1922, 1923 and 1924 and hit a Series-best .474 in 1922. So proud was Groh of this accomplishment that he incorporated the number on his car's license plate.

Groh retired to Cincinnati following the 1927 season. He joined teammate Rube Bressler in the Reds Hall of Fame Class of 1963. Groh died August 24, 1968 at the age of 78.

Henry Knight Groh

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 158

Born: September 18, 1889, Rochester, New York, USA

Death: August 22, 1968, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Traded by the NY Giants with Red Ames, Josh Devore and $20,000 to the Reds on May 22, 1913

Debut: April 12, 1912 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Final Game: October 2, 1927 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1963

Don Gullett was drafted by the Reds in the first round of the 1969 draft, and he pitched in only eleven minor league games before making the Major League roster out of spring training in 1970.

Pitching primarily in relief in his rookie season, Gullett helped the Reds to the club's first-ever Western Division championship and saved two of the Reds' three victories in their NLCS sweep of the Pirates. Gullett was impressive in the World Series as well, posting a 1.35 ERA in three appearances as the Reds fell to the Orioles in five games.

Gullett became a full-time member of the Reds' starting rotation in 1971 and won 16 games against only 6 losses, for a National League-best .727 winning percentage.

The Reds won another league championship in 1972, but a bout of hepatitis hampered Gullett, and he ended the year with a 9-10 record -- the only season of his nine-year career that he lost more games than he won. Back at full strength in 1973, Gullett won 18 games, the first of three consecutive seasons in which he won at least 15 games.

In 1975, Cincinnati won its first World Series since 1940. Gullet got off to a hot start and had won eight games by June 11. His ninth victory came at a cost, when he fractured his thumb on a line drive against Atlanta. The injury sidelined him for two months, but he returned and finished the season with a 15-4 record. In postseason play, his record was 2-1.

Gullett contributed eleven victories to the Reds' 1976 World Championship season. Gullett signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent at the end of the season, and was part of Yankee teams that won consecutive championships before his career came to a premature end because of injury at the end of 1978.

Gullett returned to the Reds in 1993 as a pitching coach, a position he held until 2005. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2002.

Frank "Noodles" Hahn made quite splash in his debut season with the Reds in 1899, posting a 23-8 record with a league-best 145 strikeouts and top-ten finishes in almost every other major statistical category. The 1899 season proved to be a taste of things to come, as Hahn dazzled National League hitters for most of the next five seasons. An exceptionally hard thrower, Hahn repeated his strikeout title in 1900 and 1901. As durable as he was fast, Hahn averaged more than 300 IP per season from 1899 to 1904, and he completed 204 of his 217 starts during the same period. His no-hitter in 1900 was the first for a Reds pitcher in the 20^th century.

Hahn's finest season was 1901. Pitching for a Reds club that won only 52 games, Hahn was credited with 22 victories -- 42% of the team's total. Hahn also led the league in strikeouts, complete games, innings pitched and shutouts.

Commonly called the finest left-handed pitcher in the game, Hahn's star was destined to burn briefly. A slight 160 pounds on his 5'9" frame, the number of innings that Hahn pitched from the beginning of his career took a heavy toll. By the end of the 1904 season, Hahn's reliable arm began to fail him, and after pitching sparingly in 1905 and 1906, he was forced to walk away from the game.

Hahn remained in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati until almost the end of his life, pitching batting practice for the Reds in his spare time into his late 60s. "Noodles" Hahn died in 1960. He was posthumously inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1963.

Frank George Hahn

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 160

Born: April 29, 1879, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Death: February 6, 1960, Candler, North Carolina

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1899

Debut: April 20, 1888 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: July 17, 1902 vs. St. Louis Browns

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1963

The 28-year-old Eugene Franklin "Bubbles" Hargrave came to the Reds after being purchased from St. Paul of the American Association on Christmas Day of 1920. The acquisition was highly questionable because Hargrave hadn't played in a major-league game since 1915. Bubbles toiled for five years in the minor leagues, but Cincinnati ownership saw something in the aging player, and Hargrave justified the transaction by starring as the Reds' starting catcher for the next eight seasons.

During his first season in Cincinnati, Hargrave batted .289 in 93 games. For the next six seasons, he batted .300 or better. His best year was 1926, where he collected 115 hits, 62 RBI and a league-leading batting average of .353. Hargrave was the first of only three catchers in baseball history to win a batting title.

Hargrave was also a highly skilled defensive catcher. Few runners attempted to steal against him, and those that did were often unsuccessful, as evidenced by the 65 would-be stealers he gunned down in 1923. Further testament to Hargrave's skills behind the plate can be found in the performance of the Reds pitchers he caught. Hargrave was the regular catcher for the Reds pitching staffs of 1922 to 1928 that rank as the finest in franchise history. These staffs were led by future Reds Hall of Famers Dolf Luque, Pete Donohue and Eppa Rixey, who combined for an average of 92 starts and 45 wins a season. Luque picked up two ERA titles during that stretch, and the each of the threesome won 20 games in 1923.

By 1928, Bubbles was a backup catcher, and eventually was sold back to St. Paul, where he was a player/manager for a season. He reemerged briefly with the Yankees in 1930, but ultimately retired as a player in 1934 at the age of 41.

Bubbles Hargrave was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1962. He died in Cincinnati in 1969 at the age of 76.

Eugene Franklin Hargrave

Nickname: Bubbles

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 174

Born: July 15, 1892, New Haven, Indiana

Death: February 23, 1969, Cincinnati, Ohio

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1921

Debut: September 18, 1913 vs. Boston Braves

Final Game: September 6, 1930 vs. Washington Senators

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1962

Signed by the Reds in 1959, infielder Tommy Helms was named the Reds' starting third baseman for the 1966 season, his first full season in the Major Leagues. The Charlotte, NC native established himself as a star, combining excellent defense with solid production at the plate. For his efforts, he was named the National League's Rookie of the Year, joining Frank Robinson and Pete Rose as the only Reds to win the award to that point.

The next season, the versatile Helms saw significant playing time at second base as well as third base, and enjoyed the first of consecutive seasons as a member of the National League All-Star team. In 1968, Helms became the Reds' starting second baseman and was once again selected to the All-Star team, in the process cementing his status as one of the finest defensive second basemen in all of baseball.

A Gold Glove winner in 1970 and 1971, Helms was a key part of the first title won by the Big Red Machine as the Reds' claimed the NL pennant in 1970. Also in that season, Helms hit the first home run by a Reds player at Riverfront Stadium.

On November 29, 1971, Helms, Lee May and Jimmy Stewart were dealt to the Astros in the blockbuster trade that brought Joe Morgan, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo, Ed Armbrister and Denis Menke to the Reds. Helms was the Astros' starting second baseman through the 1975 season, splitting the 1976 and 1977 seasons with the Pirates and Red Sox. Helms' fourteen-year Major League career concluded after the 1977 season.

He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1979, in his first year of eligibility.

Tommy Vann Helms

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 165

Born: May 5, 1941, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1959

Debut: September 23, 1964 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: October 1, 1977 vs. Baltimore Orioles

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1979

Garry Herrmann was a self-made man in the rough-and-tumble world of Cincinnati politics, and he was a key player in the government of George "Boss" Cox, whose political machine dominated the Queen City's public affairs throughout the last two decades of the 19^th century. A flashy dresser who favored checked suits and pinky rings, he was a larger-than-life character.

In 1902, Herrmann was part of a group of prominent Cincinnatians that came together to buy the Reds from John T Brush. Herrmann was inserted as the team's president and remained as such until he retired in 1927.

During the time in which Herrmann acquired the Reds, the National League was competing against the newly established American League, and tried to ward off the new circuit. After two years of feuding, the leagues negotiated a peace settlement in 1903 and created a three-man National Commission that would mediate disputes between the two leagues. If an issue arose, the two league presidents would sit on the commission with a third member who could help broker a resolution. Herrmann was selected as that third member. Garry took the leading role in negotiating an agreement between both circuits to play a postseason series between the league champions. The series would come to be called the World Series.

As club president, he oversaw the construction of Redland Field -- the same ballpark that would later be renamed Crosley Field. Also under his tenure, the Reds captured their first World Series title in 1919. The championship was tainted by a gambling scandal that proved difficult for Herrmann, who helped establish the annual nature of the World Series years earlier. He resigned from the National Commission in January 1920.

Although his ball club remained competitive through the 1920s, they never managed to capture another National League pennant; and because of poor health, he sold his shares of the Reds to attorney C.J. McDiarmid in 1927. He died four years later.

In 2008, August "Garry" Herrmann became the third executive inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

August Herrmann

Nickname: Garry

Born: May 3, 1859, Cincinnati, OH

Death: April 25, 1931, Cincinnati, OH

How Acquired: Named club president on August 9, 1902

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2008

Bob Howsam was hired in January 1967 by new Reds owner Frank Dale. It marked the arrival of the man who would bring about the most successful and glorious era in team history. Howsam orchestrated the construction of one of the finest clubs ever to play, and is lauded as "The Architect of the Big Red Machine."

Howsam came to the Reds with an already-impressive resume that included management of the minor league Denver Bears, ownership of the Denver Broncos, and he was a key player in Branch Rickey's attempt to create a third major league called the Continental League. The third circuit never made it to the field, but the threat to the American and National League prompted the two leagues to expand in the early 1960s. In August 1964, Rickey hired Howsam to be the general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. After that club won the 1964 World Series, Howsam oversaw the rebuilding of an aging club - one that ultimately resulted in St. Louis winning pennants in 1967 and 1968.

In Cincinnati, the Reds had remained competitive in the years following the team's 1961 NL championship, but had yet to make it back to the postseason. Howsam was hired to change that, and he soon did, buttressing the core of talented players already on the roster with great draft picks and savvy trade acquisitions. Howsam had all of the ingredients of a great team; he just needed a spark. He found one in George "Sparky" Anderson, who was hired as Reds manager October 8, 1969.  

Anderson won the National League pennant in his first year and with other key moves by Howsam, such as trades for Joe Morgan, Cesar Geronimo, Jack Billigham and George Foster, produced five more division titles, three more league championships and back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 & '76.

With the coming of free agency, Howsam became disillusioned with the game's direction. He believed steadfastly in building championship clubs was through player development and trades. Bidding wars for players was not his style, so in April of 1978 he resigned and his assistant Dick Wagner filled the position. However, the Wagner years failed to produce championship clubs and in July of 1983 Howsam was enticed to return.

During his second tenure, he brought Pete Rose back as a player/manager, which proved to be his biggest move but also placed focus on his old formulas for building winners. The Reds were competitive under Rose and finished second in their division in four straight seasons and Howsam retired for good in 1985 but he set the club back on course for championship baseball.

Bob Howsam was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2004. He died on February 19, 2008 in Sun City, AZ.

Robert Lee Howsam

Nickname: Bob

Born: February 28, 1918, Denver, CO

Death: February 19, 2008, Sun City, AZ

How Acquired: Hired as vice-president and GM on Jan. 22, 1967; Re-hired as president and CEO on July 11, 1983

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2004

The most celebrated deaf athlete in baseball history, and one of the most important in sports history, Dummy Hoy's long career spanned 14 seasons, seven clubs, and four different major leagues. His most productive seasons were spent in Cincinnati, where hit .293 with an on-base percentage of .374.

Hoy was a highly skilled defensive player who possessed one of the most powerful and accurate throwing arms of his time. In one famous example of his arm at work, Hoy threw out three base runners at home plate in a single game in 1888.

Hoy's greatest weapon was his speed. As a rookie, he led the National League in stolen bases with 82. Over the course of his career in a Reds' uniform, he stole 176 bags and finished his major league career with 594.

Following the 1897 season, Cincinnati traded Hoy to the Louisville Colonels, where he played a couple of seasons. When the National League contracted the Louisville franchise following the 1899 season, he signed on with the Chicago White Sox of the new American League and helped the club win the new circuit's first league championship.

Hoy returned to Cincinnati in 1902 for his final major-league season. During a game against the Giants, he squared off against Luther "Dummy" Taylor. Both "spoke" to each other using sign language. Hoy's success in the majors was a significant contributing factor to the popularization of signs throughout the game.

Upon retirement, Hoy lived on a farm near Cincinnati, and he stayed connected to the Reds in various ways. On October 7, 1961, a 99-year-old Hoy threw out the first pitch before Game 3 of the World Series. He died December 15, 1961 and was posthumously inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2003.

William Ellsworth Hoy

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 6"

Weight: 160

Born: May 23, 1862, Houcktown, Ohio, USA

Death: December 15, 1961, Cincinnati, Ohio

High School: Ohio School for the Deaf (Columbus, OH)

How Acquired: Traded by Washington Senators to the Reds in 1894; Jumped from the White Sox to the Reds in 1902

Debut: April 20, 1888 vs. New York Giants

Final Game: July 17, 1902 vs. New York Giants

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2003

Fred Hutchinson was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1919, and he took over as manager of the Reds midway through the 1959 season. Prior to being hired by the Reds, he had managed the Tigers and the Cardinals with limited success. In his first full season with the Reds, the team finished sixth in the National League, but the Reds were primed for success with Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Gordy Coleman, Jim Maloney, and Jim O'Toole on the roster. In 1961, Hutchinson helped lead the Reds to the NL pennant before falling to the Yankees. Hutchinson's Reds actually won more games in 1962 than in 1961, but they finished third in the NL. Prior to the 1964 season, it was announced that Hutchinson had cancer, but he was in the dugout until mid-August. The Reds made a late-season surge, but finished a single game behind the Cardinals. Hutchinson died in November of 1964, and the Reds retired his uniform #1 the following year.

In 1965, Major League Baseball created the Hutch Award, named in Fred's honor, and it is given to the player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire to win. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Institute was established in 1975 in Seattle, and it is one of the world's leading cancer-research institutes. Hutchinson ranks fourth all-time with 446 wins as Reds manager, and he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.

Frederick Charles Hutchinson

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 190

Born: August 12, 1919, Seattle, WA

High School: Franklin (Seattle, WA)

How Acquired: Hired as manager on July 8, 1959

Debut: July 9, 1959 vs. San Francisco Giants

Final Game: August 12, 1964 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1965

Jersey Number Retired (1) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1965

The first Little League graduate to become a major-league player, Joey Jay was acquired by the Reds from the Milwaukee Braves in exchange for Reds Hall of Fame shortstop Roy McMillan in December 1960.

Arriving in Cincinnati with a pedestrian lifetime record of 24-24, Jay teamed with Jim O'Toole and Bob Purkey to form "The Big Three," the trio of starting pitchers that propelled the Reds to the 1961 pennant. Jay's 21 wins tied for the league lead, and he was among the league's leaders in every other significant pitching category. No Red had won 20 games or led the league in victories since Reds Hall of Famer Ewell Blackwell paced the league with 22 victories in 1947.

The Reds squared off against the Yankees in the 1961 World Series, and Jay got the win in the Reds' lone victory, limiting the Yankees to no runs on four hits in a 2-0 Game 2 triumph.

Although the Reds were not able to repeat as pennant winners in 1962, Jay remained one of the league's best starting pitchers. He once again won 21 game,s and was among the league's pitching leaders in multiple categories. He joined with 23-game winner Purkey to form the Reds' first pair of 20-win pitchers in a season since Reds Hall of Famers Bucky Walters and Paul Derringer accomplished the feat in 1940.

Jay remained a fixture in the Reds' rotation into the 1966 season, when he was traded to the Braves. He retired at the end of that season. In 2008, Jay became the last member of "The Big Three" to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

Joey Jay

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 228

Born: August 15, 1935, Middletown, Connecticut

High School: Middletown High School (Middletown, CT)

How Acquired: Traded by the Milwaukee Braves with Juan Pizarro to the Reds for Roy McMillan on Dec. 15, 1960

Debut: July 21, 1953 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Final Game: October 2, 1966 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2008

One of the most-popular players in Reds history, "Big Klu" remains the most enduring symbol of Reds baseball in the 1950s. Known for his bulging biceps, a physical characteristic that forced him to cut the sleeves off his jersey to allow him to swing his bat freely, Kluszewski was one of the great sluggers and most gifted fielders of his era.

A Red from 1947 to 1957, Kluszewski was an All-Star each season from 1953 to 1956, and led NL first basemen in fielding percentage each season from 1951 to 1955.

Kluszewski's 1954 season stands as one of the finest offensive seasons in the club's history. He hit .326, led the NL in home runs with 49, RBI with 141 and finished second in voting for the NL's MVP award.

For his career, Kluszewski hit 251 home runs in a Reds uniform -- a total bested by only four players in franchise history. Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1962, Kluszewski enjoyed a long career as a coach and instructor with the Reds, highlighted by his tenure as the Reds' hitting coach during the Big Red Machine era.

Kluszewski died suddenly from a massive heart attack on March 29, 1988 at the age of 63. His uniform #18 was retired by the Reds in 1998. On Opening Day 2003, his statue was the first to be installed at the Crosley Terrace entrance to Great American Ball Park.

Theodore Bernard Kluszewski

Nickname: Big Klu

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 225

Born: September 10, 1924, Argo, Illinois, USA

Death: March 29, 1988, Cincinnati, Ohio

College: Indiana University

How Acquired: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1946

Debut: April 18, 1947 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Final Game: October 1, 1961 vs. Cleveland Indians

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1962

Jersey Number Retired (18) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1998

Business and baseball: Larry Kopf enjoyed both equally. Cincinnati acquired Kopf in December 1915, and he became the Reds' regular shortstop in 1917. In that same year, his most-famous hit came in a dual no-hitter against the Cubs May 2. After nine innings, both clubs were held hitless. With one out in the tenth inning, Kopf singled off Hippo Vaughn to break up Chicago's no-no. He eventually scored the game-winning run and his teammate Fred Toney captured the fourth no-hitter in Reds history.

With World War I underway, Kopf took the 1918 season off, devoting the year to working in several different jobs considered essential to the war effort.

He returned to the Reds in 1919, and his solid defense and productive bat helped Cincinnati clinch its first league championship since 1882, and the franchise's first World Series title. The championship season would be Kopf's most productive at the plate, with a .270 batting average and 58 RBI. In World Series play, he registered 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 triples and 3 RBI.

Kopf was traded to the Boston Braves in February 1922, where he played two more years before retiring. Kopf returned to Cincinnati and was involved in many business ventures, including a prosperous real-estate and contracting organization with his brother, called Kopf and Kopf.

Kopf remained a well-known citizen in Cincinnati and frequently attended Reds games until his death in 1986. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.

Larry Kopf

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 160

Born: November 3, 1890, Bristol, CT

Death: October 15, 1986, Hamilton County, OH.

How Acquired: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Philadelphia Athletics on Dec. 1, 1915

Debut: September 2, 1913 vs. Chicago White Sox

Final Game: June 16, 1923 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 1965

Barry Larkin was the quintessential Cincinnati Red. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, played high school baseball in Cincinnati and spent his entire career in a Cincinnati uniform. Over the course of his 19 seasons with the Reds -- the longest of any player -- Larkin was an All-Star twelve times, won nine Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Gloves, was the NL MVP in 1995 and led the Reds to a World Championship in 1990.

A complete player, Larkin ranks second or third with the Reds in games played, runs scored, hits, doubles, stolen bases and bases on balls. He ranks fourth in at-bats and singles and was the first shortstop in baseball history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season.

In 1990, Larkin's leadership skills came to the fore as he was one of the driving forces behind that special season. The Reds did not spend a day out of first place all year, and they won their first division title since 1979, defeated the Pirates in the National League Championship Series and swept the Oakland A's in the World Series to claim the franchise's first title since 1976. Cincinnati won the division again in 1995, and in the Division Series victory against the Dodgers, Larkin hit .389. In 1997, the Reds made him team captain, a rank he held until his retirement after the 2004 season.

Larkin was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2008. Four years later, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and became the eleventh player in Reds history to have his number retired.

Barry Louis Larkin

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 185

Born: April 28, 1964, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

High School: Moeller High (Cincinnati, OH)

College: University of Michigan

How Acquired: Drafted by the Reds in the first round (fourth pick) of the 1985 amateur draft

Debut: August 13, 1986 vs. San Francisco Giants

Final Game: October 3, 2004 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2012 (495/573 ballots)

Inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame 2008

Jersey Number Retired (11) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2012