Is Joe Morgan really the greatest Red of all time?

[2 Humped Camel]

I would rank him 4th behind Rose, Bench and Larkin, what does everyone else think?

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=AB&Dato=20110903&Kategori=SPT04&Lopenr=109030802&Ref=PH

[RomanEmpire]

Pete Rose was the engine that powered the BRM, not even close.

[MJAlltheWay24]

I wonder how different the voting would be for Cincy residents vs. the rest of the country.

[katbird]

Rose by far...

[spindoc]

I say Morgan for that stretch with the BRM was the best.

[malachicrunch]

In order:

1. Rose

2. Bench

3. Morgan

4. Larkin ?? Maybe some oldtimers can chime in on anyone pre-1965

[Clyde]

IMO you can make an argument for Rose, Bench, and Morgan as #1 and have it make sense.

[gchs_uk9]

As someone else said, Rose was the engine that drove those teams. He might not have been the best player, but they aren't nearly as successful without him. My father and I had this conversation last week. I compared Rose's time in Cincinnati to Jeter's in New York. Both were great players who always rose to the occasion when it mattered, and were just winners.

 

Also, I would have to put Morgan ahead of Larkin. Larkin was great, but Little Joe was 2-time MVP and perhaps the best offensive second baseman of all time. Larkin doesn't rank that high in that regard so I can't put him ahead of Morgan. But Larkin certainly was a great player.

[TAC]

Joe Morgan, 2 time MVP. At that time not just the best Red, but best in the league. Almost a triple crown winner. With no disrespect to the other great players, My vote goes to #8 !

[malachicrunch]

IMO you can make an argument for Rose, Bench, and Morgan as #1 and have it make sense.

 

Agreed! All great players. Larkin just a notch below

[oldrambler]

There are plenty of good arguments for Morgan. I vote Rose, he was a leader by the way he played the game, the name Pete Rose was the Reds, Pete Rose was the name that alot of people thought of when baseball was mentioned. Rose played multiple positions and was effectiv at all of them. Oh yeah,then there is the little detail of many 200 hit seasons and more base hits than anyone to ever play the game.

As for way back Frank Robinson would be hard to beat, still the most bonehead move the Reds ever made when they let him go.

[Voice of Reason]

This is a debate that I can argue both sides on. In fact, I could argue three sides to this one between Morgan, Rose and Bench. If you take the peak years of a career to decide, Morgan wins. His 6 year run from 72-77 is one of the greatest peak career runs ever. Yet, during that period, Rose had 50 hits a season more than Morgan, had a higher batting average and scored just as many runs. Bench hit cleanup and dominated the game defensively at perhaps the most important position. He was so far ahead of the other catchers at that time that he was irreplaceable.

 

All that being said, I go with Rose. If you look at career stats, Rose wins easily. Do you realize he had almost 200 more RBI's than Morgan in his career? His career batting average is 30 points higher than Morgan. He scored 500 more runs in his career than Morgan. Perhaps more importantly, Rose is the greatest because of all the intangibles he brought to making the Big Red Machine who they were. Leadoff is perhaps the most important hitter in a lineup and Rose was unparalleled as a leadoff hitter. He set the tone every night with his skill and his intensity. For all the talk about his focus on his own stats and how some thought it selfish, by changing positions and being willing to do whatever it took to win he set a tone of team first and winning. Rose is very proud of being the hit king. He is just as proud and talks just as much about the fact that he played in more winning games in his career than any other player. I don't see how anyone can say Rose isn't the greatest Red of all time.

[The Scribe]

Joe is the best Red ever. Just ask him.

[Voice of Reason]

Joe is the best Red ever. Just ask him.

 

Looks like Joe voted in our poll. Only one vote for him at this point in time.

[The Scribe]

I am so glad he is off Sunday Night Baseball. I forget who busted a couple of years ago, but it was great reading when someone fact checked his stories from when he played and found out several of them weren't true.