Robby

Another night in any town
You can hear the thunder of their cry
Ahead of their time
They wonder why
--Journey

Major League Baseball is running a 'Franchise Four' contest this year, where fans can vote for their top four players in franchise history. The Reds players to select from differs slightly from the list I would have posted (e.g., Eric Davis rather than Ed Roush?). With about a week to go in the voting, the top four vote getters so far are Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, and Barry Larkin.

All great choices to be sure. After all, how can you argue with four Hall of Fame selections? However, it is difficult for me not to find a spot for fellow Hall of Famer Frank Robinson on the list.

Sure, Robby spent only the first half of his career with the Reds, but his overall body of work stacks up very well against the other four candidates. Moreover, his Reds years helped build the franchise. Robinson led the Reds to their first pennant in over 20 yrs during his MVP season in 1961.

Unfortunately, I was too young to recall Robby's time with the Reds, as he was traded after the 1965 season to the Baltimore Orioles in what remains perhaps the worst trade in MLB history (quick quiz: who did the Reds get for Robinson in that trade?). Robinson responded classically by leading the O's to World Series victory in 1966 in an MVP season where he also won the Triple Crown. His previous Reds tenure, plus his performance and style made Robby the obvious choice as my first 'favorite player' as a youngster.

For ten years, the Reds built their franchise around Frank Robinson. The Orioles subsequently did the same. As such, weird to think Robby can't make a 'franchise' list.