Top Reds defenders honored Friday

[OnBaseMachine]

Top Reds defenders honored Friday
Griffey, Bench and Morgan named to All-Time Gold Glove team
By Brandon Harris / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- When it comes to the top defensive players of the past 50 years, the Reds dominate the top.

Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., former catcher Johnny Bench and former second baseman Joe Morgan make up one-third of the All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove team, making the Reds the most represented of any team in the nine-player field.

"Out of all nine guys, we have three," Bench said. "That's just incredible. I couldn't believe it."

Griffey, Bench and Morgan were honored and presented with trophies during a pregame ceremony on Friday before the Reds' game with the Mets.

In addition, the fist 20,000 fans to Friday's game received a piece of frame commemorative artwork recognizing the Reds' trio for the award.

"Junior was selected to the All-Century team when he was really young," said Ken Griffey Sr. "And now, looking at the crowd in which he was selected for this, I'm very proud of him. This is a big deal."

Nearly one million fans voted for the team, which also features pitcher Greg Maddux, first baseman Wes Parker, shortstop Ozzie Smith, third baseman Brooks Robinson and outfielders Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente.

The players have exactly 100 Gold Glove Awards between them. Bench and Griffey each have 10 Gold Gloves, while Morgan has five.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[mth123]

Top Reds defenders honored Friday
Griffey, Bench and Morgan named to All-Time Gold Glove team
By Brandon Harris / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- When it comes to the top defensive players of the past 50 years, the Reds dominate the top.

Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., former catcher Johnny Bench and former second baseman Joe Morgan make up one-third of the All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove team, making the Reds the most represented of any team in the nine-player field.

"Out of all nine guys, we have three," Bench said. "That's just incredible. I couldn't believe it."

Griffey, Bench and Morgan were honored and presented with trophies during a pregame ceremony on Friday before the Reds' game with the Mets.

In addition, the fist 20,000 fans to Friday's game received a piece of frame commemorative artwork recognizing the Reds' trio for the award.

"Junior was selected to the All-Century team when he was really young," said Ken Griffey Sr. "And now, looking at the crowd in which he was selected for this, I'm very proud of him. This is a big deal."

Nearly one million fans voted for the team, which also features pitcher Greg Maddux, first baseman Wes Parker, shortstop Ozzie Smith, third baseman Brooks Robinson and outfielders Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente.

The players have exactly 100 Gold Glove Awards between them. Bench and Griffey each have 10 Gold Gloves, while Morgan has five.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

Griffey was great in Seattle, but he has spent a significant portion of his career being downright awful. How many years of rotten does it take to cancel out 10 years of great? For defense, I prefer Garry Maddox or Paul Blair.

[RedFanAlways1966]

2nd basemen and gold gloves they won in the last 50 years...

Roberto Alomar = 10
Ryne Sandberg = 9
Bill Mazeroski = 8
Frank White = 8

[OnBaseMachine]

Griffey was great in Seattle, but he has spent a significant portion of his career being downright awful. How many years of rotten does it take to cancel out 10 years of great? For defense, I prefer Garry Maddox or Paul Blair.

For what he did in Seattle Griffey absolutely deserves to be honered IMO. In his prime he was one of the best defensive players ever IMO.

[marcshoe]

For what he did in Seattle Griffey absolutely deserves to be honered IMO. In his prime he was one of the best defensive players ever IMO.

I agree. No matter what he has done since or will do in the future, it will not cancel out the years of historically great defense in Seattle. What's done today doesn't erase what was done in the past; the only thing that's affected is our perception.

[mth123]

For what he did in Seattle Griffey absolutely deserves to be honered IMO. In his prime he was one of the best defensive players ever IMO.

Agree, but he wasn't as good as Blair or Maddox. Or Gary Pettis, or Rick Manning or Ken Berry or Devon White or ....

Gotta be a Hall of Fame hitter to be recognized as a great defensive OF for awards like this.

[Crosley68]

Griffey was great in Seattle, but he has spent a significant portion of his career being downright awful. How many years of rotten does it take to cancel out 10 years of great? For defense, I prefer Garry Maddox or Paul Blair.

I dont buy that at all. How do you get to decide what part of a career gets counted? Paul Blair was a great CF, but his best 10 years (your parameter not mine) was not better that Griffey's best 10. Do we ignor May's terrible last couple years? Well I do. Great is Great.

I concur with the list exactly, at least of players that I have seen play. If you were gonna edit any of the list IMO Morgan is the weak link.

[mth123]

I dont buy that at all. How do you get to decide what part of a career gets counted? Paul Blair was a great CF, but his best 10 years (your perameter not mine) was not better that Griffey's best 10. Do we ignor May's terrible last couple years? Well I do. Great is Great.

I concur with the list exactly, at least of players that I have seen play.

Last couple years as in May's case is different than 40% of his career. And defensivley I'd take Blair over all three of those that made the team.

[PuffyPig]

Griffey was great in Seattle, but he has spent a significant portion of his career being downright awful. How many years of rotten does it take to cancel out 10 years of great? For defense, I prefer Garry Maddox or Paul Blair.

By the time Blair couldn't play defense he was out of the league, because he also couldn'd hit.

[mth123]

By the time Blair couldn't play defense he was out of the league, because he also couldn'd hit.

True, but this is an award for the best defender.

[RollyInRaleigh]

True, but this is an award for the best defender.

It never has been. Why would they start making it that now?

[mth123]

It never has been. Why would they start making it that now?

True. Best point in the thread I guess.