Johnny Bench

When the Reds reached the postseason in 2010, it was as if a 15-year siege had come to an end in Cincinnati. At long last, an organization stuck in the trenches of the National League had crossed over the breach.   

 Joey Votto’s 2010 season will resonate in Reds lore as the end of an era of losing in Cincinnati, and potentially a signal of things to come for a young and talented core.

 However, it also begs the question: in a Cincinnati Reds organization with such a storied history, where does Votto’s impressive third season rank?

On a night when it rained on Alex Rodriuez's 600th home run quest, Jorge Posada's milestone RBI stole the spotlight.

After a base clearing three run double by Robinson Cano in the top of the first inning,  Posada followed with an RBI double of his own, and thus reached 1,000 RBI's in his career.

With his milestone RBI tonight, Posada is now the 12th Yankee to do so, joining fellow catchers Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey, as well as long time teammate Derek Jeter.

But it's not just Yankee legends that he's joining.

On Monday I had the opportunity to attend Cincinnati Reds Opening Day. For anybody who has lived in Cincinnati, it is widely known that Opening Day is a Cincinnati holiday. It is also a day nobody does quite like Cincinnati. 

Cincinnati is home to the first professional baseball team some 150 years ago and in the Queen City, baseball has and always will be king. 

Every Opening Day in Cincinnati over the last 91 years has began with the Findlay Market Parade. The parade marches through the streets of downtown and is the highlight of the big day.

This is not a Top 10 list of home run hitters in Cincinnati history, nor is it a list of the RBI leaders.

I chose five categories to sort through to obtain the best power hitters in Reds history.

The categories used are based on 162 game season averages. To qualify, a player had to be with the Reds for a minimum of five years.

I selected HR, RBI, total bases, slugging pct., and OPS. Only numbers accrued while with the Reds are used.

Let's take a look at them now.

Aroldis Chapman: the savior, the next best thing, or the next Randy Johnson. All things might be true, but it has to start somewhere.

The Reds' prized new acquisition threw a bullpen session for about two hours on Thursday, and to people who witnessed it, said that he threw well and felt well after.

Chapman, who was just recently signed a six year contract worth over $30 million, has been speculated to be one of the best new pitchers in the game, and the Reds are hoping they hit a jackpot. 

Here is a glance at the Cincinnati Reds all-time greatest team lineup:

Team Name: Cincinnati Reds

Year Established: 1882

City: Cincinnati

Ballpark: Great American Ballpark

 Previous Nicknames: Red Stockings (1882-1889), Redlings (1954-1959)

League: National League

Division: NL Central

# of Playoff Appearances: 12

# of Pennants: 10

World Series Titles: 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990

All-Time Team

Catcher: Johnny Bench

First Base: Tony Perez