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Ed. Note: This is a day late, as I wasn't able to get in front of a computer yesterday. Double time today! And this is as good of a debate as there is here, probably.
Apologies to Mike Leake, who would have been on the list if it weren't for World Series rings. Let's go.
5. Pat Darcy (0.5 WAR)
Pat Darcy is on this list because he has two rings. He started 22 games in 1975, as a 25-year-old, and went 11-5 with a 3.58 ERA that year. When I think of pitchers from the Big Red Machine, Darcy is one of the ones I think of, for sure.
4. Mike Cameron (5.6 WAR)
Mike Cameron only spent one year in Cincinnati, but was arguably one of the better ones of his career. He posted his highest overall bWAR in 1999, a lot of that coming on the defensive end. His playing in Cincinnati is kind of an afterthought, though, as he'll most likely be remembered as the centerpiece of one of the most important trades in Reds history. Trivia: Junya was acquired for Mike Cameron and which 3 other players?
3. Bill Henry (10.2 WAR)
Henry came to the Reds in 1960, fresh off of leading the league in appearances with the Cubs. He was a solid reliever, and actually made the All-Star team as the team's closer in 1960. He went on to pitch for the Reds for most of the '60's, before being traded in 1965. He pitched until he was 41, but made it back into the news in 2007 when his death was erroneously reported as a result of identity theft.
2. Adam Dunn (16.4 WAR)
The Big Donkey was making this list, as much as it may anger local talk radio hosts. Dunn played for the Reds from 2001 to 2008, hitting exactly 40 home runs in 4 straight years, which is more remarkable than his career high of 46. His 270 dingers in his career ranks 4th in the Reds' all-time list, and is the most for a Red since the BRM era.
1. Eric Davis (30.5 WAR)
Eric the Red wins, and it wasn't even close. He broke in as a Red in 1984, and was an elite hitter for the Reds for pretty much the rest of the 1980's. He ended his Reds career with a staggering .877 OPS in 9 seasons, won 3 Gold Gloves, and made 2 All-Star teams. He's also still with the team, as a roving instructor, and can routinely be seen at various minor league stops throughout the year, still in his Reds jersey with #44 on it.
Eric the Red, we salute you today.