The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award didn’t arrive until 1980, which means a few Cincinnati Reds legends never got the chance to add it to already crowded résumés. The award came too late for some Hall of Famers, and in a franchise built on star power, that leaves a pretty loaded list of what-ifs.
Ted Kluszewski belongs near the top of it. The sleeveless slugger of the 1950s made four All-Star teams in his career and looked every bit like a bat-first force who would have thrived in the Silver Slugger era. In 1954, Big Klu led the league with 49 home runs and 141 RBI, then finished second in the MVP race behind Willie Mays.
Frank Robinson never won a Silver Slugger either, simply because his career ended after the 1976 season. That’s a glaring omission for a player whose Hall of Fame line includes two MVPs, Rookie of the Year, 14 All-Star selections and two World Series championships. Over 21 seasons, Robinson was so dominant that he may have finished with more Silver Sluggers than Barry Bonds’ record total of 12.
Lee May doesn’t always get the same attention as some of the bigger Reds names, but 1969 was a monster year. The three-time All-Star put up an .860 OPS, hit 38 home runs and drove in 110 runs.
He even picked up some down-ballot MVP support. For plenty of Reds fans, though, he’s still most famous as the centerpiece of the trade that brought Joe Morgan to Cincinnati.
Johnny Bench would have been an easy call. Arguably the greatest catcher ever to play the game, Bench’s offensive peak came before the award existed, even though he kept producing long enough to play until 1983.
He was an All-Star for 13 straight seasons from 1968 through 1980 and blasted 355 home runs in that stretch. Mike Piazza owns the catcher record with 10 Silver Sluggers, but Bench’s timeline kept him from chasing it.
Tony Pérez also fits the profile of a player who would have collected plenty of hardware. The seven-time All-Star averaged 28 homers and 106 RBI per season from 1969-1975, and in 1970 he finished third in the MVP voting behind Johnny Bench and Billy Williams. A head-to-head battle with Willie Stargell would have made for some strong Silver Slugger races.
Wally Post rounds out the list, and the Ohio native had a season that would have screamed Silver Slugger. He spent 12 of his 15 major league seasons in right field for the Reds, but 1955 was his standout year. Post hit .309/.372/.574 with 40 home runs and 119 RBI, finishing sixth in the majors in homers behind Willie Mays, who led with 51.
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