By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Steven M. Herppich
Reggie Sanders, Lou Piniella, Aaron Harang, and Brandon Phillips will be inducted into the 2026 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
Harang and Phillips are part of the Modern Player Ballot Induction. Sanders and Piniella were chosen from the Veterans Committee Inductees.
Former outfielder Sanders spent eight of his 17 MLB seasons with the Reds. The 58-year-old will finally get the recognition he deserves, and Reds fans are happy for him. Sanders’ best season with the Reds came in 1995. He finished the season batting .306 with 28 home runs, 99 RBIs, 36 doubles, 148 hits in 133 games. The Reds made the playoffs that year but lost to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.
Sanders was a tremendous hitter and had speed. He was a double threat on the field. He is one of the few players in MLB history to record over 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases.
Piniella managed the Ress for three seasons from 1990 to 1992. Under his leadership, the Reds won the World Series, defeating the Oakland Athletics. The Reds had two winning seasons under Piniella. In 1990, the Reds finished 91-71. In 1992, they finished 90-72, but missed the playoffs. The Reds haven’t won a World Series since 1990.
Harang played for eight seasons for the Reds. His best year came in 2006. Harang led the National League in strikeouts (216) and recorded six complete games. Harang won 16 games that season.
Phillips was one of the best second basemen of his era, especially in the early 2010s. He earned four gold glove awards, was a three-time all-star, and a silver slugger award winner in 2011. The Reds’ best seasons during Phillips’ tenure came in 2010 and 2012. They won the NL Central in both seasons. The 2012 team was a fun team to watch. If only they could’ve beaten the San Francisco Giants in the division series.
Congratulations to all four men. They represented the city of Cincinnati with grace and dignity.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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