Cincinatti Reds history

The original Cincinnati Red Stockings were founded as an amateur club in 1863. By 1869 they became fully professional, and were baseballs first openly all-professional team. Between 1869 and1870, the Red Stockings won 130 straight games, before being defeated by the Brooklyn Atlantics. Star players for the Red Stockings included Fred Waterman, brothers Harry and George Wright, and pitcher Asa Brainard.

After the 1870 season, the Red Stockings best players relocated to Boston, taking the nickname along with them and becoming the Boston Red Stockings. A new Cincinnati Red Stockings team became charter members of the National League in 1876. After the 1880 season, the second Red Stocking team was expelled from the league for violating the league rule by selling beer to fans at games and for renting out their ballpark, the Bank Street Grounds, on Sundays.

Following their removal from the National League, a third Cincinnati team with the same name became a founding member of the American Association. The team played in the American Association for eight years, winning the first pennant in the league in 1882. In 1889, the Red Stockings and the Brooklyn Dodgers both left the American Association for the National League. In the process, Cincinnati dropped “Stockings” from their name.

At the turn of the century, the Reds had stars such as Sam Crawford and CY Seymour. Seymour .377 average in 1905 was the first batting crown won by a Red. Bob Bescher stole 81 bases in 1911 which is still a team record.

In 1919, new manager Pat Moran led the Reds to the NL pennant. The team had hitting stars such led by Edd Rush and Heinie Groh while the pitching staff was led by Hod Eller, Harry Sallee and Jake Daubert. In the World Series, the Reds faced the powerful Chicago White Sox, who was the heavy favorite. Many experts thought the Reds didn’t stand a chance. The World Series was extended to a best-of-nine affair for extra revenue, and the Reds won in eight.

After their World Series triumph, suspicions were raised that the White Sox threw the series. In 1920, the eight White Sox who were tried for fixing the World Series we’re acquitted. Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis thought they were guilty even though they were acquitted and one of his first acts as commissioner was to ban the eight members of the “Black Sox” for life.

By 1930, thanks to the Great Depression, the team was bankrupt. In 1933, Powel Crosley Jr. bought the Reds out of bankruptcy and hired Larry MacPhial as the general manager. On April 16, 1934, the Reds board of directors renamed Redland Field to “Crosley Field” in honor of their new team owner. On June 8, 1934, the Reds were the first team to travel by plane from one city to another. In 1935, Crosley Field was the scene of the MLB’s first night game.

In 1939, the Reds finished the season with a 97-57 record. Thanks to Johnny Meer, Paul Derringer and Bucky Walters, the Reds had a solid pitching staff. Ernie Lombardi was the NL’s MVP, while Frank McCormick, Harry Craft, Lonney Fay, Ival Goodman and Lew Riggs helped the Reds win the NL pennant, under manager Bill McKechnie. The Reds didn’t stand a chance against the New York Yankees as they were swept in four straight games.

In 1940, the Reds won 100 games, the first 100 win season in franchise history. Led by NL MVP Frank McCormick, the Reds won their second NL pennant. The Reds won the World Series in seven games against the Detroit Tigers, giving the NL its first World Series victory since 1934. Forty-year-old catcher Jimmy Wilson, playing for the injured Ernie Lombardi, was the unlikely hero, with a series average of .353.

In 1944, the Reds wartime search for talent reached an extreme when they used 15-year-old pitcher Joe Nuxhall in one game. He returned to high school with a ML ERA of 45.00. In 1947, Ewell Blackwell set the NL record for right-handers and a club record by winning his sixteenth consecutive start.

During the early 1950s, Cincinnati changed their nickname to the Redlegs in fear of the franchise being associated with communism.

In 1956, led by the NL Rookie of the Year Frank Robinson, the Reds set a team record (since broken) by hitting eight home runs in one game while destroying the Milwaukee Braves, 13-4. For the season, the Reds would hit 221 home runs to tie the National League record.

In 1961, the Reds, led by Robinson, Vada Pinson, Wally Post, Gordy Coleman and Gene Freese, the Reds had one of the best offenses in the league, while pitchers Joey Jay, Jim O’Toole and Bob Purkey led the staff. Under new manager Fred Hutchinson, the Reds clinched the NL pennant with a 93-61 record. The arms of the Reds couldn’t stave off the Yankees latest edition of Murderer’s Row as New York routed the Reds in five games.

During the early 1960s, the Reds farm system began producing future stars, such as, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, Johnny Bench, Lee Ray, Tommy Helms, Hal McRae and Gary Nolan.

In 1962, the Reds won 98 games, but finished third. In 1964, beloved leader and manager Fred Hutchinson died of cancer just before the end of the season. After the failure of not winning the pennant in 1964, owner Bill Dewitt executed one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history, after trading former MVP Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for pitchers Milt Papas and Jack Baldschun, and outfielder Dick Simpson. The Reds did not recover from that trade until the Big Red Machine of the 1970s.

In 1968, Riverfront Stadium opens as 51, 050 fans attended to see the Reds host the Atlanta Braves. The Braves won as Hank Aaron hit the stadium’s first home run.

In 1970, the Reds fortunes began to change when George “Sparky” Anderson became manager. That move began a decade of excellence, with a team that came to be known as “The Big Red Machine”. The Reds started off the 70s by winning 70 of their first 100 games, led by Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Lee May and Bobby Tolan the Reds won the NL West and defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS to earn a trip to the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. In the World Series, the Reds only won one game as the Orioles beat the Reds four games to one.

The Reds success was attributed by the trade for Joe Morgan and the signing of George Foster. In 1972, The Reds won the NL West and then beat the Pirates in the NLCS in five games. The Reds faced off against the Oakland A’s in the World Series. Six of the seven games were won by one point. The A’s would go on to beat the Reds in seven games.

In 1975, the Reds were back at it again, as the club finished the season with a 64-17 record at Riverfront Stadium and a club record 108 regular season wins. Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine ran away with the West, boasting an All-Star lineup that included league MVP Joe Morgan (.327 average, 94 RBI), Johnny Bench (110 RBI), Pete Rose (210 hits, 47 doubles), Tony Perez (109 RBI), Ken Griffey (.305), Dave Consepcion (.274), and George Foster (.300, 23 home runs).

The Reds swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1975 NLCS, and then went on to face the Boston Red Sox, in a dramatic seven game World Series. One of the memorable moments came in game six when both teams battled into the the bottom of the 12th inning, when Carlton Fisk blasted a long fly ball to left, Fisk praying the ball stays far, watched as the ball landed into the stands for a home run. The Reds pulled out the World Series in seven games, in which many call the World Series that helped spark baseball’s popularity which soared in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.

In 1976, the Big Red Machine continued to roll mightily along in the West, winning 102 games. Baseball’s best second baseman, Joe Morgan, walked away with his second consecutive NL MVP. The rest of the Big Red Machine scored 857 runs, 232 more than any other NL West team. The Reds won the NL West, then defeated the Phillies in three games in the NLCS. The Reds dismantled the Yankees in four straight games for their second straight World Series title as Johnny Bench led all World Series hitters with a .533 BA and six RBI.

In 1976, the Reds made unpopular personnel changes, sending fan favorite Tony Perez to the Expos after the season. The Reds finished 10 games behind the Dodgers and missed the postseason. There were some bright moments in 1976 as George Foster hit a club record with 52 home runs and won the NL MVP Award and Tom Seaver (who was traded to the Reds from the New York Mets), posted a 14-3 record.

In 1979, the Reds won the NL West behind the pitching of Tom Seaver but were dismantled by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 1981, the Reds had the best record in baseball, but didn’t make the playoffs. Due to an unusual “split-season” format, the Reds do not qualify for the postseason. Outraged fans proclaimed “We Wuz Robbed”

After the disappointment of 1981, the Reds began to dismantle, Griffey, Foster and collins were traded. After the 1982 season the Reds lost pitcher Tom Seaver, signaling the end of an era. By the end of the 1984 season, Pete Rose was hired to become the Reds manager/player. The Reds also drafted star rookie Eric Davis in 1984.

On September 11, 1985, Pete Rose became MLB’s all-time hit’s leader with a single to left centerfield off San Diego’s Eric Show for career hit number 4,192.

In 1988, third baseman Chris Sabo won the National League Rookie of the Year. In 1989, Pete Rose was banned from baseball for life when he admitted he gambled on baseball.

General Manager Murray Cook initiated a series of trades that bought the team future stars such as Danny Jackson and Jose Rijo Along with Barry Larkin, Paul O’neal, Hal Morris, Billy Hatcher, Randy Myers, Eric Davis and Chris Sabo, the Reds seemed destined for greatness.

The Reds won 91 games in 1990 under new manager Lou Piniella. The Reds won their first game and never looked back, leading the NL West from wire to wire. The Reds boasted a brilliant bullpen duo known as the ‘Nasty Boys.” Randy Myers saved 31 games, while Rob Dibble struck out 136 batters in 98 innings.

In the NLCS, the Reds defeated the Pirates four games to two. The Reds faced off against the Oakland A’s in the World Series. Most experts predicted Oakland’s mighty A’s would destroy the Reds, but it wasn’t to be. Instead the world saw Cincinnati defeat the A’s in the biggest upset in the World Series since 1969. Pitcher Jose Rijo won two games for the Reds and was awarded the MVP of the series. Overall, the Reds outscored the A’s 22-8 and won their first World Series since 1976.

Before the 1992 season, Eric Davis was traded to the Dodgers for pitcher Bob Welch. Manager Lou Piniella wanted Paul O’Neal to become the team’s power hitter after the departure of Eric Davis, but O’Neal only hit .246 with 14 home runs. The Reds won 90 games in 1992, but still finished in second place in the NL West. After the 1992 season, O’Neal was traded to the New York Yankees for Roberto Kelly. O’Neal would lead an up and coming Yankee team to several AL pennants and postseason appearances.

Before the 1993 season, manager Lou Piniella was replaced by fan favorite Tony Perez. Perez only lasted 44 games and was replaced and was replaced by Davey Johnson. In 1994, the Reds were placed in the newly-created National League Central Division. In 1995, the Reds won the division by winning 85 games, thanks to the play of NL MVP Barry Larkin who set a club record for shortstops with a .319 batting average and a modern club record of 51 stolen bases. After defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, they lost to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.

After the 1995 season, manager Davey Johnson was fired and replaced by Ray Knight, a close friend of owner Marge Schott. In 1999, the Reds won 96 games under manager Jack Mckeon, but lost to the New York Mets in a one game playoff. Earlier in the season, Schott sold controlling interest in the Reds to businessman Carl Linder. In 2002, Riverfront Stadium was demolished, ending an era that saw three World Series championships.

In 2003, the Great American Ballpark opened with great expectations as the Reds were led by outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. In their first season under manager Dave Miley, the Reds jumped off to a surprising start, finishing the first half of the season six games above. 500, however injuries plagued the team and the Reds fell out of playoff contention. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 500 career home run in 2003 before injuring his hamstring and Danny Graves became the clubs all-time leader in saves.

In 2006, the Reds began a new era when fruit and vegetable wholesaler Robert Castellini took over as manager. Castellini fired general manager Dan O’Brian replacing him with Wayne Krivsky. On Opening Day 2006, President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch, making him the first president to throw out the first pitch at a Reds game. Pitchers Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo became a formidable 1-2 punch for the rotation. Harang led the NL in strikeouts with 216 and tied the NL in wins with 16. Arroyo led the NL in innings pitched with 240 2/3. Even with great pitching, the Reds finished the season 80-82.

In 2007, the Reds finished the season 72-90, finishing fifth place in the NL Central. On July 1, Jerry Narrron was dismissed as manager after 31-51 start and Pete Mackanin was named a replacement on an interim basis. Following up on a great 2006 season, Harang was back among the NL leaders in several pitching categories including wins, innings and strikeouts. Owners of the worst team ERA, the bullpen was often unable to hold leads or keep games close in the middle or last innings. Adam Dunn led the team in home runs with 40

The original Cincinnati Red Stockings were founded as an amateur club in 1863. By 1869 they became fully professional, and were baseballs first openly all-professional team. Between 1869 and1870, the Red Stockings won 130 straight games, before being defeated by the Brooklyn Atlantics. Star players for the Red Stockings included Fred Waterman, brothers Harry and George Wright, and pitcher Asa Brainard.

After the 1870 season, the Red Stockings best players relocated to Boston, taking the nickname along with them and becoming the Boston Red Stockings. A new Cincinnati Red Stockings team became charter members of the National League in 1876. After the 1880 season, the second Red Stocking team was expelled from the league for violating the league rule by selling beer to fans at games and for renting out their ballpark, the Bank Street Grounds, on Sundays.

Following their removal from the National League, a third Cincinnati team with the same name became a founding member of the American Association. The team played in the American Association for eight years, winning the first pennant in the league in 1882. In 1889, the Red Stockings and the Brooklyn Dodgers both left the American Association for the National League. In the process, Cincinnati dropped “Stockings” from their name.

At the turn of the century, the Reds had stars such as Sam Crawford and CY Seymour. Seymour .377 average in 1905 was the first batting crown won by a Red. Bob Bescher stole 81 bases in 1911 which is still a team record.

In 1919, new manager Pat Moran led the Reds to the NL pennant. The team had hitting stars such led by Edd Rush and Heinie Groh while the pitching staff was led by Hod Eller, Harry Sallee and Jake Daubert. In the World Series, the Reds faced the powerful Chicago White Sox, who was the heavy favorite. Many experts thought the Reds didn’t stand a chance. The World Series was extended to a best-of-nine affair for extra revenue, and the Reds won in eight.

After their World Series triumph, suspicions were raised that the White Sox threw the series. In 1920, the eight White Sox who were tried for fixing the World Series we’re acquitted. Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis thought they were guilty even though they were acquitted and one of his first acts as commissioner was to ban the eight members of the “Black Sox” for life.

By 1930, thanks to the Great Depression, the team was bankrupt. In 1933, Powel Crosley Jr. bought the Reds out of bankruptcy and hired Larry MacPhial as the general manager. On April 16, 1934, the Reds board of directors renamed Redland Field to “Crosley Field” in honor of their new team owner. On June 8, 1934, the Reds were the first team to travel by plane from one city to another. In 1935, Crosley Field was the scene of the MLB’s first night game.

In 1939, the Reds finished the season with a 97-57 record. Thanks to Johnny Meer, Paul Derringer and Bucky Walters, the Reds had a solid pitching staff. Ernie Lombardi was the NL’s MVP, while Frank McCormick, Harry Craft, Lonney Fay, Ival Goodman and Lew Riggs helped the Reds win the NL pennant, under manager Bill McKechnie. The Reds didn’t stand a chance against the New York Yankees as they were swept in four straight games.

In 1940, the Reds won 100 games, the first 100 win season in franchise history. Led by NL MVP Frank McCormick, the Reds won their second NL pennant. The Reds won the World Series in seven games against the Detroit Tigers, giving the NL its first World Series victory since 1934. Forty-year-old catcher Jimmy Wilson, playing for the injured Ernie Lombardi, was the unlikely hero, with a series average of .353.

In 1944, the Reds wartime search for talent reached an extreme when they used 15-year-old pitcher Joe Nuxhall in one game. He returned to high school with a ML ERA of 45.00. In 1947, Ewell Blackwell set the NL record for right-handers and a club record by winning his sixteenth consecutive start.

During the early 1950s, Cincinnati changed their nickname to the Redlegs in fear of the franchise being associated with communism.

In 1956, led by the NL Rookie of the Year Frank Robinson, the Reds set a team record (since broken) by hitting eight home runs in one game while destroying the Milwaukee Braves, 13-4. For the season, the Reds would hit 221 home runs to tie the National League record.

In 1961, the Reds, led by Robinson, Vada Pinson, Wally Post, Gordy Coleman and Gene Freese, the Reds had one of the best offenses in the league, while pitchers Joey Jay, Jim O’Toole and Bob Purkey led the staff. Under new manager Fred Hutchinson, the Reds clinched the NL pennant with a 93-61 record. The arms of the Reds couldn’t stave off the Yankees latest edition of Murderer’s Row as New York routed the Reds in five games.

During the early 1960s, the Reds farm system began producing future stars, such as, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, Johnny Bench, Lee Ray, Tommy Helms, Hal McRae and Gary Nolan.

In 1962, the Reds won 98 games, but finished third. In 1964, beloved leader and manager Fred Hutchinson died of cancer just before the end of the season. After the failure of not winning the pennant in 1964, owner Bill Dewitt executed one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history, after trading former MVP Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for pitchers Milt Papas and Jack Baldschun, and outfielder Dick Simpson. The Reds did not recover from that trade until the Big Red Machine of the 1970s.

In 1968, Riverfront Stadium opens as 51, 050 fans attended to see the Reds host the Atlanta Braves. The Braves won as Hank Aaron hit the stadium’s first home run.

In 1970, the Reds fortunes began to change when George “Sparky” Anderson became manager. That move began a decade of excellence, with a team that came to be known as “The Big Red Machine”. The Reds started off the 70s by winning 70 of their first 100 games, led by Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Lee May and Bobby Tolan the Reds won the NL West and defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS to earn a trip to the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. In the World Series, the Reds only won one game as the Orioles beat the Reds four games to one.

The Reds success was attributed by the trade for Joe Morgan and the signing of George Foster. In 1972, The Reds won the NL West and then beat the Pirates in the NLCS in five games. The Reds faced off against the Oakland A’s in the World Series. Six of the seven games were won by one point. The A’s would go on to beat the Reds in seven games.

In 1975, the Reds were back at it again, as the club finished the season with a 64-17 record at Riverfront Stadium and a club record 108 regular season wins. Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine ran away with the West, boasting an All-Star lineup that included league MVP Joe Morgan (.327 average, 94 RBI), Johnny Bench (110 RBI), Pete Rose (210 hits, 47 doubles), Tony Perez (109 RBI), Ken Griffey (.305), Dave Consepcion (.274), and George Foster (.300, 23 home runs).

The Reds swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1975 NLCS, and then went on to face the Boston Red Sox, in a dramatic seven game World Series. One of the memorable moments came in game six when both teams battled into the the bottom of the 12th inning, when Carlton Fisk blasted a long fly ball to left, Fisk praying the ball stays far, watched as the ball landed into the stands for a home run. The Reds pulled out the World Series in seven games, in which many call the World Series that helped spark baseball’s popularity which soared in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.

In 1976, the Big Red Machine continued to roll mightily along in the West, winning 102 games. Baseball’s best second baseman, Joe Morgan, walked away with his second consecutive NL MVP. The rest of the Big Red Machine scored 857 runs, 232 more than any other NL West team. The Reds won the NL West, then defeated the Phillies in three games in the NLCS. The Reds dismantled the Yankees in four straight games for their second straight World Series title as Johnny Bench led all World Series hitters with a .533 BA and six RBI.

In 1976, the Reds made unpopular personnel changes, sending fan favorite Tony Perez to the Expos after the season. The Reds finished 10 games behind the Dodgers and missed the postseason. There were some bright moments in 1976 as George Foster hit a club record with 52 home runs and won the NL MVP Award and Tom Seaver (who was traded to the Reds from the New York Mets), posted a 14-3 record.

In 1979, the Reds won the NL West behind the pitching of Tom Seaver but were dismantled by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 1981, the Reds had the best record in baseball, but didn’t make the playoffs. Due to an unusual “split-season” format, the Reds do not qualify for the postseason. Outraged fans proclaimed “We Wuz Robbed”

After the disappointment of 1981, the Reds began to dismantle, Griffey, Foster and collins were traded. After the 1982 season the Reds lost pitcher Tom Seaver, signaling the end of an era. By the end of the 1984 season, Pete Rose was hired to become the Reds manager/player. The Reds also drafted star rookie Eric Davis in 1984.

On September 11, 1985, Pete Rose became MLB’s all-time hit’s leader with a single to left centerfield off San Diego’s Eric Show for career hit number 4,192.

In 1988, third baseman Chris Sabo won the National League Rookie of the Year. In 1989, Pete Rose was banned from baseball for life when he admitted he gambled on baseball.

General Manager Murray Cook initiated a series of trades that bought the team future stars such as Danny Jackson and Jose Rijo Along with Barry Larkin, Paul O’neal, Hal Morris, Billy Hatcher, Randy Myers, Eric Davis and Chris Sabo, the Reds seemed destined for greatness.

The Reds won 91 games in 1990 under new manager Lou Piniella. The Reds won their first game and never looked back, leading the NL West from wire to wire. The Reds boasted a brilliant bullpen duo known as the ‘Nasty Boys.” Randy Myers saved 31 games, while Rob Dibble struck out 136 batters in 98 innings.

In the NLCS, the Reds defeated the Pirates four games to two. The Reds faced off against the Oakland A’s in the World Series. Most experts predicted Oakland’s mighty A’s would destroy the Reds, but it wasn’t to be. Instead the world saw Cincinnati defeat the A’s in the biggest upset in the World Series since 1969. Pitcher Jose Rijo won two games for the Reds and was awarded the MVP of the series. Overall, the Reds outscored the A’s 22-8 and won their first World Series since 1976.

Before the 1992 season, Eric Davis was traded to the Dodgers for pitcher Bob Welch. Manager Lou Piniella wanted Paul O’Neal to become the team’s power hitter after the departure of Eric Davis, but O’Neal only hit .246 with 14 home runs. The Reds won 90 games in 1992, but still finished in second place in the NL West. After the 1992 season, O’Neal was traded to the New York Yankees for Roberto Kelly. O’Neal would lead an up and coming Yankee team to several AL pennants and postseason appearances.

Before the 1993 season, manager Lou Piniella was replaced by fan favorite Tony Perez. Perez only lasted 44 games and was replaced and was replaced by Davey Johnson. In 1994, the Reds were placed in the newly-created National League Central Division. In 1995, the Reds won the division by winning 85 games, thanks to the play of NL MVP Barry Larkin who set a club record for shortstops with a .319 batting average and a modern club record of 51 stolen bases. After defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, they lost to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.

After the 1995 season, manager Davey Johnson was fired and replaced by Ray Knight, a close friend of owner Marge Schott. In 1999, the Reds won 96 games under manager Jack Mckeon, but lost to the New York Mets in a one game playoff. Earlier in the season, Schott sold controlling interest in the Reds to businessman Carl Linder. In 2002, Riverfront Stadium was demolished, ending an era that saw three World Series championships.

In 2003, the Great American Ballpark opened with great expectations as the Reds were led by outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. In their first season under manager Dave Miley, the Reds jumped off to a surprising start, finishing the first half of the season six games above. 500, however injuries plagued the team and the Reds fell out of playoff contention. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 500 career home run in 2003 before injuring his hamstring and Danny Graves became the clubs all-time leader in saves.

In 2006, the Reds began a new era when fruit and vegetable wholesaler Robert Castellini took over as manager. Castellini fired general manager Dan O’Brian replacing him with Wayne Krivsky. On Opening Day 2006, President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch, making him the first president to throw out the first pitch at a Reds game. Pitchers Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo became a formidable 1-2 punch for the rotation. Harang led the NL in strikeouts with 216 and tied the NL in wins with 16. Arroyo led the NL in innings pitched with 240 2/3. Even with great pitching, the Reds finished the season 80-82.

In 2007, the Reds finished the season 72-90, finishing fifth place in the NL Central. On July 1, Jerry Narrron was dismissed as manager after 31-51 start and Pete Mackanin was named a replacement on an interim basis. Following up on a great 2006 season, Harang was back among the NL leaders in several pitching categories including wins, innings and strikeouts. Owners of the worst team ERA, the bullpen was often unable to hold leads or keep games close in the middle or last innings. Adam Dunn led the team in home runs with 40