The name of the Cincinnati Reds was inspired by the name of an earlier club, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, which was the first completely professional baseball team. For eight months, this previous team paid 10 guys to play baseball for the Red Stockings. It was organized by Harry Wright, who also played center field for the squad and coordinated defensive positions, which was unusual at the time. The Red Stockings won its first game 1-0 against the Baltimore Orioles on July 4, 1875. They went on to win a total of two more games before finishing second in their division to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Wright later formed another franchise that would become known as the Cincinnati Reds. He used many of the same players for both teams, so it's possible that he sold or gave away the original Red Stockings logo and equipment. In any case, he was able to use these assets to start his new club right away because there were no other major league teams in Cincinnati at the time.
It's said that Wright chose the name "Reds" because they represented the red soil of Ohio. However, there are other stories about why he chose this name. One says that it was because the name sounded foreign or exotic to some people. Another says that it was because the name resembled the color of the soil in Cincinnati. Yet another says that it was because the name had recently been used by another team (more on them later).
Whatever the reason, the name has since become synonymous with quality baseball.
The Cincinnati Reds, a baseball club that dates back to the first professional organization in 1869, got its moniker from the uniforms worn by the players. The Red Stockings were named from the brilliant red knee-high socks worn by the players, known as ballists at the time. After several name changes, the franchise finally settled on the present one in 1972.
They started out as the Louisville Grays, then the Baltimore Canaries, and finally the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869. In 1876, they moved to Ohio where they have remained ever since. The team has won more than 400 games every year except for 1913 and 2014 when they finished second and third respectively. They have also appeared in six World Series, winning three of them - 1877, 1890, and 1995. Pitcher Johnny Vander Meer is considered the father of modern-day batting practice because he would throw balls at high velocity over the center-field fence to improve his own hitting skills.
The franchise's all-time leading hitter is Joe Morgan who played from 1951 to 1973. He is also the only player to win the MVP Award in both the National League and the American League. Third baseman Eddie Mathews is the only other player who has been voted onto the All-Star Team in both leagues. He played from 1950 to 1962. Left fielder Dave Parker was another great hitter who played from 1939 to 1946.
Red Stockings of Cincinnati Redlegs of Cincinnati Former Cincinnati Reds players The Cincinnati Reds, a baseball club that dates back to the first professional organization in 1869, got its moniker from the uniforms worn by the players. The team went on to win two National League pennants and one World Series title between 1876 and 1881.
The Reds played their home games at Cincinnati's Redland Stadium until 1950 when they moved into Great American Ball Park. They have won more than 400 games since 1970 and have never been defeated by San Diego Padres in a series game. The longest current streak of winning seasons is 13 years. Second place in franchise history belongs to the Milwaukee Braves with five consecutive winners seasons from 1955 to 1959. The Reds have made the playoffs 19 times and have never lost a best-of-five series. Their postseason record is 32-19.
Cincinnati has a long tradition of baseball excellence that includes many great players and coaches. Three Reds have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Johnny Bench (1990), Joe Morgan (1996) and Barry Larkin (2012). Others candidates include Fred Lewis (1995), Mike Mitchell (1997), Rudy Werner (1999), Bill Henry (2003), Lee Smith (2005) and Larry Jackson (2013).
Cincinnati Red Stockings The Cincinnati Red Stockings were founded in 1869 by Harry Wright, and the team played its home games at Union Grounds, which was located just west of downtown. The name was inspired by the high red socks or stockings that the squad donned with their knee-length slacks. In 1870, the team moved to Forest Park, which is now a major city park. They stayed there until 1876 when they left Ohio for the first time and traveled to New York City where they joined the National League.
The team won its first game against the Chicago White Stockings 4-3 before many thousands of fans at Union Grounds. It took several years before it became evident that the Red Stockings were the top baseball team in Cincinnati. In 1874, they defeated the White Stockings in all of their meetings that year - including two games decided by one run! The win put an end to the White Stockings' season and they failed to make it back to the World Series. In 1875, the Red Stockings repeated as champions of Ohio and Canada West (now Ontario) and made it back to the World Series for the first time. They lost to the Boston Beaneaters in seven games. In 1876, the team finally won its first World Championship when it beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in the final game of the series. After this victory, the Red Stockings became known as the best baseball team in America.
Cincinnati was a founder member of the National League when it was created in 1876, and the city once again enjoyed professional baseball. However, the Red Stockings were kicked out of the National League for serving alcohol at games and seeking to play on Sundays. In 1881, the club relocated to the American Association and was renamed the Reds. The new team played its home games at Cincinnati's Redland Baseball Park.
The original Red Stockings were a minor league team that disbanded after one season. The current Cincinnati Reds are one of two remaining members of the National League (the other being the Chicago Cubs).
The nickname "Reds" first appeared in an article in the New York Tribune in 1875. It was used as a joke by the writer who was mocking the ambitious nature of the team's owners by calling them the "Red Stockings."
The nickname is fitting because Cincinnati's original franchise was called the Red Stockings, before moving to Baltimore where they continued to use that name until 1877 when they became known as the Blue Jays. After one season, they moved back to Cincinnati where they have remained ever since.
One theory regarding the origin of the name "Reds" is that it was given to the team after George W. Redstock, the owner of a local liquor distillery, donated money to help build their new ballpark. Another story claims that the nickname originated with a group of young fans who wore red shirts during game days.
Cincinnati, OH Official website: www.cincinnati.reds.mlb.com The Cincinnati Reds are the major league's oldest professional baseball team. They were founded in 1881 as the Cincinnati Red Stockings because, you got it, they wore red stockings with their outfits. The original Red Stockings played in the National League for one season before moving to St. Louis where they became the Cardinals.
They're now called the Reds because "red" is what you wear when you lose 100 games straight-up and against the spread. The last time this happened was 1920, but who's counting?
The Reds have only had three presidents of the club: William Wrigley, Jr., Carl Lindner, and Bob Castellini. Wrigley was the man who brought baseball to Cincinnati. He also brought basketball's Chicago Black Hawks name and logo to town as a backup plan if baseball didn't work out. When baseball did work out, he just kept both teams names and logos because why not?
The Reds have only made the playoffs four times, most recently in 1990. They've lost every game they've played including an infamous seven-game series loss to George Brett's 1980 champion Kansas City Royals.
Overall, the Reds are one of baseball's best-known brands even though they haven't won anything since 1990.
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