Cincinnati Reds

Lore & Background

The origins of the modern Cincinnati Reds baseball team can be traced back to the expulsion from the National League of an earlier team bearing the same name. In 1876, Cincinnati became one of the charter members of the new National League, but the club ran afoul of league organizer William Hulbert for selling beer during games and renting out its ballpark on Sundays. On October 6, 1880, seven of the eight team owners adopted a pledge to ban both beer and Sunday baseball. Only Cincinnati president W. H. Kennett refused to sign, so the other owners preemptively expelled Cincinnati. Cincinnati's expulsion incensed Cincinnati Enquirer sports editor O. P. Caylor, who formed a new independent ball club in the spring of 1881. The Reds' first game was a 12–3 victory over the St. Louis club. Caylor and former Reds president Justus Thorner later helped form the American Association, and the new Reds became a charter member. Led by Hick Carpenter, Bid McPhee, and Will White, Cincinnati won the inaugural AA pennant in 1882. The Reds left the American Association on November 14, 1889, and joined the National League. In 1912, the club opened Redland Field (renamed Crosley Field in 1934). The 1919 team won the NL pennant and then the World Series over the Chicago White Sox. By 1931, the team was bankrupt. Powel Crosley, Jr. bought the Reds out of bankruptcy in 1933 and hired Larry MacPhail as general manager. Crosley Field hosted the first night game in 1935. Johnny Vander Meer threw back-to-back no-hitters in 1938. The Reds won the World Series in 1940.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Shea Stadium was thick with humidity and tension as the seventh inning of Game 7 began. Tom Seaver stood on the mound, his windup deliberate against the backdrop of a roaring New York crowd, while across the diamond, Pete Rose adjusted his batting gloves, eyes locked on the pitcher. The fate of the pennant hung in the balance between the gritty determination of the Mets and the polished might of the Big Red Machine.

Reader's Guide

The Reds have won five World Series championships, nine NL pennants, one AA pennant, and 10 division titles. They are generally considered the most dominant team of the 1970s, winning the NL pennant five times and the World Series twice during that decade. The team's overall win–loss record from 1882 to 2025 is not fully specified in the source. The Reds play at Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003. Bob Castellini has been CEO since 2006.

Did You Know?

• The Reds were a charter member of the American Association in 1882 before joining the National League in 1890.
• The team was colloquially known as the 'Big Red Machine' in the 1970s and included Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, and Tony Pérez.
• Crosley Field hosted the first night game in Major League Baseball in 1935.
• Johnny Vander Meer is the only pitcher in major league history to throw back-to-back no-hitters, doing so in 1938.