Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Founded: 1869, 1882 or 1890, depending on the account. See below.

Formerly known as: The Red Stockings in the 19th century; the Redlegs, during the 1950s when the term "Red" carried connotations of communism.

Home ballpark: Cinergy Field, Cincinnati

Uniform colors: Red and white

Logo design: a red "C" with the word "REDS" inside

League pennants won: AA: 1882; NL: 1919, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1990

World Series championships won: 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990

Franchise history

The original Cincinnati Red Stockings[?], baseball's first openly all-professional team, was founded in 1869 and was a charter member of the National League in 1876, but was expelled from the league later, in part for violating league rules by serving beer to fans at games. When the American Association, a rival league, began play in 1882, it included a team from Cincinnati, which was also called the Red Stockings. By some accounts, the AA team switched leagues in 1890; by other accounts, the AA team folded the same year the new NL team started, and the new team simply signed many of the AA team's star players.

In any case, the current franchise won its first NL championship in 1919, albeit tainted by having been handed it by the Black Sox scandal. Another 20 years passed before their next, led by pitchers Paul Derringer[?] and Bucky Walters[?]. Their greatest success came in the 1970s, when the "Big Red Machine", managed by Sparky Anderson and featuring Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan[?] as well as Pete Rose, became the first NL team in 50 years to win back-to-back World Series. Their latest World Championship came in 1990, as the Reds led the National League through the entire season and swept the Oakland A's.

Players of note

Baseball Hall of Famers:

• Jake Beckley[?]
• Johnny Bench
• Jim Bottomley[?]
• Mordecai Brown[?]
• Charles Comiskey[?]
• Sam Crawford[?]
• Candy Cummings[?]
• Kiki Cuyler[?]
• Leo Durocher[?]
• Buck Ewing[?]
• Clark Griffith[?]
• Chick Hafey[?]
• Jesse Haines[?]
• Harry Heilmann[?]
• Miller Huggins[?]
• Joe Kelley[?]
• George Kelly[?]
• King Kelly[?]
• Ernie Lombardi[?]
• Rube Marquard[?]
• Christy Mathewson
• Bill McKechnie[?]
• Bid McPhee[?]
• Joe Morgan[?]
• Tony Perez
• Charles Radbourne[?]
• Eppa Rixey[?]
• Frank Robinson
• Edd Roush[?]
• Amos Rusie[?]
• Tom Seaver[?]
• Al Simmons[?]
• Joe Tinker[?]
• Dazzy Vance[?]
• Lloyd Waner[?]

Current stars:

• Ken Griffey Jr.[?]

Not to be forgotten:

• Dave Concepcion[?]
• Paul Derringer[?]
• Ken Griffey Sr.[?]
• Pete Rose
• Bucky Walters[?]

Retired numbers:

• 1 Fred Hutchison[?]
• 5 Johnny Bench
• 8 Joe Morgan[?]
• 10 Sparky Anderson
• 18 Ted Kluszewski[?]
• 20 Frank Robinson
• 24 Tony Perez
• 42 Jackie Robinson

Cincinnati Red official web site (http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cin/homepage/cin_homepage.jsp)