History of the Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds, one of baseball's oldest teams, is probably best known for its winning "Big Red Machine" team of the 1970s. During those years, the Reds went to the postseason six times and they won two World Series titles. Their best season was in 1975, when they had 108 wins and 54 losses.

1882-1889

The origins of the modern-day Cincinnati Reds began with the third Red Stockings team that was established in 1882. The first Red Stockings team eventually became the Atlanta Braves and the second team with that name was expelled from baseball in 1880.

The Cincinnati Red Stockings played in the American Association from 1882 until 1889, when it switched to the National League. With the change in leagues, the team also changed its name to the Cincinnati Reds.

The Red Stockings played at Bank Street Grounds in 1882 and 1883. They moved to League Park in 1884 and played there through 1901.

The Red Stockings had winning seasons from 1882 through 1885, and again from 1887 through 1889. Their best season was 1887 with 81 wins and 54 losses. They were managed by Pop Snyder from 1882 until he was replaced by Will White in 1884. Ollie Caylor took over as manager in 1885, and he managed the team for two seasons. Gus Schmelz managed them from 1887 through 1889.

The Red Stockings had one future Hall of Famer on their roster. Bid McPhee joined the team in 1882 and he played with them through 1899.

1890-1899

The Reds had winning seasons in 1890, 1892, 1893, and 1895 through 1899. Their best season was 1898, when they had 92 wins and 60 losses.

The Reds had three managers in the 1890s. Tom Loftus managed the team in 1890 and 1891. He was followed by Charlie Comiskey from 1892 through 1894, and Buck Ewing from 1895 through 1899.

1900-1909

Although the Reds had losing seasons in 1900 and 1901, fans could cheer for one of the their pitchers. Noodles Hahn pitched a no-hitter on July 12, 1900, and he led the National League in strikeouts in 1900 and 1901.

In 1902, the Reds' home games were moved to the Palace of the Fans. The new home resulted in winning seasons from 1903 through 1905, with their best season in 1904, when they had 88 wins and 65 losses. They didn't get to the World Series from 1900 through 1909.

The Reds had six managers in the first decade of the new century. Bob Allen was first, managing the team in 1900. Bid McPhee took over in 1901 and managed until he was replaced by Joe Kelley in 1902. Ned Hanlon was next, managing the Reds in 1906 and 1907. The last two managers were John Ganzel (1908) and Clark Griffith (1909-1911).

1910-1919

The Reds struggled from 1910 through 1916, finishing with losing seasons each year. Then in 1917, they finally had a winning season, but not one that was good enough to take them to the postseason. The same happened in 1918. One player who helped the Reds win games at the end of the decade was future Hall of Famer Ed Roush, who played with them from 1916 through 1926.

The Reds moved their home games to Crosley field in 1912. They continued to play there through 1970.

In 1919, the Reds finished with 96 wins and 44 losses and they won the NL pennant. They faced the Chicago White Sox in the World Series and they won their first World Series title. However, the title was tainted because several White Sox players agreed to fix the series in exchange for money.

Six managers led the Reds from 1910 through 1919. Hank O'Day replaced Clark Griffith in 1912. He was followed by Joe Tinker (1913), Buck Herzog (1914-1916), Christy Mathewson (1916-1918), and Pat Moran (1919-1923).

1920-1929

Although the Reds had seven winning seasons in the 1920s (1920, 1922-1926, 1928), they didn't get to the postseason in any of those years. Their best season was 1923, when they had 91 wins and 63 losses. Two players who helped them to winning seasons were future Hall of Famer Eppa Rixey and Dolf Lugue, who led major league pitchers in wins and ERA in 1923, and in ERA again in 1925.

The Reds finally had stability in leadership in the 1920s, with just two managers. Pat Moran led the team from 1920 through 1923, and Jack Hendricks managed them from 1924 through 1929.

1930-1939

In the early 1930s, the Cincinnati Reds were bankrupt and they were saved by Powel Crosley, Jr., who bought the team. Crosley hired Larry MacPhail as general manager and under the two men, the Reds once again had the beginnings of a good team.

After nine years of losing seasons, the Reds had a winning season in 1938. The following season, they had 97 wins and 57 losses and they won the NL pennant. They lost the World Series in 1939 to the New York Yankees.

The Reds had several future Hall of Fame players on their roster during the 1930s. Ernie Lombardi and Chick Hafey joined the team in 1932, and Kiki Cuyler joined them in 1935. In 1939, they had pitcher Bucky Walters, who won the AL Triple Crown and MVP award that year. He led all major league pitchers in ERA in 1939 and 1940, and he led the NL in wins in 1939, 1940, and 1944.

One problem the Reds faced in the first eight years of the decade was constantly changing leadership. They had five managers during that time - Dan Howley (1930-1932), Donie Bush (1933), Bob O'Farrell (1934), Chuck Dressen (1935-1937), and Bobby Wallace (25 games in 1937). Bill McKechnie took over in 1938, and he continued to manage the Reds through 1946.

1940-1949

The Reds started the 1940s with a winning season. They finished the 1940 season with 100 wins and 53 losses and another NL pennant. They faced the Detroit Tigers and won their second World Series title.

The Reds continued to have winning seasons in 1941, 1943, and 1944, before going into a downslide. After losing seasons in 1945 and 1946, Bill McKechnie was replaced as manager by Johnny Nuen in 1947. Nuen lasted only until 1948, when he was replaced by Bucky Walters. Luke Sewell took over in 1949.

1950-1959

The Reds continued to have losing seasons in 1950 and 1951. Rogers Hornsby took over as manager in 1952, but he wasn't able to lead the team to winning seasons in 1952 or 1953.

The Reds changed their name to the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1954. They kept that name until 1959, when the name was changed back to the Cincinnati Reds.

In the mid to late 1950s, the Cincinnati Reds started to acquire key players, including future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. They changed managers again in 1954, this time hiring Birdie Tebbetts, who led the team to winning seasons in 1956 and 1957. He was replaced by Jimmy Dykes in 1958. Mayo Smith and Fred Hutchinson managed the team in 1959. Dykes, Smith, and Hutchinson were all unsuccessful in leading the team to winning seasons.

1960-1969

With the power of players like Robinson and good pitching, the Reds won the National League pennant in 1961. They had 93 wins and 61 losses that year. They faced the Yankees in the World Series and lost the series in five games.

The Reds had winning seasons from 1961 through 1965 under managers Fred Hutchinson (1960-1964) and Dick Sisler (1964-1965). Dave Bristol took over in 1966, and he led the Reds to winning seasons in 1967, 1968, and 1969.

During the 1960s, the Reds started nurturing a group of rookies that, in the 1970s, would be part of one of baseball's best teams. Included in this group were Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Lee May, Dave Concepcion, and Gary Nolan.

In 1969, the Reds were moved to the newly formed NL West division.

1970-1979

The Reds started the 1970s in a new ballpark, Riverfront Stadium. They also started with a new manager, Sparky Anderson, who would lead the new, young Reds players to almost a decade of championship seasons. In 1970, the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine" won the first of six National League West division titles (1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979) and the first of four National League pennants (1970, 1972, 1975, 1976).

The Reds had 102 wins and 60 losses in 1970. They won the NL pennant by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS, but they lost the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles. They had a losing season in 1971, but they came back in 1972 to win 95 games and lose 59. They again defeated the Pirates in the NLCS, but lost the World Series to the Oakland Athletics. After winning the NL West division title again in 1973, with 99 wins and 63 losses, they lost the pennant race to the New York Mets.

In 1975, the Reds had 108 wins to 54 losses. Once again, they won the NL pennant by defeating the Pirates in the NLCS. They then went on to win the World Series title by defeating the Boston Red Sox. The next year, with 102 wins and 60 losses, they won another NL pennant, this time defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. They then won their second consecutive World Series title by defeating the Yankees.

The end of the 1976 World Series saw the beginning of the end of the Big Red Machine. First, Tony Perez was traded to the Montreal Expos in 1976, a year later, Gary Nolan was traded to the Angels, and in 1978, Pete Rose left as a free agent to the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1979, Sparky Anderson was fired by the new general manager, Dick Wagner, and he was replaced by John McNamara. The only good acquisition made during those years was Tom Seaver, who helped the remaining Reds, that included Bench, Joe Morgan, Concepcion, Ray Knight, and Ken Griffey (senior), win one more National League West division title in 1979. They lost the pennant to the Pirates in the NLCS.

1980-1989

The Reds had a winning season in 1980, but this was followed by four years of losing seasons. Seaver left the Reds prior to the 1983 season, and Bench retired at the end of the season. Russ Nixon replaced McNamara as manager in 1982.

Pete Rose was hired as the Reds player-manager in 1984 and the team improved under his leadership. He led the team to winning seasons from 1985 through 1988. Two players who also helped the team during this time were Dave Parker and future Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. Parker won Silver Slugger awards in 1985 and 1986, and he led the NL in RBIs in 1985.

1990-1999

In 1990, Lou Piniella was the new Reds manager and he led the team to a winning season and the NL West division title. They then went on to defeat the Pirates in the NLCS to win the NL pennant. They faced the Athletics in the World Series and won the series. Reds' pitcher Jose Rijo was named the World Series MVP in 1990.

Piniella continued to manage the Reds through 1992, and he led them to a winning season in 1992 but no postseason play. In 1993, Tony Perez managed the team for 44 games before being replaced by Davey Johnson, who managed the team through 1995. Rijo again showed his dominance as a pitcher in 1993, leading the NL in strikeouts.

The Reds were moved to the NL Central division in 1994. The following year, Johnson led them to a winning season and the division title. They then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, but they lost the NLCS to the Atlanta Braves.

Ray Knight took over as manager in 1996, and he was replaced by Jack McKeon in 1997. The Reds had losing seasons in 1996, 1997, and 1998, but in 1999, McKeon led them to 96 wins and 67 losses. However, even with a strong season, and a NL Manager of the Year, they didn't get to the postseason in 1999.

2000-2009

Under Jack McKeon's leadership, the Reds had a winning season in 2000 with 85 wins and 75 losses. That was their only winning season in the first decade of the new century. It was also the year when Ken Griffey, Jr. joined the team.

The Reds had four managers from 2001 through 2007. Bob Boone managed from 2001 until 2003, when Dave Miley took over. That year, the Reds moved their home games to a new stadium, the Great American Ballpark. Miley continued to manage the team until Jerry Narron took over in 2005. Pete Mackanin replaced Narron in 2007.

The Reds started building a winning team again in the mid-2000s with the acquisition of players like second baseman Brandon Phillips, first baseman Joey Votto, outfielder Jay Bruce, and pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto. In 2008, Dusty Baker was hired to manage the team.

2010-2018

Under the leadership of Baker, the Reds had winning seasons in 2010, 2012, and 2013. They won the NL Central division title in 2010 with 91 wins and 71 losses, but they lost the NLDS to the Phillies. They again finished in first place in the division in 2012, with 97 wins and 65 losses. Once again they lost the NLDS, this time to the Giants.

Although the Reds finished in third place in the NL Central division in 2013, their 90 wins earned them a Wild Card spot. They lost the Wild Card game to the Pirates and Baker was fired as their manager.

In 2014, under new manager Bryan Price, the Reds started a downhill slide, finishing in fourth place in the NL Central division with 76 wins and 86 losses. The following four seasons were worse, with last place finishes in the division and never more than 68 wins each year. Bryce was fired in the middle of the 2018 season and replaced by interim manager Jim Riggleman. David Bell has been hired to manage the Reds in 2018.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Cincinnati Reds
Baseball Reference - Cincinnati Reds