The Reds are managed by Dusty Baker, a former star major league player who has been a successful manager for the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs. Since 2003, the Reds have played their home games in Great American Ball Park. The Reds have enjoyed random success over their 125-plus years. They won the AA's inaugural season in 1882, and did not win another championship until 1919. They were also competitive in the late 1930s, and from the late 1950s well into the 1970s. Their most recent World Series championship came in 1990.
History The Original "Red Stockings" The original Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball's first openly all-professional team, were founded as an amateur club in 1863, and became fully professional in 1869. The Red Stockings won 130 straight games throughout 1869 and 1870, before being defeated by the Brooklyn Atlantics. The 1869 Red Stockings made an eastern swing of 21 games and went undefeated.
1990, Reds Under Lou Piniella
In 1990, the Reds under new manager Lou Piniella shocked baseball by leading the NL West from wire-to-wire. They started off 33-12, winning their first 9 games, and maintained their lead throughout the year. The Reds swept the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in four straight. The sweep of the Oakland Athletics extended the Reds winning streak in the World Series to 9 consecutive games.
Reds in 1993 For the 1993 season Piniella was replaced by fan favorite Tony Perez, but he lasted only 44 games at the helm, replaced by Davey Johnson. With Johnson steering the team, the Reds made steady progress upward. By 1995, the Reds won the division thanks to Most Valuable Player Barry Larkin. After defeating the NL West champion Dodgers in the first NLDS since 1981, they lost to the Atlanta Braves.
Reds in 1999 In 1999 the Reds won 96 games, led by manager Jack McKeon, but lost to the New York Mets in a one game playoff. Riverfront Stadium was demolished in 2002 and ended an era marked by three world championships. Great American Ball Park opened in 2003 with high expectations for a team led by local favorites, including franchise outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr., shortstop Barry Larkin, reliever Danny Graves and first baseman Sean Casey. Although attendance improved considerably with the new ballpark, the team continued to lose.
The 2004 and 2005 seasons continued the trend of big hitting and poor pitching and ultimately poor records. Like many other small market clubs, the Reds dispatched some of their veteran players and began entrusting their future to a young nucleus that includes Adam Dunn, Ryan Freel, and Aaron Harang.
The Opening of Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Late summer, 2004 saw the opening of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. The Reds HOF had been in existence in "name only" since the 1950s, with player plaques, photos and other memorabilia scattered throughout front office store rooms and hallways. Ownership and management desired a stand-alone facility, where the public could walk through inter-active displays, see locker-room recreations, watch videos of classic Reds moments and peruse historical items from the Reds' long history.
For Opening Day 2006, President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch, becoming the first sitting president to throw out the first pitch at a Reds game.
Reds in 2006 2006 also began a new era in Reds baseball as fruit and vegetable wholesaler Robert Castellini took over as owner, assuming control of the team from Lindner. Castellini promptly fired general manager Dan O'Brien. Arroyo made his first start in a Reds uniform on April 5, 2006.
Reds in 2007 The 2007 season saw many returning faces but was ultimately delayed in mediocrity. The Reds ended up posting a winning record under Mackanin, but finished the season in 5th place in the Central Division.
Logos and Uniforms Over the years, red has been the key color in the Reds' on-field ensembles. However, there have been some significant deviations from this standard, as reflected by the club's recent (but now past) uniforms, which featured black as a major trim style.
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