Established
1882
City
Cincinnati
League History
2000 – Present / Major League Baseball
1890 – 1999 / National League
1882 – 1889 / American Association
Team History
1958 – Present / Cincinnati Reds
1953 – 1958 / Cincinnati Redlegs
1890 – 1953 / Cincinnati Reds
1882 – 1889 / Cincinnati Red Stockings
Nickname
Redlegs – When it comes to sports, no team is more iconic than the Cincinnati Reds. As one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), they have a long and storied history that dates back to 1882 when they were known as the Cincinnati Red Stockings. But what many fans may not know is that their nickname has an interesting origin story—one steeped in history and controversy.
This team's original name was "Redlegs," which came about due to anti-German sentiment during World War I and II when many people associated German immigrants with communism or socialism because of their political beliefs at home. This led some baseball executives at the time to rename them from “Reds” (which had been used since 1890) out of fear that it would be too closely associated with these ideologies; thus, “Redlegs” became their new moniker instead.
However, after a few years without much fanfare around this change—and after World War II ended—the name reverted to its original form: The Cincinnati Reds! Although there are still some who remember those days as being part of an ugly period in American history where innocent people were persecuted simply because they held different opinions than others did politically speaking, thankfully, we can now look past all that negativity and recognize how great our beloved hometown baseball team truly is!
Championship
World Series 0
1990, 1976, 1975, 1940, 1919
Stadium
2003 – Present / Great American Ball Park
1997 – 2002 / Riverfront Stadium
1996 – 2002 / Cinergy Field
1912 – 1970 / Crosley Field
1912 – 1934 / Redland Field
1902 – 1911 / Palace of the Fans
1894 – 1901 / League Park II
1890 – 1893 / League Park I
1884 – 1889 / American Park
1882 – 1883 / Bank Street Grounds
Owner
2006 – Present / Robert Castellini
1998 – 2006 / Carl Lindner, Jr.
1984 – 1998 / Marge Schott
1980 – 1984 / William & James Williams
1973 – 1980 / Louis Nippert
1967 – 1973 / Francis L. Dale
1961 – 1967 / Bill DeWitt
1933 – 1961 / Powel Crosley, Jr.
1929 – 1933 / Sidney Weil
1927 – 1929 / C. J. McDiarmid
1902 – 1927 / August Herrmann
1890 – 1902 / John T. Brush
1882 – 1890 / Justus Thorner
- 1954
-
Redlegs Time
In April 1953, the Reds, fearing that their traditional club nickname would associate them with the threat of Communism, officially changed the name of the team to the “Cincinnati Redlegs”. From 1956 to 1960, the club’s logo was altered to remove the term “REDS” from the inside of the “wishbone C” symbol. The “REDS” reappeared on the 1961 uniforms, but ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Redlegs
The Cincinnati Redlegs, previously known as the Cincinnati Red Stockings, is one of the oldest and most successful teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). Founded in 1876, they have won five World Series titles and nine National League pennants. The team had had a long history of success that dates back to their first season when they finished second place in the National Association. Since then, they have been consistently competitive, with some of baseball's greatest players, like Pete Rose and Johnny Bench, leading them to glory.
In 1969-1970 “The Big Red Machine” was born under manager Sparky Anderson who led them to four division championships between 1970-1976 while becoming one of only two teams ever to win back-to-back World Series titles twice (1975 & 1976). This era included Hall Of Famers such as Joe Morgan, Tony Perez & George Foster, who made up what is arguably considered by many historians as one of baseball's greatest dynasties ever assembled on any single team over a short span.
In 1990 led by future Hall Of Famer Barry Larkin along with Chris Sabo & Eric Davis, Cincinnati captured its fifth world series title against Oakland Athletics, ending an incredible run for this legendary franchise that lasted more than 100 years after its inception. Until now, Cincinnati Reds experienced ups and downs but remained competitive, thanks primarily to young core talents such as Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez, and Luis Castillo.
It’s safe to say that since day 1, this historical organization has left quite a mark on the MLB landscape not just because of all those astounding achievements but also how much it means to fans from the Queen City region. After all these years, we can proudly declare: Play Ball!
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
1 / Fred Hutchinson
5 / Johnny Bench
8 / Joe Morgan
10 / Sparky Anderson
11 / Barry Larkin
13 / Dave Concepción
14 / Pete Rose
18 / Ted Kluszewski
20 / Frank Robinson
24 / Tony Pérez
42 / Jackie Robinson
*Blue is this team’s history