Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park
The Cincinnati Reds are one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball. The team has won five World Series titles, including back-to-back wins in 1975 and 1976, and nine National League pennants. Since 2018, the Reds have been managed by David Bell. The Reds play their home games at the riverfront Great American Ball Park, which has a capacity of over 42,000. The venue opened in 2003 and was built right next to the team's old ballpark, Cinergy Field, which was then torn down.
Cincinnati Reds History
The Cincinnati franchise was founded in 1881 and was an independent team for a year before joining the American Association in 1882. At the time, the team was known as the Red Stockings, a name they kept until 1889. Starting with the 1890 season — the year the team joined the fledgling National League — they were known as the Reds. Save for a brief period in the mid ‘50s when they were called the Redlegs, the nickname stuck.
Early on, the team played home games at several ballparks before settling in at Crosley Field in 1912. The team played there before moving into Riverfront Stadium (later to be called Cinergy Field) in 1970. The Reds currently play in the National League Central, although their main rival is their Ohio counterpart in the American League, the Cleveland Indians.
Historically, the Reds have fielded some of the fiercest squads of all time. After World War II, infielder Ted Kluszewski was the team's heavy hitter, until slugger Frank Robinson arrived and became known for his hitting prowess. In the '70s, the Big Red Machine — led by players such as Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Tony Pérez — dominated gameplay and won two World Series championships. Perhaps one of the team's most beloved players is Barry Larkin: A Cincinnati native, he played for the Reds from 1986 to 2004, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.
