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The Cincinnati Franchise was first organized in 1869 as the Cincinnati Red Stockings. When the National League was formed on February 2, 1876, the Cincinnati Red Stockings was one of the eight original charter teams. Of the eight original teams to form the National League, the Cincinnati franchise, now called the Reds, and the Chicago franchise, now known as the Cubs, are the only two franchises that remain. The Cincinnati Franchise is credited for having the first professional baseball team.
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In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings defeated the Mansfield Independents by a score of 48-14. This was the first time a team had been paid to play baseball.
During their first two years of existence, the Red Stockings won 130 consecutive games before losing to the Brooklyn Atlantics by a score of 8 to 7. The total salary for 1869 was $11,000.
In 1880 the Cincinnati Red Stockings were expelled from the National League for selling beer at the stadium. The National League had strict policy against selling beer to the spectators. In protest to the League’s policy on alcohol sales, the team formed another league, which was later disbanded. The Cincinnati Red Stockings returned to the National League in 1890.
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