Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds jersey has been been mostly unchanged through the team’s long history. The jerseys were white with red pinstripes from 1993 till 2007. The sleeves were red through those years, except for 2000-2003 when the uniform featured black sleeves. Each of these uniforms had the trademark red “C” across from the number on the left side of the chest. The caps always featured that “C” as well. In 2007, though, the Reds dropped the pinstripes and have been using an all white jersey with red piping. For away games, the Red use a gray jersey. That jersey was pinstriped until 1999, when they removed the pinstripes and added black sleeves. The black sleeves were dropped in 2007 and the jersey is now sold gray. They currently use a red hat with a black brim and a white “C.” The Cincinnati Reds also play in an alternate jersey design. This uniform features a red shirt with white piping, and white pants. All the Reds uniforms feature red socks. This is a reference to one of the teams earlier names. The team was originally called the “Red Stockings” when they began as an amateur team in 1866. In 1871, they moved to Boston, where they were given nicknames like “Beaneaters” and “Braves.” This team actually moved south and became the Atlanta Braves. A second “Red Stockings” team began in Cincinnati in 1876, but they were expelled from the National League over a beer-serving controversy. In 1882, a third Cincinnati Red Stockings team appeared in the American Association (later called the American League). This team left the American Association to join the National League in 1889. During the 1890s, the “Stockings” was dropped from their name, and they became the Cincinnati Reds. During the 1950s, they used the nickname “Redlegs” because “Reds” seemed to strike a bad chord during the McCarthy Era of anti-communism. The “Black Sox” scandal of 1919 marked the Reds’ first World Series Championship win with dishonor, but the team has won the Series four more times since that tainted championship. The Reds put several great seasons back to back during the dynasty of the “Big Red Machine” in the 1970s. During this decade, they won six National League West division titles, four league pennants and two World Series Championships. Baseball legends like Ken Griffey, Johnny Bench, and Pete Rose played during this era. After some poor trades in the late 1970s, the Red were in a place to rebuild again. Recent famous Cincinnati Reds have been Ken Griffey, Jr., Barry Larkin, Nick Masset, and Miguel Cairo. The Reds have a cross-state rivalry with the Cleveland Indians and division rivalries with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros.