While it is widely thought that the Reds are the oldest professional baseball team in the majors, this is regrettably not the case. (Please click here for more details). The current Cincinnati Reds began their life in 1882 and they began as champions by winning a pennant in a rival league to the National League at the time. The Cincinnati Reds franchise played its first eight seasons in a forgotten major league called the American Association. Even the Reds themselves rarely make mention of these years in their history. It is really a shame because the club had a lot of success during those forgotten years. The Reds had won 1 American Association pennant and finished second in the standings during the 1885 and 1887 seasons. The 1882 club had a winning percentage of .688 which is still the highest winning percentage of any Reds team to date.

With ominous black clouds hovering over the future of the American Association, the Reds left the league for the National League after the 1889 season. Two years later the American Association would fold.

While beginning new life in the National League, it took the Reds 30 years to win a National League pennant. And in the same year (1919), Cincinnati went on to win their first World Series by defeating the White Sox 5 games to 3. It took Cincinnati 21 years to capture another league title despite nearly winning the National League pennant in 1926. In 1939, the Reds went on to nab their third league title only to lose to the Yankees in the World Series. But the Reds bounced back and won the pennant and the World Series the following year over the Tigers.

From 1945 to 1955, the Reds never fielded a team that had a .500 record. But in 1956, Cincinnati was a suprise club. Cincinnati Milwaukee and Brooklyn battled down to the wire for the National League pennant. Unfortunatly the Reds fell two games shy of the league crown and didn't contend again until 5 years later when they won the pennant in 1961. Cincinnati went on to lose in the World Series to the Mighty Yankees in five games.

The Reds came close in 1964 to winning the pennant but fell one game shy of the Cardinals. 1964 saw one of the most exciting pennant races in major league baseball's history. The Reds, Cardinals and Phillies were in contention for first place all the way down to the final game of the season. The Reds lost the final game to the Phillies which put both teams in a tie with St Louis. But St Louis had one final game to play against the Mets. A game in which the Cardinals won which gave them the pennant. Had the Cards lost, then there would have been a three way tie for first place.

The 1970's saw the Reds win 6 Division, 4 League Titles and 2 World Series. In 1970 the Reds lost in the World Series to the Orioles. In 1972 they lost in the World Series to the Atheltics. And in 1973 the Reds lost in the National League Championship Series to the Mets. Cincinnati finally won it all in 1975 when they beat the Boston Red Sox in seven game. The 1975 World Series has gone down in history as one of the greatest ever played.  In 1976, Cincinnati went on to sweep through the National League Championship Series over the Philedelphia Phillies. And sweep the New York Yankees in the World Series.

During the '81 season there was a players strike in the middle of the season that wiped out a month of games. Major League Baseball officials decided to create a split season. Meaning that the teams that were in first place when the strike began would play the team in the second half of the season for the division title. Regrettably the Reds finished in second during both halves of the season. Had the season simply began where it left off (as it should have) the Reds would have been the division winner. Cincinnati finished with the most wins of any major league team in 1981 but was not in the play offs.

The Reds finally made it back to the post season in 1990 by winning the division. Cincinnati went on to beat the Pirates 4 games to 2 in the National League Championship Series. And then went on to sweep the heavily favored Oakland A's in the World Series. In 1994, baseball realigned the leagues by creating three divisions within each league. The Reds would be moved from the NL West and be inserted into the newly developed NL Central. Unfortunately in that same year the players would go on strike which resulted in the cancellation of the World Series. Cincinnati was leading the division when the strike started, so the club was unofficially the 1994 NL Central Division Champs.

After the strike had ended, baseball resumed in the following year. Cincinnati finished the year as 1995 NL Central Division Champions yet again. Cincinnati went on to sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series. But then was swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series. Cincinnati has not been to the post season since despite coming close in 1999. The Reds finished a game behind the Astros in the division and tied the Mets for the Wild Card. The Mets and Reds went on to play in a one game play off that resulted in a Mets victory.