Cincinnati Baseball Club collection
Scope and Contents
Correspondence between Cincinnati and the offices of the National League, the Commissioner's office and National Association relating to player trades, contracts, game protests, umpires, night baseball. Financial records relating to payroll, ballpark renovations, yearly club audits, National League auditors' statements. There are agreements and contracts for radio, concessions, advertising, park renovations, club and ownership affiliations.
Dates
- Creation: 1902-1965
Language of Materials
English .
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions but viewing materials does require an appointment. Please contact the Giamatti Research Center, research@baseballhall.org, 607-547-0330.
Conditions Governing Use
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum provides use copies of materials to facilitate private study, scholarship, and research. The Museum welcomes you to use materials in our collections that are in the public domain and to make fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by copyright law and with proper citation. Permission to publish materials must be obtained from: Giamatti Research Center, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main St., Cooperstown, NY 13326 Phone: 607.547.0330 E-mail: research@baseballhall.org
Biographical / Historical
The franchise originated in 1882 as a charter member of the now-defunct 19th Century major league called the American Association. The name "Reds" was inspired by a previous, unrelated club called the Cincinnati Red Stockings, recognized as the first openly professional baseball team. The current Reds joined the National League in 1890 after spending its first eight years in the Association. In 1912, Redland Field, built on the city's west side, opened for the Reds. By the late 1910s, the Reds began to come out of the second division. The 1918 team finished fourth, and manager Pat Moran led the Reds to a NL pennant in 1919. The Reds finished ahead of John McGraw's New York Giants, and won the world championship in eight games over the Chicago White Sox. In the remainder of the 1920s and early 1930s, the Reds were generally second division dwellers. By 1931, the team was financially in the red, thanks to the Great Depression, and Redland Field was in a state of disrepair.
Powel Crosley Jr., an electronics magnate with his brother Lewis M. Crosley bought the Reds out of bankruptcy in 1933 and hired Larry McPhail to be the team's General Manager. McPhail began to develop the Reds' minor league system and expanded the Reds' base. The Reds throughout the 1930s became a team of "firsts". Crosley Field (formerly Redland Field) became the host of the first night game in 1935. Johnny Vander Meer became the only pitcher in major league history to throw back-to-back no-hitters in 1938. World War II and age finally caught up with the Reds. Throughout the remainder of the 1940s and the early 1950s, Cincinnati finished mostly in the second division. Executives during the time period of this collection:
Cincinnati Club Presidents: Garry Herrmann, 1902-1927; C.J. McDiamid, 1928-1929; Sidney Weil, 1930-1933; Powel Crosley, Jr., 1934-1946; Warren Giles, 1946-1951; Powel Crosley, Jr., 1951-1961.
Cincinnati Club General Managers: Garry Herrmann, 1902-1927; C.J. McDiamid, 1927-1929; Sidney Weil, 1929-1933; Larry MacPhail, 1933-1936; Warren Giles, 1936-1951; Gabe Paul, 1951-1960; William DeWitt, 1960-1966.
Commissioners: Kenesaw Landis, 1920-1944; A.B. "Happy" Chandler, 1945- 1951; Ford Frick, 1951-1965.
National League Presidents: John Heydler, 1918-1934; Ford Frick, 1934-1951; Warren Giles, 1951-1969.
National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues Presidents: Michael Sexton, 1909-1931; William Bramham, 1932-1946; George Trautman, 1947- 1963.
Sources: http://www.baseballchronology.com/Baseball/Teams/Cincinnati
Cincinnati Reds 2008 Media Guide
Full Extent
7.29 Linear Feet (in 11 legal document boxes and 2 flat boxes)
Full Extent
6.38 Cubic Feet
Abstract
The records of the Cincinnati Baseball Club provide an insight into the business and financial practices of a professional sports organization over a period of about sixty years. The collection consist of correspondence, financial reports, a bound financial ledger covering the years 1919 to 1934, agreements and contracts.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject matter in chronological order.
Physical Location
Manuscript Archives, Aisle 8, Range d, Shelves 2-3; Aisle 2, Range a, Shelf 6
Appraisal
Due to the age of the collection, it is unknown if any materials were removed during accessioning, no materials were removed during processing.
Processing Information
Materials were placed in archival sleeves where needed, then in acid-free folders and in a document box.
Genre / Form
- Title
- Guide to the Cincinnati Baseball Club collection BA MSS 051
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Claudette Scrafford, reviewed by Russell Wolinsky.
- Date
- July 2008
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Archives Repository