Bank Street Grounds

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The Bank Street Grounds is a former baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The park was home to Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds in 1880 and from 1882 to 1883. It was also home to the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of the Union Association in 1884.

The ballpark was located at the intersection of Bank Street and McLaren Avenue, less than one mile away from the future site of Crosley Field. Its location has typically been described as "the foot of Bank Street." It succeeded the Avenue Grounds as the home site for professional ball in the Queen City.

When the Reds were kicked out of the National League for selling beer on Sundays, violating its self-instituted "blue law", they disbanded for the 1881 season, but reformed as an American Association club in 1882. The AA had had no such rules against Sunday beer sales. Indeed, the American Association was known informally as "the beer and whiskey" league. The Reds won the inaugural season of the AA, and as such participated in a World Series, of sorts, with the NL champions, the Chicago White Stockings. The exhibition Series was informally arranged, and ended after two games with each team having won one. Both games were staged at the Bank Street Grounds.

In 1884, a former prominent member of the Reds front-office, a man named Justus Thorner, invested in the new Union Association club. He secured the Bank Street Grounds for his team, and the Reds had to look elsewhere. (Allen, p.29-30). The Reds eventually settled on Findlay and Western, opening the site that would eventually become Crosley Field, the home of the Reds until partway into the 1970 season.

Although the Union Association was dominated by the St. Louis Maroons, the Cincinnati Unions or "Outlaw Reds" had a strong club that could hold its own against the Maroons, and drew well at the gate, eroding the "real" Reds' fan base. However, the "Onion League" folded after just one season. The Reds opted to stay at Findlay and Western, and Bank Street was done with professional baseball.

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority ("SORTA") and CSX Transportation are current tenants on the Bank Street Grounds property.

[edit] References

The Cincinnati Reds, by Lee Allen, Putnam, 1948.

[edit] External links

Preceded by Avenue Grounds	Home of the Cincinnati Reds 1880 – 1883	Succeeded by League Park

v • d • e Cincinnati Reds

Formerly the Cincinnati Redlegs • Based in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Franchise	History • Seasons • Records • Players • Managers • Broadcasters

Ballparks	Lincoln Park Grounds • Avenue Grounds • Bank Street Grounds • League Park • League Park II • Palace of the Fans • Crosley Field • Riverfront Stadium • Great American Ball Park

Culture	Mr. Red • The Big Red Machine • The Nasty Boys • Dowd Report • Hall of Fame

Rivalries	Battle of Ohio

Important Figures	Johnny Bench • Bid McPhee • Ken Griffey • Ken Griffey, Jr. • Bob Howsam • Paul Derringer • Barry Larkin • Ernie Lombardi • Joe Morgan • Frank Robinson • Tony Perez • Pete Rose • Johnny Vander Meer • George Wright • Dave Concepción • Ted Kluszewski • George Foster • Joe Nuxhall Sparky Anderson

Retired Numbers	1 • 5 • 8 • 10 • 13 • 18 • 20 • 24 • 42

Key Personnel	Owner: Robert Castellini • General Manager: Walt Jocketty • Manager: Dusty Baker

World Series Championships (5)	1919 • 1940 • 1975 • 1976 • 1990

National League Championships (9)	1919 • 1939 • 1940 • 1961 • 1970 • 1972 • 1975 • 1976 • 1990

Seasons (127)	1882 • 1883 • 1884 • 1885 • 1886 • 1887 • 1888 • 1889 • 1890 • 1891 • 1892 • 1893 • 1894 • 1895 • 1896 • 1897 • 1898 • 1899 • 1900 • 1901 • 1902 • 1903 • 1904 • 1905 • 1906 • 1907 • 1908 • 1909 • 1910 • 1911 • 1912 • 1913 • 1914 • 1915 • 1916 • 1917 • 1918 • 1919 • 1920 • 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1924 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 1928 • 1929 • 1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008

Minor League Affiliates	Louisville Bats (AAA) • Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) • Sarasota Reds (A) • Dayton Dragons (A) • Billings Mustangs (Rookie) • Gulf Coast Reds (Rookie) • VSL Reds (Rookie)