Editing Cincinnati Reds (section)

===The National League returns to Cincinnati (1890–1911)===
[[File:Cincinnati Reds.jpg|thumb|left|Cincinnati Reds baseball team in 1909]]

The Cincinnati Red Stockings left the American Association on November 14, 1889, and joined the National League along with the [[Brooklyn Bridegrooms]] after a dispute with St. Louis Browns owner [[Chris von der Ahe]] over the selection of a new league president. The National League was happy to accept the teams in part due to the emergence of the new Player's League, an early failed attempt to break the [[reserve clause]] in baseball that threatened both existing leagues. Because the National League decided to expand while the American Association was weakening, the team accepted an invitation to join the National League. After shortening their name to the Reds, the team wandered through the 1890s, signing local stars and aging veterans. During this time, the team never finished above third place (1897) and never closer than {{frac|10|1|2}} games to first (1890).

At the start of the 20th century, the Reds had hitting stars [[Sam Crawford]] and [[Cy Seymour]]. Seymour's .377 average in 1905 was the first individual batting crown won by a Red. In 1911, [[Bob Bescher]] stole 81 bases, which is still a team record. Like the previous decade, the 1900s were not kind to the Reds, as much of the decade was spent in the league's [[first division (baseball)|second division]].