Ohio’s own Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first professional baseball team in the US.

 

Ohio’s own Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first professional baseball team in the US.

By that measure, it figures that they’re also the first professional baseball team in the world!

It all started in 1866 when the Cincinnati Base Ball Club was formed. At the time, it was a fairly amateur sport, with no single team comprising paid professional athletes.

Most played for fun, with just a few paid professionals from other sports occasionally joining the team.

Cincinnati’s team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, was quite successful, winning 17 out of 18 games in their first year.

By 1869, the entire team was on salaries, making them the first professional team.