The original Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball's first openly all-professional team, was a member of the [National League]? in 1876, but was expelled from the league later, in part for violating league rules by serving beer to fans at games. When the American Association, a rival league, began play in 1882, it included a team from Cincinnati, which was also called the Red Stockings.
The current franchise, which bears the same name, joined the National League 1899 and won their first championship 20 years later, albeit tainted by having been handed it by the Black Sox scandal. Another 20 years passed before their next, led by pitchers Paul Derringer and Bucky Walters. Their greatest success came in the 1970s, when the "Big Red Machine", which featured Hall of Famers [Johnny Bench]? and [Joe Morgan]? as well as [Pete Rose]?, became the first NL team in 50 years to win back-to-back World Series.