Manager(s) John Clapp | ||
The 1880 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished in eighth and last place in the National League with a record of 21–59, 44 games behind the Chicago White Stockings.
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At the end of the season, the team was kicked out of the league for selling beer and refusing to close their park on Sunday as required at the time. The team disbanded. A different Cincinnati Reds team joined the American Association two years later.
Regular season
The Reds were coming off a fifth-place finish in the National League in 1879, as they had a 43–37 record, which was their second consecutive winning season. During the off-season, Cincinnati signed catcher John Clapp, who had played with the Buffalo Bisons in the previous season. Clapp was also named the manager of the team. Deacon White, who was the Reds catcher the previous two seasons, moved to the outfield. Other off-season signings included Hick Carpenter of the Syracuse Stars to play third base, while the Reds would have rookies at first base, John Reilly, and second base, Pop Smith.
Clapp and Blondie Purcell led the team offensively, as Clapp had a .282 average with a homer and 20 RBI and 33 runs scored, while Purcell hit .292 with a homer and 24 RBI, along with 48 runs. Will White led the NL with 42 losses, however, he had a good ERA of 2.14.
Season summary
Cincinnati got off to a miserable start, having a record of only 6–26 in their first 32 games, which included lopsided losses of 20–7 and 15–1 to the White Stockings, and 13–0 to the Worcester Ruby Legs during that span. Cincinnati would never get it together during the season, and finished in last place for the third time in the team's five-year history, as the Reds had a record of 21–59, 44 games behind the first place White Stockings.
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts