Cruising along in the 1885 Season. At All Star Break Cincinnati was 38-26, after the All Star Break, 18-30. Charlie Bennett went out with a season ending injury. Bill Morgan tried to fill in along with Tug Arundel. Morgan had 153 errors and Tug had 31 errors. Steve King and Monk Cline each hit 7 HRs. Roger Connor captured the NL batting title. Steve King hit .321 and Hardy Richardson hit .305. Rookie Jimmy Ryan hit .299. Mickey Welch went 18-22 with a 10 game losing streak. Onwards to 1886

The 1884 Season started out good for the Cincinnati Red Stockings. A 42-22 record at the All Star break with a seven game lead over the Brookyn Atlantics. Cincinnati went 27-21 after the break while Brooklyn went 33-15. A combination of Steve King going .298 in July and .256 in Aug. Steve had a very good chance of a triple crown, but he went cold when we needed him. Still 11 HR 87 RBI 100 R 30 SB, is a very good achievement at 42. Pitching was not there at our 4 game series with Brooklyn at the...

We finished in first place in our league. Reds were 53-32 and off to their third championship appearance against Baltimore Orioles, my first team. It was ugly, we were swept in four game by a total score of 31-12. Off to next year.

The Cincinnati Reds finished in second place with a 43-42 record, 11 games behind the champions the Brooklyn Atlantics. The owner wanted the team to play .500 ball and we did. Some highlights: Jim McCormick struck out 154 batters and won 22 games. Steve King won the NL batting title with an average of .360.The team's batting average was last in the NL with a .245. Also the pitching staff was last.

Reds were out of the race just after the All Star break. Finished the season 26-34. Couple of bright stops. Jim McCormick, 10-9 2.08 era and struck out 77. Steve King, .313 BA 3 HR 60 RBIs. And Jimmy Wood, .322 BA 42 SB. The Reds drafted Harry Richardson (Old True Blue) in the first round. Hopefully will not get fired next season as this year the owner was very mad and furious. On to 1879.