How to play the Cincinnati Reds history timeline

Reds history goes back further than almost anyone's, and this deck covers it in milestones, each with a short line of description under its title. You order them by the year they happened. One moment is already placed on the timeline, its year showing. You take each new card and drop it into a gap. When it's the right gap, the year is revealed. When it's not, the card moves to where it belongs and you lose one of three lives.

Cincinnati's baseball story reaches back to the very start of the professional game, and the deck goes all the way there before moving through firsts, pennants and a powerhouse lineup that defined an era. Several cards follow the same few stars through records, awards and controversy, which makes those easy to confuse. Ballpark openings and homecomings are useful anchors in the later part of the deck.

Want a longer game? On the deck tree you can tick this deck alongside any other one measured in release years and dates, and they shuffle into a single timeline together.

What's in the deck

Here are 26 of the 26 cards you might be dealt. Their values stay hidden until you place them.

The Red Stockings, baseball's first pro team An all-salaried Cincinnati club goes undefeated on tour
The modern franchise is founded A new Cincinnati club joins the American Association
Joined the National League The Reds move to the senior circuit
First night game in major league history Crosley Field hosts baseball under the lights
Won the pennant behind Bucky Walters Reached the World Series behind the MVP right-hander
World Series championship Beat the Detroit Tigers for the title
Frank Robinson wins Rookie of the Year A future Hall of Famer debuts in style
Frank Robinson's MVP and a pennant Reached the World Series behind the MVP outfielder
Riverfront Stadium opens and a pennant follows A new stadium hosts a World Series trip
Pete Rose wins MVP 'Charlie Hustle' is named Most Valuable Player
The Big Red Machine wins it all Beat the Red Sox in a classic seven-game World Series
The Big Red Machine repeats Swept the Yankees for back-to-back titles
George Foster hits 52 home runs An outfielder tops 50 homers and wins MVP
Tom Seaver throws a no-hitter 'Tom Terrific' tosses the only no-no of his career
Johnny Bench's final season A legendary catcher retires
Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb's hits record Hit number 4,192 passes the all-time mark
Chris Sabo wins Rookie of the Year A spectacled third baseman claims the award
Pete Rose banned from baseball The all-time hits leader accepts a lifetime ban
Wire-to-wire World Series title The 'Nasty Boys' bullpen sweeps the favored Athletics
Barry Larkin wins MVP The shortstop leads the club to an NL Central title
Ken Griffey Jr. comes home The superstar is traded to his hometown Reds
Great American Ball Park opens A new riverfront ballpark debuts
Joey Votto's MVP and a division title A crown ends a long playoff drought
Another NL Central title Reached the postseason again behind a strong rotation
Cincinnati hosts the All-Star Game The Midsummer Classic returns to the Queen City
Reached the postseason as a wild card A pandemic-shortened season ends the playoff drought