"The Redlegs"

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

In "Hoopla!" (a very carefully researched book) one guy, I think a celebrity who's about to place a bet, refers to the "Redlegs" (this is a book about the 1919 World Series, mostly). He says it twice. Harry Stein wrote the book in 1972. Recently, in another book, I came across the same reference to "Redlegs", supposedly from the dead ball era (blast, I can't remember which book!)

I guess we all know that during the '50s, the Reds changed their name to "Redlegs" because of the anti-Communist sentiment in America that was actually ruining lives and careers in the '50s and '60s. But is there ANY reason why a person in 1919 would have referred to the team as "The Redlegs"? Like, has that always really been the name?

It just seems to me like such an easy mistake to catch, I keep trying to think of reasons why maybe it wasn't a mistake...

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Posted By: Brueso

was their original name, and it eventually got shortened to "Reds".

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Posted By: scott (runscott)

as the "Reds".

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historically significant fact
Ed Reulbach once threw both ends of a double-header, winning both with shutouts, and pitching the entire games

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Posted By: John(z28jd)

red stockings is the original name,the name red legs was derived from the fact in the old days socks were worn high,and they obviously couldnt have called them the red sox,so they were referred to as the redlegs,later shortened to reds

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Posted By: Elliot

How did the use of "sox" come about....like the Red Sox and the White Sox....why not socks or stockings?

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Posted By: TBob

How did the use of "sox" come about....like the Red Sox and the White Sox....why not socks or stockings?>

Seems like I remember that "sox" came from newspapers' constrictive headline spaces. The shorter term meant it would be easier to get it in to headlines.

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Posted By: Harry

They have had that name since at least 1869.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

..

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Posted By: Chris Stufflestreet

The reason for the Reds being called "Redlegs" in 1919 may have been for much the same reason as the name change of the 1950s...By 1919, the Communists had just mopped up a revolution in Russia and were threatening to gain influence throughout the "free" world. I remember there was a "Red Scare" just after the October Revolution, just as the one that gripped this country during the 1950s.

I'm simply taking a shot in the dark, though...

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

about the "Reds" being a no=no in 1919.