Americans began playing baseball in the early 1800s, as informal teams using local rules. By the mid 1800s, the sport was considered America's "national pastime." In 1869 the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first salaried team, making them baseball's first professional baseball team. The highest salary was $1,400 for the season, which is equivalent to $145,000 in modern wages. They finished their first year with 65 wins and 0 losses, generating a profit of $1.39.
In 1870 the team moved to Boston, where they became the Boston Red Sox. It wasn't long before Cincinnati had a new baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds.