ers ▁from ▁ste aling ▁bases . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁it ▁was ▁common ▁for ▁teams ▁to ▁score ▁fifty ▁or ▁si xty ▁runs ▁a ▁game . ▁As ▁the ▁technique ▁of ▁moving ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁batter ▁became ▁more ▁w ides p read ▁among ▁other ▁catch ers , ▁run ▁production ▁began ▁to ▁pl um met ▁helping ▁us her ▁in ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Dead - ball ▁era . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁National ▁Association ▁of ▁Base ▁Ball ▁Play ers ▁( N AB B P ) ▁permitted ▁professional ism , ▁the ▁Red ▁Stock ings ▁h ired ▁five ▁inc umb ents ▁including ▁All ison ▁and ▁five ▁new ▁men ▁to ▁complete ▁its ▁ro ster , ▁the ▁first ▁team ▁that ▁consisted ▁of ▁sal ar ied ▁players . ▁A ▁few ▁of ▁the ▁others ▁had ▁previously ▁played ▁some ▁catch er ▁( all ▁played ▁at ▁the ▁six ▁in field ▁positions ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 ), ▁but ▁All ison ▁filled ▁the ▁role ▁in ▁almost ▁every ▁game . ▁C inc inn ati ▁tou red ▁the ▁continent ▁und efe ated ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁and ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁strong est ▁team ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁but ▁the ▁club ▁dropped ▁professional ▁base ▁ball ▁after ▁the ▁second ▁season . ▁ ▁Later ▁career ▁Harry ▁Wright ▁was ▁h ired ▁to ▁organ ize ▁a ▁new ▁team ▁in ▁Boston , ▁where ▁he ▁signed ▁three ▁team m ates ▁for ▁. ▁The ▁other ▁five ▁regular s ▁including ▁All ison ▁signed ▁with ▁Nick ▁Young ' s ▁Washington ▁Olympics , ▁an ▁established ▁club