The Cincinnati Base Ball Club started in 1866 and played teams in the National Association of Base Ball Players 1867 to 1870 . The Cincinnati Base Ball Club formed in 1866 and fielded competitive teams in the National Association of Base Ball Players ( NABBP ) 1867 -- 1870 , a time of a transition that ambitious Cincinnati , Ohio businessmen and English-born ballplayer Harry Wright shaped as much as anyone .