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Which team was the first publicly announced all-professional baseball team?
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Baseball
Freddie Freeman, shown here in a 2023 game, was named World Series MVP in 2024 after hitting four home runs and driving in 12 runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The first publicly announced all-professional baseball team was the Cincinnati Red Stockings, which was organized in 1869.12
The team achieved national notoriety that same year by touring from New York City to San Francisco, where they remained undefeated in their first 81 games against amateur clubs, winning 56 games and tying one during their tour. This success demonstrated the superior skill of professional players and helped guarantee the professionalization of the sport in the United States.132