After a horrible 1891 season in which the Reds finished in a virtual tie for last place with a 56–81 record, the team fired manager Tom Loftus and replaced him with first baseman Charles Comiskey. Comiskey had previously been the player-manager of the St. Louis Browns of the American Association from 1883–89, leading the team to four straight pennants from 1885–88. He then was a player-manager with the Chicago Pirates of the Players' League in 1890, leading them to a fourth-place finish, followed by a return to the Browns in 1891, where he led them to a second-place finish with a record of 86–52.