1872 Lord Baltimore, Baltimore (Lords, Baltimores, Canaries)
These renderings are based on visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Minor details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the renderings.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
Photo A
Dated 1872. Photo date determined by the appearance of players Fisher, Matthews and Higham, all of whom only played in Baltimore this one year. This photo was probably made between April 1872 and May 1872, most likely at the same time as individual portraits were made, see photo B. Players wore a collarless shirt in this photo with an “escutcheon” on the left breast and stockings in an argyle pattern. There were many newspaper reports on this uniform in 1872. The uniform pants were described as mustard yellow in color and the stockings as yellow and black, see written descriptions below. Many of the reports were unfavorable, including one that thought the graphic on the shirt “looked like a soiled spot when the men were in the field.”
Top row, from left: L Pike (72, 73), C Fisher (72) and T Carey (72, 73). Middle row, sitting: G Hall (72, 73), J Radcliff (72, 73), T York (72, 73), and B Mathews (72). On ground: D Higham (72), B Craver (72, 73) and E Mills (72, 73). Player IDs from James H. Bready, Baseball in Baltimore: The First Hundred Years (1998) and from Nigel Ayres. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. This photo was published in the Baltimore Evening Sun, April 13, 1914, with credit to the collection of August E, Wagener.
Dated 1872. Detail views of photo A. Detail views showed the graphic on the shirt which was a representation of the arms of Lord Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore. The mark included the depiction of a small crown above the crest.
Photo B
Dated April 1872 to May 1872. Portrait of C Fisher (72), full view at left, detail view at right. Photo year confirmed by fact that this was player’s only year with the team. Date range of April 1872 to May 1872 determined by fact that a drawing from this photo was published on June 1, 1872. Detail view showed the shirt closure and the crown graphic as part of the Calvert coat of arms. Player ID and image scan from John Thorn, Our Game, retrieved April 23, 2019. Year with team from baseball-reference.com.
Photo C
Dated June 1, 1872. These player portraits were printed in a newspaper on this date. Drawings were made from photographs, all of which were most likely made between April 1872 and May 1872. Players were depicted wearing a uniform similar to that shown in the team photo, see photo A.
Top row, from left: E Mills (72, 73), G Hall (72, 73), J Radcliff (72, 73), B Mathews (72) and T Carey (72, 73). Bottom: L Pike (72, 73), T York (72, 73), D Higham (72), C Fisher (72) and B Craver (72, 73). Image and player IDs from the Dramatic News and Sporting Journal, June 1, 1872. Years with team from baseball-reference.com.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
April 1872: “The Baltimore Base Ball Club was organized during the past year. […] The colors of the uniform will be those of Lord Baltimore, and will consist of black and yellow striped stockings, yellow pants, white shirts, with the escutcheon of Lord Baltimore on the left breast, a black and yellow cap, and a belt of the same colors. This strong team was secured at a cost of $12,700 per annum, and many of [the players] have been drawing their salaries since the first of December last.” From the Baltimore Sun, April 4, 1872. Newspaper accounts show that the club began holding organizational meetings as early as October 1871 and signing players to contracts in November.
April 1872: “[Baltimore’s] new practice uniforms, red shirts and white breeches and hats, make quite a picturesque appearance on the field.” Baltimore American and Commercial, April 13, 1873. Research from Brian McKenna.
April 22, 1872, Baltimore v. Mutual, New York, at Baltimore: “On Monday, the Mutuals of this city [New York] paid a visit to play a friendly game with the new Baltimore Club. […] The Baltimore nine were early in the field, attired in new uniform, consisting of yellow Saxony cloth pants, tight-fitting silk shirts with Lord Baltimore’s escutcheon on left breast and white hats. Their regular black and yellow plaid socks not completed, they wore for the nonce [i.e., occasion] Pastime’s red and black plaids.” From the Spirit Of The Times, April 27, 1872, with attribution to the Baltimore American. Research from David Arcidiacono. This report also called Baltimore the “Yellow Breeches.”
April 22, 1872, Baltimore v. Mutual, New York, at Baltimore: “The Mutuals wore a white suit, green stockings and white caps. The Baltimore boys yellow pants and white shirts.” From the Baltimore Sun, April 23, 1872. Research from Ed Morton.
May 1, 1872, Baltimore v. Athletic, Philadelphia at Philadelphia: “[Baltimore’s] appearance was, to say the least, stunning. We had heard a great deal about their brilliant uniform, but in point of ugliness it triple discounts the original dress of the Chicago White Stockings, who had held the palm up to this time in that regard. Their trousers are terrible, looking as though they had been bathed in mustard water, while the ‘escutcheon’ so often alluded to bore an agreeable resemblance at a distance to a slab of pepper and salt.” Printed May 5, 1872, Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch. Research from Richard Herschberger. Game date from retrosheet.org.
May 2, 1872, Baltimore v. Boston, at Baltimore, Newington Park: “A telegraphic apparatus was arranged upon in the upper portion of the ladies’ stand, by which the result of each inning was telegraphed to Boston and New York.” From the Baltimore Sun, May 3, 1872.
May 29, 1872, Baltimore v. Forest City, Cleveland, at Cleveland: “The Baltimore nine, clad in yellow pants, white shirts, white hats, and ugly looking black and yellow stockings […] took the field.” From the Chicago Inter-Ocean, May 30, 1872. Research from Don Stokes. Game date from retrosheet.org.
June 6, 1872, Baltimore v. Boston, at Boston: “The most remarkable game of the season was played […] being the second meeting of the Baltimore nine — the ‘Canaries’ — and the Red Stockings.” From the Boston Evening Transcript, June 7, 1872.
June 22, 1872, Baltimore v. Boston, at Boston: “Up to the eighth inning the ‘Canary Birds’ played magnificently.[However] after three men should have been out [in the 8th], the ‘Reds’ went in and made five runs, numerous errors by the ‘Canaries’ assisting their upward course.” From the Spirit of the Times, dated June 22, 1872 or shortly thereafter, exact date not available on scan. Game date from retrosheet.org. This entry suggested the Baltimore team wore yellow.
August 9, 1872, Baltimore v. Eckford, Brooklyn, at Brooklyn, Union Ground: “The first two innings of yesterday’s game yielded neither a run, not a base hit being made by either the ‘yellow’ or ‘orange’ stockings.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 10, 1872. This entry mentioned the team’s yellow stockings.
August 27, 1872, Baltimore v. Eckford, Brooklyn, at Brooklyn: “It was not considered the Eckfords would have any chance against the Canary Birds.” From the Brooklyn Daily Union, August 28, 1872.
December 1872: “The Baltimore Club […] was notable as the ugliest, perhaps, ever seen on a ball field. In addition to pants which resembled in color the subdued yellow of chamois skin, was a shirt which had for a breast pocket what purported to be the arms of Lord Calvert, and which looked like a soiled spot when the men were in the field. The ‘tout ensemble’ was not pleasing; and, while in Baltimore they were soothed with such pet names as the ‘Canaries,’ the ‘Calverts’ and the ‘Lord Baltimores,’ outside they were cognomened the ‘Mustard Trowsers,‘ the ‘Yellow Legs’ and the ‘Dandelions.’ From the Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch, December 1, 1872. Research from Richard Hershberger.
1872/1873: “Team wore white belts and yellow argyle stockings…” From James H. Bready, Baseball in Baltimore: The First Hundred Years (1998).
1872, recounted in June 1888: “The fancy Chicago uniforms [of 1888] were much admired around the circuit. […] The White Stocking uniforms, although fancy, did not compare with the duds of the Lord Baltimores of the National Association of 1872 which cost $56 each. The trousers and stockings were of silk.” From Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1882-1891 From The Newspaper Accounts (1966, 1967, reprinted by SABR in 2021), pg. 362.
1872, recounted in February 1889: “The most expensive uniform ever worn by a ball club was that worn by the famous Lord Baltimores of 1872, which cost $56 each. The men wore silk stockings and trousers.” From the St.Paul Globe, February 3, 1889. Research from Ed Morton.
1872, recounted in October 1991: “The Yellow-Britches [played at Newington Park], that original 1872 team, resplendent in ‘tight-fitting silk shirts with Lord Baltimore’s escutcheon on the left breast, black-and-yellow plaid stockings and white hats.’ (A critic thought their uniforms ‘a little gingerbready.’)” From James H. Bready, Baltimore Evening Sun, Newington in the mist, October 1, 1991.
Team genealogy: Lord Baltimore, Baltimore 1872-1874
Lord Baltimore was formed in Baltimore, MD, in 1872 and took its name in honor of the city’s namesake, Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore (1605–1675). The team played in the National Association (NA) between 1872 and 1874. The NA was baseball’s first professional league, operating 1871-1875. The Lord Baltimore team disbanded after the 1874 season. –Info from Paul Batesel, Players And Teams Of The National Association, 1871-1875 (2012), and from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: February 13, 2015
Diggers on this uniform: Brian McKenna, David Arcidiacono, Ed Morton, John Thorn, Nigel Ayres, Richard Hershberger,