1875 Red Stocking, St. Louis (Red Stockings, Reds, Co-Ops)

This rendering is based on written documentation only for uniform style and color. No visual documentation is known and an artist’s conceptualization is used to create the rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:
None

Written documentation on this uniform:
1875: “Uniform of St. Louis Reds will consist of red stockings, gray pants, shirts and caps trimmed in red. A small ‘Red Stockings’ will be worked on shirts and word ‘St. Louis’ over it. From St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 1875, as researched by Paul Batesel, Players And Teams Of The National Association, 1871-1875 (2012). No specific date was given by Batesel for this report though the similarity to the report below suggests an April 1875 date.

April 1875: “The St. Louis Reds will wear red stockings, gray pants, shirts and caps trimmed with red, a small ‘red stocking’ and the words ‘St. Louis’ will be worked on the shirts.” From the Chicago Tribune, April 4, 1875. This contemporary report suggests the team was planning to use a graphic representation of a stocking and not the words ‘Red Stocking’ on the shirt front.

April 1875: “The Reds have been practicing daily at their park during the past week. […] Their new uniforms will be done to-day. This uniform consists of a gray cap, gray shirt and gray pants, all trimmed with red, and red stockings.” From the St. Louis Republican, April 11, 1875. Research from Jeffrey Kittel, thisgameofgames.com, retrieved October 25, 2020.

May 4, 1875, Red Stocking, St. Louis, v. St. Louis Browns, at St. Louis: “The ‘Reds’ we are pleased to say have adopted a pretty flesh colored shirt with the red stocking embroidered on the front; the same harmonizing tastefully with the dark gray breeches, gray cap, and scarlet hose.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 5, 1875. Research from Gary Kodner. This game-day report suggests that only a graphic representation of a stocking was displayed on the front of the shirt and that no words were included. Game date from retrosheet.org.

May 25, 1875, Red Stocking, St. Louis, v. Chicago, at Chicago: “Chicago vs. Red Stockings. We present below the score for the third championship match between the Chicago Club and the St. Louis Reds.” From the New York Clipper, June 12, 1875. An example of both “Red Stockings” and “Reds” in use as nicknames, both in the plural form.

May 1875, Red Stocking, St. Louis, v. Chicago, at Chicago: “During the present week another club from St. Louis, wearing red stockings, has been here, and has been beaten twice.” From the Chicago Tribune, May 29, 1875. Red Stocking played at Chicago on May 25 and May 27, 1875. The St. Louis Brown Stockings (NA) had played in Chicago the previous week before the Red Stockings games. Game dates from retrosheeet.org.

August 1875: “From the fact that the Athletic [of Philadelphia] and Boston clubs will not visit the West again, and that neither have or will play the Red Stockings nine, of St. Louis, on their tour, it is probable that the St. Louis – Reds have withdrawn from the arena.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 25, 1875.

Team genealogy: Red Stocking, St. Louis 1860s-1876
Red Stocking was formed in St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1860s. The Red Stocking name came from their uniform which was modeled after the Cincinnati team of the late 1860s. The St. Louis club joined the National Association (NA) in 1875. The NA was baseball’s first league, operating 1871-1875. Red Stocking dropped out of the NA during the 1875 season but continued to play games through the end of 1876 before folding. In 1876, they helped to form a new organization for second-tier teams, the International Alliance, which soon dissolved with the creation of the League Alliance in 1877. –Information from Paul Batesel, Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875 (2012).