1883 Chicago Union (Unions)

Left: This rendering is 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 rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Right: This rendering is based on written documentation 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 these uniforms:

Photo A

Dated mid-July 1883 to mid-August 1883. Left: studio portrait of C Fulmer, left, and A Powell. Right: detail view of shirt bib in photo. Photo date range determined by various newspaper accounts from 1883 that have outlined when these two men played for the Chicago Unions, a short-lived independent team. Newspapers described the uniform as consisting of a blue cap, white shirt, red belt, navy blue pants and red stockings, and that the words “Chicago Unions” were inscribed on the breast plate. In each report, the word Unions was stated in plural form, which matched the uniform worn by Fulmer and Powell in the photo. Note that the lettering on the shirts may have been hand-painted onto the fabric of the bib. It is also possible that the lettering may have been enhanced after the photo was taken and that the actual lettering may have been of a lighter color.

Abner Powell, a pitcher, and Chris Fulmer, a catcher, began the 1883 season together with Providence in the National League. The Sporting Life on April 29, 1883 reported that “Abner Powell, the Shenandoah [PA] printer, is proving a valuable acquisition on the Providence team. He was engaged to play left field on the Providence reserve nine, but has been kept constantly at work in the pitcher’s box on the [National] League team. […] Harry Wright [Providence manager] hopes to have a team in Powell and Chris Fulmer [which] he designates the ‘Schuylkill Battery.’” Powell’s occupation as a printer was also detailed in this issue: “Powell, the new pitcher of the Providence club, was formerly a printer in the employ of the Shenandoah Mining Herald.” Neither Powell nor Fulmer appeared in league games for Providence and by mid-July 1883 the battery had come to Chicago and joined the Chicago Unions, a new independent team. The Unions had formed a few weeks earlier. The Sporting Life reported on July 1, 1883 that “the new Union Base Ball grounds at Thirty-Ninth and State streets were formally opened Tuesday [June 26 in Chicago] by a game between the St. Louis Browns [AA] and the Chicago Unions, the latter being a new organization.” Powell’s arrival a few weeks later created optimism. The Chicago Tribune reported on July 13 that “the Chicago Unions play the Toledos today. The Toledos rank first as the batting club of the Northwestern League, and as the Chicago Unions now have the crack pitcher, Powell, great interest is centered on his appearance in the box.” The Sporting Life on July 22 reported that “Powell and Fulmer, the Pennsylvania battery, played with the new Union Club of Chicago for the first time on the 18th [13th?] against the Toledo club. Powell was in great form, the Toledos, who have a reputation of being hard hitters, making but two safe hits, while seven of them struck out. Notwithstanding this, [Toledo] won by 6 to 1, owning to numberless stupid errors on the part of the Union.” Even with shaky fielding, the Unions won a number of games in July 1883. However, finding opponents for home games had become difficult. The Sporting Life on July 8 reported that “the Cincinnati [NL] and Metropolitan [New York, AA] clubs refused to play the new Union Club, of Chicago, in the latter city.” Predictably, the Unions were soon in trouble, but for an unexpected reason. The Sporting Life reported on August 6 that “a despatch was sent East during the week, stating that the Chicago Union Club had collapsed. Base ball people doubted this, as the club had been drawing well. [However] A. H. Henderson, President of the club, wrote to the Associated Press […] that the club had disbanded. He says the club is temporarily crippled by the desertion of three or four of its team, but that their places will be filled at once and a strong team engaged for next year.” When the team folded, Powell and Fulmer found baseball work in Peoria, IL, and the Northwestern League. The Sporting Life reported on August 27 that “the Peorias started on their last northern trip last week [and that] Powell and Fulmer, the new battery, are doing fine.” Chicago Tribune research from Justin Mckinney.

Written documentation on these uniforms:
June 1883: “Next Tuesday [June 26, 1883] the St. Louis club [of the American Association] will play the Chicago Unions on the new grounds. Wednesday and Thursday of next week the Grand Rapids team [of the Northwestern League] are booked for engagement, and other attractions are to follow. The new home team will appear in a uniform consisting of red stockings, navy-blue pants, white shirts, red belts, and a solid blue cap. The plate on the breast of the shirt will be inscribed ‘Chicago Unions.’ They will also be furnished with a neat practice suit of gray.” From the Chicago Tribune, June 20, 1883. Research from Justin Mckinney.

June 1883: “The Union Club of Chicago, Ill., will be under the management of James F. McKee. The ground on Thirty-ninth street, between Michigan and Wabash avenues, will be opened to the public June 26. On that date the management expect to play the Athletics of Philadelphia or the Metropolitans [of New York, both American Association teams]. The uniform will be red caps and stockings, white shirts and blue pants and belts. […] Application will be made for membership in the American Association next season.” From The New York Clipper, June 23, 1883. Note that the actual opponent on June 26 was St. Louis of the American Association, see next entry.

June 26, 1883, Chicago Union v. St. Louis [AA] at Chicago, Union Grounds: “Chicago, June 28—The new Union Base Ball grounds at Thirty-Ninth and State streets were formally opened Tuesday [June 26] by a game between the St. Louis Browns and the Chicago Unions, the latter being a new organization. […] The Unions appeared in a uniform consisting of red stockings, navy blue pants, white shirt, red belts and a sold blue cap. The plate on the breast of the shirt was inscribed “Chicago Unions.” They will be furnished a neat practice suit of gray.” From The Sporting Life, July 1, 1883.

Team genealogy: Chicago Union, 1883-1883
Chicago Union was formed in Chicago as an independent team in June 1883. The team disbanded in early August 1883. The Chicago Union name was subsequently used by the Union Association team of 1884 and by the well-known African-American team which formed in 1887 and played under this name until about 1901. 1883 information from The Sporting Life, June 23, 1883, and August 6, 1883. 1887 info from wikipedia.