1887 Nashville (Nashvilles)

These renderings are based on written documentation for uniform style and color. No visual documentation is known and an artist’s conceptualization is used to create the renderings.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on these uniforms:
None

Written documentation on these uniforms:
March 1887: “Manager [George] Bradley last night decided upon the uniform for his team. It will be light blue shirts with white letters, light blue pants, bright red stockings and red and white caps and belts. The combination […] pronounces, at once, the new manager to be a man of decidedly aesthetic taste.” From the Nashville Daily American, March 17, 1887. Research from wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Blues. The wikipedia researcher also writes that “Nashville’s team has come to be known as the Blues. There are no contemporary references of this moniker being attributed to the team, but it is likely an allusion to the light blue shirts and pants they wore. […] As was common at the time, clubs were usually called by the names of their cities. Newspapers generally referred to them as simply Nashville, the Nashville club, or the Nashvilles.”

April 1887: “The new uniforms of the local team [Nashville] arrived last night and will be worn for the first time this afternoon [April 23 in a game v. Savannah]. They consist of light blue shirts and pants, white belts, red stockings and red and white caps. They are the selection of the super-aesthetic Secretary of the Nashville Association.” From the Nashville Daily American, April 23, 1887. Research from wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Blues. According the later reports, the uniforms did not arrive until April 26 or 27.

April 1887: “The new uniforms have at last arrived and will certainly be worn this afternoon [in an April 27 game v. Memphis]. All who have seen them have complimented the selection. The shirts and pants are blue. The two sets of caps, belts and stockings are with them. One set of these is perfectly white, and with the blue suits will make a fac simile [sp] of the uniforms already made famous by the Chicagos. The other set consists of red belts and stockings and red caps with blue trimmings. One set will be worn at home and the other set abroad. The uniforms were made by A. J. Reach & Co., who sent also to the club with their compliments a box of handsome toilet articles for the club dressing rooms.” From the Nashville Daily American, April 27, 1887. Research from wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Blues.

April 1887: “The locals will certainly don their new uniforms today [in a game v. Memphis].” From the Nashville Banner, April 27, 1887.

July 15, 1887, Nashville v. New Orleans at Nashville: “The score stood 4 to 1 against the great unwashed White Sox [i.e., Nashville], and the claquers [i.e., clapping fans] who are wont to make the welkin [i.e., heavens] ring when there’s victory in the air were as quiet as Republicans in decent company.” From the Nashville Daily American, July 16, 1887. Research from wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Blues.

Team genealogy: Nashville 1884-1887
The Nashville team was founded as the American Baseball Club in October 1884 and joined the Southern League (SL) for its inaugural season in 1885. Nashville played in the SL in 1885 and 1886, and disbanded after the 1886 season. The Southern League reorganized in 1887 and a new Nashville team was also organized and accepted. Nashville played in the SL until they disbanded in August of 1887. Info from wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Americans and wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Blues.