1888 Baltimore (Baltimores, Orioles)
Left: This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style only. Color information is unknown and the uniform is rendered in values of gray. Minor details may also be undocumented or difficult to determine and an educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy:
Year: documented Team: documented
Center & Right: 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 1888. Photo date confirmed by appearance of players Goldsby and O’Brien, who only played for Baltimore in 1888. Presumably the team was wearing a light gray or light blue uniform in this photo. In 1889 a newspaper reported the team wore light blue, and it is possible the team wore this color in this 1888 photo. Note white caps in the foreground of this photo. Also note that the shirts featured elbow-length short sleeves with button holes indicating detachable lower sleeves were available. The majority of players were not wearing undershirts in this photo. Only two of the players shown wore a white undershirt, and two wore a colored undershirt—most likely the same color as the stockings.
From left: J Sommer (84-89), J Farrell (88, 89), Matt Kilroy (86-89), B Shindle (88, 89), C Fulmer (86-89), T Tucker (87-89), M Griffin (87-89), B Greenwood (87, 88), B Cantz (88, 89), B Cunningham (88, 89), W Goldsby (88) and J O’Brien (88). Players IDs and photo scan from James H. Bready, Baseball In Baltimore (1998) and also from Nigel Ayres. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Original photo by Joseph Hall, Brooklyn.
Dated 1888. Detail view of photo A. Detail view shows elbow-length sleeves and button holes on the sleeves of the player in center and at right.
Dated 1888. Another version of photo A with original background included and player names at bottom. Image from Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski and Richard Masson, The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company, 1886-1890 (2008). Note, the lettering across the shirt fronts in this photo do not all appear to be exactly identical in tone, some lettering appeared slightly lighter than others.
Photo B
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of J Harkins (88). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date of 1888 can be confirmed as this was the only year Harkins played for Baltimore. Note striped cap and dark-colored shirt, pants, belt and stockings. Based on newspaper accounts, the team wore blue shirts and pants in 1888. Year Harkins with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photo C
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of J Farrell (88, 89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date of 1888 can be confirmed by similarity in background to Harkins card, see photo B. Note city name across chest and button placket. Color of letters and shirt become very similar in tone when represented in values of gray. Based on the promotional poster of player Kilroy, see photo H, the shirt lettering was most likely red in color. Red tends to appear as dark tone in black and white imagery. Years Farrell with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photo D
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of J Sommer (84-89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Sommer’s last name was spelled incorrectly on card. Photo date of 1888 can be confirmed by similarity in background to Harkins card, see photo B. Note elongated tab on button placket and belt style. Years Sommer with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photo E
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of M Griffin (87-89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date of 1888 can be confirmed by similarity in background to Harkins card, see photo B. Note middle tone on stockings suggesting maroon color as documented in newspaper reports. Other players from same photo session appear to be wearing a darker colored stocking. Years Griffin with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photos F & G
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball cards of Matt Kilroy (86-89) and S Shaw (88, Wor NEL 88). Photo date of 1888 can be confirmed by similarity in background to Harkins card, see photo B. Photo date may be further determined by player Shaw, who played both in the American Association and the New England League in 1888. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photo H
Undated. Cigar poster of Matt Kilroy (86-89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Illustration made based on 1888 Old Judge baseball card, see photo F. Illustration confirms team wore a red and blue striped cap, a blue shirt with red lettering, a red belt and dark, possibly black, stockings during this period. Note how the illustration, when compared to the Old Judge photo, shows Kilroy with his hands lowered so that the city name can be seen. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the National Endowment for the Humanities, www.neh.gov.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
March 1888: “Although most of the clubs are changing their styles of uniform this season there will be little difference in the costumes of the Baltimore men. They will wear blue, with maroon trimmings and maroon colored jackets.” From the Philadelphia Times, March 25, 1888. Research from Don Stokes.
March 1888: “[Manager] Billy Barnie will make only one change in his Baltimore uniform. His men will wear the blue pants, maroon stockings, belts and caps of last season, and will have in addition a maroon-colored Jersey jacket.” From The St. Paul Globe, March 25, 1888. Research from Don Stokes.
March 1888: “The Baltimores will have but one change in the makeup of their uniforms for the season. The players will wear blue suits, with maroon trimmings and jackets of a similar color.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 26, 1888, citing the Cincinnati Commercial. Research from Gary and Oliver Kodner.
1888: “From the St. Louis Republican—The [American] association clubs should follow the example of the [National] league and have uniforms made to fit the players. Baltimore and Louisville played in bathing suits that would fit anybody.” From the Buffalo Courier, December 30, 1888.
1888: “The Orioles were uniformed in dark blue.” From Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1882-1891 From The Newspaper Accounts (1966, 1967, reprinted by SABR in 2021), pg. 345.
Team genealogy:
Baltimore 1882-1899
Baltimore was formed to join the American Association (AA) in 1882. The AA was a major league operating 1882-1891. Baltimore played in the AA from 1882 to 1889 and then joined the Atlantic Association, a minor league, for the 1890 season. The team rejoined the American Association in late 1890 when the Brooklyn AA team failed. Baltimore played in the American Association for the 1891 season and when the AA folded, Baltimore was added to the National League (NL) for the 1892 season. The NL began operation in 1876. Baltimore played in the NL from 1892 to 1899. After the 1899 season, Baltimore was dropped by the league and the team disbanded. Information from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: February 10, 2016
Diggers on this uniform: Don Stokes, Gary Kodner, Nigel Ayres, Oliver Kodner,