1893 Buffalo (Buffalos, Bisons, Hibernians)
This rendering is based on partial visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Important details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Chappie’s Emeralds — the green uniform of 1893 Buffalo.
As can be seen above, the Bisons of 1893 were decked out in dark green, a color seldom worn on the baseball diamond. Green, it seems, had issues. It visually blended with the grass, the dye could cause blood poisoning, and more importantly, the color infuriated certain fans. With the arrival of St. Patrick’s Day in 2023, let’s look at how this green gem of a uniform came about — exactly 130 years ago this Spring.
Billiard cloth suits.
The Buffalo Courier announced the new uniforms on April 12, 1893, saying that “the Bisons will gore their opponents while clad in a handsome uniform of dark green.” The Courier added that the uniform “was selected by Manager Chapman before leaving New York” on his way to Buffalo. Chapman lived in Brooklyn and the decision was made at the New York offices of Spalding & Bros.
The color was certainly a unique choice. One newspaper called the shirts and pants “billiard cloth suits.” Another paper remarked, “this is the only green uniform that will be seen on the diamond this season, outside of the green grass.” Another speculated that Chapman “must have had visions of the old Mutuals [i.e., the ‘green stockings’] in his mind’s eye when he decided upon such a uniform.”
Jack Chapman (1843-1916) was a 40-year baseball man, with a career that spanned both time as player and manager. He was hired to run the Buffalo team (for a second time) in early February 1893. As we know, the manager did everything back then, including pick the uniform. It seems the green was indeed Chapman’s choice, and his alone. But, was it a smart one?
Greensleeves.
In April 1893 one newspaper wrote, “the Bisons will also have green jackets. It’s too bad the season could not have opened on St. Patrick’s Day this year.” As could be expected, the association of the uniform with Ireland was inevitable. Green has represented the Irish for centuries, maybe as far back as the 1640s, when the “green harp flag” (think Guinness) was used by an early Irish confederation. Over the centuries, the color has witnessed Irish rebellions, civil wars, famine and the cry for independence, which finally was answered in 1921.
In 1893, newspapers had many Irish-inspired labels for the Buffalos. The team was called the “Hibernians,” the “Shamrocks,” and my favorite, “Chappie’s Emeralds.” One newspaper wrote that “Chapman is putting on Erin-go-Bragh style at Buffalo this year.” Another said, “The Wearing of the Green is now the favorite song with the Buffalo fans.” (Fyi, “Hibernia” is an ancient name for Ireland.)
Other green diamonds.
Buffalo was not the first to wear a green outfit — that honor goes to 1891 San Francisco. The first team to don a green shirt may have been 1885 Birmingham, and several other teams in the 1890s wore green suits: 1893 Macon, 1896 San Antonio, and 1899 Wilkes-Barre. All of these examples come from the minor leagues where for certain years teams would provide only one uniform, gray or otherwise, for both home and road games.
One of first teams to wear green of any kind was the aforementioned Mutual club of New York, who in 1869 donned green stockings. According to the New York Clipper, the stockings were “presented” to the Mutuals that year by Michael Norton, a state senator and soon-to-be team board member. No surprise that Norton was born in County Roscommon, Ireland.
Opening Day — and open to criticism.
The Buffalo home opener took place at Olympic Park on May 24, 1893 against Erie. Reporting on the game the following day, the Buffalo Courier noted: ”It was the Queen’s birthday yesterday, and a large number of Canadians saw the game. Naturally they didn’t admire the green uniforms of the Bisons, and it would have pleased them had the Hibernians been defeated.”
If you know your Irish history, you know that things are complicated. Sure, green represents Ireland, but it also represents Irish nationalism and Catholicism. Those opposed to these notions decidedly wear orange, representing Northern Ireland, British loyalism, and Protestantism. [The white field on the Irish flag is meant to represent the desired peace between these two factions.]
One newspaper facetiously suggested a plan to dissolve the Bisons if they had a losing record by July. The green-clad Buffalos could “break into the route of a Boyne day parade and their troubles would soon be over.” A “Boyne Day parade” is one held annually in July in Northern Ireland, where Irish Protestants wear orange and march to celebrate the Battle of the Boyne of 1690 — that’s when King William of Orange, a Protestant, defeated King James II, a Catholic, for rule of Great Britain. Boyne Day parades were once held in this country, too. Two such events in New York City, in July 1870 and again in 1871, sparked the “Orange Riots” where over 60 were killed, most being Irish laborers.
So, several questions:
Did Chapman, who had English ancestry, not Irish, select green because of the connection to Irish nationalism? Or did he simply like the color? Chapman had witnessed many rowdy crowds since he started playing the game in the late 1850s. Did he simply ignore the possibility that green may cause a conflict on game day?
The fighting Irish.
Buffalo had a larger than normal influx of Irish immigrants after the potato famine (1845-1852). By the 1890s, the next generation had moved up and out of Buffalo’s lower-class neighborhoods and into positions at city hall, the police department and the priesthood. Still, prejudice led to conflict, which led to reports published in the local newspapers. In June 1892, a year before Chapman arrived, as example, it was reported that a Buffalo man was arrested on the street for having “a Hibernian regalia in his possession.”
The biggest challenge for keeping the peace in Buffalo was when the local chapters of the Ancient Order of Hibernians held their annual summer parade and picnic. A newspaper in August 1892 reported that “the true-hearted sons of old Ireland […] marched through the streets today. They proudly flaunted the twin flags of America and the Emerald Isle.” A second paper noted that the parade consisted of “about 1,000 men.” Another report said the marchers in Buffalo were “flashing swords [and] waving plumes.” No incidents were reported, in spite of the swords.
Across the border in Canada, however, a similar parade turned ugly. A “Canadian riot” occurred on August 16, 1892 in Hamilton, Ontario, 65 miles west of Buffalo. Reports stated that “when the Hibernians reached the wharf there were a crowd of over 1,000 behind them, hooting and hissing, […] cheering for the Queen and the Union Jack.” The police tried to intervene as “the Hibernians replied with counter cheers for Ireland and brandished swords. […] For a few minutes, clubs were used and there were several heads broken” before order was restored.
A different kind of color line.
Much like the marching Hibernians, certain ballplayers also had strong feelings on the subject of color. Former Buffalo pitcher Pud Galvin, when with Pittsburgh in 1889, objected to the orange stripes on the new team uniform. Galvin was born in St. Louis to Irish immigrants hailing from County Kerry, Ireland. One Pittsburgh newspaper reported that “Galvin will demand extra pay for wearing orange.”
Mike (King) Kelly famously flaunted his Irish nationalism by briefly replacing Cincinnati’s red stockings with Kelly green in 1891. Before the season began, one newspaper wrote that Kelly “bought ten pairs of green stockings for the Cincinnati American Association team to wear in Boston.” This led another paper to question Kelly’s commitment to Cincinnati, sarcastically writing: “his heart is still true — to Ireland.” Kelly’s Irish parents arrived in New York state during the potato famine.
Why green-light the green uniform?
The answer may lie in the groundswell of American support for Ireland in the spring of 1893, brought on by the “home rule” vote in England. Certain members of parliament were looking to enact a system whereby the Irish people could run their own government yet remain under the reign of Queen Victoria. It was a contentious topic marked by violent outbursts against the act in Northern Ireland and England. The home-rule bill was read on April 21, 1893, and subsequently passed by the House of Commons (only to be voted down in September 1893 by the House of Lords).
In March and early April 1893, as Jack Chapman was at home in Brooklyn and preparing to place his order with Spalding, he surely read about the parliamentary proceedings on the pages of Brooklyn newspapers. These reports made the front page news most days and were riddled with sympathetic passages. On March 18, 1893, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle opined, “European critics are unable to understand the posture of America” and that, in this country, “the aspiration is for home rule in Ireland. […] It is one of unanimity.”
In all probability, the home-rule vote was top of mind when Chapman walked into the Spalding office.
Much ado about nothing?
Outside of the Canadian contingency at Olympic Park on opening day, there appears to have been little objection, at least openly, to the green uniform in 1893. As an example, when the Bisons first wore their green suits in exhibition games in Philadelphia and Washington, the color was indeed mentioned by newspapers, however no adverse reaction was published.
Furthermore, the very same week the Bisons returned to Buffalo for the home opener, there was an Irish-themed play opening at a nearby theatre. At the Court Street Theatre in Buffalo on May 22, 1893, actors were putting on their first performance with “perfect Irish dialect” and dancing in “true Irish style.”
It seems many in America were firmly in support of the green. Clearly, Jack Chapman was, too.
Thank you for your time. —Craig
Researcher Carson Lorey recently sent me a picture of this Buffalo uniform (shown below), which then sent me down this verdant path. For more information on the newspaper accounts pertaining to the uniforms referenced in this write-up, see “written documentation” below, and also the links to other related uniform pages within this website. Info on Chapman hire from the Buffalo Enquirer, February 8, 1893. Several reports say that Chapman did not sign his contract to manage until March 1893. Info on the green harp flag from wikipedia.com, citing multiple sources, retrieved March 1, 2023. Info on Chapman’s ancestry from Bob Bailey, SABR 19th Century Speaker Series: Jack Chapman (May 2021). Boyne parade info from wikipedia.com, retrieved March 4, 2023. Info on Buffalo man arrested from the Buffalo Courier, June 9, 1892. Info on Hibernian parade in Buffalo from the Buffalo Commercial, August 29, 1892, the Buffalo Enquirer, August 30, 1892, and the Buffalo News, August 30, 1892. Info on the Hibernian parade in Hamilton from the Buffalo Morning Express, August 17, 1892. A letter was submitted to the Buffalo Morning Express, and published August 23, 1892, criticizing the newspaper’s account of the Hibernian parade in Hamilton. The reader noted that the source of the newspaper’s story was “that bitter organ of Orangeism, the Hamilton Spectator.” The letter also explained that only the marshals were carrying swords and that it was wrong for the newspaper to “convey the idea that every man in the parade was armed with weapons.” The letter was signed, John A. Murphy. Info on Galvin ancestry from Charles Hausberg, SABR BioProject: Pud Galvin, retrieved February 28, 2023. Info on Kelly ancestry from Peter M. Gordon, SABR BioProject: King Kelly, retrieved February 28, 2023. Info on Irish play from the Buffalo News, May 23, 1893.
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated April 29, 1894. This photo was published on this date and showed the 1893 Buffalo uniform worn during the 1894 preseason. The team received their new uniforms for the 1894 campaign on May 8, 1894. The appearance of players Slagle and Johnson in this photo confirm this was an image of the 1894 team as both men only played for Buffalo during that season. The majority of players wore a dark uniform in this photo with the city name arched across the front of the shirt. The shirt had four white buttons. At least five of the fourteen players in the photo wore short-sleeved shirts with white undershirts. The quality of the newspaper reprint makes it difficult to determine any additional uniform details or whether the team cap was included in the image. Two of the players in this photo, standing top left, wore non-matching uniforms. One player wore a uniform that may have been light gray in color, and the second wore a uniform that was of a darker tint, possibly navy blue. Despite the poor quality of the image, a catcher’s mark was visible in the foreground. Newspapers during the 1893 season described the Buffalo uniform as “dark green” in color, with “white trimming, white belt and white stockings.” The cap was described as having “two white bands.”
Top row, from left: J Slagle (Buf 94 Jac WA 94), W Barkley (dnp), S Daly (92-94), F Boyd (92-94), B Hoffer (93, 94) and M Bradley (dnp, Ban NEL 94, Por NEL 94). Middle: (J Frankin, pres), (J Chapman mgr, NL 85, IL 86-88, 93, 94), J Smith (Buf 94, 00 Jac WA 94, GR WL 94), S Griffin (Buf 87, 92-94, 98, Syr EL 94), B Urquhart (92-98) and unidentified. Front: J Collins (93, 94), A Johnson (94), (J Franklin, mascot), B Clymer (94-97, 01, mgr 13, 14, 26-30) and P Maulhall (dnp). Image and player IDs from the Buffalo Express, April 29, 1894. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Carson Lorey. Original photo by Hezekiah McMichael, Buffalo.
Dated April 29, 1894. Detail view of photo A, showing players wearing the 1893 Buffalo uniform. Detail view showed that the shirt had four white buttons, although some of these buttons were missing from these uniforms. One of the buttons nestled between the “F” and “A” in the word Buffalo.
Written documentation on this uniform:
April 1893: “During the coming season the Bisons will gore their opponents while clad in a handsome uniform of dark green with white trimmings, white belt and white stockings. The cap will also have two white bands and on the breast will appear the name ‘Buffalo.’ The uniform was selected by Manager Chapman before leaving New York.” From the Buffalo Courier, April 12, 1893. A similar report was printed in The Sporting Life on April 22, 1893, which also said the Buffalo uniform was “selected by Manager Chapman, who must have had visions of the old Mutuals in his mind’s eye when he decided upon such a uniform—one conducive to blood-poisoning.” The Sporting Life research from Chuck McGill.
April 1893: “Manager Chapman of the Buffalo Baseball Club is in town, and he brings with him an aroma of the green diamond. […] ‘I am just getting the measurements of the men,’ said he, as he opened a letter full of diagrams, ‘and Spaulding [sp] & Bros. will have new suits ready for the men to wear on their first game at Philadelphia on April 21st.’ The home team will have another change in uniform this year. Mr Chapman proposes to array the players in green. This would certainly recommend them to the 1st Ward. The green caps will have two white bands about them, the name of the club will be in white letters across the breast and the stockings will be white. All the rest is green.” From the Buffalo Morning Express, April 12, 1893. Research from Ed Morton. Buffalo’s First Ward was where a majority Irish immigrants settled following the potato famine, 1845-1852. They worked at the nearby Buffalo waterfront as dock and warehouse laborers. The First Ward also was the center of the “Fenian Movement,” where in June 1866 “thousands” of Irish immigrants gathered and, fueled by a hatred of England, crossed over to Canada in an attempt to invade the country. First Ward info from James Napora, First Ward and the Valley, Buffalo NY (1995). Napora research supplied by Ed Morton.
April 1893: “Manager Chapman has decided that the Bisons shall wear dark green uniforms with white trimming, white belt and white stockings. The cap will have two white bands. The name ‘Buffalo’ will be worn across the breast.” From the Buffalo News, April 12, 1893.
April 1893: “Before leaving New York, Jack [Chapman] ordered the Bisons new uniforms which will be of dark green with white trimmings, white belt and white stockings.” From the Buffalo Commercial, April 12, 1893. Research from Don Stokes.
April 1893: “Uniforms for the players are now being made. They are of dark green with white trimmings.” From the Buffalo Enquirer, April 12, 1893.
April 1893: “Besides wearing the green in the shape of a uniform, the Bisons will also have green jackets. It’s too bad the season could not have opened on St. Patrick’s Day this year.” From the Buffalo Courier, April 14, 1893. On April 21, the Courier printed this editorial reply from the Cincinnati Times-Star regarding the Bisons and their green uniforms: “If ‘the gang’ is pretty rotten along about the 12th of July just inveigle [i.e., persuade] them to break into the route of a Boyne day parade and their troubles would soon be over.” A “Boyne Day parade” is one held annually on July 12 in Northern Ireland, where Irish Protestants wearing the color orange march to celebrate the Battle of the Boyne, when in 1690 King William of Orange, a Protestant, defeated King James II, a Catholic, for rule of Great Britain. Boyne parade info from wikipedia.com, retrieved March 4, 2023.
April 1893: “The appearance of the Buffalo team on the field [for an exhibition game in Philadelphia] will be the occasion of a great deal of interest, as the visitors will appear in green uniforms, something entirely unique in baseball.” From the Philadelphia Times, April 16, 1893.
April 1893: “Manager Chapman has arranged a code of rules for the Bisons and they are as follows: 1) Each player must keep his uniform clean and neat and in good repair at his own expense, and must see that the plates on his shoes are securely fastened, etc. 2) Players in uniform must not appear on the grounds earlier than 30 minutes previous to the hour advertised for commencing the game. […] 5) When at home players must report at the grounds in uniform every morning at 10:15 o’clock and afternoon at 3 o’clock.” From the Buffalo Courier, April 16, 1893.
April 1893: “Jack Chapman’s Buffalo boys will wear cap, shirt, trousers and stockings of green material, with white trimmings. This is the only green uniform that will be seen on the diamond this season, outside of the green grass.” From the Brooklyn Standard Union, April 19, 1893.
April 21, 1893, Buffalo v. Philadelphia (NL), at Philadelphia Ball Park, exhibition game: “Arrayed in green suits the Buffalo Club, under the guidance of Manager Jack Chapman, yesterday [April 21] were shown a thing or two in ball playing by the Philadelphia Club.” From the Philadelphia Times, April 22, 1893. Research from Ed Morton.
April 21, 1893, Buffalo v. Philadelphia (NL), at Philadelphia Ball Park, exhibition game: “The visitors were attired in new green uniforms and presented a very natty appearance.” From the Philadelphia Inquirer, April 22, 1893. Research from Ed Morton. This report tells us that the Inquirer had no objection to the color of the Buffalo uniform.
April 1893: “Buffalo’s green uniform will be a novelty.” From the Buffalo Courier, April 23, 1893.
April 24, 1893, Buffalo v. Washington DC, at Washington, National Park: “Manager Jack Chapman and his Emerald-suited Bisons were the opponents of the Senators, and the adherents of the latter were tickled almost to death at the manner in which the black-and-white garbed representatives of the national capital walloped the Buffalonians.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 25, 1893.
April 1893: “Manager Jack Chapman is putting on Erin-go-Bragh style at Buffalo this year. He will garb his Bisons in a uniform of dark green with white trimmings, white belt and white stockings. The cap will also have two white bands.” From the Independent Record (Helena, Montana), April 27, 1893. Research from Don Stokes. This same report was published in the Buffalo Commercial on May 8, 1893, citing the New York Press and with the headline “Chappie’s Emeralds.” Dictionary.com confirms that Erin go Bragh is a an “expression of loyalty to, or affection for, Ireland and its people and culture” and is “based on an Irish phrase meaning ‘Ireland forever.’”
May 1893: “The sprinkling pot of the heavens intervened this afternoon [on May 4 in Providence] and saved the demoralized Clam Diggers from a second defeat at the hands of the ‘Buffalo Shamrocks,’ as the [Providence] Journal calls them on account of their Hibernian regalia.” From the Buffalo Courier, May 4, 1893. Because of the green color, the Buffalo uniform was referred to as “Hibernian,” a reference to Ireland.
May 1893: “Twelve men are at present wearing the green and white uniform of the Buffalo Baseball [club] of the Eastern League.” From the Buffalo Courier, May 8, 1893.
May 15, 1893, Buffalo v. Albany, at Albany: “[Buffalo pitcher] Phil Reccius made his first appearance in the green uniform.” From the Buffalo Commercial, May 16, 1893.
May 1893: “‘The Wearing of the Green’ is now the favorite song with the Buffalo fans. The new title of the Bisons is ‘The Shamrocks.’” From the Buffalo Sunday Morning News, May 21, 1893. This may be a reference to the Irish street ballad lamenting the repression of supporters during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The song was first published in 1841. Song info according to wikipedia.com, retrieved February 28, 1893.
May 24, 1893, Buffalo v. Erie, at Buffalo, Olympic Park, home opener: ”It was a Bison day all around, and the boys in green deserved the victory. […] It was the Queen’s birthday yesterday, and a large number of Canadians saw the game. Naturally they didn’t admire the green uniforms of the Bisons, and it would have pleased them had the Hibernians been defeated.” From the Buffalo Courier, May 25, 1893. Queen Victoria was born on May 24, 1819. Because of the green color, the Buffalo uniform was sometimes labeled as a “Hibernian” uniform, a reference to Ireland.
May 24, 1893, Buffalo v. Erie, at Buffalo, Olympic Park, home opener: “Chappie’s boys looked decidedly pretty in Erin’s own colors.” From the Buffalo Commercial, May 25, 1895. Chappie was Buffalo manager Jack Chapman.
May 24, 1893, Buffalo v. Erie, at Buffalo, Olympic Park, home opener: “Over 2,000 persons witnessed the opening game […] and were convinced that the gentlemen dressed in billiard cloth suits can play ball.” From the Buffalo Courier, May 25, 1893.
May 24, 1893, Buffalo v. Erie, at Buffalo, Olympic Park, home opener: “In the sixth the Hibernian’s scored a quarette [sp] and the game appeared safe. […] Buffalo scored two more runs in the lucky seventh — when the crowd, as usual, stood up. […] Spectators who didn’t happen to have a score card received no assistance from the scoring board. The board was there but it wasn’t used. Somebody said the management had no chalk.” From the Buffalo News, May 25, 1893.
May 25, 1893, Buffalo v. Erie, at Buffalo, Olympic Park: “The outlook was a dismal one […] but the green clad boys went with confidence to the bat.” From the Buffalo News, May 26, 1893.
June 1893: “Manager Chapman is negotiating with a center fielder who he hopes to dress in a green uniform before many days.” From the Buffalo Courier, June 1, 1893.
July 28, 1893, Buffalo v. Springfield MA, at Buffalo: “The Springfield Ponies found they could not run against the Bisons yesterday. […] The Hibernians have broken the spell, and after being defeated four straight games started in earnest to pay ball.” From the Buffalo News, July 29, 1893. Because of their green uniforms, the Buffalo club was sometimes referred to as the “Hibernians,” a reference to Ireland.
September 3, 1893, Buffalo v. Troy, at Buffalo, East Side grounds; “Over 4,000 people went out to the East Side grounds to witness the game and were disappointed by the poor showing of the Hibernians.” From the Buffalo News, September 4, 1893. Because of their green uniforms, the Buffalo club was sometimes referred to as the “Hibernians,” a reference to Ireland. The News also called the Troy team the “Washerwomen.”
1893, referenced in May 1894: “The Buffalos had on their new uniforms, which are a decided improvement on the old green ones.” From the Buffalo Morning Express, May 9, 1894.
Team genealogy: Buffalo 1891-1900
Buffalo joined the Eastern Association/League (EL) in 1891. The EL operated between 1891 and 1911, and became the International League in 1912. Buffalo played in the EL between 1891 and 1898 and transferred to the Western League (WL) in 1899. The reorganized WL operated between 1894 and 1899 and reformed again as the American League (AL) in 1900. Buffalo played in the WL in 1899 and in the AL in 1900. The team was then dropped when the AL declared major-league status in 1901 and awarded the franchise to Boston. EL information from Bill O’Neal, The International League (1992). WL information from wikipedia.com.
Rendering posted: March 10, 2023
Diggers on this uniform: Carson Lorey, Chuck McGill, Don Stokes, Ed Morton,