1898 Cincinnati (Cincinnatis, Reds)

This renderings are based on incomplete visual documentation for uniform style and incomplete written documentation for color. Important 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 March 20, 1898, based on a photo made between March 1 and March 15, 1898. As the caption stated, the original photo was made while the team was at San Antonio, Texas. Newspapers reported that the team arrived in Texas for spring training on March 1, 1898 and that over two weeks later on “Friday afternoon [March 15, 1898] the entire team left San Antonio for Houston,” adding that “from there the players will move slowly up the line to the north, taking in Ft. Worth and Dallas.” The team was depicted wearing a combination of uniforms, sweaters and jackets, all of which were most likely from the previous season of 1897. Newspapers reported in April 1898 that the new uniforms for the upcoming season arrived in Cincinnati on April 7, 1898, after the team returned from spring training. Image from the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 20, 1898. Enquirer research from Ed Morton. Texas arrival and departure dates from The Sporting Life, March 5, 1898 and March 26, 1898.

Photo B

Dated 1898, reprint of a photo made between June 1897 and October 1897. This image was of the 1897 team, not the 1898 team, and was printed in error by the Spalding Base Ball Guide 1899. The Guide had published the identical image of the Cincinnati team two years in a row. Of the nineteen players in this photo, seven did not play for Cincinnati in 1898: D Hoy, S Brown, C Ritchey, B Rhines, P Schriver, R Ehret and E Burke. Original photo by Randolph P. Bellsmith, Cincinnati.

Photo C

Dated March 9, 1899 to March 15, 1899. This photo was published in a newspaper on March 15, 1899, and was taken while the team was at spring training. The team left Cincinnati on March 8 and spent the majority of their time training at Columbus, GA. Players wore a mix of uniforms, sweaters and jackets in this photo, all of which were from previous seasons.

Top row, from left: F Vaughn (Cin 92-99, StP WL 99), B McPhee (AA 82-89, NL 90-99), M Smith (AA 86-89, NL 98-00), B Phillips (95, 99-03), J Taylor (99), H Steinfeldt (98-05) and N Hahn (99-05). Middle: K Selbach (99), T Breitenstein (97-00), T Corcoran (97-06), B Ewing (mgr 95-99), C Irwin (96-01), B Dammann (97-99) and D Miller (Cin 96-99, StL NL 99). Front: B Wood (98-00) and (Frey, team doctor). Player IDs and image from the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 15, 1899. Years players with team from baseball-reference.com. Date of team leaving for spring training from The Sporting Life, March 11, 1899. The identity of the team doctor comes from The Sporting Life which reported on March 18, 1899, that when traveling south “Dr. Frey and four local newspaper representatives also accompanied the team.” Image scan from Ed Morton.

Photo D

Dated March 9, 1899 to March 15, 1899. This photo was taken by at the same time as photo C and was published in a newspaper on March 15, 1899, the same day as photo C. Both images were taken while the team was at spring training and in photo D many of the players had switched positions when compared to photo C. The team left Cincinnati on March 8 and spent the majority of their time training at Columbus, GA. Players wore a mix of uniforms, sweaters and jackets in this photo, all of which were from previous seasons.

Top row, from left: D Miller (Cin 96-99, StL NL 99), K Selbach (99), T Breitenstein (97-00), T Corcoran (97-06), B Dammann (97-99) and C Irwin (96-01). Middle: M Smith (AA 86-89, NL 98-00), B McPhee (AA 82-89, NL 90-99), F Vaughn (Cin 92-99, StP WL 99), B Ewing (mgr 95-99), J Taylor (99), H Steinfeldt (98-05) and N Hahn (99-05). Front: B Wood (98-00), (Frey, team doctor) and B Phillips (95, 99-03). Player IDs and image from the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, March 15, 1899. Years players with team from baseball-reference.com. Date of team leaving for spring training from The Sporting Life, March 11, 1899. The identity of the team doctor comes from The Sporting Life which reported on March 18, 1899, that when traveling south “Dr. Frey and four local newspaper representatives also accompanied the team.” Image scan from Carson Lorey.

Dated March 9, 1899 to March 15, 1899. Detail view of photo B. Detail view showed several players wearing the Cincinnati road uniform from a previous season, most likely from 1898.

Written documentation on this uniform:
February 1898: “Cheap colored stockings that will fade and rub off are dangerous for ball players to wear. If the foot, ankle or calf of the leg is cut by a spike, the perspiration and dye stuff from stockings that will fare are liable to cause blood poisoning. The Cincinnati Club had stockings of this kind for two seasons. It seemed an impossibility to get good, old-fashioned fast-colored red yarn stockings. Last fall [1897], in order to be sure of having the right kind of stockings an order was placed with a manufactory. The stockings came to hand yesterday, and are the kind the players have been wishing for. No fear of blood poisoning this year. The stockings are of a fast color.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, February 2, 1898. Research from Ed Morton. This report suggests the team planned to wear red stockings again in 1898.

February 1898: “Business manager Bancroft has begun work on the score cards for this season and promises that they will be the finest things ever gotten out in this city. The main idea will not be greatly changed from those of last season, being in the shape of a 24 page book and cover.” From The Sporting Life, February 26, 1898. The Cincinnati score card for 1898 was to include player photographs, see March 2 entry below.

March 1898: “[Players] Hill, Woods, Miller and Dammann, who arrived [in Cincinnati] the night before, and McBride, Irvin, Smith and Goar, who came in yesterday, first left their measures for uniforms and then filed to [Herman] Meins’ photography gallery, at Fifth and Plum Streets, and had their photographs taken for the official score card.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 2, 1898. Research from Ed Morton.

March 1898: “Captain Ewing is trying to secure enough money from the individual members of the team to purchase a Mexican burro as a mascot for the Reds. Since the death of the monkey the team has been without a voodoo, and it is thought that one of the long-eared donkeys, which cost but $4 or $5 here, would be just the thing.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 16, 1898. Research from Ed Morton. This report used the Reds nickname, suggesting the team was to wear red stockings in 1898.

April 1898: “Both the home and traveling uniforms of the members of the Cincinnati team arrived yesterday [April 7, 1898] and were put on exhibition in the show window at Grandpa Hawley’s. […] The sight of the baseball toggery is enough to set the tongues of the baseball enthusiasts to wagging.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 8, 1898. Research from Ed Morton.

April 1898: “The traveling uniforms of the Reds are not up to sample. They are flimsy and cheap looking. Without exception every player complained about the quality of the goods. Captain Ewing saw they were not what he ordered, so he requested each player leave them out and he would return them to the factory. Incidentally Captain Ewing mentioned that if any of the players wanted new jackets they could have them by leaving a deposit of $5 in the hands of Treasurer Lloyd. ‘Your $5 will be returned if you return the jacket in the fall,’ continued the Captain.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 12, 1898. Research from Ed Morton.

April 1898: “The Reds have been shy on a mascot ever since Mose, the monkey, died last spring. Harry Vaughn yesterday paved the way for an installment of mascots. Somebody gave the big catcher’s little girl a mongrel dog. Harry didn’t want the canine, and brought him to the Cincinnati Ball Park. Now he is the Reds’ official mascot. He isn’t much to look at, but Harry insists that he can make things hum if he is thrown in with a bunch of rodents. [Park superintendent] Schwab will keep him.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 12, 1898. Research from Ed Morton.

April 1898: “Each National League player has $30 deducted from his season’s salary for uniforms. The Reds are kicking on the material in their suits, and say it is not the same as the samples.” From the Buffalo Evening News, April 15, 1898.

April 15, 1898, Cincinnati v. Cleveland at Cincinnati, League Park, home opener: “Reds Win by a Single Tally. […] Both teams played ball and played it well, but the Reds outplayed their opponents and carried off the victory.” From the Chicago Tribune, April 16, 1898. Another example of Reds nickname in use in 1898.

April 1898: “The [Cincinnati] score cards are a beautiful piece of work and make a splendid souvenir.” From The Sporting Life, April 23, 1898.

1898, referenced in April 1899: “The Cincinnati Club has made two new departures in the uniforms for this year [1899]. The most noticeable and most pleasant change is the discarding of the monotonous gray traveling uniforms [of 1898?] and adopting a dark blue uniform. These will be ornamented with the usual red trimmings, with the name ‘Cincinnati’ across the shirt bosom.” From The Sporting Life, April 8, 1899. Research from Ed Morton.

Team genealogy: Cincinnati 1881-
Cincinnati was formed in 1881 to join the American Association (AA) for its inaugural season in 1882. The AA was a major league operating between 1882 and 1891. Cincinnati played in the AA throughout the 1880s and then joined the National League (NL) for the 1890 season. The NL began operation in 1876. Cincinnati has played every year in the NL from 1890 to present time. Information from wikipedia.