1878 Chicago (Chicagos, White Stockings)
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
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated 1878. Collage of player photos. Full view at left, detail view at right. Date determined by appearance of players Start, Ferguson and Cassidy, all of whom only played for Chicago in 1878. All of the images in the collage had similar studio backgrounds, suggesting all were made at the same time. Players wore a white uniform in these photos. The shirt had a wide button placket and collars with rounded points.
Top row, from left: T Larkin (78, 79), J Start (78) and B Harbidge (78, 79). Second row: C Anson (76-97) and F Hankinson (78, 79). Third row: B Ferguson (78). Fourth row: J Hallinan (77, 78) and J Cassidy (78). Fifth row: L Reis (77, 78), J Remsen (78, 79) and B McClellan (78). Player IDs from collage. Years played with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan of Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-Century Pictorial Committee. Original photos by William A. Robinson, Robinson & Roe, Chicago.
Photo B
Dated 1878. Portrait of B Ferguson (78), full view at left, detail view at right. Date determined by fact that this was the player’s only year with the team. A cropped version of this photo was used in the collage of portraits issued in 1878, see photo A. This cabinet card of Ferguson showed the full Chicago uniform, including white stockings and white shoes with an abundance of dark accents. Ferguson ID from cabinet card. Year Ferguson with team from baseball-reference.com. Original photo by William A. Robinson, Robinson & Roe, Chicago.
Photo C
Dated circa 1878, published 1879. Rendering of A Dalrymple (Mil NL 78, Chi 79-86), full view at left, detail view at right. This rendering was published in the Spalding Baseball Guide 1879 at the beginning of the 1879 season. It may be a depiction of the 1878 Milwaukee uniform. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Ed Morton.
Written documentation on this uniform:
February 1878: “Albert Spaulding [sp], of the Chicago White Stockings, has been assigned to the work of publishing the [National] League Rule Book of 1878. The book will be out March 1.” From the New York Tribune, February 1, 1878. The masthead of this newspaper scan is partially cutoff. The date could be February 4 or February 7.
May 14, 1878, Chicago v. Indianapolis, at Chicago, home opener: “There was, of course, a chance to pull out, and it looked in the ninth inning as if the Whites were going to take advantage of it.” From the Chicago Tribune, May 15, 1878. Use of a team nickname, based on the stocking color. Fyi, Chicago lost, 5 to 3.
May 14, 1878, Chicago v. Indianapolis, at Chicago, home opener: “The Chicago’s new grounds on the lake front were formally opened by a game of ball. […] A very ‘queer’ band, provided by President Hulbert, [was used] to officiate at the opening and funeral services of his white-hosed boys.” From the Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean, May 15, 1878.
May 14, 1878, Chicago v. Indianapolis, at Chicago, home opener: “The Chicago White Stockings and the Indianapolis ‘Blues’ played the first professional game of the new season yesterday afternoon in the new park at the foot of Washington Street.” From the Chicago Daily Telegraph, May 15, 1878.
August 10, 1878, Chicago v. Boston, at Boston, South End grounds: “Hankinson […] sent a skyscraper down the [Boston] outfield between Andy [Leonard] and O’Rourke, and the white stockings sped around the bases like race horses, each of the four men expecting to score a run. While they were thus engaged O’Rourke’s red stockings flew over the ground, and he, smiling, captured the ball before it struck mother earth. He had run hard for it, and was vociferously cheered as he came up the field.” From the Boston Globe, August 11, 1878. A mention of both the Chicago and Boston stocking colors.
August 1878: “The Chicago White Stockings of the [National] League, were defeated by the New Bedfords at New Bedford yesterday [August 16, 1878] by a score of 4 to 0.” From the New York Herald, August 17, 1878. This report suggested the Chicago team wore their traditional white stockings throughout the 1878 season.
Possibly 1878, referenced in March 1879: “The management of the Chicago club has very wisely decided that the skinny white uniform with tips of blue […] is not the best of its kind, that good taste dictates higher colors for the field, something that will bring out, instead of dwarfing the muscular developments of its wearer.” From the Chicago Times, March 17, 1879, as researched by Thom Karmik, baseballhistorydaily.com.
Team genealogy:
Chicago 1874-
Chicago reformed after the Great Fire of October 1871 and rejoined the National Association (NA) in 1874 and 1875 after a two-year absence. The NA was baseball’s first league, operating 1871-1875. Chicago joined the National League (NL) at its formation in 1876 and the team has played in the NL every year since 1876. Information from Paul Batesel, Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875, from baseball-reference.com, and from wikipedia.
1878 Chicago summary
Uniform: white, white stockings
First worn:
Photographed: during year, unspecified
Described: May, August
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations:
Other items:
Home opener report: yes maybe May 14 v. Indianapolis
Rendering posted: February 15, 2015
Diggers on this uniform: Ed Morton, Mark Fimoff, Thom Karmik,