1876 Hartford (Hartfords, Dark Blues)
This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style only. An educated guess is made on uniform color and on minor details that may be missing or difficult to determine.
Rendering accuracy:
Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated 1876 based on player Higham. Top row, from left: T Bond (75, 76) and C Cummings (75, 76). Middle: J Burdock (75-77), E Mills (74-76), B Ferguson (75-77), B Harbridge (75-77) and T York (75-77). Front, on ground: D Higham (76), D Allison (75-77), T Carey (75-77) and J Remsen (75, 76). Player IDs from Nigel Ayres, also from Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-century Pictorial Committee, Reflecting The Past newsletter, March 2013. Note, some resources regarding this photo have players Remsen, Allison and Burdock switched in identification. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Note, studio background has been retouched out of this photo. Other versions exist that include studio background. Original image from Isaac White, Hartford. Photographer info from The Trading Card Database, tcdb.com.
Dated 1876. Detail of photo A.
Written documentation on this uniform:
May 6, 1876, Hartford v. Philadelphia at Philadelphia: “The Hartfords played their first game with the Athletics in Philadelphia on Saturday. […] The fact that the Athletics earned two out of their three runs also proves the good fielding of the ‘dark blues.’” From the Hartford Weekly Times, May 13, 1876. This report referenced the dark blue accent color on the Hartford uniforms. Game date from retrosheet.org.
May 1876: “Chicago, by winning two of her three games with Hartford, again leads the championship race, with the Dark Blues close to their heels.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 29, 1876.
June 24, 1876, Hartford v. Louisville, at Louisville: “Nearly thirty-five hundred people witnessed today’s game, and saw the Louisvilles get away with the Dark Blues from Connecticut.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 25, 1876. The team nickname in use, based on the color of the team’s stockings.
July 15, 1876, Hartford v. St. Louis, at St. Louis: “A large crowd was present to witness the discomfiture [i.e., embarrassment] of the Dark Blues.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 16, 1876. The team nickname in use, based on the color of the team’s stockings.
July 16, 1876, Hartford, v. St. Louis, at St. Louis: “Errors were about even. Four blue-legs got base by error, and two brown-legs.” From the St. Louis Republican, July 16, 1876.
July 21, 1876, Hartford v. Athletic, Philadelphia, at Philadelphia: “[Hartford centerfielder Jack] Remsen started the game with a three bagger, and made a run, while two of the Blue Legs, after clean hits, were left in the first inning.” From the Philadelphia Times, July 22, 1876. A reference to the Hartford stocking color.
Team genealogy: Hartford was formed to join the National Association (NA) in 1874. The NA was baseball’s first league, operating 1871-1875. After two years in the NA, Hartford joined the National League (NL) at its formation in 1876. The team removed to Brooklyn for the 1877 season and was then known as Hartford of Brooklyn. The franchise was dissolved at the conclusion of the 1877 season. –Information from Paul Batesel, Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875 (2012), and from wikipedia.
1876 Hartford summary
Uniform: white, dark blue stockings
First worn:
Photographed: unspecified during year
Described: May-July
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition: accent color
Variation:
Other items:
Home opener report: no, May 1 v. Boston
Rendering posted: January 3, 2016
Diggers on this uniform: David Arcidiacono, Mark Fimoff, Nigel Ayres,