1877 Boston (Bostons, Red Stockings, Reds)

This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style only. An educated guess is made on uniform color and on some important details that may be missing or difficult to determine.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:


Photo A

Dated April 1877 to June 1877. Montage of team portraits at left, detail view of player Sutton at right. Year of montage confirmed by appearance of player W White, who only played for Boston in 1877. Portraits were most likely the “neat vignette pictures in uniform of Boston players of 1877” that George Wright advertised for sale in late June 1877. Portraits show the city name on the shirt bib was vertically arched across the chest. The irregular shape of the letter “B” in Boston may suggest the city name was hand-painted onto the shirt bib. This same bib was worn by multiple players on the day when the studio portraits were made.

Clockwise from top: L Brown (76, 77), A Leonard (NA 72-75, NL 76-78), T Murnane (76, 77, UA 84), J O’Rourke (NA 73-75, NL 76-78, 80), J Manning (NA 73, 75, NL 76, 78, Cin NL 77), H Schafer (NA 71-75, NL 76-78), W White (77), E Sutton (77-88), J Morrill (76-88, PL 90) and D White (NA 73-75, NL 77). Center top: G Wright (NA 71-75, NL 76-78, 80, 81). Center bottom: T Bond (77-81, UA 84). Years played with team from baseball-reference.com. Original portraits by W. Balch, Boston, sometimes attributed to John Wood, New York.

Photo B

Dated April 1877 to June 1877. Montage of team portraits at left, detail view of player Schafer at right. Photo date of montage confirmed by appearance player W White, who only played for Boston in 1877. Portraits were most likely the “neat vignette pictures in uniform of Boston players of 1877” that George Wright advertised for sale in late June 1877. This montage utilized the same portraits shown in photo A. The irregular shape of the letter “B” in Boston may suggest the city name was hand-painted onto the shirt bib.This same bib was worn by multiple players on the day when the studio portraits were made.

Clockwise from top: W White (77), J Manning (NA 73, 75, NL 76, 78, Cin NL 77), D White (NA 73-75, NL 77), E Sutton (77-88), G Wright (NA 71-75, NL 76-78, 80, 81), T Murnane (76, 77, UA 84), A Leonard (NA 72-75, NL 76-78), H Schafer (NA 71-75, NL 76-78), J O’Rourke (NA 73-75, NL 76-78, 80), J Morrill (76-88, PL 90), T Bond (77-81, UA 84) and L Brown (76, 77). Center: H Wright (Mgr, NA 71-75, NL 76-81). Years played with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Ken Samoil. Original portraits by W. Balch, Boston, sometimes attributed to John Wood, New York.

Photo C

Dated April 1877 to June 1877. Another version of the Boston montage with players in different positions, full view at left, detail view at right. This version was published in the Syracuse Sports Journal, February 23, 1937. Image scan from Justin Mckinney.

Photo D

Dated April 1877 to June 1877. Portrait of D White (NA 73-75, NL 77). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date confirmed by fact that this portrait was included in the montages show above, see photos A, B and C. These montages were produced in 1877, confirmed by the fact that White did not play for Boston in 1876. The White portrait was most likely one of the “neat vignette pictures in uniform of Boston players of 1877” that George Wright advertised for sale in late June 1877. Detail view showed the white cap with red trim on the front edge of a truncated brim. The irregular shape of the letter “B” in Boston may suggest the city name was hand-painted onto the shirt bib. This same bib was worn by multiple players on the day when the studio portraits were made.

Written documentation on this uniform:
January 1877, National League rules of 1877 regarding uniforms: “We […] hereby notify all players now under contract, or that may hereafter contract with either club subscribing hereto, that each player must pay thirty dollars ($30) for the uniform furnished him by the club for the season of 1877, and must, at his own expense, keep the same clean and in good repair.” From the New York Clipper, January 27, 1877. This agreement of “Special League Rules” was signed by officers of the Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, Boston, Hartford and St. Louis teams.

April 1877: “The first match between [National] League nines this season will take place in Brooklyn, the contestants being the Dark Blues of the Brooklyn Hartfords and the Boston Red Stockings.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 23, 1877.

April 30, 1877, Boston v. Hartford, at Brooklyn, Union Grounds: “In the third inning the one, two, three order was again observed by the [Hartford] Blues, but on the other side the [Boston] Reds managed to break the ice in run getting.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 1, 1877.

May 8, 1877, Boston v. St. Louis, at St. Louis, Grand Avenue Park, home opener: “Yesterday afternoon the base ball season opened by a most brilliant play between the Boston Reds and the St. Louis Browns.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 9, 1877.

May 17, 1877, Boston v. Cincinnati, at Cincinnati: “The Bostons were unfortunate enough to have their bats and uniforms left in Chicago Wednesday night. Yesterday they appeared on the field dressed in the Mohawk uniform and in the old Reds’ uniform of last year [1876].” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, May 18, 1877.

June 2, 1877, Boston v. Hartford, at Boston, home opener: “The Reds met the Hartfords of Brooklyn and vanquished them by a score of 8 to 2.” From the Boston Globe, June 4, 1877. A reference to the team’s stocking color.

June 1877, advertisement for George Wright, Baseball and Cricket Goods: “Neat vignette pictures in uniform of Boston players of 1877, sent on receipt of 35c [cents].” From the New York Clipper, June 30, 1877. This ad ran for several months in the Clipper. Wright’s store address was listed as 39 Eliot Street, Boston.

1876 and 1877, referenced in December 1888: “Many of the old-timers remember the Boston mascot of 1876 and 1877. [William Selden of the Cuban Giants] has since become one of the finest ball players in the business.” From the Boston Globe, December 24, 1888. This report gave some facts of Selden’s playing career, and included that he was “born October 10, 1866, at Norfolk, Va.,” and that he “he has lived in Boston since 1869.”

Team genealogy: Boston 1871-1952
Boston was formed to enter the National Association (NA) in 1871. The NA was baseball’s first league, operating 1871-1875. Boston played in the NA in every year of the league’s existence and moved to the National League (NL) upon its start in 1876. Boston played in the NL from 1876 to 1952 and moved to Milwaukee for the 1953 NL season. Information from Paul Batesel, Players And Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875, from baseball-reference.com and from wikipedia.com.

1877 Boston summary

Uniform: white, red stockings
First worn:
Photographed: June or earlier
Described: April, June
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations:
Other items:
Home opener report: yes, June 2 v. Hartford