1877 Hartford, Brooklyn (Hartfords, Dark Blues, Blue Stockings)

This rendering is based on written documentation for uniform style and color. No visual documentation is known and an artist’s conceptualization is used to create the rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:
None

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.

February 1877: “The Hartford Blue Stockings will probably make their headquarters in Brooklyn for the coming season.” From the New York Daily Tribune, February 24, 1877. This entry referenced the traditional stocking color of the team.

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. Example of two team nicknames in use, each based on the stocking color.

April 30, 1877, Hartford v. Boston, at Brooklyn, Union Grounds, home opener: “The Hartfords presented their full strength on the occasion and appeared in their new uniforms for the first time, dark blue caps and stockings and loose white shirts and breeches.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 1, 1877. This report also called the Hartford team “the Blues,” and Boston as “the Reds.”

May 8, 1877, Hartford v. Chicago, at Chicago, Chicago grounds, home opener: “The Hartfords, with the same pretty uniform of last year [1876], took the field, but there was something missing which seemed to tell the old habitue that the nine did not make their appearance on the field with the same confidence of last season.” From the Chicago Inter-Ocean, May 9, 1877. The newspaper called the visiting team “the famous Hartford nine.”

May 29, 1877, Hartford v. Athletic, Philadelphia, at Philadelphia: “The Hartfords played the Athletics a good game in Philadelphia yesterday […] the dark blues winning by their superior fielding.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 30, 1877. This report referred to the team as the “dark blues,” most likely a reference to the team’s accent color. The published box score for this game in the Eagle listed the Hartford team name as the “Brooklyn-Hartfords.”

June 2, 1877, Hartford v. Boston, at Boston, home opener: “The Reds met the Hartfords of Brooklyn and vanquished them by a score of 8 to 2. […] In the ninth the Blues managed to put in another tally, which was unearned.” From the Boston Globe, June 4, 1877. “Blues” was 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.

1877 Hartford summary

Uniform: white, blue stockings and cap
First worn: April 30
Photographed:
Described: February, April, May
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition: cap style, shirt style, shirt lettering
Variations:
Other items:
Home opener report: yes, April 30 v. Boston