1879 Troy NY (Troys)
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
This rendering is included in the book, BASEBALL THREADS.
Visual documentation on this uniform:
None
Written documentation on this uniform:
March 1879: “Troy’s uniform this season will be gray pants, shirts, and caps, with cardinal-red trimmings, red belts and stockings.” From the Chicago Daily Tribune, March 23, 1879. Research from Brian McKenna.
March 1879: “There will be five red stocking clubs in the [National] League this season: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Boston, Buffalo and Troy clubs. The Chicago club wears white stockings and the Syracuse club brown. The uniform of the Troy Club will be gray trousers, shirts and caps, with cardinal-red trimmings and red belt and stockings.” From the New York Daily Tribune, March 29, 1879.
March 1879: “The new uniform of the [Troy] club will be light corduroy pants, red side cords, scarlet stockings, gray flannel shirt trimmed with red, and ‘T.C.’ in red letters on breast. Jacket and hat not decided upon.” From the New York Clipper, March 29, 1879. Note that the Troy team was known as “Troy City” or “Troy Citys” during this period and was listed as such in Spalding’s Base Ball Guide of 1880. “Troy Cities” referenced the areas of Troy, Lansingburgh and West Troy (Watervilet). Info on Troy Cities from Ray Kim, When Troy Was a Major-League City.
March 1879: “The uniform of the Troys this season will be light gray pants, cap and shirt, the latter with monogram of T. C., cardinal red trimmings. The flannel is of a fine English quality.” From the New Orleans Democrat, March 30, 1879. Research from Don Stokes.
April 1879: “The following will be the uniforms of the [National] League clubs this season: Chicagos, white suits with different colored caps, belts, neckties and stockings. Bostons, white suits, white caps, red stockings, belts and neckties. Buffalos, white suits, white caps, blue stockings, belts and neckties. Cincinnatis, white suits, white caps, red stockings, belts and neckties. Troys, light gray suits and caps, cardinal red belts and stockings, ‘T. C.’ on shirt front. Clevelands, black and white checkered suits, blue trimmings, white caps, blue belts and stockings, ‘Clevelands’ on shirt front. Syracuse, white suits, white caps with brown trimmings, brown stockings. Providence, light gray suits with blue trimmings, blue belts, stockings and caps.” From the Buffalo Courier, April 13, 1879.
April 1879: “The Troy Citys, which Club opens the [National] League season in Cincinnati tomorrow, is not the weak Club it is rated.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 30, 1879. An example of the team being called the “Troy Citys.”
May 1879: “The uniforms of the eight [National] League teams are as follows: Boston, white trousers, shirts and caps, with red stockings, neckties and belts; Cleveland, black and white checked suits, white caps, blue stockings and trimmings; Providence, light gray trousers, jackets and caps, with blue stockings, belts and neckties; Chicago, white suits with different colored caps, belts and neckties, and white stockings; Buffalo, white suits, and white caps with blue trimmings, neckties and blue stockings; Cincinnati, white suits and caps, with red trimmings, belts, neckties, and red stockings; Troy, light gray suits and caps, cardinal red belts and stockings, and ‘T.C.’ on shirt front; Syracuse, white suits, white caps with brown trimmings, and brown stockings.” From the New York Tribune, May 14, 1879. Research from Richard Hershberger.
Team genealogy:
Troy 1877-1882
Troy was organized in Troy, New York, around 1877 when it was first a member of the League Alliance (LA). The LA was group of independent small-city teams. This Troy team was initially known as the Haymakers, referencing an earlier team that played in Lansingburgh and Troy between 1866-1872. Troy joined the National League (NL) in 1879. The NL began in 1876. Troy played in the NL until 1882. After the 1882 season the team was removed from the NL and subsequently folded. –Information from wikipedia and baseball-reference.com.
1879 Troy summary
Uniform: gray, red stockings
First worn:
Photographed:
Described: March-May
Material: flannel
Manufacturer:
Supposition: cap style, shirt style, lettering style
Variations:
Other items:
Home opener report: no, May 28 v. Cincinnati
Rendering posted: February 22, 2015
Diggers on this uniform: Brian McKenna, Don Stokes, Richard Hershberger,