1880 Chicago (Chicagos, White Stockings)
These renderings are based on written documentation for uniform style and color. No visual documentation is known and an artist’s conceptualization is used to create the renderings.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
None
Written documentation on these uniforms:
March 1880: “The Chicagos will have the same peculiar style of uniform as that adopted a year ago [1879].” From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, March 14, 1880.
March 1880: “The Chicagos will sport silk stockings again this season [1880]. The circus-colored uniforms will also be worn.” From the Washington (DC) National Republican, March 22, 1880.
April 1880: “There will be no change in the uniform of any of the [National] League clubs this season, with the possible exception of the Troys adopting a red and white uniform, like the one worn by the Hartfords several years ago.” From the New York Clipper, April 3, 1880.
April 1880: “Chicago furnishes uniforms to all the [National] League clubs; also the League ball and President.” From the Chicago Tribune, April 11, 1880.
April 1880: “The Cincinnatis have white shirts, pants and caps, red neckties, belts and stockings; Chicago, white shirts, pants, blue belts and neckties, white stockings, and caps variegated; Albany, duplicates of the Chicagos, excepting neckties and belts, which are red; Cleveland, white caps, shirts and pants, light blue stockings, belts, and neckties.” From the Buffalo Commercial, April 12, 1880.
April 20, 1880, Chicago v. National, Washington DC, at Chicago, exhibition game: “The Chicagos appeared for the first time in their regular [National] League uniforms for this year, with all-white stockings that are a marked improvement over the many-colored rings of last year.” From the Chicago Tribune, April 21, 1880. Research from Bill Hickman. Note, this report of Chicago returning to all-white stockings conflicts with the March 1881 report which states the team wore “variegated hose” in 1880.
May 7, 1880, Chicago v. Cincinnati, at Chicago, home opener: “The White-Stockings came out the next minute and were likewise applauded, looking withal [i.e., also as] a very modest, if robust, company of young gentlemen.” From the Chicago Inter Ocean, May 8, 1880.
August 17, 1880, Chicago v. Boston, at Chicago: “A big crowd assembled at the ball park yesterday to witness the contest between the famous Boston Red Stockings and the white-hosed Chicago Club, the acknowledged coming champions.” From the Chicago Daily Telegraph, August 18, 1880. This entry referenced the color of the team’s stockings.
September 1880: “We cordially coincide with the sentiments expressed on the subject of uniforms by a correspondent signing himself ‘Hesperus,’ as follows: ‘I would like to make a suggestion about the proposed change in the uniform of our ‘champion base-ball team’ through your paper. I do not think any uniform would be as acceptable to a Chicago audience as the old white-stocking uniform, which we have been used to so long and like so well until it was mixed with other colors. Have the uniform all white with the exception of dark neckties, and ‘Chicago’ embroidered in dark letters across the front. Our city certainly need not be ashamed to have her name worn by the club of 1880. No other uniform would look as well with white stockings. And, as President Hulbert remarked at the game the other day: ‘We shall have to retain the white stockings, as that is our trademark.’” From the Chicago Tribune, September 5, 1880. Research from Bill Hickman.
October 19, 1880, Chicago v. Metropolitan, New York, at Brooklyn, exhibition game: “[The Chicago players] were attired in their neat uniform of dark blue, with white stockings, in which they looked better than in any the club nine has ever before worn.” From the New York Clipper, October 30, 1880. Research from Brian McKenna. Note that the 1880 National League regular season ended on September 30, 1880.
1880, referenced in 1881: “The White Stocking uniform for 1881 will be the same as that of last season, the parti-colored caps and variegated hose.” From the Chicago Daily Tribune, March 27, 1881. Research from Don Stokes. Note that other reports from 1880 do not confirm that the parti-color scheme was utilized this year.
1880, referenced in 1882: “[In 1882] the superstitious White Stockings appeared for the game […] wearing the old tri-colored caps of the year 1876. They had discarded these caps for 1877 and did not wear them again until 1880 when they won their second League championship. With the caps they repeated in 1881.” From Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1882-1891 From The Newspaper Accounts (1966, 1967, reprinted by SABR in 2021), pg. 44.
1880, referenced in April 1882: “The [Cincinnati] practice uniforms, which are like those the Chicagos have had for three years, a drab color, are expected Monday [April 3].” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 1, 1882.
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.
1880 Chicago summary
Uniform: white, white stockings
First worn: April 20, Chicago
Photographed:
Described: March-May, August-October
Material: silk stockings
Manufacturer: Spalding & Bro.
Supposition: cap style, shirt style
Variations: caps of varying colors; post-season uniform, dark blue with white stockings
Other items: gray practice uniform
Home opener report: yes, May 7 v. Cincinnati
Rendering posted: June 14, 2020
Diggers on this uniform: Bill Hickman, Brian McKenna, Don Stokes,