1881 Buffalo (Buffalos)
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
This rendering is included in the book, BASEBALL THREADS.
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
None
Written documentation on these uniforms:
March 1881: “James O’Rourke of the Buffalo nine is in the city [Boston] making arrangements for the uniforms for his club. Last year it was white, this season it is likely to be dark gray.” From the Boston Globe, March 20, 1881.
March 1881: “The Buffalos will probably wear gray uniforms.” From the Buffalo Morning Express, March 24, 1881.
March 1881: “The uniform of the Buffalos is now being considered […] the suit will be steel-gray, similar to the Providences, and the trimming will doubtless be red.” From the Chicago Daily Tribune, March 27, 1881. Research from Don Stokes. This report implied previous Buffalo teams wore red as an accent color.
March 1881: “There will be considerable change in uniforms this year, if we are to credit newspaper rumor. The Buffalo suit will be steel gray, similar to the Providences, and the trimmings will doubtless be red, while the Chicagos will abandon their old uniforms and colored caps, and will appear in a dark blue outfit, white stockings and belts, and dark blue caps striped with white.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 27, 1881.
March 1881: “Mr. T. B. Staley will have the making of the shoes for the Buffalos the coming season. The Bisons will wear the finest shoes worn by [National] League players —Buffalo Courier. You mean the first of May, don’t you? But wait till about August, and then send us a post-card with a diagnosis of the condition of those shoes.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 27, 1881, another entry in the same newspaper as cited above.
March 1881: “We learn that the Buffalo Base Ball team will wear a uniform of steel gray, college cap of the same, red stockings and belt. Kennett will measure the players and Spalding, of Chicago, will furnish the material and do the manufacturing.” From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, March 30, 1881. Research from Ed Morton. The newspaper made a correction the following day regarding the uniform color, see below.
March 1881: “The Buffalo players are to have practice uniforms of brown and white cloth, something neat and durable. The regular or exhibition uniform will not be steel-gray, as stated yesterday, but lavender-gray flannel.” From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, March 31, 1881. Research from Ed Morton.
April 1881: “The Buffalos on practice days will roam about in brown and white uniforms, and while they are masticating [i.e., chewing on] a visiting team they will be attired in lavender gray flannel.” From the Buffalo Express, April 1, 1881. Research from Ed Morton.
April 1881: “The new [Buffalo] uniform for the nine will be gray, with red trimmings.” From the New York Clipper, April 2, 1881. Research from Brian McKenna.
April 1881: “[National] League Uniforms. — The uniform of the Detroits will be light gray cloth, trimmed with cardinal red, gray box-topped caps, red belts and red stockings; Buffalos, gray, with navy blue stockings; the Worcesters, white with brown stockings and trimmings; the Clevelands, white, with blue stockings and trimmings; Providence, gray, with pale blue stockings. The Chicago’s uniform is in doubt. It may be light gray with white stockings; it may be all white, or it may be navy blue with white stockings. Indeed, there is some talk about having the three, and changing off occasionally; but in any event they will not change their stockings. Boston will wear the same colors as last season.” From the Boston Globe, April 24, 1881. Research from Chuck McGill. Note that this report described the Buffalo stockings as blue, not red.
May 2, 1881, Buffalo v. Detroit, at Detroit, home opener: “A queer but not unnatural mistake was made by [Buffalo infielder] Morrissey, who confounded one of the Detroits, whose uniform is similar to that of our team, with [Buffalo outfielder] Foley, and by a play made under this delusion the lead was given to the Detroits.” From the Buffalo Evening News, May 3, 1881. Research from Ed Morton.
May 2, 1881, Buffalo v. Detroit, at Detroit, home opener: “It was found somewhat difficult to distinguish the men, as both clubs wore uniforms of exactly the same pattern.” From the Buffalo Express, May 5, 1881, referencing a description published in the Detroit Post and Tribune. Research from Ed Morton.
May 5, 1881, Buffalo v. Detroit, at Buffalo, home opener: “The Bisons also tore around the bases in a most pleasing way.” From the Buffalo Express, May 6, 1881. A mention of the team nickname.
1881, referenced in April 1882: “The Eclipse Club, of Louisville, Ky., have ordered new uniforms in this city [Cincinnati], of gray, with red belts and stockings. There [sp] former uniforms were of blue, like the last season’s uniforms of the [1881] Buffalos.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 20, 1882. The reference to the blue color is undetermined.
1881: “In 1881 the home uniform was a conservative gray with red trimmings, but for the road [manager O’Rourke] chose an adventurous lavender and blue combination.” From Mike Roer, Orator O’Rourke: The Life of a Baseball Radical (2005). Reference detail not provided.
Team genealogy:
Buffalo 1879-1885
Buffalo joined the National League (NL) in 1879. The NL formed in 1876 and Buffalo played in the league from 1879 through the end of the 1885 season. Information from wikipedia.com.
1881 Buffalo summary
Uniform: gray, red stockings
First worn:
Photographed:
Described:
Material:
Manufacturer: Spalding & Bro., shoes by T. B. Staley, Buffalo
Supposition: cap style, shirt style
Variations:
Other items: practice uniform, brown with red stockings
Home opener report: yes, May 5 v. Detroit
Rendering posted: June 21, 2022
Diggers on this uniform: Brian McKenna, Chuck McGill, Don Stokes, Ed Morton, Mike Roer,