1883 Baltimore (Baltimores, Orioles)
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
These renderings are included in the book, BASEBALL THREADS.
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
None
Written documentation on these uniforms:
November 1882: “The uniform of the club will consist of white trousers and shirts, orange and black caps and stockings.” From the Baltimore Sun, November 25, 1882. Research from Ken Mars, Baltimore Baseball, First Pitch to First Pennant (2018). The Baltimore Sun also called the team the “Oriole Base Ball Club of Baltimore” in this report. Per Mars, new co-owner/co-manager Alphonsus Houck suggested the Oriole team name and identity at this time.
December 1882: “Barnie’s new Baltimore club has been christened the Oriole of Baltimore, and its colors will be black and yellow.” From the New York Clipper, December 2, 1882. Research from Richard Hershberger, as posted to protoball.org.
March 1883: “Each player has two uniforms; one is plain white with orange and black stockings and cap, the other is light gray with the same trimmings.” From the Baltimore Day, March 16, 1883. Research from Clifford Blau.
April 1883: “The new [Baltimore] uniforms arrived on Friday [March 29] from Brooklyn. The shirt and Knickerbockers are of white flannel, and the caps, belt and stockings are of black and yellow.” From the Baltimore Sun, April 2, 1883.
April 1883: “The uniform of the Baltimore club is white, with black and yellow caps and stockings. Sweet canaries.” From The Sporting Life, April 15, 1883.
May 10, 1883, Baltimore v. Allegheny, Pittsburgh, at Pittsburgh, Exhibition grounds: “The ladies were out in force yesterday [May 10] and all said: ‘It’s a nasty, mean shame. Those Baltimore uniforms are second prison clothes, anyhow.’” From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 11, 1883. This was Baltimore’s first road game and the team may have worn the gray uniform mentioned in March, see above.
May 21, 1883, Baltimore v. Metropolitan, New York, at New York: “In the game in New York this afternoon with the Mets, the Baltimores will don their new uniforms for the first time. It will consist of dark blue stockings and caps, and dark blueish-gray pants and shirts. This uniform is a great improvement over the old one, and the stockings and caps should be worn altogether, as the yellow and black is a little too much on the gingerbread order. With the white pants and shirts and blue stockings and caps on the home grounds, and the blueish-gray pants and caps away, there would be a great improvement in the appearance of the men.” From the Baltimore American, May 21, 1883. Research from Justin Mckinney. Game info from retrosheet.org.
May 1883: “Baltimore has discarded the black, white and yellow uniform, and last week donned a new one consisting of dark blue caps and stockings, grayish and blue pants and shirts.” From The Sporting Life, May 27, 1883. This same report was published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, June 3, 1883. Enquirer research from Tom Shieber. A similar report also appeared in Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1882-1891 From The Newspaper Accounts (1966, 1967, reprinted by SABR in 2021) as “Baltimore discarded their black, white and yellow uniforms. The new ones included gray and blue pants and shirts, dark blue caps and stockings.” Pg. 65.
August 17, 1883, Baltimore v. St. Louis, at Baltimore at Oriole Park: “The next inning put the Orioles ahead.” From the Philadelphia Times, August 18, 1883. This report had several examples of the Orioles nickname in use.
September 9, 1883, Baltimore v. St. Louis, at St. Louis: “The financially prosperous Orioles appeared in another set of new uniforms at St. Louis, attractive white flannels with blue caps and pinstriped stockings.” From Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1882-1891 From The Newspaper Accounts (1966, 1967, reprinted by SABR in 2021), pg. 76.
Team genealogy:
Baltimore 1882-1899
Baltimore was formed to join the American Association (AA) in 1882. The AA was a major league operating 1882-1891. Baltimore played in the AA from 1882 to 1889 and then joined the Atlantic Association, a minor league, for the 1890 season. The team rejoined the American Association in late 1890 when the Brooklyn AA team failed. Baltimore played in the American Association for the 1891 season and when the AA folded, Baltimore was added to the National League (NL) for the 1892 season. The NL began operation in 1876. Baltimore played in the NL from 1892 to 1899. After the 1899 season, Baltimore was dropped by the league and the team disbanded. Information from wikipedia.com.
1883 Baltimore summary
Uniform: white, black-and-yellow striped stockings, black-and-yellow caps
First worn: arrived March 29, replaced by late May
Photographed:
Described: November 1882, December 1882, March, April
Material: flannel
Manufacturer: in Brooklyn
Supposition: cap style, shirt style
Variations:
Other items: may also have worn a gray uniform
Home opener report: no, May 1 v. Metropolitan
Uniform: white, dark blue stockings and caps
First worn: late May
Photographed:
Described: May, September
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition: cap style, shirt style
Variations: wore new white flannel uniforms in early September with blue pinstriped stockings
Other items:
Uniform: dark gray, dark blue stockings and caps
First worn: May 21 in New York
Photographed:
Described: May
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition: cap style, shirt style
Variations:
Other items:
Rendering posted: March 29, 2015
Diggers on this uniform: Cliff Blau, John Thorn, Justin Mckinney, Ken Mars, Tom Shieber,