1883 Boston (Bostons, Red Stockings, Beaneaters)
This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Minor details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated September 29, 1883. This illustration, based on a photo, was published in a newspaper on this date. The year of 1883 can be confirmed by the appearance of player Smith, who was only a member of the Boston team for this one season. The September 29 publishing date may suggest the original photo was taken on the team’s final homestand. Boston played at home from September 8 to September 29, 1883. Players were depicted wearing a white uniform in this illustration, with a dark belt and dark stockings. The caps were also white and may have had a band of colored trim above a white visor. The players were depicted wearing a variety of shirt styles. The majority wore a shirt with a button placket, however some of these plackets were depicted in different widths and lengths. At least one player, top row far left, wore shirt laces. Five of the eleven players wore short-sleeved shirts. Of the six players that wore long-sleeved shirts, four had rolled up their sleeves. Newspapers described the stocking color in 1883 as red, the traditional accent color of the team.
Top row, from left: J Hornung (81-88), S Wise (82-88), C Buffinton (NL 82-86, 92, AA 91) and J Burdock (78-88). Middle row: J Morrill (NL 76-88, PL 90), J Whitney (81-85), E Smith (83) and E Sutton (77-88). Front row: M Hackett (83-85), P Radford (NL 83, AA 91) and M Hines (83-85). Image and player IDs from the Illustrated Police News, Boston, September 29, 1883. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Dates of Boston’s final homestand from retrosheet.org. Image scan from Ed Morton.
Dated September 29, 1883. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed that the players were depicted wearing a variety of shirt styles. The player standing at left clearly wore a laced shirt, and it is possible the player sitting at left may also have worn a shirt with laces. The other players in this detail view wore buttoned shirts, however the player standing at right wore a shirt with a shorter button placket than the others. The shirt collars were also of varying shapes and sizes, possibly suggesting the team manufactured replacement shirts for certain players during the 1883 season.
Dated September 29, 1883. Another detail view of photo A. This detail view showed the team cap, which was in the pillbox style. The illustration may suggest the cap had a band of colored trim above the visor and additional rows of subtle horizontal stitching, though inconclusive.
Photo B
Dated October 13, 1883. This illustration of pitcher J Whitney (81-85), full view at left, detail view at right, was published on this date. Most likely drawn from a studio image, this illustration depicted the player wearing a white uniform, with a dark belt and dark stockings. The shirt had a button placket and no lettering or shirt pocket. Newspapers described the stocking color in 1883 as red, the traditional accent color of the team. The illustration of Whitney in uniform was included within a portrait montage of other Boston players dressed in street clothes. The caption under the montage stated that these images were “specially photographed for the News by J. W. Black & Co., 333 Washington street, Boston.” Image and player ID from the Illustrated Police News, Boston, October 13, 1883. Years Whitney with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Ed Morton.
Written documentation on this uniform:
December 1882: “Committees [at a National League meeting] were appointed to make recommendations for the 1883 uniform and the 1883 championship schedule.” From Base Ball’s 19th-Century Winter Meetings, 1857-1900 (SABR, 2018), citing the New York Clipper, December 16, 1882. Research from Michael R. McAvoy. The uniform committee was most likely responsible for recommending and approving the stocking color for each team.
1883: “For uniforms for league clubs, in the future, no two of them are to appear in the same colors. Red stockings are to mark the Boston Club; gray stockings, the Buffalo Club; white stockings, the Chicago Club; navy blue stockings, the Cleveland Club; brown stockings, the Detroit Club; blue and white check stockings, the Philadelphia Club; light blue stockings, the Providence Club; the New York club will have white pantaloons and shirt, with a crimson cap and crimson and black stockings.” From the DeWitt Base-Ball Guide, 1883, p. 29. Research from John Thorn.
1883: “Messrs. Buckley, Day and Wright were appointed to constitute [a uniform] committee, who reported in favor of the clubs named being permitted to wear colored stockings selected by them as follows: Boston, red; Chicago, white; Detroit, brown; Buffalo, gray; Cleveland, navy blue; Providence, light blue. Also of allowing New York and Philadelphia clubs to select their own colors prior to the commencement of the season, which should be distinctive and not in conflict with any of the colors selected by the above named clubs.” From the Spalding Guide 1883, p.101. Research from John Thorn.
April 1883: “The Bostons are having two sets of uniforms made for them. They will be exactly like the familiar and favorite red stocking style, except that the shield will be perfectly plain, without the word ‘Boston’ on it.” From the Boston Herald, April 1, 1883. Research from Richard Hershberger.
May 12, 1883, Boston v. Buffalo at Buffalo, Rhode Island street grounds: “The heavy batting of the beaneaters and the provoking errors of the bisons were the conspicuous features of the game.” From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, May 14, 1883. An early example of the “Beaneaters” nickname in use.
May 30, Boston v. Buffalo, at Boston, home opener, afternoon game: “The bean eaters managed to get in two runs before the Buffalos fairly had the cinders out of their eyes.” From the Buffalo Evening Telegraph, May 31, 1883. An early example of the “Beaneaters” nickname in use.
August 1883: “The Philadelphia’s uniform resembles the Boston’s very much. They have white suits, trimmed with red, red stockings, cap with red visor, and shirts with ‘Phila’ woven across the shield.” From the Warrenton (NC) Gazette, August 3, 1883. Research from Don Stokes.
August 4, 1883, Boston v. Cleveland, at Cleveland: “The bean-eaters outplayed [Cleveland] at all points.” From the Chicago Tribune, August 5, 1883. An early example of the “Beaneaters” nickname in use.
August 1883: “The return to the old kind of score cards was a sensible idea. The [National] league has generally shown queer taste in its selection of score cards, uniforms and umpires.” From the Boston Globe, August 12, 1883.
August 1883: “The Bostons have made a change in their uniform, wearing very neat visored caps of blue, with double-white stripe and white border.” From The Sporting Life, August 20, 1883.
1883, referenced in March 1886: “In 1883, when the Bostons won the championship, they wore blue hats with white stripes, and Captain Morrill has decided to try this style again [in 1886], with the white suit for home use.” From the Boston Globe, March 21, 1886. Research from Ed Morton.
Team genealogy:
Boston 1871-1952
Boston was formed to enter the National Association (NA) in 1871. The NA was baseball’s first league, operating 1871-1875. Boston played in the NA in every year of the league’s existence and moved to the National League (NL) upon its start in 1876. Boston played in the NL from 1876 to 1952 and moved to Milwaukee for the 1953 NL season. Information from Paul Batesel, Players And Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875, from baseball-reference.com and from wikipedia.com.
1883 Boston summary
Uniform: white, red stockings
First worn:
Photographed: team photo, possibly September, and player portrait, October
Described: April, May, August
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations: new blue caps in mid-August, white shirts with lace ties also won by at least one player
Other items: two sets of uniforms made at start of season
Home opener report: none, May 30 v. Cleveland am, Buffalo pm
Rendering posted: September 24, 2020
Diggers on this uniform: Don Stokes, Ed Morton, John Thorn, Richard Hershberger,