1883 Cleveland (Clevelands)
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:
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 [National] 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, which will be in bands two inches wide.” 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 Clevelands will have two uniforms the coming season, white and gray. The April games will be played in the gray garb. The old blue stockings will be adhered to.” From the Detroit Free Press, April 1, 1883. Research from Ed Morton.
April 1883: “The [Cleveland] men will have two uniforms, one white and one gray.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 5, 1883. Research from Tom Shieber.
April 1883: “Cleveland’s crack colored club has been christened the blue stockings. We also have the Black Stockings of St. Louis. Red, green, white and all-the-colors-of-the rainbow will now be in order among our colored friends.” From The Sporting Life, April 22, 1883.
April 1883: “The Clevelands have two uniforms; one is white and the other gray. The white suit they are saving for the [National] league championship games, and the gray garb is being used in the April exhibition games.” From the New York National Police Gazette, April 28, 1883.
May 1, 1883, Cleveland v. Buffalo, at Cleveland, home opener: “Commenting on the uniforms worn in Tuesday’s [May 1] Cleveland-Buffalo game, the Cleveland Herald says: The new suits [of Cleveland] arrived yesterday morning [April 30] and all the men looked well in snowy white uniforms and caps and dark blue belts and stockings.” From the Wilmington (DE) Daily Gazette, May 7, 1883.
May 5, 1883, Cleveland v. Buffalo at Buffalo, home opener: “The grays [i.e., Cleveland] failed to secure a safe hit off [Buffalo pitcher] Galvin after the fourth inning.” From the Buffalo Sunday News, May 6, 1883.
June 1883: “The storm of the 22nd ultimo [i.e., of last month] tore up the fence around the Cleveland grounds, and the rain beat in the stands, thoroughly saturating […] the players’ room, together with the uniforms stored in the latter.” From The Sporting Life, June 3, 1883.
July 1883: “The Clevelands are known as the ‘gilt edged’ nine. Why? Because of McCormack’s [pitcher Jim McCormick] elegant golden hair.” From the Chicago Tribune, July 4, 1883.
Team genealogy: Cleveland 1879-1884
Cleveland joined the National League (NL) in 1879. The NL began operation in 1876 and Cleveland played in the NL through the 1884 season. The team disbanded prior to the 1885 NL season. Information from wikipedia.com.
1883 Cleveland summary
Uniform: white, dark blue stockings
First worn: May 1, Cleveland
Photographed:
Described: April, May
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition: cap style, shirt style
Variations:
Other items:
Home opener report: yes, May 1 v. Buffalo
Uniform: gray, dark blue stockings
First worn: exhibition games in April, worn May 5 in Buffalo
Photographed:
Described: April, May
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition: cap style, shirt style
Variations:
Other items:
Rendering posted: August 20, 2020
Diggers on this uniform: Ed Morton, John Thorn, Tom Shieber,