1884 Chicago (Unions)
This rendering is based on written documentation for uniform style and color. No visual documentation is known and an artist’s conceptualization is used to create the rendering.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on this uniform:
None
Written documentation on this uniform:
March 1884: “Dubriell & Lowe, of this city [Cincinnati], will make the uniforms for both the Chicago and Baltimore Unions.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 17, 1884. Dubriell & Lowe was a shirt factory in Cincinnati.
April 1884: “The Chicago Unions, who open the championship season in St. Louis on April 19, will wear maroon-colored shirts and white pants, with red caps and stockings.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 11, 1884.
April 1884: “The Chicagos will come out [on the field] in suits consisting of maroon caps, shirts, belts and stockings and white flannel trousers.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 15, 1884. Research from Gary Kodner and Oliver Kodner. This report anticipated the game between St. Louis (UA) and Chicago (UA) at St. Louis, Union Grounds, see next entry.
April 19, 1884, Chicago (UA) v. St. Louis (UA) at St. Louis, Union Grounds, Opening Day: “St. Louis Unions vs. Chicago Unions. […] The Chicago boys, who little thought rain would come, at the last moment drove to the grounds in their regular uniforms, which are a handsome maroon, with old gold caps and stockings.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 20, 1884. Research from Peter Reitan. This game was postponed due to rain and was scheduled to be played on April 20, 1884. Note that this newspaper report implied the Chicago team had a second uniform for muddy conditions.
July 18, 1884, Chicago Unions v. Portsmouth, at Portsmouth, VA, exhibition game: “The Chicagoes [sp] appeared in brown red uniform, trimmed with yellow.” From the Virginia Pilot, Norfolk, July 19, 1884. Research from Paul Winter. The Pilot included the starting nine for each team, calling them the “Chicago Unions” and the “Portsmouths.” The report of a “brown red uniform” may be a reference to the maroon color the team wore.
Circa 1884, referenced in 1951: “Deponents submitted that the Chicago Union dressed in dark blue uniforms with red strings.” From the Chicago Daily Tribune, May 29, 1951. The newspaper in 1951 had previously asked readers if anyone in Chicago remembered the Union Association team of 1884. This May 29th entry was the results of the inquiry. This description does not match the contemporary report above and may instead be describing the uniform of the 1883 independent team called the Chicago Union.
Team genealogy: Coming soon
Rendering posted: October 31, 2019
Diggers on this uniform: Gary Kodner, Oliver Kodner, Paul Winter, Peter Reitan,