1887 Chicago (Chicagos, White Stockings)
Left: 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
Center: This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style only. An educated guess is made on uniform color and on some important details that may be missing or difficult to determine.
Rendering accuracy: Year: documented Team: documented
Right: 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 these uniforms:
Photo A
Dated mid-May 1887 to early July 1887. Old Judge baseball card of E Geiss (87). Full view at left, detail view at right. Year of photo determined by the fact that Geiss only played for Chicago in 1887. Date of mid-May determined by the player’s time with the team. Geiss signed with Chicago on May 9, 1887 and was described as the ‘ex-pitcher of the Chicago Champion nine” on July 11, 1887. Player wore a dark-colored uniform in this photo, with a white cap, letters, belt and stockings. The team may have started the season wearing the blue uniforms from 1886. In a game report from the April 30 home opener in Pittsburgh, a newspaper reported that “the old blue uniforms of the Chicagos presented a sad contrast to the trim, snow white suits of the home team.” At the time Geiss was signed on May 9, the team likely had new uniforms. A newspaper reported on May 13, 1887, that the “Chicagos have discarded their blue uniforms for a neater one of white and blue.” Year Geiss played with team from baseball-reference.com. Geiss transaction info from the Chicago Tribune, May 10, 1887 and July 11, 1887. Pittsburgh game report from the Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, May 2, 1887. New uniform report from the New York Evening Telegram, May 13, 1887.
Photo B
Dated mid-May 1887 to early July 1887. Old Judge baseball card of E Geiss (87). Full view at left, detail view at right. Year of photo determined by the fact that Geiss only played for Chicago in 1887. Date range of mid-May to early July determined by the players time with the team. Geiss signed with Chicago on May 9, 1887 and was described as the ‘ex-pitcher of the Chicago Champion nine” on July 11, 1887. Detail view shows dark-colored accent stitching around shirt placket, shirt collar and shirt pocket. Previous Chicago uniforms has light-colored stitching. Detail view also shows slightly smaller lettering on shirt when compared to previous years and positioned in a slightly more pronounced arch when compared to the 1886 uniform. Year Geiss played with team from baseball-reference.com. Geiss transaction info from the Chicago Tribune, May 10, 1887 and July 11, 1887.
Photo C
Dated mid-May 1887 to early July 1887. Old Judge baseball card of J Clarkson (84-87). Full view at left, detail view at right. Note, cityscape and baseball diamond background behind Clarkson seems to match the Geiss image, see photo A, suggesting the photo date range. Years Clarkson played with team from baseball-reference.com.
Photo D
Dated mid-May 1887 to early July 1887. Old Judge baseball card of T Daly (87, 88). Full view at left, detail view at right. Note, cityscape and baseball diamond background behind Daly seems to match the Geiss image, see photo A, and Clarkson, see photo C, suggesting the photo date range. Combination of Clarkson and Daly against same background further suggests 1887 date. Daly photo also shows that the 1887 uniform did not have a white cord along the pant seam, which differs from the 1886 uniform. Years Daly played with team from baseball-reference.com.
Photo E
Dated mid-May 1887 to early July 1887. Old Judge baseball card of N Williamson (NL 79-89, PL 90). Full view at left, detail view at right. Note, cityscape background matches other images on this page, suggesting the photo date range. In this photo, Williamson was wearing a shirt with lettering and lace ties similar to the 1885 Chicago uniform. The 1885 uniform was of a knit material and in this 1887 Old Judge photo, the shirt appears to be reflecting the studio light differently than the pants, which may have been the 1887 pants made of flannel. The collar also may have been removed from this shirt. Chicago opened the 1887 season in Pittsburgh. Reporting on this game, the Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette on May 2, 1887, said that “the old blue uniforms of the Chicagos presented a sad contrast to the trim, snow white suits of the home team. Williamson’s old suit by wear, rain and perspiration, is nearly an ugly green. Not only is this color ugly, but the suits are like bags, and do not ‘fit like paper on the wall.’” This report coupled with the Old Judge photo implied that Williamson wore the 1885 shirt as a measure of good luck, despite having the material change in color. From the Years Williamson played with team from baseball-reference.com.
Photos F & G
Dated circa 1887. Buchner Gold Coin (N284) baseball cards. Left: T Burns (80-91). Right: J Clarkson (84-87). Cards show blue shirt and pants with white cap, lettering, belt and stockings. Images from oldcardboard.com. Years with team from baseball-reference.com.
Photos H & I
Left: Illustrated fan, dated circa 1887. Right: Old Judge/Gypsy Queen baseball card, dated 1888. Both of these illustrated portraits of C Anson (76-97) depict a blue uniform with a striped collar. The illustrated fan also depicts a cap with vertical stripes. It is unconfirmed if these illustrations are depicting actual uniforms, or if both were depicting the 1885 Chicago uniform, which had a pin-striped collar. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Approximate date of illustrated fan from Lew Lipset auction website. Baseball card date from oldcardboard.com.
Photo J
Dated 1888, likely based on uniforms from 1887. Cut-out paper figures representing the Chicago NL team for Base Ball Game, a board game by McLoughlin Bros. Figures were depicted wearing a white cap with a star on top, blue shirt and pants, black belt, and white stockings. This matched the uniform worn by the team in 1887. Figures were produced by McLoughlin Bros., New York, copyright 1888, and with the title, “Amusement for Boys to Cut Out.”
Written documentation on these uniforms:
March 1887: “The Chicago base ball team assembled yesterday afternoon [March 1, 1887] in the office of President A. G. Spalding. […] Each player was met by genial Sam Morton and received from a box containing his practice uniform, a gymnasium suit, shoes, gloves, belt, etc. The party leaves this morning via the Chicago and Alton Road for Hot Springs, Ark., where they remain until April 5.” From the Chicago Inner Ocean, March 2, 1887.
April 7, 1887, Chicago v. St. Louis (AA), at St. Louis, Sportsmen’s Park, exhibition game: “The Chicagos were received with applause, and the familiar blue and white uniform contrasted strongly with the plum-colored suits of the St. Louis men.” From the Chicago Tribune, April 8, 1887.
April 1887: “The Chicagos will retain the blue that is so well known.” From the Kansas City Journal, April 12, 1887.
April 12, 1887, Chicago v. St. Louis (AA), at Louisville, Eclipse Park, exhibition game: “The Chicagos were first on the grounds. The men presented a fine appearance in their uniforms of dark blue, trimmed with white. The giant frames and strong limbs of the players drew forth a hearty round of applause.” From the Louisville Courier-Journal, April 13, 1887.
April 30, 1887, Chicago v. Pittsburgh, at Pittsburgh, home opener: “The old blue uniforms of the Chicagos presented a sad contrast to the trim, snow white suits of the home team. Williamson’s old suit by wear, rain and perspiration, is nearly an ugly green. Not only is this color ugly, but the suits are like bags, and do not ‘fit like paper on the wall.’” From the Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, May 2, 1887. This report suggested the team wore their uniforms from 1886 to start the season. Williamson may have worn his knit uniform from 1885.
May 6, 1887, Chicago v. Pittsburgh, at Chicago, home opener: “A shout went up from the adherents of the team […] when they hoisted the championship pennant, bearing the dates 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886, thereon.” From the Chicago Inter Ocean, May 7, 1887.
May 6, 1887, Chicago v. Pittsburgh at Chicago, home opener: “The [National] league championship season in this city was opened yesterday with interesting preliminaries and the defeat of the White Stockings by the Pittsburg[h] team. […] The two teams formed in double file and marched behind the band to the flagstaff at the lower end of right field. There the championship pennant won by the Chicago team last year [1886] was unfurled and hoisted. It bore the following inscription: Chicagos. Champions of the United States. 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886.” From the Chicago Tribune, May 7, 1887. Report included use of the White Stockings nickname, derived from the color of the stockings, and no mention of the “hoodoo” uniform referenced in June 1887, see below.
May 6, 1887, Chicago v. Pittsburgh at Chicago, home opener, referenced in June 1887: “The fact is not generally known that the Chicago Club started out this season with a bran[d]-new style of uniform, different from anything the team has ever worn. Thereby hangs a little story. At the end of the season of 1886 an enthusiastic manufacturing house in the the East, which makes a specialty of flannel for athletic uniforms of all sorts, wished to commemorate Chicago’s victory in the [National] League championship race [in 1886] in some appropriate manner and so made especially for this purpose a new and extremely pretty cloth, and sent it on; and a house in Chicago, not to be outdone in generosity, made up the material into uniforms for the whole team, and presented them as the joint testimonial of the cloth-makers and clothes-makers. The uniform was decidedly pretty and unusually costly. The material was light cream flannel of extra fine texture, and [the] body striped lengthwise with pale blue bars, the whole having a suggestion of buff with a lavender tone. The belts were of bright maroon, and the caps edged with the same. The stockings were white, of course. In this outfit the League championships opened the season of 1887 on the home grounds [on May 6, 1887] before something over eight thousand people and were horribly beaten by Pittsburg[h]. Those new uniforms have never been worn from that day to this. They are now referring to as the ‘hoodoo’ suits. Every player in the club believes that the wretched showing made this year is entirely on account of that pretty uniform, and he gladly prefers buying and paying for his playing clothes to wearing the unlucky gift. President Spalding has tried in vain to overcome this silly superstition, for the ‘hoodoo’ outfit is vastly neater and more becoming that the other uniform of navy blue shirt and pants and white cap.” From the St Louis Post-Dispatch, June 14, 1887, citing the New York Sun. Research from Todd Radom. Game date from retrosheet.org.
May 6, 1887, Chicago v. Pittsburgh at Chicago, home opener, referenced in June 1887: “The Chicago Club in its first championship game at home [on April 30, 1887] wore a new uniform of the finest quality and different from anything the team had ever worn before. In fact it was decidedly pretty and unusually costly, but have never been worn since that first game when the Chicagos were badly beaten before 8,000 people, as the players regard the clothes as a hoo-doo and resolutely refuse to don them again.” From the Detroit Free Press, June 21, 1887, and The Sporting Life, June 22, 1887.
May 1887: “The Chicagos have discarded their blue uniforms for a neater one of white and blue.” From the New York Evening Telegram, May 13, 1887, and the Patterson (NJ) Morning Call, May 14, 1887. Note, it is unknown what this alternate uniform looked like as more information is needed to create a rendering.
June 1887: The color of a least one uniform of each club in the [National] League and American Association is given below. It would be next to impossible to give the several different uniforms of each club, as they change the different pieces of one uniform to another, and may appear on the field in a different make-up every day for a week. However, one complete uniform of each club is as follows: […] Chicago — White stockings and caps, blue shirts and trousers.” From the New York Sun, June 12, 1887, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 14, 1887. Research from Todd Radom.
June 24, 1887, Chicago v. Boston, at Chicago: “Hundreds of people were attracted to the Leland Hotel, in Chicago, yesterday [June 24], to see what kind of a reception his friends would tender to ‘Mike’ Kelly, formerly of the Chicago, now of Boston. […] A band was surrounding the Boston player from the street, then the Chicago nine appeared in uniform. […] The two nines were conducted to carriages and driven to the ballpark, headed by the band.” From the Baltimore Sun, June 25, 1887. The New York Sun on June 25, 1887, added that “Austin’s band was serenading the Boston hero from the street. Then the Chicago nine appeared in uniform, coming in carriages.”
July 1887: “Clothes don’t win pennants. The Chicagos always were a tough-looking crowd in their dark blue uniforms.” From the Chicago Tribune, July 13, 1887.
August 1887: “One of Spalding’s lieutenants has admitted that ‘Dude’ Esterbrook has received a liberal offer to don the blue uniform next season [1888].” From the Detroit Free Press, August 21, 1887.
November 20, 1887, description of parade welcoming “Eastern Clubs” to San Francisco for a series of exhibition games: “First came the brass band, then a hack containing D. R. McNeill, President of Central Park Association, James A. Hart, manager, and C. B. Powers, the umpire. Next rode the Philadelphias, clad in white pants and shirts, red stockings and white caps ornamented with red stripes. After them came the famous St. Louis Browns, in red and white habiliments, while last rode the Chicagos, who wore suits of blue and white, with the blue almost washed out. Were it not that ‘beauty unadorned is best adorned’ the Chicagos would have looked a dingy crowd.” From the San Francisco Examiner, November 21, 1887. Research from Gary and Oliver Kodner.
Circa 1887, referenced in 1889: “Two years ago (i.e., about 1887) we made the first Jersey Suits ever worn by any ball team. The Chicago team were so delighted with them as a change suit, that last year [in 1888] not only they but others adopted this style in connection with their regular flannel suits.” From a Spalding Brothers ad printed in The Sporting Life, March 27, 1889.
1887-1888, referenced in 1891: “We offer our regular line of flannel uniforms, and in addition offer a new style of heavy knit suits, such as was first worn by Chicago Club during 1887-1888. They are well adapted for warm weather.” From an A. G. Spalding & Brothers ad printed in Spalding’s Base Ball Guide and Official League Book for 1891 (1891).
1887 Chicago summary
Uniform: blue, white caps and stockings
First worn: early May
Photographed: player portraits made between mid-May and early July
Described: April-July
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations: wore uniforms from 1886 to start the season, Williamson may have worn his knit uniform shirt from 1885
Other items: may have worn a cream uniform with pinstripes on April 30 in Chicago, had a practice uniform
Home opener report: no, May 6 v Pittsburgh
Team genealogy:
Chicago 1874-
Chicago reformed after the Great Fire of October 1871 and rejoined the National Association (NA) in 1874 and 1875 after a two-year absence. The NA was baseball’s first league, operating 1871-1875. Chicago joined the National League (NL) at its formation in 1876 and the team has played in the NL every year since 1876. Information from Paul Batesel, Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875, from baseball-reference.com, and from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: September 12, 2015
Diggers on this uniform: Gary Kodner, Oliver Kodner, Todd Radom,