1888 Brooklyn (Brooklyns, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Benedicts)
Left: This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style only. Color information is unknown and the uniform is rendered in values of gray. Minor details may also be undocumented or difficult to determine and 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 and color. Minor details may be undocumented or difficult to determine and an educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy: Year: documented Team: documented
Right: This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style only. Color information is unknown and the uniform is rendered in values of gray. Minor details may also be undocumented or difficult to determine and an educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy: Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of B Holbert (88). Full view at left, detail view at right. Year of photo can be confirmed as 1888 was the only year Holbert played for Brooklyn. Photo shows a white uniform and cap, with dark-colored lace-ties, belt, stockings and pant seam trim. Detail views of other players from this same photo session show a subtle pinstripe pattern on the uniform, see photos below. Note that lace ties in this photo extended only partially down the shirt front. Also note player wearing gloves on both hands. Year Holbert with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photo B
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of D O’Brien (AA 88, 89, NL 90-92). Full view at left, detail view at right. Year of photo can be confirmed as the studio background matched the Holbert card, see above. Detail view shows lace ties and placket, and a shirt pocket on the left breast. Note that the shirt opening and surrounding placket extended further down the shirt than did the lace ties. This suggests the shirt lace was not long enough to be strung through all of the eyelets on the shirt. Detail views of other players from this same photo session show a subtle pinstripe pattern on the uniform, see photos below. Years O’Brien with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photo C
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of D Orr (88). Full view at left, detail view at right. Year of photo can be confirmed as 1888 as this was the only year Orr played for Brooklyn. Detail view shows a subtle pinstripe on the uniform shirt and pants. (This feature may not be visible when viewing image on a small screen). Detail view also shows a lace tie that was not long enough to be strung through all of the shirt eyelets, matching that shown in photos A and B. Year Orr with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photo D
Dated 1888. Old Judge cabinet card of D Bushong (AA 88, 89, NL 90). Full view at left, detail view at right. Year of photo can be confirmed as the studio background matched cards shown above. Detail view shows a subtle pinstripe on pant leg. (This feature may not be visible when viewing image on a small screen). Subtle pinstripes were also visible on the shirt and collar of this uniform. Note, the player wore fielding gloves on each hand, the glove on his throwing hand had open fingers. Years Bushong with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from wikipedia and Tom Shieber.
Photo E
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of D Foutz (AA 88, 89, NL 90-96). Full view at left, detail view at right. Year of photo can be confirmed as the studio background matched cards shown above. Player wore a cap with dark-colored bands. Years Foutz with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Photo F
Dated early to mid-April 1888. A drawing made from this photo was published on April 19, 1888. Year of photo can be confirmed by the appearance of players Orr, Holbert, Silch, Radford and Mays, all of whom only played for Brooklyn in 1888. Photo shows team wearing a uniform that featured checks on the shirt and pants. Reports from April 1888, as well as color-renderings of this uniform, suggest the checks were red or maroon in color.
Top row: B Clark (AA 86-89, NL 90), A Terry (AA 84-89, NL 90-92), D Foutz (AA 88, 89, NL 90-96) and D O’Brien (AA 88, 89, NL 90-92). Middle: B McClellan (Bro 85-88, Cle AA 88), J Peoples (85-88), B Caruthers (AA 88, 89, NL 90, 91), D Orr (88), B Holbert (88) and D Bushong (AA 88, 89, NL 90). Front: G Pinkney (AA 85-89, NL 90, 91), E Silch (Bro 88, Buf IA 88), M Hughes (AA 88, 89, NL 90), (B McGunnigle, mgr AA 88, 89, NL 90), G Smith (AA 85-89, NL 90, 97), P Radford (88) and A Mays (88). Player IDs from newspaper engraving based on this photo, see photo below. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-century Pictorial Committee.
Dated early to mid-April 1888. Detail view of photo E. Detail view shows checks on shirts and pants, as well as, detachable sleeves.
Dated early to mid-April 1888. Another detail view of photo E. Detail view shows quilted padding on the knees.
Photo G
Dated April 19, 1888. Drawing made from team photo above and printed in a newspaper on this date. Drawing included player IDs and confirms the uniforms had a check pattern. Image from the New York Evening World, April 19, 1888. Image scan from Ken Samoil.
Photo H
Dated 1888. Promotional poster featuring Old Judge baseball cards. Full view at left, detail view of player D Orr (88) at right. Illustration of Orr was based on his Old Judge baseball card dated circa 1887 when Orr played for Metropolitan, New York. The image has been colorized to reflect the 1888 Brooklyn uniform, including the check pattern shown in red. Year Orr with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski and Richard Masson, The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company, 1886-1890 (2008).
Photos I & J
Left: dated 1887, Allen & Ginter baseball card of B Caruthers (AA 88, 89, NL 90, 91). Right: dated 1888, Old Judge & Gypsy Queen baseball card of B Caruthers. The Allen & Ginter card at left may depict Caruthers in the 1888 Brooklyn checked uniform. Caruthers played for St. Louis in 1887. Card issue date of 1887 from oldcardboard.com. The portrait of Caruthers on the Old Judge & Gypsy Queen card may be based on and 1888 Old Judge baseball cards of the player. Illustration depicted a plain white cap and red lace ties. Card issue date of 1888 from Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski and Richard Masson, The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company, 1886-1890 (2008).
Photo K
Dated July 21, 1888, to August 8, 1888. Year of photo confirmed by the appearance of players Radford and Orr, both of whom only played for Brooklyn in 1888. Date of July 21 to August 8 determined by non-appearance of player Silch and Burns. Silch was lent by Brooklyn to Buffalo in the middle of July 1888, and Burns was purchased by Brooklyn from Baltimore on August 10, 1888. As neither was in this team photo, it can be suggested the photo was made after Silch left and before Burns arrived. During this period, Brooklyn played 15 games at home between July 21 and August 8. Photo shows a uniform similar to that worn during the Old Judge photo sessions from same year, but differentiated by a small letter “B” on the shirt pocket. Almost every player was wearing short sleeves with bare arms in this photo, and one player wore a colored undershirt. One player, Radford, top row far right, wore a short-sleeved shirt with wide color bands at the ends of the sleeves. Another player, Caruthers, top row second from right, wore a white coat over his uniform.
Top row, standing, from left: B Clark (AA 86-89, NL 90), J Burdock (AA 88, NL 91), D Bushong (AA 88, 89, NL 90), D Foutz (AA 88, 89, NL 90-96), B Caruthers (AA 88, 89, NL 90, 91) and P Radford (88). Front, sitting: G Pinkney (AA 85-89, NL 90, 91), J Peoples (85-88), G Smith (AA 85-89, NL 90, 97), D O’Brien (AA 88, 89, NL 90-92), D Orr (88), A Terry (AA 84-89, NL 90, 91), M Hughes (AA 88, 89, NL 90) and B McClellan (Bro 85-88, Cle AA 88). Player IDs from photo. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-century Pictorial Committee. Original photo by Joseph Hall, Brooklyn.
Dated July 21, 1888, to August 8, 1888. Detail view of photo I. Detail view shows small letter “B” on shirt pocket, colored trim along the bill of the cap, and the varying ways players laced their shirts.
Written documentation on this uniform:
March 1888: “The [Brooklyn] championship season’s uniform will consist of white and maroon check or plaid for shirt and pants, with white and maroon stockings, and cap of same material. The practice uniforms will not be quite as stylish.” From The Sporting Life, March 7, 1888. Research from Chuck McGill. To date, there is no other documentation found to suggest the team wore striped stockings.
March 1888: “One of the most interesting features connected with the Brooklyn team this year will be the number of brides who accompany their newly made Lords to the city of homes. The happy grooms number Terry, George Smith, Caruthers, Al Mays, Pinckney, Silch and O’Brien. Just as soon as the ground permits the men will be put through systematic afternoon practice to get in shape for the exhibition games. The handsome new uniforms are being made, but they will not be used until the opening of the regular championship season. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 25, 1888.
March 1888: “[Brooklyn owner] Brynes’ big team will appear in blue stockings, belts and caps, with shirts and pants made of white, stamped with small blue check.” From the St. Paul Globe, March 25, 1888. Research from Don Stokes. This report was picked-up by several newspapers. To date, there is no other documentation found to suggest the team wore blue stockings, blue caps and blue uniform checks.
March 1888: “The Brooklyn sluggers will appear in a peculiar uniform consisting of shirts and pants made of pure white flannel stamped with small blue checks and with blue stockings, belts and caps.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 26, 1888, citing the Cincinnati Commercial. Research from Gary and Oliver Kodner. This report was picked-up by several newspapers. To date, there is no other documentation found to suggest the team wore blue stockings, blue caps and blue uniform checks.
March 1888: “President Byrne has hit on a happy combination in color for the Brooklyn base ball club uniforms that is attractive without being vulgarly showy. The shirt and breeches will be white and maroon striped, and the stockings will be of the same design, the stripes being one inch wide. Uniform No. 2 will be the old plaid gray, which is unsurpassable for rough wear, and at the same time attractive.” From the Cleveland Leader, March 27, 1888.
April 1888: “The Brooklyns will appear in white pants and shirts stamped with plaid gray check, blue stockings and caps. The team’s second uniform will be of white and maroon stripes, each one inch wide, with belts, stockings and caps to match.” From the Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 1, 1888. Research from Gary Kodner. This report was picked-up by several newspapers. To date, there is no other documentation found to suggest the team wore blue stockings and blue caps.
April 1888: “The Brooklyn Club’s new uniform will be of white, tinted with maroon.” From the Kansas City Journal, April 2, 1888.
April 1888: “The handsome new maroon and white club pennant of the Brooklyn Baseball Club floated proudly over the grandstand at Washington Park for the first time this afternoon [April 4].” From the New York Evening World, April 4, 1888, page 1.
April 1888: “President Byrne has made arrangements for having a gala time at Washington Park [in Brooklyn] on the occasion of the opening game. […] The home team will don their new uniforms for the first time.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 14, 1888.
April 18, 1888, Brooklyn v. Cleveland, at Brooklyn, Washington Park, home opener: “At 3:40 the bell rang for the Brooklyn team to take the field, and out marched the whole sixteen players of the team, with Manager McGunnigle, the team being dressed in their new and handsome uniforms for the first time. […] At night the two teams came out with their respective managers, occupied private boxes at the Brooklyn theatre as guests of Mr. Bloom, of Cincinnati, whose company is playing at the theater. […] The theater was tastefully ornamented for the occasional flags and symbols of the national game. ” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 19, 1888.
April 18, 1888, Brooklyn v. Cleveland, at Brooklyn, Washington Park, home opener: “When the Brooklyn boys ran out for practice the applause developed into an ovation. Each man got a round, then the nine itself was applauded, and finally the uniform was cheered. This uniform is a striking one. The cap is in broad white and red stripes, the blouse is checked with blue lines, and the trousers are checked with red. Red stockings and a red belt complete the costume.” from the Brooklyn Daily Times, April 20, 1888.
April 18, 1888, Brooklyn v. Cleveland, at Brooklyn, Washington Park, opening day: “The sixteen [Brooklyn] men wore their new uniforms for the first time. As they came on the field the crowd burst into hearty applause. The new suits are of white, with a narrow maroon check. The visor caps have a wide maroon stripe running from end to end in a white ground. The stockings and belts are also maroon.” From the New York Press, April 19, 1888.
April 1888: “Brooklyn–Maroon and white striped hats, red and white checked uniforms.” From the New York Times, April 19, 1888. Research from Clifford Blau.
May 2, 1888, Brooklyn v. Baltimore, at Brooklyn, Washington Park: “Brooklyn’s boys appeared for practice wearing natty new gray uniforms and an air of confidence.” From the New York Evening World, May 2, 1888, page 1, citing a special dispatch to the World.
May 3, 1888, Brooklyn v. Baltimore, at Brooklyn, headline: “The Benedicts Do Up the Baltimores.” From the Brooklyn Daily Times, May 4, 1888. Use of the Benedicts nickname by the local paper.
May 21, 1888, Brooklyn v. Kansas City (AA), at Brooklyn, Ridgewood park: “The Benedicts, they slugged the ball with a dull and thickening thud.” From the Brooklyn Daily Times, May 22, 1888. Use of the Benedict nickname.
May 25, 1888, Brooklyn v. Louisville, at Brooklyn: “After being defeated by Kansas City, the Benedicts braced up and got even by whipping the Louisvilles yesterday.” From the Brooklyn Times, May 26, 1888, page 8. Use of the Benedicts nickname.
May 29, 1888, Brooklyn v. Cincinnati, at Brooklyn, Washington park: “The home team filed in on the field from the club room. […] They wore their gray uniforms, with their maroon stockings.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 30, 1888.
June 1888: “The hold on the pennant isn’t so sure, after all. The St. Louis are very close to the Bridegrooms and the latter have the hardships of a western trip before them.” From the Brooklyn Daily Times, June 18, 1888. Use of the Bridegrooms nickname by a local paper.
July 1888: “The St. Louis Republican of July 12 has a picture illustrated of the condition of things in the championship race and the close of the four straight defeat sustained by the St. Louis champions at the hands of the Brooklyn team. It is worthy of a place in Puck. It represents a stairway leading to the flagstaff of the championship banner, the player of each of the eight clubs going up the nine steps in the order in which each stood in percentages on July 12. At the lowest step sits the Kansas City Club’s player, suffering from a headache, the leather metal hanging above his head. On the eighth step stands the Brooklyn player shouldering his bat and about to step up and grab the halliard (sic) of the pennant. On the seventh step stands the St. Louis player, turning back on his way down the steps to take a lower position, he being engaged and keeping a lot of flies from alighting on his head. On the left is a diamond field, with the outfielders engaged in running after a ball, while runners on each base are making their way home. On the side wall of the stairway a bill poster is engaged in placing a placard on which is the inscription ‘Beaten again.” The text of the illustration is as follows: ‘To the Browns — Gentlemen — You’ll observe that you are facing the wrong way, and it is also quite evident, even to a superficial observer, that flies are congregating on you in large and increasing numbers. Don’t try to beat the Cowboys out of that leather metal that swings so temptingly above them.’ In the background you’ll observe a sketch from an instantaneous photograph of the last Brooklyn game. It was taken a moment after Radford hit the ball. The eager chase of the sphere and the base runners of the Brooklyns are depicted with charming accuracy.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 22, 1888.
August 1888: “Good luck to the Grooms. When will the new uniforms be worn?” From The New York Evening World, August 9, 1888. Research from Don Stokes.
October 3, 1888, Brooklyn v. Baltimore, at Brooklyn, Washington Park, headline: “The Grooms returned home and are beaten by Barney’s Orioles.” From the Brooklyn Citizen, October 4, 1888. Use of the Groom’s nickname by a local paper.
1888: “From the St. Louis Republican—The [American] association clubs should follow the example of the [National] league and have uniforms made to fit the players. The Browns, Brooklyn and Cincinnati are the only teams whose uniforms approach a fit.” From the Buffalo Courier, December 30, 1888.
1888: “[Brooklyn‘s] Bushong was slow to adapt in certain areas. In 1888 he was still wearing his chest protector beneath his uniform, one of the last catchers to do so.” From Brian McKenna, SABR BioProject: Doc Bushong, retrieved November 12, 2025.
1888, referenced on April 18, 1889, Brooklyn v. Athletic, Philadelphia, at Philadelphia, home opener: “The ‘Bridegrooms’ had on their old gray suits and faded red caps, which were so familiar last season [1888].” From the Philadelphia Inquirer, April 19th, 1889, page 6.
1888 Brooklyn uniform summary
Uniform: white with red check, red stockings, white cap with red bands
First worn: April 18, Brooklyn
Photographed: team photo from early April
Described: March, April
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations:
Other items: white coat
Home opener report: yes, April 18 v. Cleveland
Uniform: light gray with B on pocket, red stockings, white cap with red bands
First worn:
Photographed: team photo from early August
Described:
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations:
Uniform: light gray with blue pinstripe, red stockings, white cap
First worn:
Photographed: player portraits from year
Described: March, May
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations: also wore with white cap with red bands
Team genealogy:
Brooklyn 1883-1957
Brooklyn was formed as a minor league team in 1883 and joined the American Association (AA) in 1884. The AA was a major league operating 1882-1891 and Brooklyn played in the AA between 1884 and 1889. Brooklyn moved to the National League (NL) for the 1890 season. The NL began operation in 1876. Brooklyn played in the NL between 1890 and 1957, when the team moved to Los Angeles. Information from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: October 24, 2016
Diggers on this uniform: Brian McKenna, Chuck McGill, Cliff Blau, Don Stokes, Gary Kodner, Ken Samoil, Mark Fimoff, Oliver Kodner, Tom Shieber,