1889 Detroit (Detroits)

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 May 1889 to mid-August 1889. Date range of photo can be confirmed by the appearance of player Shreve, who only played for Detroit in 1889. Shreve was released by Indianapolis of the National League after pitching on May 6, 1889 and was soon signed by Detroit. He was released by Detroit in mid-August 1889. A photo year of 1889 can also be suggested by the speculative identifications of players McGlone and Shafer, both of whom also only played for Detroit in 1889. Nine of the thirteen men in this photo played for Detroit in both 1889 and in 1890. The team disbanded when the International League ended play on July 7, 1890. Players wore a white shirt and dark pants in this photo. The lettering across the shirt, the belt and the stockings were also dark in color. The shirt had a button placket and an unusual angled pocket on the left breast, see detail view below. A pillbox cap can be seen in the foreground of this photo.

Top row, four men standing, from left: G Rooks (89, 90), J Wells (89, 90), J Virtue (89, 90) and B Higgins (89, 90). Middle, seven men sitting: unidentified, F Knauss (89, 90), (B Leadley mgr 88-90), C Campau (89, 90), J McGlone? (Det IL 89, NWL 91, Tor IL 89), B Wheelock (89, 90) and M Goodfellow (89, 90). Front row, three men on ground: G Shafer? (89), J Donnelly (Det IL 89, 90, Was NL 89) and L Shreve (Det IL 89, Ind NL 89). Player IDs from Carson Lorey, Ken Samoil and Nigel Ayres. Image scan from Carson Lorey who suggested the unidentified player may be E Smith (89, 90), though unconfirmed. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Shreve transaction info from Bill Lamb, SABR BioProject: Lev Shreve, retrieved online September 14, 2019. International League end date from Bill O’Neal, The International League 1884-1991 (1992).

Dated May 1889 to mid-August 1889. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed that the players wore a white flannel shirt with white buttons and the city name arched across the shirt opening. The button placket ended in a pointed tab above the belt. Note that the shirt pocket was unusual in that it had an angled opening. The player standing at right wore sleeve extensions.

Written documentation on this uniform:
None

Team genealogy: Coming soon