1889 New York (New Yorks, Giants)
These renderings are based on visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Important details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the renderings.
Rendering accuracy: Year: undocumented Team: documented
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
Photo A
Dated May 8, 1889. Illustration depicting New York v. Boston at Boston on Opening Day, May 8. The New York batter was identified as John Ward, and was depicted wearing a white uniform with dark cap and stockings and red lettering across the chest. The players in this artwork were based on photographs. Game date from retrosheet.org.
Dated May 8, 1889. Detail view of photo A. Detail view shows New York batter wearing a white uniform that was tight in fit, and not baggy. The city name arched across the chest was rendered with large, thick red lettering. Newspaper reports from the beginning of the season say the shirt lettering was black, not red.
Photo B
Dated late July 1889 to October 1890. Cabinet card of H O’Day (Was NL 89, NY NL 89, NY PL 90). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date range determined by player’s time with New York’s National and Player’s League teams. O’Day was purchased from Washington (NL) by New York (NL) on July 26, 1889 and played through the end of the 1889 season with the NL team. He then played the 1890 season with New York PL team. Player wore a white or light-colored buttoned shirt and a dark-colored cap in this photo. This uniform may be the one described in July 1889 as the “mid-summer uniform” of cream-colored flannel, with black letters, belt and stockings. The report did not mention the color of the cap. An illustration of the uniform from the following New York PL season of 1890 depicts the cap as white and the shirt featuring dark-colored lace ties. Based on this, it can be speculated the O’Day portrait above is documentation of the 1889 NL uniform. Detail view shows block lettering arched across the shirt and sewn pleats on the cap. Note the uneven letter spacing in the word “York” which may have been necessary to accommodate the button placket. Also note the differences in letter size and spacing when comparing this portrait of O’Day with the oval-framed portraits of New York players made in late 1888, see above. Years with team and purchase date from baseball-reference.com. Original photo by Hartley, Chicago.
Photo C
Dated mid-May 1889 to September 1889, portraits made in late 1888. Photo montage of player portraits, full view at left, detail view of 4 portraits at right. While the caption on this montage may not be contemporary, the issue date of mid-May to September for the montage itself can be determined by the absence of players Titcomb and Foster. These 2 men were included in this series of team portraits from late 1888. Titcomb was released by New York on May 15, 1889, and Foster was released the next day on May 16, 1889. Their absence from this montage suggests an issue date after mid-May 1889. The end date of September 1889 can be determined by the appearance of player Brown, who was not with New York at the end of the 1889 season. Many of these portraits were included in a series of baseball cards produced by Hess & Co. that are also believed to have been issued in 1888. Newspaper reports from August 1888 describe that the New York team first wore a new tight-fitting cream uniform during this period. This description seems to match the uniform shown in these oval-framed portraits, as well as, team photos from late 1888. See the 1888 New York entry for more information.
Top row, from left: B Ewing (NY NL 83-89, 91, 92, NY PL 90), J Ward (83-89, 93, 94) and T Keefe (NY AA 83, 84, NY NL 85-89, 91, NY PL 90). Second row: M Welch (83-92), P Murphy (87-90), (J Mutrie, mgr NY AA 83, 84, NY NL 85-91), A Whitney (NL 88, 89, PL 90) and E Crane (NL 88, 89, 92, 93, PL 90). Third row: G Hatfield (NL 87-89, PL 90), R Connor (NY NL 83-89, 91, 93, 94, NY PL 90), D Richardson (NL 84-89, 91, PL 90) and M Slattery (NL 88, 89. PL 90). Bottom row: M Tiernan (87-99), G Gore (NL 87-89, 91, PL 90), W Brown (NL 87-89, PL 90) and J O’Rourke (NY NL 85-89, 91, 92, NY PL 90). Player IDs from collage. Years with team and Foster release date from baseball-reference.com. Titcomb release date from the New York Press, May 17, 1889. Image scan from the Detroit Public Library, Ernie Harwell Sports Collection. Original portraits by Joseph Hall, Brooklyn.
Photo D
Dated 1889, portrait made in late 1888. Published portrait of T Keefe (NY AA 83, 84, NY NL 85-89, 91, NY PL 90). This was one of a series of baseball portraits printed in 1889 in The Stage, a theatrical and sports newspaper published in Philadelphia. Portraits were published between May 25, 1889 and August 31, 1889. This portrait was taken in late 1888, and was one of a series of New York portraits featuring oval frames. These portraits were included on a series of baseball cards produced by Hess & Co. that are believed to have been issued in 1888. Newspaper reports from August 1888 describe that the New York team first wore a new tight-fitting cream uniform during this period. This description seems to match the uniform shown in these oval-framed portraits, as well as, team photos from late 1888. See the 1888 New York entry for more information. Information on The Stage from Lew Lipset, www.oldjudge.com.
Photo E
Dated October 1888 to early 1889, image made in late 1888. A photo date range of August 1888 to November 1888 can be determined by players in photo and by fact that a version of this photo was printed in Spalding’s 1889 Base Ball Guide at the beginning of the 1889 season. Date of 1889 on frame was meant to signify the team, winners of the National League championship in 1888, would be recognized as league champions for the 1889 season. The tight-fitting uniform in this photo was worn by the team during the latter half of the 1888 season. For more information on this photo, see entry for 1888 New York.
Photo F
Dated August 1888 to mid-May 1889. Photo date range determined by players in photo. Based on similarities with photo E, it is likely this photo was made in late 1888. The 1889 date on the pennant in the photo background was meant to signify the team’s league championship of 1888 and recognition as champions during the 1889 season. The tight-fitting uniform in this photo was worn by the team during the latter half of the 1888 season. For more information on this photo, see entry for 1888 New York.
Photo G
Printed September 1889, original image made in late 1888. A photo date of August 1888 to November 1888 can be determined by players in photo and by fact that a similar version of this photo was printed in Spalding’s 1889 Base Ball Guide at the beginning of the 1889 season. Photo G as shown here was printed in late 1889 and was falsely captioned as September 1889. Because of roster changes during the 1889 season, several players had been added and subtracted to photo G with photo retouching. Compare photo G with photo E. Note that the player in top row, 2nd from right, has the head of an unidentified player added to body of player George. Also note that the player in the middle row, standing to the manager’s right, has the head of unidentified player added to body of player Foster. George was released from the in June 1889, and Foster in May 1889. It is possible the player’s heads added to this photo were that of H O’Day (purchased by New York on July 26, 1889) and H Lyons (released by St. Louis in March 1889 and later signed with New York). Two other players (L Titcomb and W Brown) were also released during the 1889 season and subsequently retouched out of photo D. Titcomb was sitting at far left in photo and Brown at far right. In their place, additional studio background has been added to the photo. For more info on the original photo, see entry for 1888 New York. Transaction info for George, Foster, O’Day, Lyons and Titcomb from baseball-reference.com. Original image published in Athletic Sport in America, England and Australia (1889). Original photo by Joseph Hall, Brooklyn.
Photo H
Dated 1889. Illustration published in Harper’s Weekly depicting “the first league game of baseball of the season.” The New York home opener was played April 24, 1889, v. Boston. This illustration is sometimes dated as 1888. Illustration by C. D. Gibson.
Photo I
Dated May 9, 1889. This drawing of the New York team entering the field at the Boston home opener on May 8 was published in a newspaper on May 9. The team was depicted wearing a black tight-fitting uniform with a black cap and black stockings. The lettering and the belt were depicted as white. Image from the Boston Globe, May 9, 1889, page 3.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
April 1889: “The New York Base Ball Club has a fighting chicken for a mascot, and the Brooklyn club has a monkey. The clubs play each other next Saturday [April 6], and it is more likely that one or the other of the mascots will then be condemned as a ‘hoodoo.’” From the Philadelphia Inquirer, April 1, 1889, page 4.
April 1889: “The [National] League’s colors are varied. […] New York will stick to their ‘Nadjy’ uniforms of course.” From the Cleveland Leader, April 8, 1889, referencing a story by Ben Mulford of the Cincinnati Times-Star. Research from Gary Kodner.
April 24, 1889, New York v. Boston, at Jersey City, Oakland Park, New York home opener: “The Giants wore costumes brand new from the store of Tim Keefe. White knit jerseys, shirts and tights, black stockings, belts and caps, with ‘New York’ in black letters across the breast of each shirt.” From the New York Evening World, April 24, 1889, page 1.
April 24, 1889, New York v. Boston, at Jersey City, Oakland Park, New York home opener: “From the tall pole in deep center field flew the world’s championship Pennant, a snow white burgee with ‘world’s champions, 1889’ in red letters. On the left corner of the grand stand flew the National League Pennant. It is a red burgee with white letters. Last of the three flags was the emblem of the championship of New York and Brooklyn. It is white with black letters and flew from the right field flagpole.” From the New York Herald, April 25, 1889, page 6.
April 24, 1889, New York v. Boston, at Jersey City, Oakland Park, New York home opener: “At 3:53 the tintinnabulation of the bell smote three times and Gore took his position at the bat.” From the New York Evening World, April 25, 1889, page 1. Or, you could say the gong rang three times.
April 29, 1889, New York v. Washington, at Staten Island NY, St. George ground, first game at this location: “Two hours before the game began no one would have said, after looking at the ground, that a ball game could be played there. The whole space where the game was afterward played was filled with carts and working men. Fully 100 men and 30 carts were there and everybody was doing his best to get the grounds in condition to play on. Visitors to Staten Island wandered about on the big grand stand and gazed at the workmen in astonishment. All around the ball field towered big frame structures, once used for the representation of the ‘Fall of Rome,’ but now being removed. As hours passed the place began to show something of the appearance of a ball ground. It was only an indistinct outline at first, but it grew rapidly, and by 2 o’clock the diamond had been laid out, and everything was ready for the game. The transformation was as great as any ever made by a circus that had moved to a new place in the morning and got everything in readiness for performance in the afternoon. […] The field was not as perfect as could have been wished for a ball game. Only about half of it was earth; the other half consisted of the great [wooden] stage upon which the ‘Fall of Rome’ was exhibited last year [1888]. The stage is about 200 feet deep by 300 or more feet long. The outfielders of both teams wore rubber-soled shoes, and, although boards do not make the finest kind of a ball ground, the outfielders were better able to play good ball than the infielders, who were darting about in the soft dirt. […] The stage on the outfield improved the long hits, for every time the ball struck fairly on the stage, no matter where, it was sure to be no less than a two-base hit.” From the New York Herald, April 30, 1889, page 8. Question: on the heels of winning the 1888 pennant, how could the Giants organization in 1889, and for that matter the entity of the national sport in the league’s biggest market, be so unprepared for the start of the season?
May 1889: “The new white uniforms of the Giants were heavy and clumsy looking in comparison to the neat blue suits of the Washingtons.” From the New York Evening Telegram, May 14, 1889. Washington played at New York between April 29, 1889 and May 2, 1889. Game dates from retrosheet.org.
May 1889: “Of all the unbecoming and unsuitable uniforms in the league that of New York is the worst. Why don’t they stick to the maroon color stocking and their loose fitting knickerbockers and shirts? The New York team in white stockings are like fish out of water.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 15, 1889. A July 1889 newspaper report, see below, indicated the team wore black uniforms. It is possible this Daily Eagle report from May 1889 implied the team wore white stockings with tight-fitting black uniforms early in 1889.
May 1889: “The New Yorks have two mascots. One is a white Nadjy uniform, and the other a black one. And yet the club can’t win.” From the Philadelphia Inquirer, May 16, 1889, page 6.
May 28, 1889, New York v. Indianapolis, at Staten Island NY, St. George: “The Giants, for luck or for some other reason, varied their accustomed black suits by wearing white caps, belts and stockings.” From the New York Evening World, May 28, 1889, page 1.
June 10, 1889, New York v. Boston, at Staten Island NY, St. George: “The Giants wear rubber soled shoes when playing the outfield on the home grounds, as the boards make it uncomfortable with spiked shoes. Yesterday [June 10] all the Boston outfielders wore this kind of shoe.” From the Boston Globe, June 11, 1889, page 3.
June 1889: “It is a singular fact that success and the maroon color never traveled in the same baseball teams. […] New York wore the maroon season after season and never won the championship until it dropped the color and selected the despised black Nadjys.” From the Kansas City Gazette, June 21, 1889. Research from Peter Retian. Regarding the black uniform, researcher Bill Grindler adds: “Nadjy refers to an operetta of the same name which opened at the Casio Theater on Broadway on May 14, 1888. In this operetta the title character of ‘Nadjy’ appears in at least one scene in an all-black ballerina costume including a hat.”
July 1889: “New York discarded the black Nadjy uniforms and now clings to white.” From the Washington Post, July 1, 1889. Research from Tom Shieber.
July 1889: “The New Yorks will wear their new uniforms today [July 20 in Indianapolis] for the first time.” From the New York Herald, July 20, 1889, page 6.
July 22, 1889, New York v. Philadelphia, at Philadelphia: “Crane did not dress, and if Murphy had worn his uniform there would have been thirteen black clad giants on the ground. […] Murphy wore his store clothes, and in spite of the precaution the champions lost their toughest fight of the year.” For the New York Evening World, July 23, 1889, page 1, citing a special dispatch.
July 25, 1889, New York v. Washington, at New York, Polo Grounds: “The Giants […] made a change of uniform and otherwise fully prepared themselves to do up the Senators. The change in uniforms consisted merely in wearing their well-washed and somewhat renovated white jersey suits, instead of the black ones.” From the New York Evening World, July 25, 1889, page 1. This was the first game played at the new Polo Grounds location in New York.
July 26, 1889, New York v. Washington, at New York, Polo Grounds: “The New Yorkers looked as spicy and clean-cut as thoroughbreds in their bright uniforms, while the Washingtons looked dirty and hungry.” From the New York Tribune, July 27, 1889, page 3.
July 1889: “The New Yorks’ midsummer uniforms are of cream white flannel, cut loosely for coolness sake. Black letters spell ‘New York’ across the chest shields. The belts and stockings are black.” From the Pittsburgh Daily Post, July 29, 1889. Research from Chuck McGill. This report implied the team wore a bib-style shirt though no visual has been found to support this.
July 1889: “The new uniforms of the Giants are not likely to be seen for some time. Only two suits provided fits. [Monte] Ward and [William] Brown can get into their suits; none of the others can. ‘I got into mine,’ said Brown, ‘with the aid of a shoe-horn.’ Orator O’Rourke spent the best part of two days struggling to insert himself inside the uniform, but finally gave up. The toggery will be fixed in time for Thursday’s game [actually played in New York on Friday, August 2, against Philadelphia].” From the Philadelphia Record, July 29 1889. Research from Ed Morton.
July 29, 1889, New York v. Washington at Washington: “By telegraph to the Herald – Pitcher O’Day, in a black uniform, presented an odd appearance to the local eye as he limbered up.” From the New York Herald, July 30, 1889. O’Day was purchased from Washington by New York on July 26, 1889. O’Day purchase info from baseball-reference.com.
July 31, 1889, New York v. Washington, at Washington, Capitol Park, suspended game: “There may have been more happy men at Capitol Park than Manager Mutrie and his band of black Nadjy uniformed men from New York, but it is extremely doubtful.” From the Washington Post, August 1, 1889, page 2.
August 8, 1889, New York v. Indianapolis at New York: “An amazing incident of the meeting was the motley appearance of the Giants when they went on the field. The large uniform trunks had been left behind in Chicago and they had to depend on the Hoosier club for such apparel as was around loose. Gore looked like an Italian viaduct laborer in long dark blue trousers and a dirty light blue shirt. Connor, Brown, Tiernan and O’Rourke wore the dark blue Indianapolis uniform with white stockings. Whitney was attired in blue trousers, black stockings and a gray shirt. Richardson and Ward wore one white and red stocking each, but different in color in other respects. Ewing’s colors were black and blue, with one red and one yellow stockings, and Mickey Welch looked like a trick mule with a similar assortment of hose, white trousers, gray shirt and red belt. Their headgear differed from straw hats and white caps to coverings of deepest black.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 9, 1889. Research from Don Stokes and from John Thorn.
August 8, 1889, New York v. Indianapolis at New York: “The base ball field had the suggestion of a circus when the [New York] visitors trotted out on the diamond. Through the negligence or mishap the trunks containing the Giants’ uniforms and bats did not arrive from Chicago. The results was the most remarkable medley of colors ever seen on the ball field, not even the famous attire of De Wolf Hopper and his base ball satellites. Gore was a guy for the crowd, and looked like an old farmer or an aqueduct laborer in long blue breeches, short white stockings and a mud-marked light blue shirt. Welch was arrayed in five tints. Connor’s uniform was too small for him, and Richardson’s was too large. Big Bill Brown looked like a section of a fence in a uniform that once belonged to the mastodon Hoosier, Schoeneck.” From the New York Press, August 9, 1889.
August 8, 1889, New York v. Indianapolis at New York: “Coming from Chicago last night the champions [i.e., New York] had bad luck. They lost their baggage and had to borrow what was left of the various uniforms worn by the Hoosiers during the last three years. […] Mickey Welch had on a blue cap, maroon shirt, white pants, red belt and one red and one yellow stocking. Still he smiled. Gore showed up in a blue jersey two sizes too big for him and dark trousers that bagged at the knees and hung down over his shoe tops. He looked like an Italian laborer from the Aqueduct. The remainder of the boys presented a fairly creditable appearance, having each managed to secure a complete uniform of some kind or other. But Mickey Welch’s uniform ‘hoodooed’ the champions, and for him to pitch winning ball in such a combination of colors was an impossibility.” From the New York Herald, August 9, 1889.
August 1889: “The New York baggage was lost en route to Indianapolis. The home team joyously dug up a lot of variegated old uniforms for the Giants, used in the past by various minor league units. The Indianapolis players and a lot of fans loved it. Gore was especially funny looking. With dingy uniform and swarthy complexion, he lacked only earrings to look like a broken down gypsy of some sort. The Giants, unmercifully guyed [i.e., ridiculed], lost 14 to 4.” From Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1882-1891 From The Newspaper Accounts (1966, 1967, reprinted by SABR in 2021), pg. 414.
September 18, 1889, New York v. Washington, at Washington: “The Statesman, [wore] their black nadjys. […] The Giants wore their white gowns.” From the Washington Evening Star, September 18, 1889, page 5.
October 18, 1889, New York v. Brooklyn (AA), at New York, Polo Grounds, World’s Championship Series, Game 1: “At 2:45 the Giants came upon the field. They wore their old familiar suits of black and white, in slight but sufficient contrast to the Bridegroom’s white and red checked suits.” From the New York Evening World, October 18, 1889, page 1. The World added that before the game New York pitcher Keefe “was kicking like a steer because someone had stolen a pair of his garters. The loss of a pair of garter is a very little thing sometimes, but this particular pair were very dear to Tim’s heart. They were given to him early last season and Washington, and, as Tim expressed it, ‘have been a case of good roots ever since.’”
October 1889, New York v. Brooklyn (AA), World’s Championship Series: “New York was attired in white uniforms with black trimmings and black caps. The Brooklyn outfits were white suits also but trimmed in red.” From Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1882-1891 From The Newspaper Accounts (1966, 1967, reprinted by SABR in 2021), pg. 420. The series was played October 18, 1889 to October 29, 1889, per wikipedia.com.
1889 New York uniform summary
Uniform: white, black cap and stockings
First worn:
Photographed: player portrait from year
Described: April, May, July, September, October
Material: knit
Manufacturer: Tim Keefe
Supposition:
Variations: wore new white loosely-cut uniforms in July, wore borrowed uniforms on August 8
Other items: wore rubber soled shoes at Staten Island
Home opener report: yes, April 24 v. Boston, at Jersey City
Uniform: all black
First worn:
Photographed: illustration from May 8 game
Described: May-July, September
Material: knit
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations: also wore with white stockings
Team genealogy:
New York 1883-1957
New York was formed to join the National League (NL) in 1883, with many of its players coming from a disbanded NL team in Troy, NY. The NL began operation in 1876 and this New York team played in the NL from 1883 to 1957. The team moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season. Information from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: February 21, 2017
Diggers on this uniform: Bill Grindler, Chuck McGill, Don Stokes, Ed Morton, Gary Kodner, John Thorn, Peter Reitan, Tom Shieber,