1889 New York (New Yorks, Giants)
Left: This rendering is based on an artist’s illustration for uniform style and color. Important details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy: Year: undocumented Team: documented
Center: This rendering is based on partial 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
Right: This rendering is based on partial visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Some important details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy: Year: undocumented Team: documented
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
Photo A
Dated circa May 1889. Illustration depicts New York v. Boston at Boston, Opening Day, May 8, 1889, and identified the New York batter as John Ward. Batter was depicted wearing a white uniform with dark cap and stockings and red lettering across the chest. Game date from retrosheet.org.
Dated circa May 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 lettering and the red color was probably maroon, a traditional team color during the 1880s.
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
Printed mid-May 1889 to September 1889, portraits most likely made in late 1888. Photo collage of player portraits, full view at left, detail view of 4 portraits at right. While the caption on this collage may not be contemporary, the issue date of mid-May to September for the collage itself can be determined by the absence of players Titcomb and Foster. These 2 men were included in this series of team portraits identified by their oval frames. 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 collage 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. This series of portraits with oval frames were originally made between August 1888 and mid-May 1889, most likely in late 1888. 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.
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
Printed 1889, portrait most likely 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 between August 1888 and mid-May 1889, most likely 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
Printed 1888 or 1889, image most likely 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 most likely 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.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
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.
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’ 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 to be 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.
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 show 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.
October 1889, New York (NL) v. Brooklyn (AA), World 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.
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, John Thorn, Peter Reitan, Tom Shieber,