1889 St. Joseph MO (St. Josephs, St. Joes)

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

Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A

Dated 1889. Old Judge baseball card of G or C Whitney (89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date can be confirmed as 1889 was Whitney’s only year with the team. Resources do not agree on the player’s first name. Whitney wore a dark uniform with a vertically-striped cap and dark stockings. A newspaper report from 1889 described this uniform color as black, the stockings as scarlet, and the cap as black and scarlet. Detail view shows stripes on cap, detachable sleeves held by white buttons, and white buttons on the shirt placket. A shirt pocket can also be faintly seen on the left breast. Year Whitney with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Photo B

Dated 1889. Old Judge baseball card of T Flood (89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date can be confirmed as 1889 was Flood’s only year with the team. Player wore the same uniform as shown in photo A. However the studio background does not match photo A, suggesting there were two photo sessions in 1889. Detail view shows striped cap, arched lettering on shirt, and a belt with two horizontal color bands. This style of belt does not match that worn by player Whitney, see photo A. Year Flood with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Photo C

Dated 1889. Old Judge baseball card of T Flood (89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date can be confirmed as 1889 was Flood’s only year with the team. Detail view shows a suggestion of a color band on the stocking. Year Flood with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Written documentation on this uniform:
March 1889: “The new uniforms, which were made by Sam Morton, arrived today. They consist of black shirts and Knickerbockers, scarlet stockings and belts and scarlet and black striped caps and blouses. The design of the uniform was conceived by Manager [Charles] Lord.” From The Sporting Life, March 20, 1889. Research from Chuck McGill.

March 1889: “The new uniforms were received last week and placed upon exhibition in R. A. Hope’s window. The uniform is a very handsome one, […] the highest credit upon the workmanship of S. G. Morton & Co., who manufactured them.” From The Sporting Life, March 27, 1889.

Team genealogy:
 Coming soon