1890 Brooklyn (Brooklyns, Bridegrooms)
This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style and partial 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 April 1890. Photo date determined by the fact that a drawing made from this photo was published on May 3, 1890, see photo B. Photo date can also be confirmed by appearance of players Reynolds and Stallings. Reynolds was on the Brooklyn roster in 1890 but did not play in official games and was released in mid-May 1890. Stallings played in Brooklyn for only the 1890 season and was released by the team about June 19, 1890. Players wore a light-gray or light-colored uniform in this photo. The uniform had a dark-colored belt and stockings. It also had dark-colored lace ties and a cap, probably white in color, that had two horizontal bands and colored trim along the bill. The city name appeared in light-colored letters across the shirt. The color of the lettering varied slightly on some of the team shirts. This may be the uniform described in an 1890 newspaper report as being gray in color with red stockings. This uniform was most likely the team’s road uniform.
Top row, from left: O Burns (AA 88, 89, NL 90-95), B Caruthers (AA 88, 89, NL 90, 91), A Terry (AA 84-89, NL 90, 91), D O’Brien (AA 88, 89, NL 90-92), D Foutz (AA 88, 89, NL 90-96), G Stallings (Hartford Atl Assc 90, Brklyn NL 90) and T Daly (90-96, 98-01). Middle row: G Pinkney (AA 85-89, NL 90, 91), M Hughes (AA 88, 89, NL 90), (B McGunnigle mgr AA 88, 89, NL 90), G Smith (AA 85-89, NL 90, 97), C Reynolds (Brklyn AA 89, Den WA 90) and H Collins (AA 88, 89, NL 90-92). Front on ground: B Clark (AA 86-89, NL 90). Player IDs from Tom Shieber, Baseball Hall of Fame Senior Curator, as printed in the SABR newsletter, Reflecting The Past. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Reynolds release info from The Sporting Life, May 17, 1890. Stallings release date from The Sporting Life, June 21, 1890. Image scan from Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-century Pictorial Committee.
Dated April 1890. Detail view of photo A. Detail view shows variations in color (or density) of lettering across fronts of shirts. Detail view also shows white of cap when compared to light color of the shirt, as well as view of the colored trim along the front edge of the cap.
Dated April 1890. Detail view of photo A. Detail view shows quilted padding on both pant legs of the player standing at left.
Photo B
Dated May 3, 1890. This illustration, based on photo A, was published in a newspaper on this date. This drawing showed, more convincingly than in the original photo, that the shirts the players wore had the city name arched across the chest. Drawing originally published in The Illustrated American, May 3, 1890. Research from Ken Samoil.
Photo C
Dated 1890. Year of photo can be confirmed by the appearance of player Donovan and manager McGunnigle. These two men were only together in Brooklyn for the 1890 season. The photo frame (not shown) touted Brooklyn as “Champions of the National League 1890.” This suggests this version of the print was made in October 1890 or later. Players wore a white uniform in this photo with the city name arched across the chest. The neckties, lettering, belts and stockings were all dark in color. This white uniform may have been the team’s home uniform. Newspapers reported in January 1890 that the National League had unanimously voted that white uniforms were to be “worn at home at all times” during the 1890 season.
Top row, from left: O Burns (AA 88, 89, NL 90-95), H Collins (AA 88, 89, NL 90-92), D Bushong (AA 88, 89, NL 90), B Caruthers (AA 88, 89, NL 90, 91), B Clark (AA 86-89, NL 90) and T Lovett (AA 89, NL 90, 91, 93). Middle: T Daly (90-96, 98-01), D Foutz (AA 88, 89, NL 90-96), (B McGunnigle mgr AA 88, 89, NL 90), G Pinkney (AA 85-89, NL 90, 91) and G Smith (AA 85-89, NL 90, 97). Front, on ground: P Donovan (90, 06, 07), D O’Brien (AA 88, 89, NL 90-92) and A Terry (AA 84-89, NL 90, 91). Player IDs from photo frame (not shown). Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Carson Lorey.
Dated 1890. Detail view of photo C. Detail view showed that the shirt had a button placket and that a white button overlapped the top right portion of the second “O” in the word “Brooklyn.”
Written documentation on this uniform:
November 1889: “When the [National] League [meeting] finally adjourned for the day, its accomplished business included […] the authorization of President Young to fix a distinctive color for each club uniform.” From the Paterson (NJ) Morning Call, November 16, 1889.
January 1890: “[The National League] decided unanimously by selection of white suits to be […] worn at home at all times. Visiting teams will have their own options in selecting their dress, providing […] it is easily distinguished from the home team.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 30, 1890. Research from Gary Kodner.
April 19, 1890, Brooklyn (NL) v. Boston (NL) at Boston, opening day: “The country town partisan feeling [that was] manifested on Saturday [April 19] at the Boston ground struck one rather disagreeably. Of course, when the Brooklyn team entered the field in their new uniforms of red stockings and light gray suits, they were accorded a hearty greeting.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 21, 1890. Research from Don Stokes.
April 19, 1890, Brooklyn (NL) v. Boston (NL) at Boston, opening day: “[Visiting Brooklyn wore] the regulation traveling costume of gray.” From the Boston Herald, April 20, 1890. Research from Mark Pestana.
September 1890: “The mosquitoes in the outfield at Eastern Park make life a misery for the fielders. All the boys have taken to wearing paper under their stockings’—from the New York World. They’ll be out of their misery in a few days.” From The Sporting Life, September 13, 1890.
November 2, 1890: “On Sunday night [November 2] the Brooklyn [National] league team was tendered a testimonial benefit at the Grand Opera House in Brooklyn. […] The orchestra struck up ‘Hail to the Chief’ and Brooklyn’s gray clad and red stockinged darlings wandered on the stage.” From The Sporting Life, November 8, 1890.
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: August 24, 2019
Diggers on this uniform: Carson Lorey, Don Stokes, Ken Samoil, Mark Fimoff, Mark Pestana,