1891 Boston (Red Stockings, Reds)

Left: This rendering is 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 rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Right: 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

Visual documentation on these uniforms:

Photo A

Dated 1891. Collage of team portraits surrounding a team photo. Photo year confirmed by appearance of players Joyce, J Irwin, O’Brien, Haddock and Stricker, all of whom only played in Boston in 1891. Issue date of mid-May 1891 to mid-July 1891 may be suggested by appearance of player J Irwin, who was signed by Boston on May 13, 1891 and released July 16, 1891. Two players, J Irwin and H Richardson, had portraits included in the collage but do not appear in the team photo in the center of the collage.

Top row, from left: B Joyce (91), M Murphy (PL 90, AA 91), B Daley (NL 89, PL 90, AA 91), A Irwin (PL 90, AA 91), H Duffy (AA 91, NL 92-00), C Buffington (NL 82-86, 92, AA 91) and T Brown (NL 88, 89, PL 90, AA 91). Middle row: J Irwin (Bos UA 84, Bos AA 91, Linc WA 91, Lou AA 91), H Richardson (NL 89, PL 90, AA 91), P Radford (NL 83, AA 91) and D Brouthers (NL 89, PL 90, AA 91). Bottom row: C O’Brien (91), G Haddock (91), C Stricker (91) and D Farrell (AA 91, NL 03-05). Player IDs from collage. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. J Irwin signing info from The Sporting Life, May 16, 1891, and release date from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from the Boston Public Library. Original photos by Charles Conly, Boston.

Dated 1891. Detail view of photo A, showing team photo. Photo year for team photo confirmed by appearance of players Joyce, O’Brien, Haddock and Stricker, all of whom only played in Boston in 1891, and by appearance of manager A Irwin, who only managed in Boston in 1891. Two players, J Irwin and H Richardson, had portraits included in the collage but do not appear in this team photo. Irwin was signed by the team on May 13, 1891 after Richardson became injured with a broken foot. Richardson spent several months recovering away from the team and based on this it could be suggested the team photo was taken in early May 1891. Players wore a white uniform in this photo, with a white cap, dark shirt lettering, dark shirt laces, dark belt and dark stockings. Newspaper accounts from 1891 described the home uniform as white and red, the traditional colors for Boston teams, and many newspapers reported this team was called the “Red Stockings.”

Top row, from left: C Buffington (NL 82-86, 92, AA 91), P Radford (NL 83, AA 91), H Duffy (AA 91, NL 92-00) and M Murphy (PL 90, AA 91). Middle: T Brown (NL 88, 89, PL 90, AA 91), G Haddock (91), B Joyce (91), (A Irwin mgr AA 91), D Farrell (AA 91, NL 03-05) and D Brouthers (NL 89, PL 90, AA 91). Front: B Daley (NL 89, PL 90, AA 91), C Stricker (91) and C O’Brien (91). Player IDs based on collage of portraits. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. J Irwin signing info from The Sporting Life, May 16, 1891. Richardson recovery info from wikipedia. Image scan from the Boston Public Library. Original photo by Charles Conly, Boston.

Dated 1891. Another detail view of photo A. Detail view shows that the shirt had red laces and that the lettering that was more narrow and vertically arched when compared with the Boston PL uniform of 1890.

Written documentation on these uniforms:
January 1891: “The new Boston American Association team will be known as the ‘Red Stockings,’ according to the agreement signed today by the two Boston clubs.” From the New York Herald, January 20, 1891. This and other preseason reports suggest the team planned to wear red stockings in 1891.

February 1891: “Arthur Irwin, manager of the Boston Red Stockings, is a very hopeful and sanguine young man. In his opinion Boston is sure to have a great team this season.” From The Sporting Life, February 14, 1891. Another report confirming the team nickname.

February 1891: “It was decided [at the American Association league meeting] to have the players wear white uniforms while at home and black while abroad.” From the Rocky Mountain News (Denver), February 19, 1891. Note that this report described that the road uniforms were required to be black in color in 1891, while other reports from 1891 stated the road uniforms were required to be “colored.” See below.

February 1891: “It was decided that during the playing [of the 1891 American Association] season the home teams shall wear white uniforms, and the visiting teams colored uniforms in all championship games.” From the New York Clipper, February 28, 1891.

March 1891: “The traveling uniform of the Boston [American] Association nine will be gray, with black stockings and trimmings. The home uniform will be white, with red stockings and trimmings.” From The Sporting Life, March 14, 1891. Research from Chuck McGill.

March 1891: “[The] Boston [National] League Club’s uniforms […] will be the same as the [Boston American] Association—white and red for home use, gray and black abroad.” From The Sporting Life, March 21, 1891.

April 1891: “In the Boston game, the home club will wear its new white uniform with maroon stockings. The [American] Association teams are required this year to wear white suits on their own grounds and some color abroad. The object of the new rule is to enable spectators easily to distinguish the local and visiting players.” From the Baltimore Sun, April 2, 1891. Research from Don Stokes.

April 2, 1891, Boston (AA) v. Cincinnati (AA), at Boston, Congress Street grounds, exhibition game: “The men were all wrapped up in heavy clothes, the home team wearing white with red stockings; Cincinnati looking well in dark blue with white stockings.” From the Boston Globe, April 3, 1891

April 1891: “Under the rules of the American Association of Base Ball Clubs [the player] shall at the beginning of his term of employment provide himself, at his own cost and expense, with a uniform to be selected and designated by [the team] consisting of the following articles, viz.: Two shirts, two pairs of pants, two belts, two pairs of stockings, two pairs of shoes (if needed) with spikes, two caps, one jacket, one necktie. All of which during the entire term of his employment he is to keep in thorough repair and replenish as required at his own expense; and he agrees to appear on the field at the beginning of each game in which he is to play in an entirely el-an [i.e., lively] uniform, all cleaning of the same to be paid for by himself.” From The Sporting Life, April 13, 1891.

Team genealogy: Boston 1890-1891
Boston was formed to join the Players’ League (PL) at the league’s inception in 1890. The PL was a major league that played for one season before folding. Boston subsequently joined the American Association (AA) for the 1891 season. The AA was a major league operating between 1882 and 1891. The Boston team disbanded when the AA folded after the 1891 season. Info from wikipedia.