1892 Atlanta (Atlantas)
Left: This rendering is based on 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 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
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
Photo A
Dated June 10, 1892, to June 16, 1892. Year of photo can be confirmed by the appearance of players Prescott, Maskrey, McIntyre, Ardner, Westlake, Wells, Porter, Schabel and Friend. These men only played for Atlanta in 1892. A photo date range of June 10, 1892, to June 16, 1892, can be determined by the appearance of Wells, in combination with the appearance of Maskrey, McIntrye and Westlake. Wells joined the team about June 10, 1892, and played in what appears to have been his only game with the team on June 13. Manager Maskrey resigned on June 16, and players Westlake and McIntyre were also released on this same day. Players wore a dark uniform in this photo with dark caps, belts and stockings. Newspapers in 1892 reported that the team had two uniforms, one of which was all blue in color with red stockings. This was undoubtedly the uniform shown above. The shirt in the photo had a breast pocket and four white buttons down the front. The majority of shirts in the photo were short sleeved. The city name was arched across the front of the shirt in red letters, which were barely visible in this black-and-white image. At least five of the six players sitting in the front row wore pants with quilted padding.
Top row, from left: ? Prescott (92), L Maskrey mgr (92), B McIntyre (92) and J Ardner (92). Front: G Westlake (Atl 92, Mob SL 92), F Wells (86, 92), L Porter (92), G Schabel (92), D Friend (Atl 92, Cha SL 92) and J Long (Atl 92, 94, Mob SL 92). Player IDs from photo frame. Years with team and first name initials from baseball-reference.com. First names of players Frank Wells and Lew Porter from Terry Sloope, citing the Atlanta Constitution. Dates of Wells with team, Maskrey resigning, and McIntye and Westlike release also from Terry Sloope, again citing the Atlanta Constitution. Sloope writes “if we assume the photo caption is correct, and that the picture would have been taken between June 10 and June 16, it doesn’t explain why other players who were with the team at the time weren’t included in the photo.” Sloope notes that outfielder Frank Hill, third baseman Bob Berryhill and pitcher Sal Campfield “all played in games during May-June period.” Sloope also questions the identity of player Prescott, noting that the Constitution on May 16, 1892, reported that Prescott was “a great big deep-chested, broad-shouldered fellow who hits left-handed” and on May 16 that he was “the biggest man in [sic] the team.” The player in the top row, far left, does not appear have a large physical stature. He also was holding a baseball in his right hand while wearing a fielding glove on his left, possibly indicating the player was a right-handed batter. If this player was Prescott, he may have been William Prescott, who played in the minors from 1887 to 1892, per baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Nigel Ayres, T. Scott Brandon, Carson Lorey, and from icollector.com.
Dated 1892. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed that the pillbox-style cap had three subtle horizontal bands. Detail view also showed that the short-sleeved shirt had a breast pocket and four white buttons running down the front. The shirt was blue in color and the city name was arched across the front of the shirt in red letters that were barely visible in this black-and-white image.
Photo B
Dated April 24, 1892. These portraits, most likely drawn from photographs, were published in a newspaper on this day. Drawings depicted players wearing a pillbox-style cap and a buttoned shirt. Both of these uniform features were similar to those shown in the team photo from this year, see photo A.
Outer ring of nine portraits, clockwise from top left: J Long (Atl 92, 94, Mob SL 92), Beach (?), B McIntyre (92), J Dooley (92), A Lawson (Atl 92, Tro EL 92), M Gagen (92), G Schabel (92), F Hill (92) and G Westlake (Atl 92, Mob SL 92). Inner three portraits: S Campfield (92), (L Maskrey mgr, 92) and B Berryhill (92). Player IDs and drawings from the Atlanta Constitution, April 24, 1892. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Note that the drawing of Westlake does not have the same facial characteristics as the player identified as such in the team photo, possibly indicating one of these identifications is incorrect. Constitution scan from Terry Sloope.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
March 1892: “Mr. [M.L.] Bickert [sic], of the board of directors, yesterday ordered the uniforms for the Atlanta team. The bill will be $300. […] The uniforms for the team, when visiting, will be blue with red trimmings and red stockings. At home, the team will use the same uniform with a white shirt.” From the Atlanta Constitution, March 26, 1892. Research from Chuck McGill.
March 1892: “The uniforms for the Atlanta club will be the best ever seen in the south, thanks to Mr. [M.L.] Bickart, the purchaser. The material […] surpasses anything ever worn out of the big league. The uniforms are dark sky blue, with red trimmings. On the front of the blouse will be ‘Atlanta’ in white letters. Red hose will be used with the uniforms. When the club is at home the same uniform will be used except the blouse. The blue shirt will remain in the dressing room at home, and the Atlantians will come out in a pure white blouse, with the name in red.” From the Atlanta Constitution, March 27, 1892. Research from Don Stokes.
April 25, 1892, Atlanta v. Macon, in Atlanta, Brisbine Park, opening day: “[Manager Leech] Maskrey and his men came out wearing their blue knickerbockers with red hose and blue caps. The blue shirt had given way to a pretty white flannel with Atlanta in red letters across the breast.” From the Atlanta Constitution, April 26, 1892. Research from Terry Sloope.
May 1892: “The spectators won’t see any white shirts […] on the field today [May 5, 1892, vs. Mobile]. The Atlanta team will discard them, and come out in solid blue suits. Those blue suits have been Atlanta’s mascot, while the whites have been a sure Jonah [i.e., bad-luck charm]. Away from home the Atlantas wore the blue, and they won. Since coming home, they have worn the white, and they have been losing. With [Manager] Maskrey in the right, and the boys clad in blue, Atlanta will win today beyond a doubt.” From the Atlanta Constitution, May 5, 1892. Research from Terry Sloope.
1892, referenced in March 1893: “Atlanta has never had anything but a blue uniform since she began making her baseball history, except white suits, which were Jonahs last year [1892] and were not worn a half dozen times.” From the Atlanta Constitution, March 23, 1893. Research from Terry Sloope.
Team genealogy: Atlanta 1892-1896
Atlanta joined the Southern League (SL) in 1892 when the league reformed. The reorganized SL operated between 1892 and 1896 and folded after the 1896 season. Atlanta played in the SL between 1892 and June 1894. On June 27, 1894 the Atlanta team disbanded and the Mobile team was transferred to Atlanta to finish the season. Atlanta continued to play in the SL through the end of the 1896 season. Information from wikipedia.com and baseball-reference.com. Mobile transfer date from Baseball America, Inc., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (1997).
Rendering posted: October 28, 2021
Diggers on this uniform: Chuck McGill, Don Stokes, Nigel Ayres, T Scott Brandon, Terry Sloope,