1892 Washington DC (Washingtons, Nationals, Senators)
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
Center & Right: These renderings are based on written documentation for uniform style and color. No visual documentation is known and an artist’s conceptualization is used to create the renderings.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
Photo A
Dated early April 1892. Date of photo confirmed by appearance of manager Barnie, who was only with the Washington team in 1892 and was released on April 18, 1892 after managing the first two games of the season. Players wore a white uniform in this photo with a white cap, dark lettering on the shirt, and a dark belt. The stockings were ribbed and may have been of a mid-tone color. The lettering on the shirt spelled out the team nickname, “National,” and not the city name. This same treatment was worn by the team one year earlier when Washington played in the American Association in 1891. A newspaper in February 1892 reported that the Washington team planned to wear white uniforms at home with blue stockings. A report from April 1892 said that Washington wore red stockings at the home opener. A report from May 1892 said that the Washington road uniform was patterned after the defunct Providence team of the National League, who wore light blue stockings. It is likely the Washington team wore light blue stockings in the team photo above, and also wore red stockings during the season. Researcher Jim Flack adds that this Washington home uniform “would have been worn when the first sitting U.S. president watched an MLB game: Benjamin Harrison, June 6, 1892, Cincinnati 7, Washington 4 (11 innings) at Boundary Park.” Flack cites the Washington (DC) Evening Star from June 7, 1892, which reported that “the President attended the Cincinnati-Washington ball game yesterday” and that Harrison sat in the “press box, which is just above the grand stand and which affords a clear view of the field.” The Evening Star also reported that “when the game opened the President made an inquiry or two in regard to the relative merits of the two teams.” The paper also described his dress: “Large black derby hat, a frock coat which he had open, a turn-down collar and white shirt, with a black four-in-hand necktie. His trousers were of modest striped goods of black and gray and he wore calfskin gaiters. In his hand he carried a silver-headed Malaca [sic] cane. The head of the cane was ornamented with embossed cannons, flags and an eagle, and in the front around the rim which attaches the head to the stick proper there were the three letters G. A. R.” According to wikipedia.com, a malacca cane is made of asian rattan. The initials on the cane, “G. A. R.,” stood for the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization composed of veterans who served in the Civil War. Harrison was a member of the Union Army from 1862 to 1865.
Top row, from left: F Killen (92, 98, 99), H Gastright (92), J Milligan (92), (B Barnie, mgr 2 gms 92), D McGuire (AA 91, NL 92-99), H Larkin (92, 93) and P Donovan (AA 91, NL 92, AL 04). Middle row: P Knell (Was 92, Phi 92), P Radford (92-94), H Richardson (Was 92, NY 92), F Foreman (Was AA 91, Was NL 92, Bkln NL 92), M Kilroy (92), J Dolan (Was NL 92, Alb EL 92, Roc EL 92, Prv EL 92) and D Richardson (92). Front, on ground: T Dowd (AA 91, NL 92), D Hoy (88, 89, 92, 93) and C Duffee (92). Players IDs and image from the Washington (DC) Sunday Star, October 5, 1924. The Sunday Star incorrectly identified Larkin, top row sixth from left, as D Farrell (93, 96-99), however Farrell did not join the Washington team until the following year of 1893. A drawing made from this photo and published in May 1892 identified this player as Larkin, the team’s everyday first baseman, see photo B. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Barnie release info from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 19, 1892. Benjamin Harrison info from Jim Flack in an email to Threads on October 7, 2019. Image scan from Ken Samoil.
Dated early April 1892. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed the lettering arched across the shirt and four lines of dark-colored trim running horizontally around the cap. Both the lettering and the cap trim may have been made darker when the photo was retouched and enhanced.
Photo B
Dated May 21, 1892. This drawing of the team, based on photo A, was published in a newspaper on this date. The drawing depicted Washington manager, B Barnie (92), standing in the top row, fourth from left. However, Barnie had left the team by the time the drawing was published in May. Accordingly, the drawing identified the manager in the top row as A Irwin (92, 98, 99), Barnie’s successor. Additionally, the drawing can confirm the identity of player Larkin, who was mis-identified in photo A. Lastly, player H Richardson, middle row third from left, was incorrectly identified in the drawing as “Robinson.” Years Barnie and Irwin with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from The Sporting Life, May 21, 1892.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
February 1892: “The Washingtons uniforms will be white with blue stockings for home, and gray with blue stockings abroad.” From The Sporting Life, February 27, 1892. Research from Chuck McGill.
April 12, 1892, Washington v. Boston at Washington, home opener: “About 8,000 enthusiasts witnessed the defeat here this afternoon [April 12, 1892] of their new team by the champions from Boston. […] The Senators appeared in a bright new uniform of white shirts and breeches and red stockings and belts.” From the Boston Globe, April 13, 1892. Research from Ed Morton.
May 23, 1892, Washington v. Brooklyn at Brooklyn, Eastern Park: “On the way to Eastern Park yesterday everybody talked about the death of Hub Collins. […] When the Washington and Brooklyn teams appeared on the field each of the players wore bits of crape on the left arm.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 24, 1892. Brooklyn player Collins died of typhoid fever on May 21, 1892. This was Brooklyn’s first game after his death. Collins info from retrosheet.org and wikipedia.com.
May 1892: “There is a method in the Washingtons wearing [a] grayish blue uniform. It will be remembered that they took the Providence team’s place in the league years ago. The Rhode Island nine […] was known as the Providence grays, and the Senators are perpetuating their colors.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 26, 1892. Research from Ed Morton.
Team genealogy: Washington 1891-1899
Washington was formed to join the American Association (AA) for the 1891 season. The AA was a major league operating from 1882 to 1891. When the AA folded after the 1891 season, Washington joined the National League (NL) in 1892 as the NL expanded to twelve teams. The NL began play in 1876. Washington played in the NL from 1892 to 1899 and was dissolved when the NL contracted down to eight teams after the 1899 season. Info from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: June 27, 2019
Diggers on this uniform: Chuck McGill, Ed Morton, Jim Flack, Ken Samoil,