1893 St. Louis (Browns)
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
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated March 12, 1893. This montage of player portraits was published in a newspaper on this date. Portraits were drawn from photographs. Of the 15 portraits shown, only five depicted players in uniform. See detail views below. Image and player IDs from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 12, 1893. Image scan from Carson Lorey.
Dated March 12, 1893. Three detail views of photo A, from left: T Breitenstein (AA 91, NL 92-96), J Quinn (UA 84, NL 85, 86, 93-96, 98, 00) and B Caruthers (dnp, AA 84-87, NL 92). None of these renderings depicted the St. Louis uniform of 1893. The rendering of Breitenstein showed a pillbox-style cap with trim along the front edge of the visor, and possibly a lace-tie shirt based on the shirt opening. Breitenstein’s entry into baseball was with the St. Louis reserve team in 1890 before joining the Browns in 1891. It is possible this rendering was of a St. Louis uniform from 1890 to 1892. The rendering of Quinn was made from a cabinet card photo published in early 1889 when with Boston. The rendering of Caruthers was most likely made from an Allen & Ginter baseball card printed in 1887. Caruthers did not play for St. Louis in 1893, having been released in March after this montage was published. Images and player IDs from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 12, 1893. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Info on Breitenstein with the St. Louis reserve team from Stephen V. Rice, SABR BioProject: Theodore Breitenstein, retrieved February 11, 2023. Info on Caruthers release from Charles F. Faber, SABR BioProject: Bob Caruthers, retrieved February 11, 2023. Image scan from Carson Lorey.
Dated March 12, 1893. Three additional detail views of photo A, from left: D Clarkson (93-95), J Glasscock (NL 85, 86, 92, 93) and B Watkins (mgr 93). It is likely that the renderings of Clarkson and Glasscock did not depict the St. Louis uniform of 1893. The rendering of Clarkson showed a uniform shirt with dark trim on the collar. Clarkson was new to the team in 1893 and a newspaper reported that he would join the club on March 13 or 14. As the portrait montage was published on March 12, it was therefore likely that the rendering of Clarkson was drawn from a photograph made in a previous year. The rendering of Glasscock and manager Watkins were made from unknown photographs. The rendering of Glasscock may have been made in reverse as the part in his hair was on the opposite side in other images of the player from this period. The image of Watkins confirmed this montage was of the 1893 team, as this was his only year as manager in St. Louis. Images, player IDs and info on Clarkson’s arrival from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 12, 1893. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Carson Lorey.
Photo B
Dated April 1893. Montage of player portraits, full view at left, detail view of player J Quinn (84-86, 93-96, 98, 00) at right. This montage was printed by the St. Louis team on letterhead to commemorate the opening of a new ballpark. The first regular season game was played at New Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis on April 27, 1893. Many of these renderings were based on the portrait montage by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 12, 1893, see photo A. Only three players in the montage were shown wearing a uniform. The drawing of Quinn was most likely based on a photo and showed a pillbox-style cap with subtle horizontal bands and a collared shirt with lace ties. It is unknown if this was a depiction of the St. Louis uniform. In addition to his years in St. Louis, Quinn played for Boston (NL 88, 89, 91, 02, PL 90) and this may be showing a Boston uniform. The drawing of D Clarkson (93-95), top row left, showed a uniform with a buttoned shirt and the drawing of H Pietz (92-95), top row third from left, showed a uniform with lace ties. Both Quinn and Clarkson were new to the St. Louis team in 1893, Pietz also joined the team in 1893 after playing 1 game for St. Louis in 1892. The Clarkson rendering was most likely based on the montage printed on March 12, 1895. The Pietz rendering was most likely based on a photograph taken in a previous years. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Date of first game at new park from retrosheet.org. Image scan from Gary Kodner, citing the archives of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Written documentation on this uniform:
December 1892: “Jack [Dolan] will wear the brown and blue of the St. Louis club in ‘93.” From The Sporting Life, December 3, 1892.
March 1893: “The St. Louis Browns will have proverbial brown stockings again this year.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 5, 1893. Research from Gary Kodner.
March 11, 1893: “The Browns new uniforms reached Sportsman’s Park yesterday [in St. Louis on March 11] . They are made by the E.C. Meacham Arms Co., and present a fine appearance. The pants and shirts are of blue, and the words ‘St. Louis Browns’ are across the shirts in white letters. The stockings, belts and caps are brown.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 12, 1893. Research from Gary Kodner. E.C. Meacham Arms Company was a gun and bicycle manufacturer & distributor based in St. Louis. They also had a “supply depot” in St. Louis that sold Spalding products. Depot info from The Sporting Life, May 25, 1887.
June 8, 1893, St. Louis v. Brooklyn, at Brooklyn: “The St. Louis Browns are a rakish looking set in their close fitting uniforms of navy blue, brown stockings and striped caps.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 9, 1893. Research from Gary and Oliver Kodner, St. Louis Cardinals Uniforms & Logos, 1882-2016 (2016).
June 10, 1893, St. Louis v. Philadelphia, at Philadelphia, Philadelphia Park: “Nine young men [of St. Louis], wearing suits of varied colors, entered the grounds in an omnibus which was driven through the big gate on Broad street. […] Whoever designed the suits for St. Louis should be given ninety days in the Workhouse. […] The suit is made of material of a dirty-colored black, the stockings are brown and the cap is black and white. A more inharmonious effect it would be difficult to put together.” From the Philadelphia Record, June 11, 1893. Research from Ed Morton.
A curious side note…
Dated 1945. Publicity photo of Abbott & Costello performing the comedy sketch Who’s On First? for the movie The Naughty Nineties, released in June 1945. The origins of the uniform that comedian Bud Abbott, left, wore for this photo are unknown. However, the uniform has many elements found in baseball fashion in the 1890s, most notably the bold, block lettering across the chest. It is likely this outfit was thoroughly researched before it was made. It is unknown if this uniform was meant to mimic the St. Louis Browns uniforms of the early 1890s. The Browns reportedly displayed both the city name and the team nickname on the shirt in 1893 and 1894. Image may be subject to copyright. Movie info from wikipedia.com.
Team genealogy: St. Louis 1882-
St. Louis was formed to join the American Association (AA) in 1882. The AA was a major league operating between 1882 and 1891 and St. Louis played in the AA in every year of the league’s existence. The team moved to the National League (NL) for 1892 season. The NL began operation in 1876 and St. Louis has played in the NL every year since 1892. Information from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: May 19, 2018
Diggers on this uniform: Carson Lorey, Ed Morton, Gary Kodner, Oliver Kodner,