1894 Philadelphia (Philadelphias, Phillies)

This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style and 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 1894. Photo year of 1894 confirmed by appearance of players Callahan and Haddock. These men only played in Philadelphia in 1894. Photo month of April 1894 determined by appearance of players Hartman and Sharrott. Both men were released by the team at the end of April 1894. Players wore a white or light-colored uniform in this photo, with a dark belt and dark stockings. The stockings also had dark, wide horizontal bands. The shirt had a pocket and featured dark lace ties. The laces ran on top of the letter “i” in Phila” and this letter may have been sewn onto both sides of the shirt opening. Six of the 10 players shown in the front two rows of this photo wore quilted padding on their pants. At least six of the 17 players shown overall wore short-sleeved shirts. Three of these players wore dark undershirts.

Top row, from left: J Callahan (94), B Allen (90-94), E Delahanty (88, 89, 91-01), J Boyle (93-98), S Thompson (89-98), J Taylor (92-97) and C Reilly (92-95). Middle: J Clements (NL 84-97, UA 84), G Weyhing AA 87-89, 91, NL 92-95), B Hallman (NL 88, 89, 92-97, PL 90, AA 91), (A Irwin mgr 94, 95), K Carsey (92-97), B Hamilton (90-95) and G Haddock (Phi 94, Was 94). Front, on ground: F Hartman (dnp 94, Alt/Lanc PSL 94, Pit NL 94), J Sharrott (93, dnp 94), T Turner (93-96) and M Grady (94-97). Players IDs and image scan from the Spalding Base Ball Guide, 1895. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Sharrott and Hartman release info from The Sporting Life, May 5, 1894.

Dated April 1894. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed that the letter “i” in “Phila” fell exactly on the middle of the shirt. It was likely this letter was sewn onto both sides of the shirt opening. The lace ties ran on top of the letter “i.” Both the lettering and the laces were made of the same color.

Dated April 1894. Another detail view of photo A. Detail view show the dark bands on the stockings. Also note the padded pants worn by the player in the background.

Photo B

Dated 1894 or 1895. Collage of portraits of the Philadelphia players wearing street clothes. Full view at left, detail view at right. Detail view shows an illustration of two players wearing padded pants. Padded pants were experiencing a second wave of popularity during the mid-1890s. Several Philadelphia players in the 1894 team photo were shown wearing padded pants, see photo A. It is unknown if the uniform depicted in this illustration was a representation of the Philadelphia uniform from 1894 or 1895. Image scan from the New York Public Library.

Written documentation on this uniform:
March 1894: “The Phillies have new stockings this year of black and red bars. Their legs look like barber poles, and the effect of the striped hose is not pleasing to the eye. This is one of [manager] Irwin’s innovations that won’t please the public.” From The Sporting Life, March 31, 1894. Research from Ed Morton.

April 1894: “The ‘Phillies’ will wear striped stockings this year, and will thus be right in line with the Easter styles.” From the Washington (DC) Evening Star, April 7, 1894.

April 1894: “John W. Foster tartly observes: ‘If there is one thing that Arthur Irwin cannot do, it is select colors for a base ball uniform. We know those stockings he selected are going to get Arthur in trouble, and the future will prove it. What was he thinking about when he ordered hooped stockings? Did he imagine he was rigging out a team of female song and dance artists? Just imagine Sam Thompson’s feeling when he gazes down on his long-drawn shanks and contemplates the ensemble? A cross-section of a piece of old-fashioned jelly cake would be a thing of beauty in comparison. Then there’s Kid Cross. Maybe he won’t present a sort of phantasmagoria effect, when he skins up for third as the sun’s rays fall aslant on those red and white stripes.'” From the (Washington DC) Evening Star, April 21, 1894. Research from Ed Morton.

April 21, 1894, Philadelphia v. Washington, at Philadelphia, opening day: “The Phillies wore their new white suits and black stockings for the first time, while the ‘Senators’ were attired in dark blue caps and pants and bright red jerserys [i.e., shirts].” From the Philadelphia Inquirer, April 22, 1894. Research from Ed Morton.

April 21, 1894, Philadelphia v. Washington, at Philadelphia, opening day: “A new and novel feature amused the patrons of the pavilion in the person of Harry Stevens, ‘the original score card man.’ […] He was robed in black, with the exception that he wore a gray Philadelphia Club cap, and a diamond as big as a shellbark [i.e., nut] sparkled from his four-in-hand tie.” From the Philadelphia Inquirer, April 22, 1894. Research from Matt Albertson.

April 1894: “The Phillies’ barber pole striped stockings of black and red are a startling innovation, but not an overpleasing one.” From the Brooklyn Citizen, April 26, 1894. Research from Ed Morton.

August 1894: “Philadelphia, Aug. 7 — The pavilions and spectators’ stands at the Philadelphia Ball Park […] were destroyed by fire yesterday morning. […] Turner and Grady each lost his uniform.” From The Sporting Life, August 11, 1894.

1894: “[Manager] Irwin […] meddled in the team’s uniform decisions, resulting in unpopular red and black bars being placed on their leggings.” From Eric Frost, Our Game, Too
. Influential Figures and Milestones in Canadian Baseball (SABR, 2022).

Team genealogy: Philadelphia 1882-
Philadelphia was formed to play in the League Alliance (LA) in 1882. The team joined the National League (NL) in 1883. The NL began operation in 1876 and Philadelphia has played in the league every year since 1883. Information from wikipedia.com and Robert D. Warrington.