1896 New York (New Yorks, Giants)
This rendering is based on partial 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
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 renderings.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
Photo A
Dated March 1896. This spring training photo was marked with the words “The Giants at Jacksonville, Fla.” and with the name of a Jacksonville photographer. A March 1896 photo date can be determined as New York arrived in Jacksonville for spring training on March 6, 1896 and departed for New York on March 28. The photo included players Cavelle, Stanhope, Kagey and Mulligan, all of whom never played a game in the major leagues. Many players in this photo spent time in 1896 with the minor-league New York team of the Atlantic League. Both teams were owned by Andrew Freedman. Twenty-four of the twenty-five players in this photo wore the New York team sweater. The only uniform visible was that worn by player Tiernan, seated in the middle of the photo. As this was a spring training photo, Tiernan may have worn the New York uniform from the previous season of 1895, see detail view below. Likewise, many players in this photo wore a variety of caps from previous teams and seasons. Player Pfeffer, sitting in the lower middle row third from left, wore a white cap with a large insignia above the bill. This was the cap of the Princeton University team, where Pfeffer was a coach in 1895. Player Connaughton, sitting on ground at right, wore a white Boston cap with a monogram. Connaughton played for Boston in 1894 which was the same year this style of cap and monogram was introduced by Boston.
Top row, from left: D Farrell (NY 94-96, Was 96), C Cavelle (dnp, NY AtL 96, Har AtL 96), A Stanhope (dnp, Pet/Ham VaL 96), J Meekin (94-99), G Davis (93-01, 03), H Davis (NY 95, 96, Pit 96), P Wilson (93-99) and C Seymour (96-00, 06-10). Upper middle row: (Davis trainer), L German (NY NL 93-96, NY AtL 96, Was NL 96), E Kagey (dnp, Ric VaL 96), R Foster (NY NL 96, NY AtL 96, Ric AtL 96), M Tiernan (87-99), C Flynn (NY NL 96, NY AtL 96, Was NL 96) and S Fuller (NY NL 92-96, NY AtL 96, Spr EL 96). Lower middle row: K Gleason (96-00), G Stafford (93-97), F Pfeffer (NY 96, Chi 96), G Van Haltren (94-03), W Clark (95-97), D Zearfoss (NY NL 96-98, NY AtL 96), C Bowen (NY NL 96, NY AtL 96, Har AtL 96) and D Clarke (94-97). Front row, on ground: C Mulligan (dnp, NY AtL 96), L Battam (NY NL 95, dnp 96, NY AtL 96, Pat AtL 96) and F Connaughton (NY NL 96, NY AtL 96). Player IDs from photo frame (not shown). Years with team from baseball-reference.com. This image was printed in the Spalding Base Ball Guide 1897, issued at the start of the 1897 season. Jacksonville spring training dates from the New York Sun, March 7, 1896, and March 29, 1896. Sun research and info on Charles Mulligan from Ed Morton. Info on Pfeffer as Princeton coach from wikipedia.com. Original image by O. Pierre Havens, Jacksonville, FL.
Dated March 1896. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed that only player Tiernan, seated in middle, wore a uniform that was visible. As this was a spring training photo, Tiernan may have worn the New York uniform from the previous season of 1895.
Photos B & C
Printed May 29 or 30, 1896. Left, portrait of H Davis (NY 95, 96, Pit 96) made in 1895 or 1896. Right, portrait of K Gleason (96-00) made in 1896, Gleason’s first year with the team. Both portraits were printed in a New York program for a series of games against Louisville; a single game on May 29 and a doubleheader on May 30. This was the only time Louisville played in New York before Davis was traded to Pittsburgh on July 25, 1896. Both players were photographed wearing a uniform that featured a white shirt button overlapping the upper portion of the letter “Y” in the city name. Based on Gleason’s time with the team, it can be determined this button placement was a feature of the 1896 New York uniform. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Davis trade date from retrosheet.org. Program from milehighcard.com. Image scans from Ken Samoil. Original images by Benjamin J. Falk.
Photos D & E
Left, printed May 29 or 30, 1896, portrait of D Clarke (94-97) made between 1894 and 1896. Right, print date unknown, portrait of J Meekin (94-99) made between 1894 and circa 1896. The Clarke portrait was printed in a New York program for a series of games against Louisville; a single game on May 29 and a doubleheader on May 30. Both players were photographed wearing a uniform that featured a white shirt button overlapping the bottom portion of the letter “Y” in the city name. This was a similar to the button position found on the 1894 New York uniform. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Program from milehighcard.com. Image scans from Ken Samoil. Original images by Benjamin J. Falk.
Photo F
Dated 1896. Series of Mayo’s Die-Cut Game Cards representing a New York team and a Boston team (Boston not shown). These cut-out figures may have been a depiction of the National League teams. Newspapers reported in 1896 that the New York NL team wore a gray uniform with maroon stockings. Year of issue from oldcardboard.com.
Photo G
Dated mid-March 1897 to early April 1897. This photo was taken during the team’s spring training in Lakewood, New Jersey, and showed the team wearing the 1896 uniform. For more information on this image, go the the 1897 New York page.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
January 1896: “Arthur Irwin has selected a new sweater for the Giants in 1896. It will be steel-gray with a scarlet collar, scarlet waistbands and a scarlet band around the bottom. The home uniform will again be white trousers, shirt and cap, and black stockings.” From the New York Herald, January 15, 1896. Later reports from 1896 described the stockings as maroon.
April 3, 1896, New York v. Jersey City, at New York, Manhattan Field, exhibition game: “The Jersey City team of the Atlantic Association played their first game of the season in this vicinity at Manhattan Field yesterday with the New Yorks. […] The New Yorks wore their new traveling suits of gray flannel with maroon stockings and belts and black skull caps.” From the Jersey City News, April 4, 1896. It can be confirmed this game involved the New York NL team as the report mentioned players Zearfoss and Tiernan.
April 1896: “The uniforms for the players of the New York Club have been received at the Polo Grounds, this city [New York]. There are two sets. One consists of gray trousers and shirts to be worn while playing away from home; the other is white, to be worn while playing on the Polo Grounds. Both suits will be trimmed in maroon, and have maroon stockings and blue caps.” From the New York Clipper, April 11, 1896.
April 1896: “The [New York] players have received their two sets of uniforms. The visiting uniforms are gray, the ones worn at the Polo Grounds are white, both suits are trimmed in maroon, and have maroon stockings and blue small caps.” From The Sporting Life, April 11, 1896. Research from Chuck McGill. Though this report was very similar to the Clipper report above, The Sporting Life report mentioned that the blue caps were small, a possible indication they were not made in the pillbox style.
April 1896: “The nicknames of the National league clubs are as follows: Boston, Beaneaters; Cleveland, Spiders; Pittsburg[h], Pirates; Philadelphia, Quakers; Baltimore, Orioles or Oysters; Brooklyn, Bridegrooms; Cincinnati, Reds; Louisville, Colonels; St. Louis, Browns; New York, Giants; Washington, Senators; Chicago, Colts.” From the Windsor (ON) Evening Record, April 14, 1896.
April 21, 1896, New York v. Philadelphia, at New York, Polo Grounds, home opener: “The New Yorks wore white uniforms, with maroon stockings and lettering, their caps being black.” From the New York Sun, April 22, 1896.
April 21, 1896, New York v. Philadelphia, at New York, Polo Grounds, home opener: “The New Yorks, in new white flannel suits, black caps and maroon stockings, made a pretty appearance.” From the Philadelphia Times, April 22, 1896. Research from Ed Morton.
April 27, 1896, New York v. Boston at New York: “Manager Irwin put on a uniform and went to the coaching lines, but in spite of his exhortations his men played about the worst game to date.” From the Buffalo Courier, April 28, 1896.
1896, referenced in February 1897: “The uniforms which the Giants will wear this year have been selected.[…] The caps this year [1897] will be the old square kind instead of the unsightly round head covering which have come into vogue of late.” From the Troy (NY) Daily Times, February 24, 1897.
Team genealogy: New York 1883-1957
New York joined the National League (NL) in 1883, with many of its players coming from a disbanded NL team in Troy, NY. The NL began operation in 1876 and this New York team played in the NL from 1883 to 1957. The team moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season. Information from wikipedia.com.
Rendering posted: August 31, 2019
Diggers on this uniform: Chuck McGill, Ed Morton, Ken Samoil,