1896 Providence (Grays)

This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style only. Color information is unknown and the uniform is rendered in values of gray. Minor details may also be undocumented or difficult to determine and an educated guess is made to complete the rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:

Photo A

Dated 1896. Year confirmed by appearance of player Knorr, who only played for this team in 1896. Players wore a white or light gray uniform in this photo. The cap, stockings and belt were of a mid-tone color. Some if not most of the shirts had the city name arched across the front. However this lettering was very light in color, probably light blue, and did not reproduce visibly in the photographic printing process. One shirt, worn by the player top row far left, had dark lettering. This may have been the road uniform or a uniform made at a different time. This player along with three others in the photo wore sweaters under their uniforms with the collar of the sweater folded on top of the shirt collar of the uniform. One player wore a sweater over his shirt. One player wore his shirt collar turned up. The shirt had a pocket positioned below the left breast. At least one shirt, that worn by the player standing at far right, did not have a shirt pocket.

Top row, from left: B Friel (96, 97), E Crane (Pro NL 85, EL 96, Spr EL 96), F Rudderham (93-98), J Knight (94-97), C Bassett (93-97) and J Drauby (96-98). Middle: J Knorr (Pro 96, NB NEL 96), D Coogan (Pro 96-98, Spr EL 96), B Murray (94-00), unidentified and H Lyons (93-98). Front: unidentified, G Hodson (95-98), E Dixon (94-97), J Cooney (92-99) and J Canavan (96, 98). Player IDs from another version of this image where names were added to the image by hand. Identity for player Rudderham was handwritten on the print as “Ruddy.” Identity of Crane did not come from this print but from comparisons with other known photo references of this player. Identity of Coogan from Carson Lorey. Additional input on IDs from Nigel Ayres. Years with team from baseball-reference.com.

Dated 1896. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed three variations of the city name arched across the chest. The uniform at left displayed dark-colored lettering that was tightly spaced. The uniform in center display lettering that was very light in color, possibly light blue, and with open letter spacing. Though very faint in this print, the uniform at right also had light-colored lettering across the shirt. See more below. Detail view from Carson Lorey.

Dated 1896. At left is another detail view of photo A. At right is an enhanced version of the same detail view, one that better shows the light-colored lettering across the shirt. The red arrow points to the letter “E” in the city name. Detail view at left from Carson Lorey.

Written documentation on this uniform:
May 1896: “Harry Lyons is playing fast ball for the Grays.” From The Sporting Life, May 30, 1896. “Grays” was the traditional nickname for this team and it may also imply that the 1896 uniforms were gray.

Team genealogy: Providence 1891-1917
Providence joined the Eastern Association/League (EL) in 1891. The EL operated between 1891 and 1911 and became the International League in 1912. Providence played in the EL/IL between 1891 and 1917 and dropped out after the 1917 season. Information from Bill O’Neal, The International League (1992).