1899 Columbus (Senators)
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 1899, possibly May 26-28, 1899. Year of photo determined by the appearance of players Gillen, Cross, Waddell, Bierbauer, Pickering and Briggs, all of whom only played for Columbus in 1899. Date range of May 26-28, 1899, can be suggested by the appearance of player Hall in combination with the likelihood that this photo was taken when the team first played at Kansas City on these dates. Hall was traded away before the team’s next appearance in Kansas City on July 5-7. Kansas City superintendent Charles Meyer organized photos of visiting Western League teams to be taken on the field in Kansas City during the 1898, 1899 and 1900 seasons. The photographer of these images was not credited and many of the photos included the mark of “Meyer” and “K.C. Mo.” in the bottom corner. Though the photo above did not include Meyer’s mark, the composition of the players and the white backdrop used behind the men was very similar to Meyer’s other photos from this period. It is likely that Meyer arranged for two photographs of the Columbus team, the first (shown above) taken on May 26-28, 1899, and the second taken on July 5-7, 1899 (see photo B). Players wore a light gray uniform in this photo, with dark stockings. The light gray shirt had white buttons and a letter “C” displayed on a shirt pocket. Players wore shirts with both short sleeves and 3/4 length sleeves. The newsboy-style caps were either white or light gray in color. Pitcher Waddell, standing third from left, wore a slightly darker gray uniform than his teammates. Waddell was on loan from Louisville of the National League, and his shirt did not have a letter on the pocket and also showed the faint outline of where letters had been removed from across the chest. The man sitting in the center of the foreground, B Jones, was one of the team’s pitchers and was dressed in street clothes. Jones pitched the May 28 game against Kansas City and therefore it could be suggested this photo was taken on May 27, and on a day that he was not available to play.
Top row, from left: S Gillen (Col 99, FtW ISL 99), L Cross (Col 99, Cha CL 99), R Waddell (Col 99, Lou NL 99), C Frank (Col 96-99, StP WL 99) and B Sullivan (Col 98, 99, Bos NL 99). Middle: L Bierbauer (99), R Hall (Col 96, 99, Buf WL 99), G Tebeau (97-99), D Buckley (97-99) and O Pickering (Col 99, Buf WL 99). Front: F Genins (96-99), (B Jones 96-99) and B Briggs (Col 99, Cor NYSL 99). Player IDs based on photo B and on baseball-reference.com. Additional input on player IDs from Carson Lorey, Ken Samoil and Nigel Ayres. Years players with team from baseball-reference.com. Based on box scores, all of the players in photo A participated in the Kansas City series between May 26-28, 1899. One player, E Lewee (Col 99, Det WL 99), also appeared in these games but was not included in photo A. Hall trade info from The Sporting Life, July 1, 1899. Info on Charles Meyer from the Kansas City Times, October 13, 1898, with research from Ed Morton. Image scan from the Detroit Public Library, Ernie Harwell Collection.
Dated 1899, possibly May 26-28, 1899. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed the letter “C” on the shirt pocket and the newsboy-style cap.
Photo B
Dated 1899, possibly July 5-7, 1899. Year of photo determined by the appearance of players Bierbauer, Waddell, McCauley, Buelow, Eustace and Pickering, all of whom only played for Columbus in 1899. Date range of July 5-7, 1899, can be suggested by the appearance of player Eustace in combination with the likelihood that this photo was taken when the team played at Kansas City on these dates. Eustace was traded to Columbus after the team’s first visit to Kansas City on May 26-28, and he was released before the team’s third visit to Kansas City on August 29-31. Kansas City superintendent Charles Meyer organized photos of visiting Western League teams to be taken on the field in Kansas City during the 1898, 1899 and 1900 seasons. The photo above has the mark of “Meyer” and “K.C. Mo.” in white lettering in the lower left corner. The photographer of these images was not credited. It is likely that Meyer arranged for two photographs of the Columbus team, the first taken on May 26-28 (photo A), and the second taken on July 5-7, 1899 (photo B). In photo B, players wore the same light gray uniform that they wore in photo A. Pitcher Waddell also wore the same uniform that he wore in photo A, with a shirt that showed the faint outline of where lettering had been removed. The man in street clothes in the back row, B Sullivan, one of the team’s catchers, may not have been available to play on the day this photo was taken. Sullivan, who may have had a minor injury, played first base in the July 6 game, but did not play in the games on July 5 and July 7. It is possible this photo was taken before the start of the July 5th game as the team may not have been in the mood to have their photo taken after the game, or on the following two days. Reporting on the July 5th game, The Sporting Life noted that “in the seventh inning the Senators refused to play with the ball and Umpire Brennan gave the game to Kansas City, 9 to 0.”
Top row, from left: L Bierbauer (99), R Waddell (Col 99, Lou NL 99), (B Sullivan Col 98, 99, Bos NL 99), C Frank (Col 96-99, StP WL 99) and P McCauley (99). Middle: B Jones (96-99), C Buelow (Col 99, Roc WA 99), G Tebeau (97-99), F Eustace (Col 99, Buf 99 WL, Har EL 99) and F Genins (96-99). Front: O Pickering (Col 99, Buf WL 99). Player IDs from item. Years players with team from baseball-reference.com. Eustace trade info from The Sporting Life, July 1, 1899. Eustace release info from The Sporting Life, August 12, 1899. Info on disputed game from The Sporting Life, July 29, 1899. Info on Charles Meyer from the Kansas City Times, October 13, 1898, with research from Ed Morton. Note that the label on the photo mount read “Columbus or Grand Rapids.” Attendance in Columbus was low in 1899 and the July 29 issue of The Sporting Life reported that “on July 18 the Columbus team assumed the title of Grand Rapids [MI] and on July 20 took possession of the territory vacated by the Interstate League.” The team finished the season representing Grand Rapids. Image scan from John Thorn, Our Game, published September 25, 2020, and retrieved May 6, 2021.
Dated 1899, possibly July 5-7, 1899. Detail view of photo B. Players wore the same uniform as in photo A, taken about six weeks earlier.
Written documentation on this uniform:
June 1899: “The Senators won their series from Minneapolis.” From The Sporting Life, June 3, 1899. An example of the team nickname.
Team genealogy: Columbus 1896-1899
Columbus joined the Western League (WL) in 1896, replacing the Terre Haute team. The reorganized WL operated from 1894 to 1899. Columbus played in the WL between 1896 and July 17, 1899 when the team moved to Grand Rapids. Information from wikipedia.com. Grand Rapids transfer info from baseball-reference.com.
Rendering posted: May 8, 2021
Diggers on this uniform: Carson Lorey, Ed Morton, Ken Samoil, Nigel Ayres,