1899 Rock Island IL

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 June 18, 1899. Date of photo was recorded on the lower left of the image by the photographer. The year of the photo was also handwritten onto the print above the team name. Players wore a light gray uniform in this photo with a dark cap, dark belt and dark stockings. The shirts had 3/4 length sleeves, however several players had cut their sleeves to elbow-length or above. The shirts had a large dark-colored initial on each side of the opening and a pocket below the left breast. The letter “R” was beginning to detach from the uniform of the player standing in the top row, second from left. One player in the top row wore a shirt with no initials. Two players wore their shirt collars styled up. The caps were in the newsboy style, however two players wore non-matching caps. One of these players was Archie Ball, sitting second from right, who wore a white cap with thin dark trim on the vertical ribbing. Ball wore this same cap in a photo taken later in the 1899 season when he was a member of the St. Paul team of the Western League.

Top row, from left: B Bottenus (RI 99, New EL 99, Sch NYSL 99), G Reed (dnp?), (M Sexton), E Eyler (dnp?), R Dooin (RI 99, GR-S ISL 99), F Brott (99) and T O’Rourke (RI 99, A-K-B IIL 99). Front row: (L Eddy), H Bay (RI 99, A-T NYSL 99), E Stricklett (99), (A Eddy, mascot), H Sage (98, 99), J Hart (RI 99, Bin NYSL 99), A Ball (RI 99, StP WL 99) and (L Salzmann, president). Player IDs from Davenport (IA) Daily Times, July 11, 1936, and from Carson Lorey. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from the Detroit Public Library, Ernie Harwell Collection. Original image by Elmer E. Mangold, Moline, IL.

Dated June 18, 1899. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed the team’s light-gray shirt featuring a wide collar, white buttons on a wide button placket and a pocket below the left breast.

Photo B

Dated June 18, 1899. This newspaper clipping featured the same image as shown in photo A, and was printed in the Davenport (IA) Daily Times, July 11, 1936. The image included some additional wording at the top of the print. The clipping included player IDs. Image scan and research from Chuck McGill.

Written documentation on this uniform:
None

Team genealogy: Coming soon