1900 Indianapolis (Hoosiers)
Left: This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Important details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Right: This rendering is based on partial written documentation for uniform style and color. No visual documentation is known and an artist’s conceptualization is used to create the rendering.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on these uniforms:
Photos A, B & C
Dated April 20, 1900. These three photos were published in an Indianapolis newspaper on this date, the same day as the team’s home opener. From left: M Kelly (99, 01), G Flynn (Ind 96-01, StJ WL 00) and E Hickey (98-01). As all three players were with Indianapolis in 1899, it is possible these were “pre-season” pictures of the players wearing their 1899 uniforms, possibly taken at the same time as photos D, E & F. Further determination may be difficult as both the 1899 and 1900 uniforms were of similar design. Two of the photos showed a uniform with a script letter “I” on the left breast. The third photo showed that same letter on the team sweater. Two of the players wore a pillbox-style cap. Images and player IDs from the Indianapolis Star, April 20, 1900. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Justin Mckinney.
Photos D, E & F
Dated April 20, 1900. These three photos were also published in the same Indianapolis newspaper on the same date as photos A, B & C. From left: A Madison (00), F Quinn (dnp, Man ISL 00) and G Magoon (00, 04). All three players were new to Indianapolis in 1900, therefore it is possible these pictures were of the players wearing uniforms from the previous season of 1899. Madison signed with the team in the days before March 28, 1900, however Quinn and Magoon were purchased from Chicago by Indianapolis in the days before April 15. The team played exhibition games in St. Louis on April 8 and 9, and in Cincinnati on April 15. It is likely these photos were made in Indianapolis immediately before or after the team traveled to Cincinnati. The uniform Magoon wore in the photo at right featured a shirt with no lettering, a short run of lace ties and 3/4 length sleeves. These features were very similar to the 1899 Chicago uniform. Images and player IDs from the Indianapolis Star, April 20, 1900. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Approximate date of Madison signing from The Sporting Life, March 31, 1900. Approximate date of Quinn and Magoon purchase from The Sporting Life, April 21, 1900. Image scan from Justin Mckinney.
Photo G
Dated early April 1901. Two detail views of S Seybold (Ind 00) cropped from a photo of the 1901 Philadelphia Athletics team of the American League (full photo not shown). The photo was taken in early April before the Athletics team received their new uniforms and accordingly Seybold wore his 1900 Indianapolis home uniform in this photo. The only year Seybold played for Indianapolis was in 1900. The uniform he wore in the photo was white in color and featured a script “I” on the left breast pocket. The shirt had elbow-length short sleeves and the cap was mid-tone in color with a rounded crown. Player IDs and image scan from Ken Samoil. Years Seybold with Indianapolis from baseball-reference.com.
Photo H
Published April 9, 1901. This photo of P Geier (Ind 00, Cin NL 00), left, and C? Hodge (dnp) was published in a newspaper on this date. Image showed the two men as members of the 1901 Philadelphia Athletics team at spring training, and accordingly they wore uniforms from the previous season of 1900. The only year Geier played for Indianapolis was in 1900. Geier wore a uniform that featured a script “I” on the left breast pocket and 3/4-length sleeves. The pants had three front-facing belt loops. The cap was of a mid-tone color and may have had a rounded crown. Image and player IDs from the Philadelphia Inquirer, April 9, 1901. Years with Indianapolis from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Ed Morton.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
February 1900: “The uniforms for the coming season will be similar to those used by the Indianapolis since 1895. White uniforms will be used at home and probably a gray uniform on the road.” From the Indianapolis Journal, February 25, 1900 Research from Ed Morton.
March 1900: “The new uniforms for the Indianapolis team are up to the usual standard of beauty for which the Indianapolis Club has been known for years. They were purchased from Charles Mayer & Co., and the traveling uniform will be gray, with brown trimmings, and the home uniform will be white. The sweaters and coats will be gray.” From the Indianapolis Journal, March 25, 1900. Research from Ed Morton, and also from Don Stokes.
March 1900: “Manager Watkins was besieged yesterday by the players wanting practice uniforms. The first to call were first served, and a few of the men may have to practice in dress suits unless they send home after their old uniforms.” From the Indianapolis Journal, April 1, 1900.
April 1900: “The [Indianapolis] players who go to Cincinnati will wear gray uniforms which will be used by the team in the games away from home this season.” From the Indianapolis Journal, April 15, 1900. Research from Ed Morton. Indianapolis played exhibition games in St. Louis on April 8 and 9, and in Cincinnati on April 15, before staring the season at home on April 20. The home opener was delayed two days by rain, having been originally scheduled for April 18.
April 20, 1900, Indianapolis v. Cleveland, at Indianapolis, Washington Park, home opener: “The Indianapolis men [were] attired in their white uniforms and the Cleveland players in gray.” From the Indianapolis Journal, April 21, 1900. Research from Ed Morton.
April 20, 1900, Indianapolis v. Cleveland, at Indianapolis, Washington Park, home opener: “Another shout of approval went up when the nine young men in white [i.e., the Indianapolis starting nine] scampered out to their positions and [pitcher Win] Kellum took his place in the box.” From the Indianapolis News, April 21, 1900.
Team genealogy: Indianapolis 1894-1900
Indianapolis joined the Western League (WL) in 1894 when the league reformed. The reorganized WL operated between 1894 and 1899 and reformed again as the American League (AL) for the 1900 season. Indianapolis played in the WL between 1894 and 1899 and in the American League in 1900. The team was dropped when the AL declared major league status in 1901. Information from wikipedia.com.
Rendering posted: April 3, 2022
Diggers on this uniform: Don Stokes, Ed Morton, Justin Mckinney, Ken Samoil,