1900 Pittsburgh (Pittsburgs, Pirates)
Left: 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
Left center: This rendering is based on 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
Right center and right: These renderings are 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 June 2 to June 6, 1900. This team photo was published in a newspaper on June 24. Year of photo can be confirmed by the appearance of player Cooley, who only played for Pittsburgh in 1900. Date range of June 2 to June 6, 1900, can be suggested by the location of the photo. The grandstand in the background of this image indicated the photo was taken at Philadelphia, and accordingly the June dates were the only time Pittsburgh played at Philadelphia before the photo was published. The team was wearing their light-gray road uniforms in this photo. The uniform featured a dark-colored brim of the cap, a dark-colored collar on the shirts, and dark-colored stockings. The light gray cap had a rounded crown and a small letter “P” above the brim. Newspapers in 1900 described the accent color of the Pittsburgh uniforms as navy blue.
Top row, from left: C Ritchey (00-06), C Zimmer (00-02), R Waddell (00, 01), B Ely (96-01) and T Leach (00-12). Middle: T O’Brien (98, 00), J O’Connor (Pit 00-02, StL NL 00), D Phillippe (00-11), (F Clarke 00-11, mgr 00-15), G Beaumont (99-06), H Wagner (00-17), S Leever (98-10) and J Tannehill (97-02). Front: J Williams (99, 00) and D Cooley (00). Image and player IDs (not shown) from the Philadelphia Record, June 24, 1900. The Record included a caption with the photo that read “Taken for the ‘Hot Air’ Club.” Note that the background of the grandstand above the railing had been removed by a retouch artist. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Ed Morton. Original image from C. M. Gilbert, Philadelphia.
Dated June 2 to June 6, 1900. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed the dark collar on the shirts and the small letter above the brim of the cap.
Photo B
Dated September 7, 1900, to mid-October 1900. Year of photo determined by the appearance of player Husting, who only played for Pittsburgh in 1900. A date range of September 7, 1900, to mid-October 1900 for this photo can be determined by the appearance of player Donahue and by the date the season ended. Donahue joined the team on the evening of September 6, and the team played its last game of the season on October 13. Players wore a white uniform in this photo, with dark-colored caps, dark belts, and at least one player wearing dark-striped stockings. The buttoned shirt had a dark collar and also shirt pocket on the left breast. The uniform was devoid of team identification except for a small letter “P” on the cap, centered above the brim. Based on newspaper reports from this season, the white shirts had a navy-blue collar, the pants were white, and the belts were navy blue. The dark cap and stockings worn by the players in this photo were introduced in early September — about the same time when this team photo was made. The stockings, described by newspapers as “black with red bars,” had three color bands and these can be seen on the right leg of player Wagner, seated third from left in the front row. Based on the manner in which Wagner purposefully displayed his stripes, it may be suggested that this photo was taken soon after the new stockings arrived. Photo evidence suggests that the base color of the stockings may have been navy blue, and not black, see detail view below. Newspapers reported the team wore these striped stockings during a road series that began on September 3, and at a home game on September 20. Two players in the team photo wore a white cap, not a navy blue cap. This cap also had a small letter “P” above a dark-colored brim and was most likely was the cap the players started the season with. A newspaper in April 1900 described this cap as white with a navy-blue brim. For all newspaper accounts, see written descriptions below.
Top row, from left: T Leach (00-12), G Beaumont (99-06), F Clarke (00-11, mgr 00-15), J Chesbro (99-02) and B Husting (Pit 00, Mil AL 00). Middle: S Leever (98-10), D Phillippe (00-11), T McCreery (98-00), B Ely (96-01), P Schriver (98-00) and T O’Brien (98, 00). Front: J Donahue (Pit 00, 01, Day ISL 00), J Tannehill (97-02), H Wagner (00-17), J O’Connor (Pit 00-02, StL NL 00), J Williams (99, 00) and C Ritchey (00-06). Image scan and player IDs from Ken Samoil. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Date of Donahue joining the team from the Pittsburgh Press, September 7, 1900, research from Tom Shieber.
Dated September 7, 1900, to mid-October 1900. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed the team’s white shirt, with white buttons and a navy-blue collar. Though difficult to see in this print, the shirt had a pocket on the left breast. Note the three styles shown for wearing a shirt collar in 1900: at left – all up, in center – up in the back and unbuttoned at the neck, and at right – down. Detail view also showed caps with a rounded crown. The player on the left wore a white cap with a navy-blue brim, introduced at the start of the season. This cap also had a navy-blue button on top. The players to his left wore a solid navy-blue cap, introduced in September 1900.
Dated September 7, 1900, to mid-October 1900. Two identical detail views of the leg of H Wagner (00-17) from photo A. The version on the right has been brightened to better show the color bands. These stockings were described as “black with red bars.” In black-and-white photography, red typically reproduced as a dark tone. This could be why the color bands appear darker than the stockings in this photo. It could also be that the body of the stockings was actually navy blue, and not black as reported. Years Wagner with team from baseball-reference.com.
Photo B
Dated 1899 to 1900. Portrait of P Dillon (Pit 99, 00, Det AL 00), full view at left, detail view at right. Player wore a uniform that was similar to that shown in photo B. Image scan and player ID from Ken Samoil. Years Dillon with team from baseball-reference.com.
Photo C
Published in 1901 as a montage of the 1900 team. Full view at left, detail view of D Cooley (00) at right. The majority of these portraits were from other years and not taken in 1900. The portraits of Ritchie, Wagner, Clarke, Leach and Waddell were taken from photos of the Louisville team of the National League from 1898 and 1899. The O’Connor portrait was taken from a montage of Cleveland players published in 1894. The Zimmer portrait was taken from the 1895 Cleveland team photo. The date of Cooley portrait shown at right not known. This player was purchased by Pittsburgh from Philadelphia on April 30, 1900, and was released by Pittsburgh in August 1900. Image and player IDs from the Spalding Base Ball Guide 1901, published as a recap of the 1900 season. Years players with team and Cooley transaction info from baseball-reference.com.
Photo D
Dated 1900 to 1906, attributed 1903. Portrait of H Wagner (00-17), full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date range determined by the style of the uniform, which was worn by Pittsburgh teams for seven consecutive years at the start of the century. Image and player ID from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Years Wagner with team from baseball-reference.com. Pittsburgh uniform history from Marc Okkonen and published as part of the Dressed To The Nines uniform database at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum website. 1903 attribution from Alex Cheremeteff, via twitter, who posted that this image as taken in 1903 at Chicago, West Side Grounds.
Photo E
Drawings of the 1900 Pittsburgh uniforms by baseball historian Marc Okkonen. Drawings from the Dressed To The Nines uniform database at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum website, and retrieved February 26, 2022.
Written documentation on these uniforms:
March 1900: The [Pittsburgh] men put on their uniforms for the first time on Saturday [March 17, 1900].” From The Sporting Life, March 24, 1900. This report described the team at spring training in Thomasville, GA, arriving on March 15. It likely referred to the team wearing old uniforms from the previous season.
April 1900: “The new uniforms of the Pittsburg[h] players arrived yesterday [April 13, 1900]. The traveling suits are gray with dark blue trimmings, dark blue stockings and belt.” From the Pittsburgh Post, April 14, 1900. Research from Ed Morton.
April 19, 1900, Pittsburgh v. St. Louis, at St. Louis, League Park: “The visitors [from Pittsburgh] were arrayed in becoming suits of bluish gray. Their sweaters were navy blue and of the same shade were their stockings and belts, the collars of their shirts and the peaks of their caps.” From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 19, 1900. Research from Ed Morton.
April 19, 1900, Pittsburgh v. St. Louis, at St. Louis, League Park: “At 2:40 the Pittsburg[h] team appeared. The visitors were arrayed in becoming suits of bluish gray. Their sweaters were navy blue, and of the same shade were their stockings and belts, the collars of their shirts and the peaks of their caps. They looked as formidable in physical appearance as they seem on paper. It was given out immediately after their arrival that Leever and Zimmer would do the battery work for them against Young and O’Connor [for St. Louis].” From the Pittsburgh Daily Post, April 20, 1900. Research from Tom Shieber.
April 1900: “Manager Clarke, of Pittsburg[h], has arranged a new style of sliding pants. The new pads are adjustable affairs, and are separate from the pants. The old style, which were sewed to the pants, were not suitable because they became stiff and hard from usage and washing.” From The Sporting Life, April 21, 1900.
April 1900: “The baseball season will open in Pittsburg[h] next Thursday [April 26], when the Pirates will meet the Cincinnati Red Stockings at Exposition Park.” From the Pittsburgh Post, April 22, 1900. Example of the Pirates nickname in use.
April 1900: “[Pittsburgh catcher] Charley Zimmer is not afraid to show his bald head. He has had his picture taken in afternoon costume, sans cap.” From The Sporting Life, April 28, 1900.
May 1900: “A telephone has been ordered for the [Pittsburgh] club house, but has not been put is as yet. The exchange people say that there has been such a demand for ‘phones that they are compelled to ask at least three weeks’ notice. Everything is bustling in the Smoky City.” From The Sporting Life, May 5, 1900. Not uniform related, but a fun entry nonetheless.
September 1900, Pittsburgh v. Boston, at Boston: “The Pittsburg[h]s tried a new stocking while here [in Boston]. They tried one of black with red bars.” From The Sporting Life, September 15, 1900. Research from Ed Morton. Pittsburgh played five games at Boston between September 3 and September 5, including back-to-back doubleheaders.
September 20, 1900, Pittsburgh v. St. Louis, at Pittsburgh: “The Pittsburg[h]s sported black and red striped stockings and Uncle Al’s blue scull caps.” From the Pittsburgh Post, September 21, 1900. Research from Ed Morton. This entry confirmed that Pittsburgh wore their new striped stockings both at home and on the road. “Uncle Al” may be a reference to former Pittsburgh manager, Al Buckenberger, who managed the Pirates between 1892 and 1894 and who ordered dark-colored caps for the 1894 team.
October 1900: “If clubs will persist in [wearing] white, why not do as the Pittsburg[h] people and pay for the laundry. It wouldn’t cost the earth and the investment [would] bear rich interest.” From The Sporting Life, October 6, 1900.
Team genealogy: Pittsburgh 1870s-
Pittsburgh began as Allegheny, an independent pro team in Pittsburgh formed in the late 1870s. Allegheny joined the American Association (AA) at its formation in 1882. The AA was a major league operating between 1882 and 1891. Allegheny played in the AA through the 1886 season and then moved to the National League (NL) as Pittsburgh in 1887. The NL began operation in 1876 and Pittsburgh has played in the league every year from 1887 to present time. Information from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: February 27, 2022
Diggers on this uniform: Ed Morton, Ken Samoil, Tom Shieber,