1896 Grand Rapids MI (Gold Bugs, Yellow Jackets)

This rendering is based on written documentation for uniform color only. An artist’s conceptualization is used to create the rendering based on this and documentation of uniform style from a related year.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:

Photo A

Dated May 7, 1896. This drawing of the team, based on a photograph taken on May 1, 1896, was published in a newspaper on May 7. The players were depicted wearing sweaters over their uniform shirts and dark stockings. The sweaters had lace ties and wide collars that laid flat on the shoulders. A “newsboy” style cap can be seen in the foreground. Several of the players wore quilted pants.

Top row, from left: F Genins (96, 99), S Mills (GR 96, Lan AtL 96), J Parrott (96), B Gilks (96) and T Gettinger (96, 97, 00). Middle: J Hewitt (GR 96, NC ISL 96), I Davis (GR 96, Spr EL 96), Carney (mgr 96), B Smink (GR 96, Pat AtL 96, Tor EL 96) and A McGann (GR 96, Roa VSL 96). Front: L Wolters (96) and E Lloyd (GR 96, New AtL 96). Image and player IDs from the Grand Rapids Press, May 7, 1896. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Terry Sloope.

Photo B

Dated May 21, 1896. These cartoons were based on the nicknames of Western League teams and were published in a newspaper on this day. Clockwise from top left: Tigers, Cowboys, Brewers, Senators, Gold Bugs, Indians, Millers and Apostles. From the Minneapolis Journal, May 21, 1896. Image scan from Terry Sloope.

Written documentation on this uniform:
March 1896: “The Grand Rapids team will remain Gold Bugs for another year, but hopes to break away from the hoodoo that attached to the name last season [1895]. Manager [Deacon] Ellis is figuring on uniforms identical with those of 1895, except that the stockings will be black.” From the Grand Rapids Press, March 5, 1896.

March 1896: “‘Speaking of Gold Bugs,’ said [Captain Carney], ‘I’m going to make a pretty uniform out of those yellow clothes after all. The shirts were ordered to be all yellow. I have telegraphed to have the collars made black, the laces down the front black, and the ‘G.R’ will be in two big black letters across the breast. The caps are going to be different, too. They will be solid black and of the tennis cap shape. Washington [in the National League] used them last year [1895] and they looked very neat and handsome. In the early games, you won’t see much old gold. I have just ordered some big black sweaters for the boys and they will be a pretty funeral lot of fellows when they first jump into the field.” From the Grand Rapids Press, March 28, 1896.

April 25, 1896, Grand Rapids v. Indianapolis, at Indianapolis: “The ill-assorted Grand Rapids aggregation came [to Indianapolis] from Columbus.” From the Indianapolis Journal, April 26, 1896.

April 25, 1896, Grand Rapids v. Indianapolis, at Indianapolis: “It was decreed that the Bugs should win a game Saturday [April 25]. Hanson was the name of the young man [Indianapolis manager] Mr. Watkins tried on the fellows who wear yellow clothes and he lasted just two innings.” From the Grand Rapids Press, April 27, 1894. Research from Terry Sloope.

April 27, 1896, Grand Rapids v. Indianapolis, at Indianapolis:“The yellow jackets, under the leadership of Jack Carney, are very different set of men from the old gold buds that crawled around the circuit last season [1895].” From the Grand Rapids Press, April 28, 1896. Research from Terry Sloope.

April 28, 1896, Grand Rapids v. Indianapolis, at Grand Rapids, Recreation park, home opener: “Behold the change […] there appeared on the diamond in yellow and black uniforms a lot of boys upon whom the town will pin its faith.” From the Grand Rapids Press, April 28, 1896. Research from Terry Sloope.

April 1896: “Tomorrow morning [May 1, 1896], the team will pose for a group photograph. The pictures will be used in store windows to advertise the game.” From the Grand Rapids Press, April 30, 1896. Research from Terry Sloope.

May 12, 1896, Grand Rapids v. Minneapolis, at Minneapolis: “Nine active young men in hideous yellow shirts gamboled out on the green at the ballpark yesterday. But they gamboled in vain. Rain nipped their tender hopes in the seventh inning, but it would probably have made little difference for the locals had their eyes on the leather and were giving the Yellow Jackets leg work for their lives.” From the Minneapolis Journal, May 13, 1896. Research from Terry Sloope. Use of the Yellow Jackets nickname. The game was stopped by rain and the headline in the Journal of May 13 read, “A Pluvian Damper,” pluvian borrowing from “pluvial,” meaning “rainy.”

May 1896: “The uniform worn by the Grand Rapids team is very amateurish. With such uniforms Carney’s men belong in last place.” From the Detroit Free Press, May 14, 1896, citing the Milwaukee Sentinel.

May 19, 1896, Grand Rapids v. Milwaukee, at Milwaukee: “As an illustration of many silly questions that are asked in the audience at a ball game was one by a novice in the grand stand at yesterday’s game. ‘Why,’ asked he of his neighbor, ‘do they call the Grand Rapids team Yellow Jackets?’ ‘Because,’ promptly replied his friend, ‘they have green shirts.’ The young man did not ask any more questions during the game.” From the Milwaukee Journal, May 20, 1896. Research from Terry Sloope. This entry may imply the Grand Rapids shirt was of a yellow-green color, or that the colored dye of the shirt was changing with use.

May 19, 1896, Grand Rapids v. Milwaukee, at Milwaukee: “The men in yellow uniforms played ball yesterday [May 19] white the other six sat around on the grass and sang, ‘And Casey Would Waltz with the Strawberry Ball, or Why Grand Rapids Never Wins a Game.’” From the Grand Rapids Press, May 20, 1896.

August 21, 1896, Grand Rapids v. Detroit, at Detroit: “Grand Rapids presented a collection of misfit uniforms that were worse than any of that Detroit ever appeared in. Those of the local men looked better yesterday than they had in a long time.” From the Detroit News, August 22, 1896. Research from Terry Sloope.

January 1897: “While it is a little too early to discuss dates, [Grand Rapids owner] Mr. Leadley stated that […] the old gold uniforms are going to be done away with. Early in the spring a select coterie of fans will be invited to the park, and there, with suitable exercises, the hoodoo will be burned. And there will be a general rejoicing all along the line. Next season [1897] the name of ‘Gold Bugs’ is barred, and if there is anything yellow about the team it will not be the uniforms.” From the Detroit Free Press, January 2, 1897, citing the Grand Rapids Herald.

Team genealogy: Grand Rapids 1894-1897
Grand Rapids, Michigan, joined the Western League (WL) in 1894 when the league reformed. The reorganized WL operated between 1894 and 1899. Grand Rapids played in the WL between 1894 and 1897. The team was transferred to Omaha for the 1898 season. Information from wikipedia.com.