1873 Baltimore (Baltimores, Canaries)

These renderings are based on written documentation only 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

This rendering is included in the book, BASEBALL THREADS.

Visual documentation on these uniforms:
None

Written documentation on these uniforms:
March 1873: “The Baltimore Base-Ball Club. — The uniform for this club for the coming season has been somewhat changed. The silk shirts of last season not affording sufficient protection during inclement weather, a white flannel shirt, with Lord Baltimore escutcheon covering the breast, white flannel breeches and caps, together with striped black and yellow stockings, have been substituted.” From the New York Clipper, March 15, 1873. Research from Brian McKenna. Note, this team was called simply “Baltimore” by some newspapers.

April 1873: “The base ball business has again commenced in our streets, to the great annoyance of the public generally. Our ‘police force’ should abate the nuisance.” From the Towson (MD) Union, April 5, 1873. Not uniform related by interesting nonetheless.

April 1873: “The uniform of the ‘Lords’ is rich, expensive, and was generally admired, being a decided improvement on last year’s garb. It is almost all white, barring the stockings of black and yellow, and trimmings of the same color.” From the Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch, April 27, 1873. Research from Richard Hershberger, as posted to protoball.org.

June 1873: “The entries for the great race for the championship of the United States and the colors were as follows: Athletics of Philadelphia, the ‘Blue Stockings;’ Atlantic of Brooklyn, the ‘Magenta;’ Baltimore of Baltimore, the ‘Yellow Stockings;’ Boston of Boston, the ‘Red Stockings;’ Mutual of New York, the ‘Green Stockings;’ Philadelphia of Philadelphia, the ‘White Stockings;’ Resolutes of Elizabeth, the ‘Jersey Nine;’ Washington of Washington, ‘Garney’s Nine;’ Maryland of Baltimore, ‘Smith’s Nine.’” From the New York Evening Telegram, June 30, 1873, and the Chicago Inter Ocean, July 2, 1873. “Smith” was Maryland player-manager Bill Smith.

October 10, 1873, Baltimore v. Mutual, New York, at Brooklyn: “The Canaries came on the field in red shirts, looking like old-time ‘fire boys.’ Whether this change of attire had any effect or not…but the result of the contest was…the ‘red shirts’ polishing off the ‘green stockings’ in fine style.” From the New York Clipper, October 25, 1873. Research from Brian McKenna. Game date from retrosheet.org.

Team genealogy: Lord Baltimore, Baltimore 1872-1874
Lord Baltimore was formed in Baltimore, MD, in 1872 and took its name in honor of the city’s namesake, Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore (1605–1675). The team played in the National Association (NA) between 1872 and 1874. The NA was baseball’s first professional league, operating 1871-1875. The Lord Baltimore team disbanded after the 1874 season.  –Info from Paul Batesel, Players And Teams Of The National Association, 1871-1875 (2012), and from wikipedia.