1882 Eclipse, Louisville (Louisvilles)
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
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated 1882 based on appearance of players Mullane, Strick, Mack and Schenck, all of whom only played for this team in 1882. Player Strick was released from his contract as reported on April 2, 1882, in the Louisville Courier-Journal. He returned to the team May 5, 1882, when a “change catcher” was deemed necessary and played for the remainder of the season.
Top row, four men standing, from left: L Maskrey (82-86), P Browning (AA 82-89, NL 92, 93), T Mullane (82) and C Strick (82). Middle, seated: D Sullivan (82-85), D Mack (82), B Schenck (82) and G Hecker (82-89). Front, on ground: J Reccius (82, 83) and C Wolf (82-91). Player IDs from Anne Jewell, Baseball In Louisville (2006). Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Photo scan from Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-century Pictorial Committee. Note, caps in foreground of photo appear to be different in tint, possibly indicating caps of different colors. Original photo by Henry J. Doerr, Louisville.
Dated 1882. Detail view of photo A. Photo shows placket stitching and lace ties.
Written documentation on this uniform:
April 1882: “The Eclipse Club, of Louisville, Ky., have ordered new uniforms in this city [Cincinnati], of gray, with red belts and stockings. There [sp] former uniforms were of blue, like the last season’s uniforms of the [1881] Buffalos.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 20, 1882.
1882: “Louisville uniforms were of light gray material with red trimmings on gray caps and red stockings.” From Preston Orem, Baseball From Newspaper Accounts 1882, pg 5. Original resource documentation not provided by Orem. Research from John Thorn.
April 1882: “The St. Louis Browns to meet the Eclipse team of Louisville today [in an exhibition game in St. Louis. The game was postponed until April 24 due to rain]. Both teams will appear in new uniforms. The Browns will put away their somber-colored suits and come out in white flannel with brown stockings. The Eclipse will appear in suits of bright gray, with red caps and stockings.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 22, 1882. Research from Ed Morton.
April 29, 1882: “The Eclipse will wear gray uniforms‚ like their discredited 1876-77 predecessors‚ instead of blue ones.” From baseballchronology.com, and from John Thorn. Original resource documentation not provided by baseballchronology.com.
May 2, 1882, Eclipse, Louisville, v. St. Louis, at St. Louis, Sportsman’s Park, home opener: “The Louisvilles […] appeared in new clothes, donning for the first time their uniform of bright gray, with red caps, belts and stockings.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 3, 1882.
July 29, 1882, Eclipse, Louisville, v. Camden (NJ) Merritts, at Philadelphia, exhibition game: “The home boys [Camden] got their six runs by the bad playing of an amateur [for Eclipse] who took Strick’s place, he having been hurt by a ball which broke his mask and forced the wire into his face.” From the Louisville Courier-Journal, July 30, 1882, page 10, citing a special dispatch from Philadelphia.
August 10, 1882, Eclipse, Louisville, v. Athletic, Philadelphia, at Louisville: “One thing, however, occurred to mar the glory of the occasion, and that was the disabling of Sullivan in the last inning after two hands were out. There was a runner on second, and Sullivan was up behind the bat. He says that Mullane gave a signal for an out curve and then delivered an in-shoot. The ball struck Sullivan on the thumb, dislocating it and bursting the flesh, inflicting an injury which will necessitate his laying off some time, and just now his services in the nine will be sadly missed. Strick was called in from the stand and caught the last hand out, leaving a runner on third.” from the Louisville Courier-Journal, April 11, 1882, page 8. The horrors of catching! Certainly Strick was wearing his street clothes, and not a uniform, to finish the game.
October 1882: “Only two [American Association] clubs have presented a respectable appearance on the St. Louis field this year, and they were the Cincinnati and Louisville teams, who always come out in full dress.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 8, 1882. This same report was also published by Preston Orem, Baseball From Newspaper Accounts 1882. Original resource documentation not provided by Orem. Orem info from John Thorn.
Team genealogy:
Louisville 1870s-1899
Louisville began as Eclipse, a semi-pro team in Louisville formed in the late 1870s. As Eclipse, they joined the American Association (AA) at its formation in 1882. The AA was a major league operating between 1882 and 1891. Eclipse was known as Louisville by 1884 and the team played in the AA through the 1891 season. The team joined the National League (NL) in 1892 when the AA and NL merged, and was disbanded after the 1899 season when the NL contracted from twelve to eight teams. Information from wikipedia and Ken Samoil.
1882 Eclipse summary
Uniform: light gray, red stockings
First worn: May 2, St. Louis
Photographed: team photo from year
Described:
Material:
Manufacturer: made in Cincinnati
Supposition:
Variations:
Other items:
Home opener report: no, May 5 v. St. Louis
Rendering posted: March 16, 2015
Diggers on this uniform: John Thorn, Ken Samoil, Mark Fimoff,