1878 Cincinnati (Cincinnatis, Red Stockings)
This rendering is based on 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
This rendering is included in the book, BASEBALL THREADS.
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated February 17, 1878. Full view at left, detail view at right. This montage of player portraits was published in a newspaper on this date with the caption, “Cincinnati Base Ball Team for 1878.” It is unknown if these portraits were drawn from photographs or were a creation of the artist. Newspaper reports indicate that the players had not yet arrived in Cincinnati when these portraits were published on February 17. A Cincinnati newspaper reported on February 23, 1878, that player Geer “will be in Cincinnati next week,” and that the club’s new uniforms “will be ordered from A. G. Spalding & Brother, Chicago, in a few days.” The uniform to be ordered was described as “white shirt, pants and cap, with cardinal red stockings, red belt and red necktie. The letter which was formerly put upon the shirt bosom will be omitted.” Based on all of this, it would seem the above portraits were a creation of the artist, possibly combining known portraits of the players with portraits of a Cincinnati team from a previous year. This can be further suggested by players Deacon White and Will White, included in the montage above and the last to arrive in Cincinnati. Both were new to the team in 1878 and a local newspaper noted on April 12, 1878, two months after the portraits were published, that “the White brothers arrived early yesterday morning and were on the Cincinnati Ball Ground in the afternoon practicing.” Of the ten players shown in the montage, only four players were with the team the previous year. These men were Pike, Sullivan, Mitchell and Jones. However there is no indication that their portraits above were drawn differently than the remaining who were new to the team.
The players were depicted in these woodcuts to be wearing a collared shirt, possibly white in color, and with a shield bib that featured a small serif-letter “C.” The drawing of player McVey, the team captain, had a larger “C” on the bib in an old-English font, not a serif font. It is also possible, based on the drawing, that the captain’s bib was of a color, possibly red and not white.
Clockwise from top left: K Kelly (NL 78, 79, AA 91), W White (78-86), L Pike (Cin 77, 78, Pro NL 78), J Gerhardt (78, 79), B Geer (78), D White (78-80), C Sullivan (77, 78), B Mitchell (77, 78) and C Jones (NL 76-78, AA 83-87). Center: C McVey (69, 70, 78, 79). Image and player IDs from the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, February 17, 1878. Report of Geer arriving and uniforms being ordered from the Cincinnati Enquirer, February 23, 1878. Info on White brothers arriving from the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 12, 1878. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Justin Mckinney.
Dated February 17, 1878. Two detail views of photo A. Left, B Geer (78), and right, L Pike (Cin 77, 78, Pro NL 78). Players were depicted wearing a shield bib with a small serif-letter “C” positioned near the top of the bib.
Photo B
Dated circa 1878, published 1879. Rendering of D White (78-80), full view at left, detail view at right. It is possible this rendering was based on a photograph during the 1870s. White played for Cleveland (68-72), Boston (73-75, 77) and Chicago (76) before coming to Cincinnati in 1878. Rendering showed a pillbox-style cap and a buttoned shirt. The player’s necktie was tucked into the shirt. The belt was of a dark-colored worsted fabric and the stockings were depicted as white in color. The stockings may suggest this rendering was based on a photograph of White wearing a Chicago uniform. Rendering from the Spalding Base Ball Guide 1879, published at the start of the 1879 season. The Guide noted the following on White’s batting stance: “He stands to the rear of his ground and takes much more spread, or brace, than is common, or even generally advisable.” Years White with team from baseball-reference.com. Image scan from Ed Morton.
Written documentation on this uniform:
February 1878: “The new uniform of the Cincinnati Club will be ordered from A G Spalding & Brother, Chicago, in a few days. It will be white shirt, pants and cap, with cardinal stockings, red belt and red necktie. The letter, which was formerly put upon the shirt bosom, will be omitted.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, February 23, 1878. Research from Tom Shieber.
March 1878: “The Cincinnati uniform for their new team will be white shirts, caps, and pants, with cardinal-red stockings, red belt and red necktie.” From the New York Clipper, March 2, 1878. Research from Brian McKenna.
March 1878: “The Cincinnatis were on their grounds Saturday [March 16, 1878] in uniforms practicing with a picked nine.” From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, March 19, 1878.
April 1878: “Some time ago, when Messrs. Neff [of Cincinnati] and Pettit [of Indianapolis, a new National League club] were in Spalding’s store [in Chicago] ordering uniforms for their clubs. President Neff requested Mr. Spalding to add to [Indianapolis pitcher] Nolan’s uniform, at his own cost, a costume which should fitly distinguish him from the common players. The result is thus noted in the Indianapolis Journal: ‘Nolan found his new cap adorned with two red feathers, and a note conveying the compliments of the Captain of the Cincinnatis, and a request that he wear the ornithological ornaments until the Buckeye boys [i.e., Cincinnati] knocked them off. Nolan danced juba [i.e., a spirited dance] on those feathers.’” From the Chicago Tribune, April 21, 1878.
May 14, 1878, Cincinnati v. Milwaukee, at Milwaukee, Club grounds, home opener: “The Cincinnati boys were exceptionally fine looking […] in their white uniforms.” From the Milwaukee Daily News, May 15, 1878, and the Cincinnati Enquirer, May 18, 1878.
May 16, 1878, Cincinnati v. Milwaukee, at Milwaukee: “[Manager] Chapman’s grays at Milwaukee were again victorious yesterday, beating the Cincinnati red-legs by the score of 12 to 8.” From the Indianapolis News, May 17, 1878. This entry referenced the uniform color of both teams.
June 17, 1878, Boston v. Cincinnati, at Boston, South End grounds: “The clerk of the weather was very partial to the eighteen red stockings, as it rained at intervals all the forenoon.” From the Boston Globe, June 18, 1878. A reference to the Boston and Cincinnati nines both wearing red stockings.
Team genealogy:
Cincinnati 1875-1880
Cincinnati was formed as an independent club in July 1875 and joined the inaugural season of the National League (NL) in 1876. The team’s Red Stocking identity had been used previously by the Cincinnati team of 1866-1870. Cincinnati played in the NL between 1876 and 1880. The team dissolved and reformed during the 1877 season, and also before the 1880 season. They were removed from the league after the 1880 season. The Red Stocking name was later used by the Cincinnati American Association team (1882-1889) and a second Cincinnati National League team (1890-present). Information from the Cincinnati Enquirer and from wikipedia.com.
1878 Cincinnati summary
Uniform: white, red stockings
First worn:
Photographed:
Described: February – May
Material:
Manufacturer: Spalding & Bro.
Supposition: cap style, shirt style
Variations:
Other items:
Home opener report: no, May 1 v. Milwaukee
Rendering posted: March 24, 2015
Diggers on this uniform: Brian McKenna, Ed Morton, Tom Shieber,