1878 Providence (Grays)
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:
None
Written documentation on this uniform:
February 1878: “The new professional club which was to have represented Hartford next season [in 1878] has been moved to Providence, and will be known as the Rhode Island Club.” From the New York Tribune, February 1, 1878.
March 1878: “The [Providence] uniforms will be of light-gray shirts, knee-breeches and cap, with dark-blue stockings, belt and trimmings, the ‘P’ worked in worsted on the shirt front. George Wright of Boston has received the contract for the uniforms. Pictures of the club with manager, can be seen in Boston at his store, 700 Washington street; also at Barnaby’s in Providence.” From the Boston Globe, March 31, 1878. Research from Tom Shieber.
April 1878: “New uniforms: Providence Club — Gray shirts and pants, blue stockings and belt; color of caps undecided.” From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, April 1, 1878. Research from Ed Morton.
April 1878: “The Providence [National] league base ball club will play their first game in this city [Hartford] on Thursday the 18th inst., with the New Bedford, Mass., international team. […] As is generally known, the Providence club is made up principally of old Hartford favorites, and is under the management of Mr. B Douglas, Jr., of Middletown. The uniform of this club is light gray, with dark blue trimmings, and blue stockings, cap, shirts, and knee breeches of light gray.” From the Hartford Courant, April 5, 1878, page 2.
April 1878: “Both Milwaukee and Providence are expected to be uniformed in gray, with blue stockings. Indianapolis will also stick to blue stockings, which make the [National] League colors three blue, two red and one white.” From the Syracuse Standard, April 14, 1878. Research from Ed Morton.
April 1878: “[The Providence] new grounds will be open for the first time [on May 1, 1878], and the nine will appear in new uniforms.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 24, 1878.
April 1878, advertisement: “The first struggle for the League Base Ball Championship of America occurs Wednesday, May 1st, between the Providence and Bostons on the Providence Base Ball grounds, on Messer Street. Inauguration of the new grounds! First appearance of players in their new uniform.” From the Providence Evening Bulletin, April 26, 1878, page 1.
May 1, 1878, Providence v. Boston, at Providence, Messer Park, home opener: “Both clubs appeared upon the field promptly and were greeted with cheers, the Providence Nine appearing in their neat uniform of gray flannel, with blue trimmings and stockings.” From the Providence Evening Bulletin, May 2, 1878, page 5.
October 25, 1878, Providence v. Boston, at Providence, exhibition game: “The Providence Grays Distanced in Two Straight Heats — The Red-Legged Bostonians Vanquish Them.” Headline from the Boston Globe, October 26, 1878. An example of the Providence team nickname, which seemingly did not come into use until the end of the 1878 season.
1878, referenced in April 1879: “Captain Wright says that the uniform for the [1879] Providence nine has not been decided upon. As the nine was known as the Grays last year, he thinks that he would select some shade of that color, that the name may live.” The New York Clipper, April 12, 1879. This entry suggested the 1878 team was known as the “Grays.”
Circa 1878, referenced in 1928: “‘The Providence Nine,’ as the directors named the team officially [for the debut season in the National League of 1878], made a bit of history on this opening day by appearing in steel gray uniforms trimmed with blue, the first team to break away from the white uniform. Across the breast of the shirts were the letters, in large Old English characters, ‘P.B.B.C.’” From William D. Perrin, The Providence Journal, “Line Drives Then and Now,” June/July 1928. This entry by Perrin comes from John Thorn, stating it was included in “Days of Greatness, a series of newspaper columns republished at the SABR Convention in Providence in 1984. […] The author, William D. “Bill” Perrin, had covered baseball and other sports in Providence for nearly half a century at the time of this writing. Perrin covered the Grays for most of their minor league years and his accounts of the games were long and detailed.” Note that the claim of the Providence team being the first to wear gray in not accurate. Louisville, of the National League, wore gray in 1877, one year earlier.
1878, referenced in 2006: “In break with tradition, the National League’s newest addition [Providence] adopted gray flannel instead of white.” From Troy Soos, Before The Curse, The Glory Days of New England Baseball (2006).
1878, referenced in 2010: “In 1878 […] the club broke away from the traditional white uniform, choosing instead steel-gray shirts, knickers, and caps, trimmed with light blue, and its fanatics promptly named the team the Grays.” From Edward Achorn, Fifty-nine in ‘84 (2010).
Team genealogy:
Providence 1878-1885
Providence joined the National League (NL) in 1878. The NL was organized in 1876. Providence played in the NL for 8 years, disbanding after the 1885 season. Information from wikipedia.com.
1878 Providence summary
Uniform: gray, blue stockings
First worn: May 1, Providence
Photographed:
Described: March, April, October
Material:
Manufacturer: George Wright, Boston
Supposition: cap style, shirt style, letter style and color
Variations:
Other items:
Home opener report: no, May 1 v. Boston
Rendering posted: March 25, 2015
Diggers on this uniform: Ed Morton, John Thorn, Tom Shieber,