1882 Allegheny, Pittsburgh (Alleghenys, Pittsburghs)
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
Visual documentation on this uniform:
None
Written documentation on this uniform:
March 1882: “The uniform of the Alleghany [sp] club will be an old-gold colored cap, pants and shirt trimmed in red, with red stockings and belts.” From the St. Louis-Globe Democrat, March 18, 1882. Research from Ed Morton.
April 7, 1882, Allegheny v. picked nine, at Allegheny, exhibition game: “The exhibition game of base ball yesterday afternoon on the Exposition grounds, between the professional Allegheny Club and the picked nine composed principally of local amateur base ball and cricket players, drew a very large crowd.” From the Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, April 8, 1882. The headline on this same day in the Gazette read, “The Pittsburgh Base Ball Club Shows of What Stuff it is Made.” The headline says a lot. It suggests the team represented the greater Pittsburgh area when it joined the American Association in 1882 (not just Allegheny City), and that the team name was indeed “Allegheny.”
April 1882: “The Buffalos are in Pittsburgh today. Both nines will wear their variegated uniforms.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 15, 1882.
April 1882, Allegheny, Pittsburgh, v. Cleveland, at Allegheny, exhibition game: “Oscar Wilde witnessed the game between the Clevelands and Alleghenys on Thursday at Pittsburg[h]. He admired the game very much, but the uniforms were not quite to his aesthetic taste. […] ‘I could plan for them a costume that would be too utterly beautiful for anything. Imagine them all clothed in sky blue breeches and chrome yellow shirts, each having upon its breast a too-too sunflower. The stockings should be of green and the cap the same color as the breaches, and upon its top a few daisies might be worked. And each player should carry in his left hand a preciously lovely lily.’ This imaginary speech of Oscar’s is attributed to him by a reckless base ball reporter. Oscar’s uniform will no doubt be adopted at the next [National] League meeting.” From the Buffalo Courier, April 15, 1882, page 2. Research Ed Morton.
April 1882, Allegheny, Pittsburgh, v. Cleveland, at Allegheny, exhibition game: “Oscar Wilde witnessed the game between the Clevelands and Alleghenys on Thursday at Pittsburg[h]. He admired the game very much, but the uniforms were not quite to his aesthetic taste.” From the New York Clipper, April 29, 1882. Research from Richard Hershberger, as posted to protoball.org.
April 1882: “The Alleghenies [sp] are to adopt the ‘song and dance’ costumes of the [National] league.” From the Providence Sunday Star, April 30, 1882. Research from Ed Morton.
May 1882: “Fawn pants, red and black shirt, red stockings and red belt. A similar outfit that ‘NL centerfielders’ wear.” From Frank Vaccaro, research notes citing the Buffalo Courier, May 24, 1882.
May 1882: “The Alleghenys will have a new uniform, consisting of fawn-colored breeches, red stockings and belts, and shirts of red and black, similar to those worn by the [National] league center-fielders.” From the Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1882. Research from Don Stokes.
June 20, 1882, Allegheny, Pittsburgh, v. Cincinnati, at Cincinnati: “The Alleghanys [sp] are a good nine. […] Our opinion is that the uniform they wear is too much for them. We fear that the greatest nine ever gathered together could never carry that ill-made and more ugly-looking suit through to victory.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, June 21, 1882. Research from Ed Morton.
July 1882: “The Alleghenys today jump into a new uniform, which is identical with the zebra suits worn by the Chicagos.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 25, 1882.
August 1882: “The Alleghanys [sp] have returned to original principles, and now wear uniforms of pure white, with blue caps, belts and stockings.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, August 25, 1882. Research from Ed Morton.
October 1882: “The Alleghenys in the early part of the season were neat but when last here [in St. Louis] one man in their nine wore brown instead of blue stockings, while some wore blue [caps], some gray and some white caps. The regular uniform shirt was not worn by all of the players, two or three coming out in tights.” From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 8, 1882.
1882: “The Alleghenys had new neat uniforms of clay colored breeches and purple and black striped shirts and caps.” From Preston Orem, Baseball From Newspaper Accounts, 1882. Specific documentation not provided by Orem. Research from John Thorn.
1882: “Allegheny was very neat early in the year but later wore all sorts of odd stockings and caps.” From Preston Orem, Baseball From Newspaper Accounts, 1882. Specific documentation not provided by Orem. Research from John Thorn.
Team genealogy:
Allegheny/Pittsburgh 1870s-
Pittsburgh began as Allegheny, an independent pro team in the city of Allegheny, PA, located across the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh. The club organized in the mid-1870s and joined the American Association (AA) at its formation in 1882. The AA was a major league operating between 1882 and 1891. Allegheny played in the AA through the 1886 season and then moved to the National League (NL) as Pittsburgh in 1887. The NL began operation in 1876 and Pittsburgh has played in the league every year from 1887 to present time. Information from wikipedia.com.
1882 Allegheny summary
Uniform: black-and-red cap and shirt, brown pants, red stockings
First worn:
Photographed:
Described: March-July
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition: cap style and color, shirt style
Variations: wore mismatched uniforms at end of season
Other items:
Home opener report: no, May 10 v. St Louis
Uniform: white, blue stockings and caps
First worn:
Photographed:
Described: August
Material:
Manufacturer: cap style, shirt style
Supposition:
Variations: wore mismatched uniforms at end of season
Other items:
Rendering posted: November 30, 2019
Diggers on this uniform: Don Stokes, Ed Morton, Frank Vaccaro, John Thorn,