1891 Washington DC (Washingtons, Nationals, Senators)
These renderings are based on written documentation 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
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photos A & B
Dated April 14, 1891. These two sketches were published in a newspaper on this day and depicted scenes from the Washington home opener played on April 13 v. Boston. The drawing at left showed players of one team wearing sweaters with horizontal bands. The drawing at right showed that tall trees were standing against the outfield wall. One newspaper on this day remarked that “the trees in center field should be removed. Had they not been in the road big [Dan] Brouthers would not have made his triple [for Boston].” Drawings from the Washington (DC) Evening Star, April 14, 1891, page 6. Image scans from Ed Morton.
Written documentation on this uniform:
January 1891: “The [American] Association club at Washington will be known as the Nationals—provided there should be an Association club in Washington.” From The Sporting Life, January 3, 1891. The Nationals name was confirmed in The Sporting Life, February 14, 1891.
February 1891: “It was decided [at the American Association league meeting] to have the players wear white uniforms while at home and black while abroad.” From the Rocky Mountain News (Denver), February 19, 1891. Note that this report described that the road uniforms were required to be black in color in 1891, while other reports from 1891 stated the road uniforms were required to be “colored.” See below.
February 1891: “It was decided that during the playing [of the 1891 American Association] season the home teams shall wear white uniforms, and the visiting teams colored uniforms in all championship games.” From the New York Clipper, February 28, 1891.
March 1891: “The uniforms for the [Washington] men are being made in Baltimore by a sporting clothes furnishing wholesale house. There are to be two sorts of suits, one of white with maroon trimmings, for use on the home grounds, and the other of blue with white trimmings, to be worn when the team goes away. There will also be a white woolen sweater that will button in front, to be worn between innings.” From the Washington (DC) Evening Star, March 14, 1891, page 3. Research from Ed Morton.
March 1891: “There are to be two sets of uniforms worn [by Washington], conforming to the [American] Association’s rule that teams shall wear light suits at home and dark suits when abroad. The home uniform of the Nationals will be white, with maroon trimmings, and when they play away from home they will be attired in neat suits of blue, with white trimmings. Of course socks go with the ‘trimmings.’” From The Sporting Life, March 21, 1891. Research from Chuck McGill.
March 1891: “It was voted to put a clause in the [Washington player] contracts for this year binding the club to pay for the uniforms of the men. When this was made known to the players, […] they were highly delighted. […] The new suits will be done by the first game.” From The Sporting Life, March 28, 1891. The first road game was April 8, 1891 at Philadelphia and the first home game was April 13, 1891 v. Boston. Game dates from retrosheet.org.
April 1891: “The Association teams are required this year to wear white suits on their own grounds and some color abroad. The object of the new rule is to enable spectators easily to distinguish the local and visiting players. The Baltimore uniform on trips will be gray, and blue will be the Washington color.” From the Baltimore Sun, April 2, 1891. Research from Don Stokes.
April 1891: “Under the rules of the American Association of Base Ball Clubs [the player] shall at the beginning of his term of employment provide himself, at his own cost and expense, with a uniform to be selected and designated by [the team] consisting of the following articles, viz.: Two shirts, two pairs of pants, two belts, two pairs of stockings, two pairs of shoes (if needed) with spikes, two caps, one jacket, one necktie. All of which during the entire term of his employment he is to keep in thorough repair and replenish as required at his own expense; and he agrees to appear on the field at the beginning of each game in which he is to play in an entirely el-an [i.e., lively] uniform, all cleaning of the same to be paid for by himself.” From The Sporting Life, April 13, 1891.
April 1891: “The Senators and Bean Eaters we’ll cross bats here this afternoon [in Washington, April 13, for the home opener]. The tremendous rain storm of Saturday night very nearly annihilated the chances of there being a game today between the Nationals and Irwin’s Bean Eaters.” From the Washington (DC) Evening Star, April 13, 1891, page 2. The Star used both nicknames for the Washington team, and added that “there will be professional baseball in Washington today for the first time in some months, and the heart of the ‘crank’ will swell at the sound of the clicking turnstile and the ringing of the gong.”
April 13, 1891, Washington v. Boston (AA), at Washington, home opener: “As the Nationals walked upon the field, clad in white uniforms, with maroon stockings and trimmings, and began preliminary practice, they were greeted with enthusiastic cheers.” From the Baltimore Sun, April 14, 1891.
April 13, 1891, Washington v. Boston (AA), at Washington, home opener: “The trees in center field should be removed. Had they not been in the road big [Dan] Brouthers would not have made his triple [for Boston].” From the Washington (DC) Critic Record, April 14, 1891, page 3. Research from Ed Morton.
May 1891: “The Washington uniforms are blue with maroon stockings. Instead of ‘Washington,’ they are adorned with the word ‘National.’” From the Louisville Courier-Journal, May 25, 1891. Research from Don Stokes.
Team genealogy: Washington 1891-1899
Washington was formed to join the American Association (AA) for the 1891 season. The AA was a major league operating from 1882 to 1891. When the AA folded after the 1891 season, Washington joined the National League (NL) in 1892 as the NL expanded to twelve teams. The NL began play in 1876. Washington played in the NL from 1892 to 1899 and was dissolved when the NL contracted down to eight teams after the 1899 season. Info from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: September 16, 2017
Diggers on this uniform: Chuck McGill, Don Stokes, Ed Morton,