Arriving Spring 2027 from Schiffer Publishing.
Introducing…
BASEBALL THREADS. The Book of Early Baseball Fashion, 1849 to 1900.
by Craig Brown
Announcing a new book utilizing the Threads of Our Game database! This one-of-a-kind reference book, available Spring 2027, shows how 19th-century baseball really looked, an era today that exists only as sepia tone. BASEBALL THREADS has been created for the ardent baseball fan, the passionate collector, the tireless historian, the vintage baseball player, and for all who enjoy the history of the sport. Available early next year at your favorite bookseller.
Inside BASEBALL THREADS:
• See how the first recorded baseball uniform of 1849 looked, replete with long pants and a straw hat
• See the shockingly colorful stockings of the 1870s and the crazy striped uniforms of the 1880s, ones the players themselves called clown suits
• See the uniforms of early African-American teams, never before compiled and presented
• See the first uniforms of your favorite teams — and learn more about the game through the uniforms of the game
BASEBALL THREADS covers five decades of baseball fashion, from 1849 to 1900. More than 900 full-color uniform renderings are at the center of the book, created by the author over a 12-year period and meticulously researched and documented in tandem with members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Now fans and historians alike can hold in their hands the true colors of the early game.
Sample pages of BASEBALL THREADS.
Preliminary praise for BASEBALL THREADS:
“This book looks terrific in every way — beautiful, informative, with eye-opening research into the history of the game.”
—Todd Radom, author of Winning Ugly, co-author of Fabric of the Game, and creator of some of the most familiar icons in professional sports branding
“The sheer work and research that goes into each uniform Craig covers is amazing. Needs to be seen to be believed.”
—Gary Cieradkowski, award-winning artist, baseball historian, and author of Outsider Baseball: An Illustrated History of Baseball’s Forgotten Heroes
“BASEBALL THREADS makes me salivate. Craig is the only writer doing this kind of work. His website is one-of-a-kind, impeccable, and just plain fun to read. His book will be a must-have for fans and collectors.”
—Thomas W. Gilbert, author of How Baseball Happened: Outrageous Lies Exposed, The Truth Revealed, and a leading authority on baseball’s origins
In 1992, when baseball historian Marc Okkonen published his seminal work, The Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century, he created a new category of baseball fan: the uniform aficionado. Now over 30 years later, a companion piece is available for uniform lovers everywhere — one that dovetails with Okkonen’s study and that focuses on the game’s formative period, the 19th century.
The visual history of the early game has faded over time, literally and figuratively, and for many years the subject seemed too daunting to ever research and compile. No comprehensive study existed telling who wore what and when before 1900 — until now.
Look for further announcements coming soon about BASEBALL THREADS.
About the author.
Craig Brown is the creator of the online uniform database, Threads Of Our Game, featuring over 2,500 uniform renderings, each meticulously documented and drawn by the author. Craig is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and was recognized by the organization in 2018 for “significant contributions to the knowledge and understanding of historical baseball imagery.” He is a 3x presenter on the subject of the early game at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. SABR has called Threads Of Our Game “possibly the best 19th-century baseball pictorial site in existence.” Craig is a design and marketing professional living in sunny Georgia.
Read recent posts by the author at the Threads News Feed blog here.
See what others are saying about the Threads Of Our Game website here.