The History of Baseball Uniforms

While baseball initially started in the U.S., it has spread across the globe. Today more than 100 countries are part of the International Baseball Federation.

Despite its popularity worldwide, it is still considered “America’s pastime”. Baseball has a rich history, and as you can imagine, the story of baseball team uniforms is naturally just as long and dynamic as the sport itself.

Mid-1800’s : In 1845, the New York Knickerbockers became the first organized baseball club, and the first official baseball game was played the following year. However, the players did not yet have any sort of team apparel until 1849. The first official uniform included blue woolen pantaloons, a white flannel shirt, and a straw hat.

Historians say that the blue and white team colors were not an arbitrary choice. Early baseball team uniforms tended to be modeled after those worn by longstanding fraternal clubs such as fire departments and volunteer military companies. Less respectable, small-town clubs often wore bright red, so the color was rejected by baseball clubs seeking to identify as respectable and sophisticated.

Wool seems like an uncomfortable choice in material for athletic apparel, but people wanted to avoid using cotton, as it was associated with the working class at the time. Founders of the earliest baseball clubs wanted to present themselves as fashionable and respectable, aligning themselves with organizations of higher status.

1868: In April of 1868, the Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first to abandon the traditional full-length pantaloons in favor of knee-high knickers. This version of athletic pants proved to be comfortable while showing off the Cincinnati uniform’s red stockings for which the team was named.

1906: In 1906, the New York Giants were the first to wear a collarless jersey. This wouldn’t become a popular style among other teams until around 1914, though.

1916: On June 26, 1916, the Cleveland Indians walked onto the field wearing large numbers on their sleeves, making them the first big league club to have numbered athletic uniforms. The experiment, however, lasted only a few weeks before the practice was abandoned until 1929 when both the Indians and the New York Yankees wore numbers on the backs of their jerseys. By the end of 1932, every major league team wore numbered baseball team uniforms.

1939:  The New York Yankees became the first team to retire a jersey number. After Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS, they retired his number to ensure that no Yankees player would ever wear that honored number.

1960: The Chicago White Sox introduced the first uniforms to display the player’s last name.

2001: Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, all major league teams wore a small American flag patch on their jerseys and caps.

Both sports and fashion are ever-changing. There is no doubt that the baseball uniform will evolve time and time again as America’s favorite sport races towards its 200th birthday.