Further compiling the uniforms, logos, graphics, hardware, anything uniform & logo related to each championship year…
This is the 1888 American Association Champion St. Louis Browns.
Based on a number of photographs, we know the uniforms above are what the Browns wore in the 1888 season, however we do not know if new uniforms were brought out for the World Series.
The two team photos above were both taken in New York at the same time. Notice the slightly different player poses. Beneath the second photograph is a drawing that includes Browns’ owner Chris Von der Ahe as well as the Hall Cup. The cup was awarded to the Giants for winning the 1888 Championship Series.
This series of portraits may seem similar, because they are mostly reused head shots from either 1885 or 1886. We see this shots a lot. The only exception is John Boyle in the top left corner, who looks like he is wearing the 1887 regular season uniform with the striped shirt and horizontal striped cap. Below the portraits we have nice text that proclaims the Browns as World’s Champions and Association Champions for 1886, 1887, and 1888, with 1885 mysteriously omitted.
We have a photo of a very tiny, but detailed, pocket watch pendant. The banners show the Browns as Champions in 1885, 1886, and 1887, and in the middle is an interlocking 1888.
The Browns won their fourth consecutive American Association Pennant, and went on to face the New York Giants in the World’s Championship Series. The Browns lost to the Giants 6-4 in a 10 game series. Similar to the 1887 Series, the 10 games were played across multiple cities. This would be the end of the 19th Century Browns dynasty. The team never won the American Association pennant again, and the Association itself failed financially by the end of 1891, and in 1892 the Browns were brought into the National League. Still the team would not see postseason action until 1926.
To check out all the photos and info we have about 1888, check out the link below.
Cardinals Uniforms & Logos 