1887 is full of interesting colors for the Browns. We have brown and white stripes, blue, dark blue, solid blue, bright blue, sky-blue, wine colored, scarlet, and red all discussed in the newspaper accounts.
Wine colored is the most subjective of those descriptions. We can only assume they’re referring to a dark red color. Still we find this subjective. Another newspaper article, brought to us by Craig Brown, says the Browns were in “plum-colored” suits. Once again we question the integrity of the newspaper writers. Our primary basis for this color is based on the Buchner card series from this era. Our other suspicion is that this wine colored fabric spanned across all uniforms this season. From an artistic and design perspective, putting brown letters on top of brown and white stripes seems like an awful choice, and while we wouldn’t put it past them to do that, we think the wine colored or plum colored St. Louis lettering from the blue road uniform was also applied on the home uniform.
The color of blue is also subjective to us. We went down odd rabbit holes analyzing what people of the 1880s thought blue was, what Ancient Egyptians thought blue was, and what we consider blue in today’s world. In the end, we had to settle on a navy blue color based on two newspaper accounts describing them as dark blue.
The World Series blue seems a little more obvious, as the reporters describe it as sky blue and bright blue. But we still found ourselves questioning exactly what that garment’s true color was. We possess no photographs of road uniforms and no photos from the World Series, so these colors remain a mystery to us.
History Mysteries:
What color is wine colored?
Was the wine colored letters used on all uniforms?
What color is blue?
What color is sky blue?
Do the newspaper accounts have credibility?
The Sporting Life: February, 1887
The St. Louis Browns’ uniforms will be of a rich shade of brown-striped imported cloth, and will exceed in color, finish and durability any uniforms ever used by St. Louis clubs.
Sporting Life: March 23, 1887
The Browns will have two new uniforms. The championship uniform will be of the champion’s color, brown and white striped, of the finest cloth. The relay or exhibition game uniform will be of blue — shirt and breeches — and wine colored stockings. Across the breast of the shirt words, “St. Louis Browns” will be placed in wine colored cloth. The boys of the of the boss club will be supplied with uniforms this season.
Chicago Tribune: April 8, 1887
THE CHICAGOS PLAY BALL
ST. LOUIS, MO. April 7. – [Special.] – Five thousand supporters of the home team witnessed a Waterloo at Sportsmen’s Park this afternoon, and Captain Anson was the Wellington of the occasion. The day was beautiful, but a strong wind came down from the north just before the game was called and carried fly-balls far out in the field. The betting before the game had got down to even money. The Chicago were received with applause, and the familiar blue and white uniform contrasted strongly with the plum-colored suits of the St. Louis men. Umpire Doescher called play at 3 o’clock, and the Browns went to bat.
–research from Craig Brown at http://www.threadsofourgame.com
St. Louis Post Dispatch: June 14, 1887
The color of at least one uniform of each club in the League and American Association is given below. It would be next to impossible to give the several different uniforms of each club, as they change the different pieces of one uniform to another, and may appear on the field in a different make-up every day for a week. However, one complete uniform of each club is as follows:… St. Louis — white and brown shirts and caps, white trousers; brown stockings
The Sporting Life: 1887
The St. Louis Browns donned new uniforms in the first game with the Detroits. They are blue and brown. The caps are blue with brown stripes.
The Sporting Life: 1887
Maybe those beautiful new blue uniforms were the Browns’ hoodoos?
St. Louis Post Dispatch: October 9, 1887
Last championship game to-day.
The Detroits arrive this morning.
Tie games are becoming the fashion.
The Browns got their new uniforms last night. They are a solid blue, with brown stockings.
St. Louis Globe Democrat: October 11, 1887
The appearance of the Browns was the signal for a burst of applause which amounted almost to an ovation. The home boys looked very giddy in suits of a bright blue, forming, with the brown hose, a very showy combination.
The Evening World: October 14, 1887
For several hours the players remained in their apartments, but presently they strolled down into the hotel corridors and proved the centre of attraction for many delighted eyes. The uniform of the Detroits is a black suit, with snow-white caps and stockings. The St. Louis men take their popular name from their brown stockings and the Broad stripes of brown on their blue caps.
The Sun: October 15, 1887
At 1 1/2 o’clock the two nines in full uniform. The Browns in their dark blue and brown stockings, and the Detroits in blue uniforms and white stockings, took carriages for Washington Park. All along the line of the short parade they were greeted with cheers. They were the great attraction of the day, and everywhere they turned they met with great crowds, all eager to see the great ball clubs. As the clubs passed along the several streets the men cheered by name. The better known players, such as Comiskey, Hanlon, Lantham, Dan Brouthers, and Manager Watkins came in for a large share of the attentions.
New York Times: October 16, 1887
St. Louis followed in more carriages and received more cheers and admiration. No debutant or prima donna was ever more closely inspected than were the nine in blue and brown. They were a trible gaudy as they descended with scarlet “blazers” over their bright blue uniforms, and they lounged somewhat carelessly through the plebeian throng as if they owned the earth and could not afford to bother with its petty population.
Chicago Inter Ocean: October 26, 1887, research from Dan O’Brien www.rubewaddell.net
The St. Louis team was radiant in a sky-blue suit with red jackets and brown stockings.
The San Francisco Examiner: November 21, 1887
OPENING OF THE WINTER SEASON BY THE EASTERN CLUBS.
First came the brass band, then a hack containing D. R. McNeill, President of Central Park Association, James A. Hart, manager, and C. B. Powers, the umpire. Next rode the Philadelphias, clad in white pants and shirts, red stockings and white caps ornamented with red stripes. After them came the famous St. Louis Browns, in red and white habiliments, while last rode the Chicagos, who wore suits of blue and white, with the blue almost washed out. Were it not that “Beauty unadorned is best adorned” the Chicagos would have looked a dingy crowd.
The Sun: December 29, 1887
The Cincinnati Club’s team for the 1888 season will be uniquely uniformed. Fennely will wear a maroon shirt, with cap to match; Reilly, a shirt with blue and black stripes; McPhee’s colors will be blue and white; Carpenter’s red and white; Tebeau, orange; Corkhill, black and red; Nicoll, sky blue; Mullane, red and black, Baldwin, orange and black; Smith, white; Keenan, pearl; Viau, cardinal, and Hart, maroon. The uniform to be worn by the club away from home will be navy blue, similar to that worn by the champion Browns last season.
Cardinals Uniforms & Logos 