• The baseball uniform is the most recognizable piece of baseball equipment history
• Every baseball fan and every ball player shows loyalty to their team by proudly wearing the uniform
• While we recognize our favorite teams baseball outfit in today’s game, what about the history of baseball uniforms?
• How did they come into being and why are they so important in the history of baseball equipment?
• So sit back and relax while we investigate the history of baseball uniforms

Being an electronic baseball scoreboards manufacturer we are interested in anything related to one of our favorite team sports including history of baseball uniform. It was in 1849 that the New York Knickerbockers took the field in matching baseball outfits becoming the first team to do so in the history of baseball uniforms. The wool suits consisted of white flannel shirts, blue pantaloons, and straw hats. In the history of baseball equipment, the uniform took over as a fan favorite. The straw hats were discarded after a few seasons; however, the baseball uniform became standard for all professional teams.

Nearly 20 seasons later, the Cincinnati Red Stockings adopted “knickers” instead of pants. They turned out to be comfortable and allowed for added freedom of movement for players but it was likely that the opportunity to show off their trademark “red stockings” that initiated the change.

A rule change was instituted in 1882 that required teams to wear multi-colored uniforms depending on the player’s position. The only matching pieces of a team’s uniform were the stockings. This experiment didn’t last the season and may be the shortest duration rule change in baseball equipment history.

In 1917, as America entered the war on Germany, five major league teams displayed patriotic symbols on their uniforms to show support for the troops. The Cubs, White Sox, Tigers, Dodgers, and Senators wore U.S. flags or Old Glory which became a tradition in the history of baseball uniform(s) for future conflicts.

The New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians are both credited with becoming the first teams in the history of baseball uniforms to put numbers on the backs of player jerseys. In 1929, the Indians were the first to take the field in numbered uniforms with the Yankees following suit soon after.

In 1943, teams took the field in belted, short-sleeved dresses with the length to be 6 inches or less above the knees for modesty purposes. The players deemed them to be quite comfortable and allowed for more freedom of movement during the game. This may be a good time to mention that this was the beginning of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

The Pittsburgh Pirates broke with tradition in 1970 by wearing beltless pants and pull-over jerseys made of synthetic fabric. The new look quickly spread to most major league teams and weren’t phased out until the 1990’s. The National League celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1976 and a number of teams adopted old-style, pill-box caps in honor of the milestone.

The history of baseball uniforms was one of trial and error as team ownership attempted to market their teams to fans. There were some great innovations and some total flops but the baseball uniform is here to stay.