19th Century Baseball or Football??

[vintagesportscollector]

Now that this is over...do you think this is baseball or football? I think it's football. I have football photos with what appears to be a very similar uniform, but I can't match this style really to any baseball photos.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Super-Rare-1860s-Baseball-Uniform-Jersey-Paterson-NJ_W0QQitemZ8789779582QQcategoryZ50133QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There were also a set of pants which I also think are football.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Super-Rare-1860s...QQcmdZViewItem

and a hat which I don't think goes with the uniform.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Super-Rare-1860s...QQcmdZViewItem

[suave1477]

Re: 19th Century Baseball or Football??

Thi is just an opinion based on logic.

I beleive they maybe Fooball not Baseball.

If memory serves me correct, baseball players did not wear gloves or any kind of padding on there hands into the late 1800's and it was minimal players that did it. At the time it wasnt considered to be macho to wear protective equipment and most players and fans frowned upon it. Spalding himself who is the pioneer of the baseball glove would not wear for years a glove bcuz he knew he would be taunted by other players and fans.

With that being said!!

It is stated in the auction that the pants are padded, so I would highly doubt they would be baseball pants from 1860 since they really didnt even start putting gloves on and then later padding the gloves till the late 1800's.

It would seem more likely they would have been used for football since it is a contact sport.

Just a thought!!!

[slidekellyslide]

Re: 19th Century Baseball or Football??

It's football...I have a team photo from 1889? with uniforms that look exactly like this one...If I get some time tomorrow I will post the photo.

[vintagesportscollector]

Re: 19th Century Baseball or Football??

Here's a photo of a football player c. 1880s.

[slidekellyslide]

Re: 19th Century Baseball or Football??

Here's a photo of the 1889 Gettysburg College team

[slidekellyslide]

Re: 19th Century Baseball or Football??

Actually I'm not sure what college that team photo is from because the backside has this baseball photo on it "PC"....I guess I just assumed it was Gettysburg because I got it with a lot of Gettysburg College baseball team photos.

[kjjavic]

Re: 19th Century Baseball or Football??

Hmm, those photos are pretty interesting. The pants the baseball players are wearing (especially the guy on the far right standing) look consistent with the pants on ebay. The interesting thing is the baseball pants actually look to have more padding than those the football players are wearing. But the football "jersey" looks like the one auctioned off.

[vintagesportscollector]

Re: 19th Century Baseball or Football??

Quilted padding was incorporated into baseball uniform pants in the late 1880s. By 1890 both football and baseball were using padded pants..and they were both very similar. Baseball pants were typically quilted with a diamond or square pattern. These pants could be mistaken for baseball, but they look like they match the jersey(same label), so they are likely football.