Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

[Zeenuts]

I am interested in knowing when the following teams began placing nameplates or player names on the back of uniforms and if there were any years after initiating the practice that the team did not have names on their uniforms:
-Atlanta Braves
-California or Anahiem Angels
-Chicago White Sox
-Cincinnati Reds
-Milwaukee Brewers
-St. Louis Cardinals
-SF Giants

You can respond on this site or to Zeenuts@hawaii.rr.com. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

Braves: 1963-64 H&R, 1979 road, 1980-2013 all game
styles.
Angels: I'm a bit sketchy on the early ones here. 1970-72 had NOBs H&R. I cannot cite a distinct record on 1973-77. 1978: H&R. 1982-2013: H&R
White Sox: 1960: Road, 1961-70, H&R, 1976-86, H&R, 1990: road 1991-2013: al normal styles except 1991-97 home.
Reds: 1962-2013 all normal styles. The 1962-67 home and 1962-66 road had NOB's UNDER the back numbers, not above them.
Brewers: 1990-2013 road/alternate, 1993-2013 home
Cardinals: 1963-2013 all normal styles.
Giants:1973-99 H&R, 2000-13 road and road alternates.

I hope this helps as a start. Anyone else who has info I don't is welcome to add it.

Dave Miedema

[Zeenuts]

Re: Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

Dave,

Thank you very much as I've checked all around and could not find anything as authoritative as your information. It is much appreciated. It give me a better sense of what I could be looking for, especially for the pre-1975 uniforms.

[flaco1801]

Re: Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

Dave...off top of my head...1976 braves white P/S had name on back...

[flaco1801]

Re: Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

Dave...off top of my head...1976 braves white P/S had name on back...Actually they had nicknames that were banned when Turner had someone call themseoves Channel with 17? underneath name...

[MSpecht]

Re: Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

The plan was attempted in 1976 when free agent pitcher Andy Messersmith signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves. Braves owner Ted Turner had the brilliant idea to give Messersmith, whose uniform number was 17, the nickname "Channel" so that he could promote his local (at that time) station WTBS which was seen on Channel 17
and carried the Braves games. The idea was vetoed by commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Messersmith did wear number 17, but the word "channel" was never a part of his uniform.

Mike

[cardinalbaseballfan]

Re: Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

The Cardinals began putting names on back in 1962.

(Source: St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 12, 1962, Article: "You Can Tell Birds Without a Scorecard")

[Zeenuts]

Re: Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

Thank you everyone for the additional information on the Braves and Cardinal uniform names/nameplates. The information is much appreciated.

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Baseball Player Names on Uniforms

Mike and Flaco:

Messersmith was acquired during the season, if I recall correctly, and it was at that point that the nickname use was shut down. I've seen a few over the years with the nicknames intact. Jim Wynn was "CANNON", Dick Ruthven was "RUFUS" and Maximino Leon was "MAX", among ones I recall seeing intact.

Cardinalsbaseballfan: You are right. Thanks for the correction.

Dave M.