The
Uniforms of the Los Angeles Dodgers!
Titled “Why They Invented Blue” and licensed by Major League Baseball, we present the uniforms history of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Here then is the history of the Dodgers’ Uniforms …
#1.
1910 The Dodgers joined the National League in 1890, and were known as
the Brooklyn Bridegrooms at the time because there were so many newlyweds on
the team (7 players were said to have been married about the same time in
1888). Keep in mind that in this era team nicknames weren’t like they are today
– teams were really known simply by the name of the city they represented, and
team nicknames were often just that, nicknames given them by fans and writers.
Often times the nickname had something to do with the team manager.
That being said, the name
Bridegrooms gave way to the name “Trolley Dodgers” because of the preponderance
of streetcar tracks in Brooklyn – in fact most Brooklyn-ers of this time were
nicknamed “trolley dodgers” because they were thought to constantly be dodging
streetcars as part of their daily routine. Over time this name was shortened to
simply the Dodgers. During the 1890's, other popular nicknames were Ward's Wonders,
Foutz's Fillies and Hanlon's Superbas – Ward, Foutz and Hanlon all being
managers of the team. It would appear that from 1899 – 1905, the team nickname
was the “Superbas”, a name sportwriters gave the team because of a popular
vaudeville troupe of the same name.
Wibert Robinson took over as team
manager in 1914, and from 1914 – 1931 the team was often known as the “Robins”,
but we believe throughout this period they were really officially known as the
Dodgers.
The Dodgers played Washington Park
until 1913, when they moved to Ebbets Field. It was considered a neighborhood
ballpark, primarily because it was constructed in a residential area of town.
There was a bond between the people of Brooklyn and their neighborhood ball
team. Ebbets Field had arguably the most beautiful front entranceway of any
ballpark in the history of baseball. For this reason it was constantly
photographed.
Following in the footsteps of the
Chicago Cubs the year before, the Dodgers have stitched “Brooklyn” down the
front of their road uniform, intersected by buttons.
This 1910 jersey also has a blue
“cadet” collar, a small upright collar worn by many teams from about 1910 to
the mid-late 20’s.
Notice also that there is a center
belt loop, which was used to secure the belt buckle off to one side. Players of
this era usually wore the belt buckle to one side so they could prevent injury
when sliding into a base.
Note also that even though this
jersey has buttons down the front, this is still a “pullover” style jersey that
had to be pulled over the head – a practice that was common in jerseys
throughout baseball at this time. We believe the first major league team to
wear a completely buttoned front jersey (ie one that didn’t have to be pulled
over the head) was the 1909 Phillies, followed by the 1911 Cubs. The pullover
style jersey finally disappeared after the 1939 season (the A’s were the last
team to wear it), but of course pullovers resurfaced in a big way with the
double knit era of the 70’s and 80’s.
#2.
1916 This “plaid” style jersey was a two year experiment used on the
Dodgers’ home and road uniforms in 1916, and then only on the road uniform in
1917. As we see in this 1916 road uniform, it was a cross between vertical and
horizontal pin stripes.
As best we can tell, the first
instance of pinstriped uniforms was in 1907. The Boston Braves road uniform
were made from a gray flannel with a fine green pinstripe. Later that same year
the Cubs had a new gray uniform with fine pin striping made for the World
Series - they wore it for the World Series opener in Chicago and were later
reprimanded by the league for not wearing a white uniform at home. The Dodgers
first wore pinstripes on their 1911 road uniform. The Yankees, most often
associated with pinstripe uniforms, first wore a pinstriped uniform for one
year at home in 1912 (the New York Times wrote about their 1912 home opener
“The Yankees presented a natty appearance in their new uniforms of white with
black pin stripes”), then every year from 1915 to the present.
1916 was a year of firsts for the
Dodgers – after finishing with a 94-60 record, the Dodgers (or the Robins? –
see previous write up) advance to their first World Series.
The Dodgers had previously won
National League pennants in 1890, 1899 and 1900, but the World Series didn’t
begin until 1903.
Their opponent? The Boston Red
Sox. The Dodgers dropped the 1st games by a single run each time,
then faced a young pitching phenom Babe Ruth. The game went 14 innings, with
Ruth pitching all of them, holding the Dodgers to just 6 hits and emerging with
a 2-1 win. The Dodgers rebounded with a 4-3 win in game 3, but lost the 4th
and 5th games 6-2 and 4-1, losing the Series in 5 games.
A name to note: Casey Stengel
would have worn this uniform as he led the Dodgers’ hitters in the 1916 World
Series with a .364 average. Stengel broke into the majors in 1912 and played 6
seasons with the Dodgers. He later played a couple years with the New York
Giants, and then went on to manage the Dodgers (1934-36), the Yankees (1949-60)
and the Mets (1962-65).
#3.
1929 This road uniform was only used for one season, which is a shame.
The blue “B” with red outline is unique as all previous “B”’s on Dodger
uniforms were simply blue. Note also the thick double piping around the collar
and down the buttoned front of the jersey. Note also the piping on the belt
loops and belt tunnel – all quite unusual touches.
The 1929 Dodgers finished with a
70-83 record – good for only 6th place in the 8 team National
League. They were led by Babe Herman, a lifetime .324 hitter who hit .381 for
the Dodgers in 1929. Herman played for the Dodgers from 1926 – 1931, then
played for the Reds, Cubs, Pirates and Tigers before retiring. Then after an 8
year layoff, Herman came back from retirement in 1945 to play 37 games with the
Dodgers where he hit a respectable .265 at the age of 42!
#4A.
1933 For the first time “DODGERS” appears on a Dodgers’ jersey.
Interestingly, “Dodgers” appeared on both the home and road uniforms in 1933,
then disappeared again until 1938. This may add credence to the fact that the
team was known as the Brooklyn Robins from 1914 – 1931 (so named for their long
time manager Wilbert Robinson).
This is a beautiful pinstriped
uniform with a classic “B” for Brooklyn logo on the arm.
As best we can tell, the first
instance of pinstriped uniforms was in 1907. The Boston Braves road uniform
were made from a gray flannel with a fine green pinstripe. Later that same year
the Cubs had a new gray uniform with fine pin striping made for the World
Series - they wore it for the World Series opener in Chicago and were later
reprimanded by the league for not wearing a white uniform at home. The Dodgers
first wore pinstripes on their 1911 road uniform, then wore it on and off over
the next 25 years. The Yankees, most often associated with pinstripe uniforms,
first wore a pinstriped uniform for one year at home in 1912 (the New York
Times wrote about their 1912 home opener “The Yankees presented a natty
appearance in their new uniforms of white with black pin stripes”), then every
year from 1915 to the present.
The first All Star game is held in
1993 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, where second baseman Tony Cuccinello becomes
the first Dodger to be selected to an All-Star Game.
The 1933 Dodgers finished a
disappointing 65-88 under manager Max Carey, 6th place in an 8 team
field – setting the stage for new manager Casey Stengel to take the reigns in
1934.
#4B.
1937 The uniform went through a drastic change this season, as we see in
this road uniform, “Dodger Blue” became “Dodger Green” and the traditional gray
road jersey became tan. This was a bold move in uniform design, but the
experiment lasted only one season. Two seasons from now, in 1939, the first
televised Major League game hits the air on August 26th, 1939, as
the Dodgers face the Reds.
Even though it’s not pictured in
this Dodgers’ poster, during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s many teams used zippered
jerseys instead of the more traditional button front jerseys, while a handful of
teams wore them well into the 70’s and even the 80’s. The Reds, Yankees and A’s
were the only three pre-1977 major league teams that never wore zippers. The
1937 Cubs were the first team to wear a zippered jersey, and as far we can tell
the 1988 Phillies were the last to wear one. The Dodgers wore zippers on most
of their uniforms from 1938 to 1946, then reverted back to the traditional
buttoned front jersey.
#4C.
1945 When Ebbets Field began hosting night games in 1938, Dodger
management was convinced that the reflective material used in this one-year
only, night game uniform, would allow fans to better see the players at night.
It was made of a blue satin material.
Note the “swoosh” underlining the
word “Brooklyn” on this home jersey. This style was introduced to baseball by
the 1932 Cubs, and has been worn by many teams since then. The Dodgers began
wearing a “swoosh” on their home jerseys in 1938, and it’s been there ever
since – by far the longest any team has worn an underlined name.
Note also the unusual and
attractive white stripe running down the shoulder to the sleeve cuff – an
attractive look that we wish more teams used over the years! We believe this
design element was first used by the 1938 Cubs.
#5.
1945 During the Second World War, the question is raised, should
able-bodied athletes of baseball be fighting for their country rather than
playing baseball? Baseball Commissioner Landis asked President Franklin D.
Roosevelt what to do - here is part of Roosevelt’s reply:
“I honestly feel it would be best
for the country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed
and everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before… Here is
another way of looking at it - if 300 teams use 5,000 or 6,000 players, these
players are a definite recreational asset to at least 20,000,000 of their
fellow citizens - and that in my judgment is thoroughly worthwhile.”
Wartime sleeve patches were worn
by all levels of professional baseball teams between 1942 and 1945. A “Health”
patch was worn during the 1942 season, part of a war-time health and fitness
awareness campaign, and from 1943-1945 a “Stars and Stripes” patch was worn, as
shown on the left sleeve of this jersey.
In some ways it’s hard to believe
that when the Dodgers wore this jersey, Jackie Robinson was still two years
away from breaking baseball’s color barrier.
The 1940’s and 1950’s are also a
remarkable era for baseball in New York as from 1949 – 1958 at least one of the
three New York City teams makes it to the World Series. During this period the
Dodgers make it to the World Series five times – 1941, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955
and 1956 – and win it once in 1955.
#6.
1955 Where do we begin?
Let’s start with the uniform.
Pictured here is a 1955 home uniform.
Note that the jersey has uniform
numbers on it. Uniform numbers first made their appearance on the front of a
uniform in 1952, and the Brooklyn Dodgers were the first to wear them! The
Braves followed suit in 1953, and the Reds joined the trend in 1956. The 1916
Cleveland Indians actually wore a uniform number on their sleeve, but it wasn’t
until the ’52 Dodgers that the number made it to the front of the jersey.
Secondly, we love the simple but
beautiful use of red, white and blue on this uniform – sometimes simplicity
speaks louder than a rainbow of colors. Note also the lack of any piping or
stripes – the design of this jersey doesn’t need any adornments to make it
work.
Now onto the team.
Prior to 1955, the Dodgers had
been to the World Series seven times (1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1952, 1953) and
lost each time. The 1952 and 1953 losses to the cross-town Yankees were
particularly rough – the Dodgers lost in 7 games in 1952 after being up 3 games
to 2 and having a 1-0 lead going into the top of the 7th inning at
home; and then in 1953 they lost 4 games to 2, losing game 5 at home and then
losing game 6 in the bottom of the 9th.
But the 1955 Dodgers - with
baseball greats Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella,
Gil Hodges, Carl Furillo – were not to be denied. For the 8th time
the Dodgers advance to the World Series, and for the 6th straight
time they face the Yankees.
The Yankees took games 1 & 2
at Yankee Stadium, then the Dodgers stormed back and won games 3, 4 and 5 at
Ebbets Field. Game 6 goes back to Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees come out on
top 5-1. Thus the stage was set for Game 7 at Yankee Stadium.
October 4, 1955 – the day the
Dodgers would re-write history’s wrongs. Led by Johhny Podres’ 5 hit pitching
performance, the Dodgers shut down the mighty Yankees 2-0 and capture their
first World Series victory. In winning the World Series, the Dodgers became the
first team to win after losing the first two games. A record 17 home runs were
scored in the Series, with Duke Snider hitting 4 of them, but Podres is awarded
the 1st ever World Series MVP award.
Brooklyn would have to savor this
championship over their cross-town rivals, as the Yank’s reclaimed the title
the following year with a win over the Dodgers in game 7 at Ebbetts Field.
Dodger fans devise the marvelous slogan: “Wait till last year.”
#7.
1959 In a move that reminded all fans that baseball may be a game, but
first and foremost it’s a business, Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley officially
announced on October 8, 1957 that the Brooklyn Dodgers were moving to Los
Angeles, a move that had been announced prior to the 1957 season but wasn’t
believed by fans who hoped against hope that it was all a bad dream.
It many ways it’s hard to believe
the fact that the Dodgers would even contemplate moving – the Dodgers were
among the best teams in baseball for the last 10 straight years, and they
played in one of the all time classic ballparks, one that is revered to this
day.
Yet the realities were that Dodger
attendance had been falling off throughout the 50’s, and Mr. O’Malley had been
publicly calling for a new ballpark for several years but his cries fell on
deaf ears. And there was one other reality – there was a huge market on the
west coast that was prime and ready for the picking – if Mr. O’Malley didn’t
move, one of the other owners would have beaten him to the punch.
Thus it was that the Brooklyn
Dodgers and the New York Giants both moved to the wets coast for the 1958
season.
After a poor season in 1958 (they
finished in 7th place with a 71-83 record), the Dodgers found
themselves right back in the World Series, only this time as the Los Angeles
Dodgers and this time against the Chicago White Sox.
After losing the first game by a
lopsided score of 11-0, the Dodgers came back to win the Series in six games
for their 2nd World Series victory in nine trips). Dodger relief
pitcher Larry Sherry emerged as the hero of the series, pitching in relief in
all four Dodger victories – winning two, saving two and fashioning a 0.71 ERA
in 12 2/3rds innings. He received MVP honors for the Series.
This 1959 road uniform sported the
words “Los Angeles”, just as it did for the first time in 1958. But
interestingly, the Dodgers didn’t re-design their uniforms, they kept to the
exact same design guidelines, virtually ignoring the fact that the team had
moved 3000 miles west.
#8.
1965 The only difference between this road uniform and the 1959 road
uniform pictured earlier is the fact that the thin blue piping around the
collar and down the front has been removed, simplifying the design even more.
After beating the Yankees in 4
straight games to win the 1963 World Series, the Dodgers finished first in the
NL with a 97-65 record and found themselves back in the World Series for the 7th
time in 14 years (1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965).
This time the Dodgers face the
surprising Minnesota Twins, a team which like the Dodgers left their long time
home (Washington) for greener pastures further west (Minnesota).
Los Angeles defeats Minnesota 4
games to 3 to win the World Series yet again. In the IN a tremendous see-saw
battle, the Twins win games 1 & 2 – stunning Dodgers’ pitching greats
Drysdale and Koufax. Then the Dodgers stormed back to win 3 straight, holding
the Twins to just 2 runs in three games. Then the Twins rebounded to win game
6, setting the stage for some drama from Sandy Koufax . Pitching on only 2 days
rest, Koufax throws a complete game 3 hitter and the Dodgers beat the Twins 2-0
in Minneapolis. Koufax is duly honored with the World Series MVP award for the
second time, the first being two years earlier in 1963. This two-time World
Series MVP is a feat achieved by only one other player since the World Series
began awarding an MVP, namely Bob Gibson in 1964 & 1967. Remarkably, Koufax
would pitch one more year (he finished the 1966 season 27-9 with a 1.73 ERA)
before retiring at 31.
#9.
1977 As you can see on this home uniform there is little change in the
uniform design since 1955 (indeed since 1952 when the Dodgers added uniform
numbers to the front of their jersey).
This home jersey is unusual for
what it isn’t – it isn’t a double-knit style that most major league teams
succumbed to during the 70’s and early 80’s. In the 70’s and 80’s, almost every
other team in baseball adopted a pullover style, made of stretchy, synthetic
material. The pants worn by most teams were called “Sans-a-Belt”’s because the
elasticized waistline eliminated the need for a belt.
But the Dodgers and the Yankees
were the only two teams not to go to the button-less double knit style jersey
with sans-a-belt pants for either their home or road uniform. The Orioles
almost can be included with LA and New York, but O’s had a double knit orange
uniform that they wore from time to time during this period.
So it’s interesting that the
Dodgers met the Yankees in the 1977 World Series. Final score? Yankees 4 games,
Dodgers 2. And as if that weren’t enough, the same players met in the 1978
World Series with the same result. Damn Yankees. Enough said.
#10.
1988 Aha! A small change! If you look closely, you’ll see at least two
changes in this road jersey vs the 1965 and 1959 versions shown earlier. Please
note the striping around the sleeve cuff, and also the thin white border around
the “Dodgers” lettering on the front of the jersey.
After winning it all in 1981
against the Yankees, the Dodgers make it back to the postseason in ’83, and
’85, only to fall short of making it to the World Series. Not so in 1988!
After a tough 7 game series
against the Mets to win the NL Pennant, the Dodgers went on to face the Oakland
A’s in the World Series. Game 1 was voted the greatest moment in Los Angeles
sports history. With the Dodgers down 4-3, with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th,
a severely injured Kirk Gibson limps to the plate to pinch-hit. He swings with
everything he has, and launches a game-winning two-run homer over the fence.
This would be Gibson’s only at-bat in the Series. This was a moment that will
live in baseball lore forever, and images of a limping and lurching Gibson
rounding the bases will be shown on highlight reels ling after most of us have
left this mortal coil.
After game one, Dodger pitching
dominated the series won by the Dodgers in 5 games. The A’s hitters struggled
to figure out the Dodger pitchers, and finished with a meek batting average of
.177 (even in their win the A’s could only manage 5 hits against LA’s 8).
Series MVP Orel Hershiser won two games, including 17 strikeouts, and only gave
up 2 runs in the deciding game 5. Hershiser also won the Cy Young Award this
season as well as breaking Don Drysdale's 1968 record of 58.2 consecutive
scoreless innings, with 59.
#11A.
1997 The patch on this home uniform commemorates the 50th
anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier of professional
baseball. All teams wore this patch in honor of Jackie Robinson and all he
achieved, and all teams retired his number 42 - the first time in the history
of the big four North American sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) that a number has
been universally retired. (This has since been done one other time, by the NHL
to honor the retirement of Wayne Gretzky and his #99.)
The Dodgers actually wore a slight
variation of the patch worn by all other teams in the majors. The Dodgers’
“Jackie Robinson” patch acknowledges the fact that it was the Dodgers’
franchise with which Robinson broke into the majors, thus there is an added
banner on top of the Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson 50 patch that simply says
“Dodgers”.
After this season is over Dodger
President Peter O'Malley announced that after owning the team for over 50
years, the O’Malley family was putting the Dodgers up for sale. On March 19,
1998 the FOX Group took over the Dodgers from the O'Malley family, and a new
era in Dodger history begins.
Once again, compare this 1997 home
jersey with the 1977 and 1955 home jerseys shown in this poster – they are all
virtually identical – a remarkable testimony to the beauty of classic design.
#11B.
1998 This is the first time since 1944 that the Dodgers have worn a blue
jersey. This jersey is what is referred to nowadays as a “3rd
jersey”. A 3rd jersey is a concept that became commonplace by the
mid 90’s. Most 3rd jerseys are worn occasionally at home as well as
on the road, giving a team a third option as to what uniform to wear. And of
course, the addition of a third jersey adds to the options fans can buy,
thereby increasing apparel revenues and ultimately benefiting the team. More
recently, teams have begun adding 4th and even 5th
jerseys to their roster of uniform possibilities.
The patch on the left sleeve of
this 1998 jersey commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Dodgers
moving to Los Angeles.
#11C.
1999 Notice the addition of the “L.A.” monogram on the right sleeve of
this 1999 road jersey. If you could see the left sleeve, you would also see a
patch that the 1999 Dodgers wore to honor great players from the past. In fact,
the 1999 Dodgers wore 18 different “Heroes” patches throughout the season -
each one honoring a different Dodger hero. The 18 players honored were: Roy
Campanella, Ron Cey, Don Drysdale, Steve Garvey, Kirk Gibson, Gil Hodges, Sandy
Koufax, Tommy Lasorda, Manny Mota, Don Newcombe, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie
Robinson, Bill Russell, Mike Scioscia, Duke Snider, Don Sutton and Maury Wills.
Note also that the Dodgers have
reverted back to wearing the more traditional “Los Angeles” on the front of the
road jersey as opposed to wearing the team nickname on the road. The basic rule
of thumb in baseball has been for teams to wear the team nickname on their home
jersey, and their city name on their road uniform.
***************************************
The Los Angeles Dodgers: “Why They
Invented Blue”
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