NOTABLE EVENTS IN BASEBALL UNIFORMS
Spalding and Rawlings were some of the earliest equipment makers, dating back to the 1880s. Brands such as MacGregor, Goldsmith, Wilson and many others negotiated deals with individual teams. Teams could make their own uniform arrangements until 1987.
1849
The Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York officially adopts uniforms: white flannel shirts, blue woolen pantaloons and straw hats.
1867
The Cincinnati Red Stockings are the first baseball club to wear knickers rather than pants.
1882
The major leagues experiment with multicolored uniforms that correspond to player positions.
1888
Three teams become the first to don pinstriped uniforms. Most uniforms include stockings.
1889
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms (also known as the Trolley-Dodgers) become the first club to wear checked uniforms.
1897
The National League Boston Beaneaters are the last club to wear shield-front jerseys.
Early 1900s
Teams begin wearing home and road uniforms.
1905
The stirrup, or sanitary sock, is introduced.
1906
The New York Giants introduce the collarless jersey. 1907
The Reading Red Roses of the Atlantic League are the first club known to experiment with uniform numbers.
1909
The Chicago Cubs are the first club to wear uniforms with “military” or “standing” collars.
1910
Both clubs in Boston are the last to wear laced-front jerseys.
1914
The Federal League Buffalo Blues are the first to adopt script lettering on their shirt fronts.
1916
The Cleveland Indians are the first club to wear uniform numbers.
1920
New Era, the baseball cap company, started. It has deals with individual clubs for decades and becomes an official licensee in 1987. Its caps are sold to the public in 1978.
1929
The Indians are the first to wear numbers on the back of their shirts.
1936
The New York Yankees place the now-familiar interlocking NY logo on their shirt fronts.
1937
The Chicago Cubs introduce the zipper-front jersey.
1939
In honor of the fatally ill Lou Gehrig, the Yankees become the first team to retire a uniform number, Gehrig's No. 4.
1940
The Chicago Cubs introduce the sleeveless jersey. a lightweight flannel vest worn over a knitted undershirt.
1951
The Springfield Cubs become the first club to wear uniform numbers on the front of their jerseys, with the Brooklyn Dodgers following suit in 1952.
1960
The Chicago White Sox are the first team to identify players by placing names on the back of their jerseys.
1970
The Pittsburgh Pirates are the first major league team to wear a cotton-nylon blend featuring pullover shirts and beltless pants. Wool had been phased out in the early 1960s.
1973
Between 1970 and 1973 every club transitions from flannel uniforms to synthetic materials.
1976
The Chicago White Sox are the first team to wear shorts.
1987-91
Rawlings becames the first official jersey supplier to MLB teams and is allowed to display its logo on them.
The 1990s
Performance fabrics are introduced, such as Dri-FIT and CoolBase, which are designed to wick moisture away from the skin and keep players cool and dry.
2019
Under Armour introduces the CoolSwitch, an anti-odor technology that prevents the growth of microbes.
2020
Nike takes over as the official uniform provider and introduces jerseys made with recycled materials.
2021
Seven teams start wearing City Connect jerseys. After this year only two teams won't have City Connect uniforms, the Yankees and Oakland Athletics.
2024
The uniforms designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics are criticized.