Baseball A baseball uniform is a type of uniform worn by baseball players, and by some non-playing personnel, such as field managers and coaches. It is worn to indicate the person's role in the game and — through the use of logos, colors, and numbers — to identify the teams and their players, managers, and coaches.[36]
The New York Knickerbockers were the first baseball team to use uniforms, taking the field on April 4, 1849, in pants made of blue wool, white flannel shirts and straw hats.[37][37][38][39][40] The practice of wearing a uniform soon spread, and by 1900, all major league teams had adopted them. By 1882, most uniforms included stockings, which covered the leg from foot to knee, and had different colors that reflected the different baseball positions.[41] In the late 1880s, the Detroit Wolverines and Washington Nationals of the National League and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the American Association were the first to wear striped uniforms.[37][42]
Caps, or other types of headgear with eyeshades, have been a part of baseball uniforms from the beginning.[43][44] Baseball teams often wore full-brimmed straw hats or no cap at all since there was no official rule regarding headgear.[45] Completing the baseball uniform are cleats and stockings, both of which have also been around for a long time.
By the end of the 19th century, teams began the practice of having two different uniforms, one for when they played in their own baseball stadium and a different one for when they played on the road. It became common to wear white pants with a white color vest at home and gray pants with a gray or solid color vest on the road. Each team also has one or more alternate uniforms, usually consisting of the primary or secondary team color on the vest instead of the normal white or gray. Teams also wear throwback uniforms occasionally.
