On Friday, I linked to the vintage jersey tag shown at right. That prompted the following recollections from Rochester sporting goods magnate Terry Proctor:
Back in the day, local dealers would often have their own garment labels made up. They would then send these to the various manufacturers for installation in the garments. Some companies, like Powers Mfg. Co., Russell Southern (Athletic), and Southland Athletic, would only include the dealer’s label in the finished product if requested. Others, like MacGregor, Spanjian (DeLong), SandKnit, Rawlings, and General Athletic, would sew in the dealer’s label but also make sure that their own label appeared in the garment as well.
SandKnit probably had the fanciest embroidered labels of all. A typical SandKnit label for our shop would read, “Custom-Crafted by Medalist SandKnit for Ruby’s Sporting Goods, Rochester, NY.” For the NBA or NFL teams that SandKnit outfitted, they would say something like, “Custom-Crafted by Medalist SandKnit for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association” (or whatever the appropriate team was).
At Ruby’s, we purchased our silk labels with swiss-embroidered lettering from a company named Buffalo Woven Label Works (located in New York City, not Buffalo). They were white with red lettering. Looked really classy on the garment. We’d get the labels on 144-piece rolls and then ship them to our various manufacturers. The practice had started to fade by the early 1980s. At the end, we were using small embossed plastic labels on our garments — a big downgrade from the glory days.
Tags and labels are an area I’ve rarely explored here, mainly because I’ve largely viewed tagging as the province of game-used jersey collectors who study tags to assess authenticity (a world that doesn’t particularly interest me). Bill Henderson’s essential jersey guide, for example, includes loads of info on tagging.
Those tags are all nice enough, but I prefer the more creative ones like the one pictured at the top of the page. As that example shows, and Terry’s note reinforces, jersey tags can also be nifty little works of art, full of fun typography and logos (additional examples here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). They also serve as historical records — sometimes the only records — of now-defunct sporting goods outlets that have been displaced by malls and big-box chains like the Sports Authority (additional examples although this one is still with us).
The sport with the best shirt tags, though, is one I almost never write about, even though I’m active participant: bowling. Vintage bowling shirts tend to have beautiful little labels that are particularly impressive when you consider how small they are. (Those last two links, incidentally, were scanned from this book, which I heartily recommend.)
Getting back to Terry’s note for a sec, I was intrigued to read that his shop got its labels on 144-piece rolls. One of my more cherished collectibles is an old box of clothing name tags, which came in 144-label lots (for a nifty price, too). It’s not uni-related, but it’s an interesting little tagging kit. This particular box was for people named Frances — you could go with the full name or just the first initial (Caitlin’s paw added for scale). The tags were meant to be glued on, not sewn — hence the glue’s “No-So” name (here’s the back of the tube). Nice, right? Right.
One final note from Terry: He’s wondering if anyone has any garments with his old Ruby’s Sporting Goods labels. Anybody..?
This ’n’ That: A bunch of membership kits went out in yesterday’s mail (including Jonathan Conti‘s Boston College card, shown at right). Sorry about the delay that some of you have had to endure — the membership production team has had some extraordinary circumstances to deal with over the past few weeks.
Meanwhile: Next Thursday, July 10th, is the date of the Don Larsen perfect game screening at BB King’s. If there’s sufficient interest among NYC readers, we can convene a gathering that evening (at 8:30ish, say) at Jimmy’s Corner on West 44th. If this appeals, send me a note.
And I’m going to be doing another reading at KGB. The date is July 22nd, the theme is “Design and Sports,” and my topic will be the cultural history of the baseball cap. Other readers will include Pentagram’s Michael Beirut (talking about how stadium design relies too much on nostalgia, although I hope I can convince him to talk a bit about some of the branding work he’s done for the N.Y. Jets), Metropolis editor Jennifer Kabat (who’ll be assessing Nike’s new uniforms for the Chinese Olympic team), and design critic Phil Patton (looking at the odd connections between celebrity athletic footwear and car design). Festivities will commence at 7pm, and it’s free.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Blue Jays wore the “Welcome Back Kotter Veterans” caps last night, presumably in honor of Canada Day. … Major find in yesterday’s comments: We all know that many National League teams wore pillbox-style caps in 1976, but I didn’t recall that the umpires wore them too. ”¦ The Royals recently gave away an Alex Gordon bobblehead. Naturally, it shows him wearing his current uni number, which is 4. But the box has photos showing him wearing No. 7, which is what he wore last year (with thanks to Jim Michaels). ”¦ Someone who didn’t give his/her name reports that Troy Glaus was wearing a regular infielder’s glove while playing first base during last week’s Cards/Tigers series. I haven’t been able to find a decent view of this. Anyone know more about this..? ”¦ More on the Evansville capes, courtesy of alum Ryan Priest: “From what I understand, the team wore boxing robes, not capes. Coach Arad McCutchan believed that robes were more beneficial on the bench because by the time it took a substitute to get his warm-up pants off and checked into the game, he may have already missed a play. So, the robe was easier to remove.” He’s provided text documentation here, here, and here, and he’s working on getting some us some photos. ”¦ Pedro Porthole sighting from last night: Robinson Tejada (good spot by Brian Hansen). ”¦ Shorpy scores again — and in color! Biggest flag-to-sleeve ratio ever? (With thanks to Mark Kluczynski.) ”¦ This is a pretty cool representation of past winners of the UEFA European Champioship soccer tournament,” writes a reader who prefers to remain anonymous. “The winning players are depicted as painted portraits. Each year’s is done in a different style with a different theme (such as 1960, when the Russians are depicted as astronauts and 2004 when the Greeks are depicted the sculptures in progress). You can get a glimpse at what some of the uniforms looked like and how they changed over the years (see the Germans from 1972 to 1980 to 1996). There’s also this other history site, which shows the logo for the tournament, which stayed pretty much the same style from 1960 through 1996 (save for ’80) when the striping above the text changed depending on the host country. Neat little tidbits.” ”¦ Nice little cycling observation by Mike Williams, who writes: “I was able to attend the Tour of Pennsylvania’s final two stages in Pittsburgh last Saturday and Sunday, and the design of the tour’s award jerseys struck my fancy. What I thought was a standard watermark/polka dot motif turned out upon further inspection to be a sort of checkerboard made up of keystones — a nice touch.” … Latest victim of the Cubs’ helmet appliqué and its tendency to fall off: Eric Patterson, last night. … Great photo here of a Sioux baseball team, circa 1910 (with thanks to Tom Flynn). … See that little black speck next to the Man U logo on the shorts? Brandon Tarpey says it’s a trademark symbol, plus he says there’s another one next to the logo on the jersey.
Hooray for the Toronto Blue Jays wearing their Welcome Back Veterans hats for Canada Day!!!
In related news, apparently sporting the stars and stripes on one’s hat is now a sign of Canadian Nationalism….
The Mercury Mets link. Thought you might be interested to see that — I hadn’t remembered.
Nothing to do with today’s regular commentary, but how often do you see link?
Bengie Molina might be the only at-first-glance-blank-backed player in the majors!
my ex-wife will most certainly be a breast cancer candidate
Wow I don’t think I ever saw something LESS important to this site than that FIVE YEAR OLD article pertaining to breast cancer.
I’m not trying to be a jerk here, but isn’t that something that is a little, shall we say, borderline?
Oh, and sorry for your luck, Mr. LI Phil. :)
Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.
How did Paul miss link in that ESPN column about link …
Here’s the link …
Let your Soul Gloooow!
if this link were lefty…
could be a young founder, no? adidas on his feet…stirrups…square glasses…beat up but perfectly coordinated cap…
Lots of nice signings yesterday with the NHL free agency. Fun thing is trying to imagine the new players in their respective unis.
Kolzig in TB
hueT in CHI
Tucker in COL
It’ll be fun to see.
[quote comment=”278067″]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…
Great column on the White Sox on ESPN.com. In passing over the item on the Cubs’ catcher’s batting helmet, I thought that, of catchers who wear batting helmets (as opposed to new-fangled catching masks), some don’t wear the helmet that the team wears in that game. For example, I saw a Cubs game the other day where the catcher was wearing the home helmet even though it was a road game and called for the road helmet. The Twins catchers often wear that throwback helmet from the 1970s that the base coaches wear. Other interesting questions:
1. What makes teams decide to wear or not wear a matching batting helmet when they wear a different cap on the road? How easy would it be for the Reds to paint black on their batting helmet bills to match their road caps? Or the Orioles to paint an orange bill on their home helmets to match the caps? The Cubs match their home and road caps and helmets; the Mets used to.
2. In the 1970s I used to see catchers wear soft caps instead of helmets with their masks. Who was the last catcher to switch from the soft cap to the helmet?
Next time you think your having a bad day, think about the injury suffered by the D-Backs catcher last night:
“…The Diamondbacks suffered a couple of cringe-worthy injuries before Owings was scratched. Outfielder Eric Byrnes was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a hamstring strain, and just before the start of the game, catcher Chris Snyder went on the DL with a left testicular fracture.”
while searching for something else (namely, that the mets STILL do wear matching batting helmets & caps)…i came across link
the captions say it all…but man…just when you think you’re on top of the world…
[quote comment=”278071″][quote comment=”278067″]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.
[quote comment=”278072″]Who was the last catcher to switch from the soft cap to the helmet?[/quote]
Rick Dempsey.
Paul –
You gotta turn the sarcasm tags on before posting articles like that CNN one.. Almost seemed to good to be true.
404 on that Shorpy link
I think we should really push the new cure for breast cancer. Thank God for the wise spending of NC State.
link
Almost got roped in myself, for a moment…
[quote comment=”278075″][quote comment=”278071″][quote comment=”278067″]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.
On the Pedro Button and other button oddities, saw a kid (no more than 9 years old) wearing a FULL Cubs uni over the weekend (real sturrups and sanies too!) had his 2nd button buttoned through the top button hole..like Adam Eaton…except reversed…
link
Have the Olympic basketball uniforms already been shown on here?
link
[quote comment=”278083″]Have the Olympic basketball uniforms already been shown on here?
link
Yes … but not on a player that I recall … the backs are illegible (white letters outlined in blue on white jerseys, blue letters outlined white on blue jerseys).
[quote comment=”278081″][quote comment=”278075″][quote comment=”278071″][quote comment=”278067″]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.[/quote]
You’re right…HOWEVA…I think the footage shown was from the 1976 World Series which would have included NL umps hence the shot.
I’m still looking.
“plus he says there’s another one next to the logo on the jersey.”
If you can’t see it, you either need a bigger monitor or better glasses.
Shows up just fine on my Viewsonic 22″ LCD.
(and a major discount membership store is going to be offering a Viewsonic 28″ for $500 later this month. I can hardly wait.)
And no, I have no affiliation with them except as satisfied customer.
[quote comment=”278084″][quote comment=”278083″]Have the Olympic basketball uniforms already been shown on here?
link
Yes … but not on a player that I recall … the backs are illegible (white letters outlined in blue on white jerseys, blue letters outlined white on blue jerseys).[/quote]
NOB
link
The tags, particularly the bowling, are exqusite.
What jewels these are.
And what makes them so special is that–in addition to their hand-drawn (stitched) appeal– is that they generally reside humbly inside the jersey or pant or jacket, only to be seen and admired by the wearer for a moment.
[quote comment=”278078″]404 on that Shorpy link[/quote]
yeah…i got that too…just block and copy the url and paste it in a new window
relates back to my comments in post #8 as well
[quote comment=”278085″][quote comment=”278081″][quote comment=”278075″][quote comment=”278071″][quote comment=”278067″]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.[/quote]
You’re right…HOWEVA…I think the footage shown was from the 1976 World Series which would have included NL umps hence the shot.
I’m still looking.[/quote]
a 2 second google search for “1976 world series pictures” yielded link
so…i bet you’re right dougie ;)
link
PAUL:
Any new information on Pete Rose wearing the Phillies batting practice jersey during the 1979 All-Star game????????????????
[quote comment=”278090″][quote comment=”278085″][quote comment=”278081″][quote comment=”278075″][quote comment=”278071″][quote comment=”278067″]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.[/quote]
You’re right…HOWEVA…I think the footage shown was from the 1976 World Series which would have included NL umps hence the shot.
I’m still looking.[/quote]
a 2 second google search for “1976 world series pictures” yielded link
so…i bet you’re right dougie ;)[/quote]
Am I seeing correctly? Do the umpire pillbox caps say 76 and not NL?
[quote comment=”278067″]
Am I seeing correctly? Do the umpire pillbox caps say 76 and not NL?[/quote]
I love that Billy Martin is throwing a fit – in a MEANINGLESS All Star Game! – in that picture (yes, boys and girls, the game didn’t count for anything back in the 1900’s).
[quote comment=”278094″][quote comment=”278067″]
Am I seeing correctly? Do the umpire pillbox caps say 76 and not NL?[/quote]
I love that Billy Martin is throwing a fit – in a MEANINGLESS All Star Game! – in that picture (yes, boys and girls, the game didn’t count for anything back in the 1900’s).[/quote]
unless you consider the 1976 WORLD SERIES meaningless…
[quote comment=”278094″][quote comment=”278067″]
Am I seeing correctly? Do the umpire pillbox caps say 76 and not NL?[/quote]
I love that Billy Martin is throwing a fit – in a MEANINGLESS All Star Game! – in that picture (yes, boys and girls, the game didn’t count for anything back in the 1900’s).[/quote]
Wow … brain aneurysm or something … don’t know why I was thinking ASM … guess a fit like that makes more sense in the last series of the year. Forgive my inability to read/comprehend. It’s a Wednesday that’s really like a Thursday – right next to Friday!
[quote comment=”278078″]404 on that Shorpy link[/quote]
Here:
link
[quote]Wow … brain aneurysm or something[/quote]
too much christian rock
[quote]Forgive my inability to read/comprehend.[/quote]
and this time is different because?
;) j/k jim…you know i loves ya
[quote comment=”278092″]PAUL:
Any new information on Pete Rose wearing the Phillies batting practice jersey during the 1979 All-Star game????????????????[/quote]
Not sure what you mean by “new information.” He definitely wore it, but I’m not sure WHY he wore it. Did he forget his regular jersey, as has often happened in all-star games? Did he just like wearing his BP jersey? Still trying to suss that part out.
[quote comment=”278098″][quote]Wow … brain aneurysm or something[/quote]
too much christian rock
[quote]Forgive my inability to read/comprehend.[/quote]
and this time is different because?
;) j/k jim…you know i loves ya[/quote]
Well, you know, all of those “all-star”-filled games to end each season HAVE been meaningless since, like, 1945 IMHO.
[quote comment=”278097″][quote comment=”278078″]404 on that Shorpy link[/quote]
Here:
link
Drew Carey played baseball…who knew?
now…link is a look you don’t often see…a bearded yankee
surprised george let thurm even pose in ST for this photo
[quote comment=”278093″][quote comment=”278090″][quote comment=”278085″][quote comment=”278081″][quote comment=”278075″][quote comment=”278071″][quote comment=”278067″]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.[/quote]
You’re right…HOWEVA…I think the footage shown was from the 1976 World Series which would have included NL umps hence the shot.
I’m still looking.[/quote]
a 2 second google search for “1976 world series pictures” yielded link
so…i bet you’re right dougie ;)[/quote]
Am I seeing correctly? Do the umpire pillbox caps say 76 and not NL?[/quote]
Yep… in honor of the National League’s founding in 1876. As best I remember, the Pirates were the only team that continued to wear the “pillbox” cap after 1976 (through 1986, according to link)
I will be attending the US Synchronized Swimming nationals in Binghamton, NY the next couple days. (My daughter is competing.) The Binghamton Mets used to have caps that looked like Brooklyn Dodgers caps with Mets colors. Now that have the stupid bee on their caps.
Harumph!
Meanwhile: Next Tuesday, July 10th, is the date of the Don Larsen perfect game screening at BB King’s. If there’s sufficient interest among NYC readers, we can convene a gathering that evening (at 8:30ish, say) at Jimmy’s Corner on West 44th. If this appeals, send me a note.
I’m nowhere close to NYC and can’t make the viewing of Don Larsen’s perfect game but I thought I’d point out that July 10 is a Thursday so you may want to clarify which part is incorrect – the day or the date.
Was watching a DBacks game the other night, and Mark Grace (one of their TV guys, for those who are unaware)) was absolutely baffled that the team would wear blue caps. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, and I can’t say I’d blame him!
‘Brand New’ has a take on the new Timberwolves logos.
link
[quote comment=\”278090\”][quote comment=\”278085\”][quote comment=\”278081\”][quote comment=\”278075\”][quote comment=\”278071\”][quote comment=\”278067\”]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.[/quote]
You’re right…HOWEVA…I think the footage shown was from the 1976 World Series which would have included NL umps hence the shot.
I’m still looking.[/quote]
a 2 second google search for “1976 world series pictures” yielded this
so…i bet you\’re right dougie ;)[/quote]
Well I’ll be damned… Great find, Phil. As for whether the NL ’76 caps have been mentioned or not, I don’t recall. But considering the blog has been up for over 2 years, (and my life has gone crazy for the last year) it’s hard to recall every little nugget I’ve read! :-)
Regardless, I offer my thanks to Paul for sharing my “find” in the ticker today!
Regarding the White Sox uniforms. I seem to remember the one of the versions that the Sox wore in the 80s was designed by a contest winner. I also remember that Sports Illustrated showed some photos of some of the losing entries. Does anybody have any info on this? Thanks
I dunno if this was posted on here earlyer….but along with the Euro “Paintings” of the champions and the Events Logos….The offical Euro site has a nice History page for…
The Balls
link
And The Kits (Jerseys)
link
The Kit numbers in the 1930s (or so acording to the page) was 1-11 for one team and 12-22 for the other….did any other sport do this?
[quote comment=”278076″][quote comment=”278072″]Who was the last catcher to switch from the soft cap to the helmet?[/quote]
Rick Dempsey.[/quote]
On a side not, I remember when Greg Zaun came up with the Orioles and in his first start in the bigs he caught with his soft hat backwards. Why? Because Rick Dempsey is his uncle.
Thanks for those great shots Phil. I haven’t been able to find anything in the ticker or comments from 7/9/07 (debut of Bronx is Burning) through the end of July. The color shot, I’m sure that’s the grab I saw previously.
[quote comment=”278108″][quote comment=\”278090\”][quote comment=\”278085\”][quote comment=\”278081\”][quote comment=\”278075\”][quote comment=\”278071\”][quote comment=\”278067\”]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.[/quote]
You’re right…HOWEVA…I think the footage shown was from the 1976 World Series which would have included NL umps hence the shot.
I’m still looking.[/quote]
a 2 second google search for “1976 world series pictures” yielded this
so…i bet you\’re right dougie ;)[/quote]
Well I’ll be damned… Great find, Phil. As for whether the NL ’76 caps have been mentioned or not, I don’t recall. But considering the blog has been up for over 2 years, (and my life has gone crazy for the last year) it’s hard to recall every little nugget I’ve read! :-)
Regardless, I offer my thanks to Paul for sharing my “find” in the ticker today![/quote]
Ian, just so we’re clear, I didn’t mean any disrespect to your contribution. It’s a great shot, one I hadn’t seen before.
My comment was directed at Paul. My thinking was that since he already (or at least I THOUGHT) linked a photo of that cap, that he was being hard on himself by saying but “I didn’t recall that the umpires wore them too”
Not trying to sound over-apolgetic, just want to make sure you realize that I wasn’t slamming you (and I’m not saying that you were) it’s just that sometimes I’m kind of an atagonist in here when it comes to some topics and some folks might just think of me as a disagreeable fellow by nature!
One of my pet peeves in here is when someone gets snarky about something having already been brought up previously. The person may be a newbie, not have time to read every comment, etc and I find it rude when people jump all over them (with the exception of the green dot on QB’s helmets bit!!!). I just wanted you to know that’s not where I was coming from.
The Blue Jays looked a million times better last night in Blue caps. Even though it wasn’t a perfect match with the shade on the rest of the uniform, it just looked so much better than the black hats.
The Maple Leaf on the logo looked screwed up on TV. I didn’t see a close-up all night, so I’m not sure if it actually was, if it it was just my eyes playing tricks on me.
[quote comment=”278113″][quote comment=”278108″][quote comment=\”278090\”][quote comment=\”278085\”][quote comment=\”278081\”][quote comment=\”278075\”][quote comment=\”278071\”][quote comment=\”278067\”]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.[/quote]
You’re right…HOWEVA…I think the footage shown was from the 1976 World Series which would have included NL umps hence the shot.
I’m still looking.[/quote]
a 2 second google search for “1976 world series pictures” yielded this
so…i bet you\’re right dougie ;)[/quote]
Well I’ll be damned… Great find, Phil. As for whether the NL ’76 caps have been mentioned or not, I don’t recall. But considering the blog has been up for over 2 years, (and my life has gone crazy for the last year) it’s hard to recall every little nugget I’ve read! :-)
Regardless, I offer my thanks to Paul for sharing my “find” in the ticker today![/quote]
Ian, just so we’re clear, I didn’t mean any disrespect to your contribution. It’s a great shot, one I hadn’t seen before.
My comment was directed at Paul. My thinking was that since he already (or at least I THOUGHT) linked a photo of that cap, that he was being hard on himself by saying but “I didn’t recall that the umpires wore them too”
Not trying to sound over-apolgetic, just want to make sure you realize that I wasn’t slamming you (and I’m not saying that you were) it’s just that sometimes I’m kind of an atagonist in here when it comes to some topics and some folks might just think of me as a disagreeable fellow by nature!
One of my pet peeves in here is when someone gets snarky about something having already been brought up previously. The person may be a newbie, not have time to read every comment, etc and I find it rude when people jump all over them (with the exception of the green dot on QB’s helmets bit!!!). I just wanted you to know that’s not where I was coming from.[/quote]
Kek, we’re all good! Where I was coming from was that I didn’t want to share and/or post something that had already been covered before. I saw the pic in a book of mine (which I’ve probably owned for over 20 years!) and thought it was worth sharing — which we agree it was.
So, no worries, mate!
[quote comment=”278105″]Meanwhile: Next Tuesday, July 10th, is the date of the Don Larsen perfect game screening at BB King’s. If there’s sufficient interest among NYC readers, we can convene a gathering that evening (at 8:30ish, say) at Jimmy’s Corner on West 44th. If this appeals, send me a note.
I’m nowhere close to NYC and can’t make the viewing of Don Larsen’s perfect game but I thought I’d point out that July 10 is a Thursday so you may want to clarify which part is incorrect – the day or the date.[/quote]
Thanks. It’s Thursday the 10th.
[quote comment=”278109″]Regarding the White Sox uniforms. I seem to remember the one of the versions that the Sox wore in the 80s was designed by a contest winner. I also remember that Sports Illustrated showed some photos of some of the losing entries. Does anybody have any info on this? Thanks[/quote]
That’s mentioned (along with links to some drawings and prototypes of the losing entries) in the article, isn’t it?
link
That O’s cap of 1975-76 in the above post (on pillbox hat of Pirates) is a thing of beauty. Was there a matching helmet?
As to White Sox unis: See SI of June or July 1982.
[quote comment=”278116″][quote comment=”278105″]Next
TuesdayTHURSDAY, July 10th, is the date of the Don Larsen perfect game screening at BB King’s. If there’s sufficient interest among NYC readers, we can convene a gathering that evening (at 8:30ish, say) at Jimmy’s Corner on West 44th. If this appeals, send me a note.[/quote]Thanks. It’s Thursday the 10th.[/quote]
i’d be up for a NYC UW rave…anyone else?
[quote comment=”278077″]Paul –
You gotta turn the sarcasm tags on before posting articles like that CNN one.. Almost seemed to good to be true.[/quote]
WTF are you talking about?
[quote comment=”278115″][quote comment=”278113″][quote comment=”278108″][quote comment=\”278090\”][quote comment=\”278085\”][quote comment=\”278081\”][quote comment=\”278075\”][quote comment=\”278071\”][quote comment=\”278067\”]Paul, I could have sworn that you brought up the NL umps sporting the pillbox caps when Bronx is Burning was airing.[/quote]
Did I? Maybe I did. Lots of info rattling around in that brain, so sometimes I forget some of it…[/quote]
Well, it could have been in a comment but I thought it was a ticker item. I think it was a screenshot that was actually footage from a Yankees game, but I could be wrong. Lemme search the archives for ya. I’ll be back.[/quote]
It couldn’t have been a Yankee game. The pillbox caps were worn only by National League teams and umpires. It was not a bicentennial salute but for the 100 Anniversary of the National League.[/quote]
You’re right…HOWEVA…I think the footage shown was from the 1976 World Series which would have included NL umps hence the shot.
I’m still looking.[/quote]
a 2 second google search for “1976 world series pictures” yielded this
so…i bet you\’re right dougie ;)[/quote]
Well I’ll be damned… Great find, Phil. As for whether the NL ’76 caps have been mentioned or not, I don’t recall. But considering the blog has been up for over 2 years, (and my life has gone crazy for the last year) it’s hard to recall every little nugget I’ve read! :-)
Regardless, I offer my thanks to Paul for sharing my “find” in the ticker today![/quote]
Ian, just so we’re clear, I didn’t mean any disrespect to your contribution. It’s a great shot, one I hadn’t seen before.
My comment was directed at Paul. My thinking was that since he already (or at least I THOUGHT) linked a photo of that cap, that he was being hard on himself by saying but “I didn’t recall that the umpires wore them too”
Not trying to sound over-apolgetic, just want to make sure you realize that I wasn’t slamming you (and I’m not saying that you were) it’s just that sometimes I’m kind of an atagonist in here when it comes to some topics and some folks might just think of me as a disagreeable fellow by nature!
One of my pet peeves in here is when someone gets snarky about something having already been brought up previously. The person may be a newbie, not have time to read every comment, etc and I find it rude when people jump all over them (with the exception of the green dot on QB’s helmets bit!!!). I just wanted you to know that’s not where I was coming from.[/quote]
Kek, we’re all good! Where I was coming from was that I didn’t want to share and/or post something that had already been covered before. I saw the pic in a book of mine (which I’ve probably owned for over 20 years!) and thought it was worth sharing — which we agree it was.
So, no worries, mate![/quote]
That’s cool Ian. I’m always glad to talk about the pillbox caps. It’s one of my favorite uni items in any sport.
What’s unique about the Pirates is that in ’76 they were still wearing the unis they switched to when Three Rivers Stadium opened (which was also unique because they moved from Forbes Field after the season already started). Therefore the pillbox was based on the older, mustard yellow cap. It wasn’t until ’77 when the Bucs switched to the mix-and-match that many of us are fond of (and others not-so-much!). They added the black pillbox and the yellow one was a much brighter shade of yellow.
Even more ironic is that the New Era cap that I own is somewhere in the middle of the two as far as shades of yellow go.
Last Friday was Dave Parker bobblehead night at PNC Park and it’s part of their lumber company series. Parker is depicted a correct shade of the cap for 1976.
[quote comment=”278120″][quote comment=”278077″]Paul –
You gotta turn the sarcasm tags on before posting articles like that CNN one.. Almost seemed to good to be true.[/quote]
WTF are you talking about?[/quote]
it’s a ticker item that’s no longer there…
(you prolly have no idea what posts #4 and #5 are about either…but they related to the CNN story…it was, um…interesting…ways a woman could reduce her risk of breast cancer
by giving headthrough the FULL act of fellatio)Hi Uni Watch community,
I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a picture of Tom Brady wearing one of those cold-weather capes. I have this image of Brady in my head looking like one of those old-time quarterbacks wearing a cape, but has thus been unable to find a picture. I’m afraid I’m able to offer nothing besides my eternal gratitude, but, well, you’d have that going for you. Thanks a bunch.
Thomas
[quote comment=”278070″]Lots of nice signings yesterday with the NHL free agency. Fun thing is trying to imagine the new players in their respective unis.
Kolzig in TB
hueT in CHI
Tucker in COL
It’ll be fun to see.[/quote]
Jose Theodore to the Caps…..enh (and I say this as a STH for the Caps…)
[quote comment=”278123″]Hi Uni Watch community,
I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a picture of Tom Brady wearing one of those cold-weather capes. I have this image of Brady in my head looking like one of those old-time quarterbacks wearing a cape, but has thus been unable to find a picture. I’m afraid I’m able to offer nothing besides my eternal gratitude, but, well, you’d have that going for you. Thanks a bunch.
Thomas[/quote]
does link work for ya?
or perhaps link?
failing that, you can always have a pic of tom link
not quite a cape, of course
[quote comment=”278092″]PAUL:
Any new information on Pete Rose wearing the Phillies batting practice jersey during the 1979 All-Star game????????????????[/quote]
I seem to recall his luggage was lost and he had to borrow a glove and spikes.
[quote comment=”278070″]Lots of nice signings yesterday with the NHL free agency. Fun thing is trying to imagine the new players in their respective unis.
Kolzig in TB
hueT in CHI
Tucker in COL
It’ll be fun to see.[/quote]
And maybe, just maybe, if the rumors are true, we’ll get to see 68 back in black. And gold.
link
Paul has featured this label before in a discussion of the horrid orange O’s unis but I couldn’t find it here but I did find it:
link
Man U trademark symbol on the jersey:
link
[quote comment=”278124″][quote comment=”278070″]Lots of nice signings yesterday with the NHL free agency. Fun thing is trying to imagine the new players in their respective unis.
Kolzig in TB
hueT in CHI
Tucker in COL
It’ll be fun to see.[/quote]
Jose Theodore to the Caps…..enh (and I say this as a STH for the Caps…)[/quote]
HOSSA TO THE RED WINGS!!! Holy Shit! Talk about unexpected! Seeing he can’t wear 18 (Maltby) wonder if he’ll switch it up and go 81 or take the nearest number avaliable, 17 (seeing Drake will probably retire). Wow……..
As a huge Chicago Blackhawks fan and a hockey player I’m familiar with Gunzo’s Hockey warehouse in Chicago. Today’s entry on tags got me thinking about Gunzo’s. They used to supply the Hawk’s with their jersey’s and I remembered seeing their logo/tag and thinking it was awesome. You can see an example of it here:
link
[quote comment=”278128″]Paul has featured this label before in a discussion of the horrid orange O’s unis but I couldn’t find it here but I did find it:
link[/quote]
Oooh, I forgot about that. So cool!
I’ve got an old Vikings jersey with a Sand-Knit tag that reads (something like):
“Designed and Tailored
Exclusively For
Minnesota Vikings
*American* Football Conference”
(Asterisks mine)
I could get a picture of it tonight if it’s a sufficiently interesting error.
Speaking of Brooks Robinson, he was given the all-time Gold Glove for a thrid baseman last night at the York Revolution gave (he is part owner of the team.) All the York players wore “B. Robinson” NOB instead of their own.
link
I was surprised no one mentioned this yesterday, but the best uni part of the hockey video was actually the fact that Russian jerseys do not have a fight strap. It was nice to see the lost art of pulling the jersey over the oppositions head and pummeling him while he can’t see.
Anyone notice the subtlety of the Timberwolves “Howl at the Ball” secondary logo?
The hidden tree in the wolf’s neck?
apparently everything i learned in life i learned from slylock fox…
OH and I’m glad I got up early enough to see that CNN article and print it for my girlfriend. HAHA
[quote comment=”278125″][quote comment=”278123″]Hi Uni Watch community,
I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a picture of Tom Brady wearing one of those cold-weather capes. I have this image of Brady in my head looking like one of those old-time quarterbacks wearing a cape, but has thus been unable to find a picture. I’m afraid I’m able to offer nothing besides my eternal gratitude, but, well, you’d have that going for you. Thanks a bunch.
Thomas[/quote]
does link work for ya?
or perhaps link?
failing that, you can always have a pic of tom link
not quite a cape, of course[/quote]
Nice photoshop job on the cap. Someone swapped out the really ugly Yankees logo for an almost as ugly Red Sox logo.
[quote comment=”278123″]Hi Uni Watch community,
I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a picture of Tom Brady wearing one of those cold-weather capes. I have this image of Brady in my head looking like one of those old-time quarterbacks wearing a cape, but has thus been unable to find a picture. I’m afraid I’m able to offer nothing besides my eternal gratitude, but, well, you’d have that going for you. Thanks a bunch.
Thomas[/quote]
Here it is:
link
anyone else see what socks ronnie brown is wearing?
link
link
Some Nice Mets Reebok Pumps
umm…
link
Please make the bad man stop.
[quote comment=”278134″]Speaking of Brooks Robinson, he was given the all-time Gold Glove for a thrid baseman last night at the York Revolution gave (he is part owner of the team.) All the York players wore “B. Robinson” NOB instead of their own.
link
Here is a link to a local York, PA newspaper with their coverage of the game. Includes a photo of the “B. Robinson” NOB on a couple of players.
link
[quote comment=”278142″][quote comment=”278134″]Speaking of Brooks Robinson, he was given the all-time Gold Glove for a thrid baseman last night at the York Revolution gave (he is part owner of the team.) All the York players wore “B. Robinson” NOB instead of their own.
link
Here is a link to a local York, PA newspaper with their coverage of the game. Includes a photo of the “B. Robinson” NOB on a couple of players.
link
I went to the Revolution website to take a look at some more pictures and see they signed Shea Hillenbrand…poor guy…and they used an OLD D-Backs (purple) picture….ouch.
Then in the bottom right I noticed something else which would not go over well here…Purple Jersey Night! I take it PL will not be attending.
link
[quote comment=”278143″][quote comment=”278142″][quote comment=”278134″]Speaking of Brooks Robinson, he was given the all-time Gold Glove for a thrid baseman last night at the York Revolution gave (he is part owner of the team.) All the York players wore “B. Robinson” NOB instead of their own.
link
Here is a link to a local York, PA newspaper with their coverage of the game. Includes a photo of the “B. Robinson” NOB on a couple of players.
link
I went to the Revolution website to take a look at some more pictures and see they signed Shea Hillenbrand…poor guy…and they used an OLD D-Backs (purple) picture….ouch.
Then in the bottom right I noticed something else which would not go over well here…Purple Jersey Night! I take it PL will not be attending.
link
Not sure if this has been mentioned here before or not, but Sovereign Bank Stadium, where the Revolution play has the highest outfield wall in baseball. 37 feet 8 inches. 8 inches higher than the green monster in Boston.
link
does anyone else think there’s a nike swoosh on ronnie belliard’s sock, just below the knee?
link
same photo, but slightly larger:
link
[quote comment=”278145″]does anyone else think there’s a nike swoosh on ronnie belliard’s sock, just below the knee?
link
heh…no…it looks like a rip or tear…interesting shape tho
LI Phil, Mike:
Not quite what I was looking for, but I appreciate the effort. Re: the Sox/Yankees caps, Brady has been photographed wearing both teams’ hats, not really something I can approve of. That is, I wouldn’t approve of it if he weren’t a cape-wearing superhero who can do whatever he’d like. Oh, well.
speaking of ronnie belliard…
when did the wahoo’s link in these?
Had to be 2004 – it’s the only year both Belliard and Vizquel were on the Indians.
Supposedly, he O’s are gonna put link back on their road jerseys.
I’m assuming the other player in that photo is Omar Vizquel – it’s looks like jersey #13, and the shoes he used to wear:
link
Just a quick label related comment – I own an embroidery and screen-printing business and we do some private labeling – the old labels are cut out and a new one (that we get in bulk from China) gets sewn in – the biggest market that we do this for is higher end boutiques in places like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
One company that I notice does this a great deal is Majestic – many of their licensed MLB tees have been relabeled. If you are curious just lift up the Majestic tag and just below the seam with the shirt you will see the remains of the old sliced tag.
[quote comment=”278150″]Had to be 2004 – it’s the only year both Belliard and Vizquel were on the Indians.[/quote]
link
[quote comment=”278153″]Just a quick label related comment – I own an embroidery and screen-printing business and we do some private labeling – the old labels are cut out and a new one (that we get in bulk from China) gets sewn in – the biggest market that we do this for is higher end boutiques in places like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
One company that I notice does this a great deal is Majestic – many of their licensed MLB tees have been relabeled. If you are curious just lift up the Majestic tag and just below the seam with the shirt you will see the remains of the old sliced tag.[/quote]
Reebok/Adidas did that with retail NBA jerseys & it drove retail jersey collectors nuts – they got a retagged reebok 04-05 or 05-06 jersey instead of an adidas 06-07 jersey.
Does anyone know if the Sixers are going back to their old logo and 1980s jerseys for this season? I heard a passing comment about this on the radio a few months ago, but nothing of it from then on.
Hey.Just looked at my Manchester United shirt. It has the little R in a circle, or the registered trademark symbol. I always remember it being there so I’m not sure how far back it goes, just seems natural to me though.
[quote comment=”278142″][quote comment=”278134″]Speaking of Brooks Robinson, he was given the all-time Gold Glove for a thrid baseman last night at the York Revolution gave (he is part owner of the team.) All the York players wore “B. Robinson” NOB instead of their own.
link
Here is a link to a local York, PA newspaper with their coverage of the game. Includes a photo of the “B. Robinson” NOB on a couple of players.
link
Another picture of the Revolution players with the “B. Robisnon” NOB
link
I came across link in the Seattle PI today of Univ. of Washington basketball coach Tippy Dye looking over the jerseys of former players in 1953.
cute onesies
There was mention about the Detroit Tigers’ Class A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps, wearing Darth Vader jerseys on June 28th. Well, a fan was able to snap some pictures of them. (She posted this link on a message board.) They can be found here:
link
Has anyone seen the Stars and Stripe caps in any physical stores yet? I’ve been looking for a Yankee one, and have yet to see them. I know they’re online, but you’d think they’d have them in stores by now to capitalize on the weekend.
[quote comment=”278123″]Hi Uni Watch community,
I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a picture of Tom Brady wearing one of those cold-weather capes. I have this image of Brady in my head looking like one of those old-time quarterbacks wearing a cape, but has thus been unable to find a picture. I’m afraid I’m able to offer nothing besides my eternal gratitude, but, well, you’d have that going for you. Thanks a bunch.
Thomas[/quote]
To try and give you a serious answer, I don’t recall Tom ever wearing the cape. Usually he goes with the sideline coat for cold weather games, but I could be forgetting something. Can’t find any pics though.
Pedro Porthole there in the first.
It’s more-or-less official: the Sonics are moving to OKC. The city of Seattle made a Cleveland-esque deal to keep the name, history, and colors, as when the Browns moved to Baltimore.
Not good times here in Seattle, but there’ll be new unis shortly.
[quote comment=”278161″]There was mention about the Detroit Tigers’ Class A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps, wearing Darth Vader jerseys on June 28th. Well, a fan was able to snap some pictures of them. (She posted this link on a message board.) They can be found here:
link
Any particular reason behind this, the dumbest of promotions?
SB
Well, let the ass-kissing begin in the Sooner State. The Sonics have been released from their lease and will move to Oklahoma City next season.
Also, let the Western Conference realignment start now. Phoenix to Southwest Division, Portland to the Pacific Division and OKC to the newly renamed Midwest (formerly Northwest) Division.
Check that…Portland to Pacific Division, OKC and Phoenix to join the Texas three-step in the Southwest and everyone else (Memphis, New Orleans, Minnesota, Denver and Utah) to the renamed Midwest Division.
Giants wearing the red/white/blue caps;
link
[quote comment=”278166″][quote comment=”278161″]There was mention about the Detroit Tigers’ Class A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps, wearing Darth Vader jerseys on June 28th. Well, a fan was able to snap some pictures of them. (She posted this link on a message board.) They can be found here:
link
Any particular reason behind this, the dumbest of promotions?
SB[/quote]
I believe it was for a charitable cause, perhaps MS? It was posted on here a few days ago. I think they raised $3000 last year with the same promo.
Ryan Dempster is batting in the top of the 2nd with his fly open. The Cubs Comcast team actually showed a freeze frame of it. Len Kasper and Bob Brenly made a couple of cracks about it.
It’s official…the former Sonics to OKC. I wonder what the name and new look will be.
link
[quote comment=”278169″]Giants wearing the red/white/blue caps;
link
As are the Cubbies (in the same game).
[quote comment=”278173″][quote comment=”278169″]Giants wearing the red/white/blue caps;
link
As are the Cubbies (in the same game).[/quote]
link
link
advantage…cubbies
Cubs @ Giants:
link
[quote comment=”278174″][quote comment=”278173″][quote comment=”278169″]Giants wearing the red/white/blue caps;
link
As are the Cubbies (in the same game).[/quote]
link
link
advantage…cubbies[/quote]
Wow. I sure hope those SF caps look better in person than they do in screen grabs. That’s a mess! Only two reasons they Cubs version isn’t as horrid: 1) It’s not too far a jump from team colors anyway, and 2) Simplicity. That theme wasn’t mean for a busy logo.
[quote comment=”278176″]
Wow. I sure hope those SF caps look better in person than they do in screen grabs. That’s a mess! Only two reasons they Cubs version isn’t as horrid: 1) It’s not too far a jump from team colors anyway, and 2) Simplicity. That theme wasn’t mean for a busy logo.[/quote]
Agreed.
Also, speaking of simplicity, the Cubs’ regular road caps are awful (compared to the home ones). So these caps actually look better than the ones they normally wear with the road grays.
They need to ditch those red-billed eyesores and go solid blue full-time.
[quote comment=”278176″][quote comment=”278174″][quote comment=”278173″][quote comment=”278169″]Giants wearing the red/white/blue caps;
link
As are the Cubbies (in the same game).[/quote]
link
link
advantage…cubbies[/quote]
Wow. I sure hope those SF caps look better in person than they do in screen grabs. That’s a mess! Only two reasons they Cubs version isn’t as horrid: 1) It’s not too far a jump from team colors anyway, and 2) Simplicity. That theme wasn’t mean for a busy logo.[/quote]
Our narrator, Mr. Lukas, was right. He said something like, “It’s not that the whole is less than the sum of the parts, it’s that the whole is less than just one of the parts.” It takes me WAY too long to process everything. (“Oh dear. What’s that blob on their hat? … Looks like the insignia…What’s inside the insignia? … Wow, Old Glory in the insignia.”) I shouldn’t have to think that hard about what on Earth that uniform accessory is.
In addition, I really, really hate the universal blue hats. It dilutes the team brand too much. The San Francisco Giants in navy hats!? Never would have imagined that in a million years. I wonder if I’d like the caps more if the base color were maintained, but with the star-spangled logos. Can somebody Photoshop that? In other words, special logo on black hat for Giants, special logo on green for A’s, etc.
[quote]Can somebody Photoshop that? In other words, special logo on black hat for Giants, special logo on green for A’s, etc.[/quote]
i second that emotion, but i bet those starspangled logos look like shiat…BUT…
i bet they’d look
greatgood on a reds (sans blackbill), cards, d-backs (red), yanks, mets (blue only), royals, dodgers, etc…basically, any team with a blue or red (solid please) cap
but…yeah…so if someone could just go ahead and do up a p-chop, that would be terrific, OK?
Check out link
They have mock uniforms for some NFL teams
link
link
Heres a few
link
link
link
I thought Robinson Tejeda was his name
[quote comment=\”278149\”]speaking of ronnie belliard…
when did the wahoo\’s throwback in these?[/quote]
Noooo! The walking blood clots!
[quote comment=”278141″]umm…
link
Please make the bad man stop.[/quote]
I note the lack of a presenting sponsor (i.e., Phillips Electronics). Is this because of Panasonic being an Olympic sponsor?