| A baseball uniform is worn in order to distinguish | | | | that fans in the stadium could actually see the |
| the wearers' role in the sport. Most uniforms have | | | | difference. Some used to say that pinstripes |
| a name and number located usually on the back | | | | were added to the New York Yankees uniform |
| to help identify the player. Shoes, shirts, socks, | | | | to make baseball legend Babe Ruth appear |
| caps, pants and gloves are all part of the baseball | | | | slimmer, but since the team had been wearing the |
| uniform. | | | | same pinstripes several years before he joined |
| But how did the baseball uniform come to be? | | | | them, the legend was a myth. |
| Baseball uniforms were first introduced by the | | | | The first numbers added to uniforms were in |
| New York Knickerbockers in the year 1849. Their | | | | 1916 by the Cleveland Indians. They had them |
| pants were made of wool; they wore white | | | | placed on their left sleeve and it wasn't until 1929 |
| flannel shirts and straw hats. Wearing a uniform | | | | that the numbers made their way to the back of |
| soon took root and by 1900 all Major League | | | | the uniform. All major league baseball teams had |
| Baseball teams were wearing them. | | | | numbers by the year 1932. It wasn't until 1952 |
| Before that time, those wearing a uniform also | | | | that the Brooklyn Dodgers were the first to add |
| wore stockings which covered a player from foot | | | | numbers to the front. |
| to knee. Different colors and styles were used to | | | | From the very beginning, logos were used to |
| show the differences between team members. | | | | identify teams. Often times it was an Old English |
| By the end of the century each team would | | | | letter worn on the chest. Soon, picture logos |
| wear one of two different uniforms to | | | | began to be a popular site of team marketing. In |
| differentiate between the home team and road | | | | the 1930's, almost every team had its own logo |
| team. It became popular to wear white at home | | | | or team nickname on their home shirts. |
| and either black, dark blue or gray on the road. | | | | Today many uniforms sport both new ideas of |
| From this time forward, the uniform began to | | | | the baseball uniform coupled with the old traditional |
| evolve. Teams began making their uniforms even | | | | style. Baseball and its uniforms are a huge part of |
| more unique adding purple lines or changing their | | | | American history and the traditional style a |
| colors entirely. Some started pin striping, which | | | | fantastic part of the baseball heritage. |
| over the course of several years got bigger so | | | | |