Alternate Jerseys

[jhans203]

I was sitting here at work bored and such, and I was thinking who started wearing alternate jerseys. I think one of the first teams was the Baltimore Orioles if I'm not wrong. I also remember in the NBA in the mid-1990s Orlando, Charlotte, Detroit, and few others started wearing alternates. But, what about the NFL and NHL. I noticed that the Bruins had three different sweaters early in their history. Can anyone add more to this topic? Thanks for any insight.

[Brendan]

I know the first teams to wear alternates in the nhl were the canucks, bruins, kings and ducks. The blues were suspose to join them but then coach mike Kennan wouldn't let his team wear their jerseys.

[ninersdd]

I know in 1995 there was a wave of them like Boston, Anaheim, and LA, and I don't know if there were any before that

[zig]

I know the first teams to wear alternates in the nhl were the canucks, bruins, kings and ducks. The blues were suspose to join them but then coach mike Kennan wouldn't let his team wear their jerseys.

don't forget the penguins

[Tazz013]

The Penguins wore some gold alts in the early '80s.

The earliest atlernate uniforms have to be from baseball. I'm not sure who was first, but I know the Cubs had alternates in the '30s.

[TruColor]

The Pacers wore an alternate Gold jersey in the early '80s.

These were prior to the Wayman Tisdale-era Royal Blue and Gold jerseys with the horizontal banner across the front.

[jws008]

Not necessarily a full alternate set, but remember that the 1976 Reds, Phillies, and Mets wore those "pillbox" style caps as alternate "headwear" during the 1976 season in honor of the country's 200th birthday.

I only remember it because I think it is one of the few times I can remember almost wholehearted dislike of the "alternate" piece of a uniform by the vast majority of fans.

Lastly, I know the Pirates also wore a pillbox style hat, but that cap was their main cap during that season (and for a few of the following seasons).

Those hats were the first alternate piece of a uniform I remember any team in the four major leagues ever using...

[Discrim]

I can't vouch for other leagues, but I know in the NHL the Maple Leafs wore the first second jersey in 1927-28. their main jerseys were blue wiht white stripes on the sleeves and hem, and a white leaf. their alt/clashes were plain white with a blue leaf.

the first third jersey was worn by the Bruins, though the term wasn't around then obviously. they began wearing three jerseys in the early or mid 50s, I can't recall off the top of my head, but they had gold, white and black jerseys.

heh, go check out NHL Uniforms

[ShaftDu]

in baseball, wasn't it the whitesox? I remember they made a big deal about it when Bo Jackson signed on. I swear to god, Sox were the first in the modern era.

[leopard88]

I doubt they were the first, but the Orioles started wearing orange jerseys as an alternate on a regular basis when they went to the white-paneled caps in 1975. Before that, they wore a vest and an all-orange uniform on 1-2 occasions (late '60s for the vests, 1971 for the orange uniforms, IIRC).

To get the definitive answer for baseball, I would suggest checking the Dressed to the Nines site. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to do that right now.

[tajmccall]

It would be baseball...check dressed to the nines.

[WBGMike]

The Pens were the first in the NHL to wear an alternate

[beesharps]

The Montreal Canadiens wore three jerseys way back in the 1946-47 season :

The Bruins followed suit in 1955-56 :

[Discrim]

NHL's first ever alternate jersey (back when teams usually only had one...I guess you could call it the league's first clash jersey)

TML 1927-28

regarding the 46-47 Habs whites in the prior post, I figure that was more a midseason change than an alternate...the version with the blue stripe seemingly ditched in favor of the one with the red yoke (check 45-46, then 47-48)

[ltravisjr]

I am almost certain the modern era of baseball alternates was begun by the White Sox. Baseball had gone from those wild colorful pullovers (and all those powder blues) to a return to ultra-conservative where all teams had a white home set and all grey road set. I think the Royals were the last team to change. The Sox rebranded in 1990 by going to the black and silver pinstripes. They also had the Sunday only all black jersey. Nobody else had an alternate at the time - and nobody else had black as a main uniform color either. That is my recollection - check dressed to the nines to verify

LT

edit: just checked the site and saw the O's did have an orange alt, although I didn't recall them having it at that time.

[rynoz10]

I know you guys are probably right about this but to add my 2 cents the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1978-79 had 9 different uniform combinations I talked to Kent Tekeulve about it and he said they had to post what uniform combo they were wearing for the night on the wall so that everyone would be on the same page with their uniforms.

[winghaz]

The Orioles had those all-orange uniforms in the early '70s.

[speedo]

I think the Kansas City A's beat Baltimore to the punch in the '60's. This SI cover is from 1967, but I remember seeing an A's-Tigers doubleheader in 1964 when KC wore gold in game one and grey in game two. And they used white at home.

[winghaz]

I think the Kansas City A's beat Baltimore to the punch in the '60's. This SI cover is from 1967, but I remember seeing an A's-Tigers doubleheader in 1964 when KC wore gold in game one and grey in game two. And they used white at home.

Good catch, speedo.

But I think the Kansas City A's alternated between gold and white at home. I may be wrong, though.

[totc]

According to "Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century," there could have been alternates as early as 1900. The Boston Nationals had both a single Old English red B and a block "BOSTON" for the home whites.