Denver Bears

[hecticbro]

Ugh. I hate that phony "retro" jersey.

Just realized, in the upper left hand corner - what team creates a logo of their mascot missing a pitch?

I think it's impressive enough that a retarded bear learned how to swing a bat.

[darkhaha]

I don't know - Ebbets has been pretty good overall, but they're not perfect.

So we know the uniforms were blue in 1952 and 1965, but that doesn't mean anything about the years in between.

According to Wikipedia, the Bears' affiliation over this period was:

1952-1954 Pittsburgh Pirates

1955-1958 New York Yankees

1959 None

1960-1962 Detroit Tigers

1963-1964 Milwaukee Braves

1965-1968 Minnesota Twins

So it would not surprise me to learn they changed their colors a couple of times along the way as the affiliation shifted. Some teams used the colors of the parent club, others did not.

Makes sense that they would be using the Detroit-style "D" in 1962, if they were still a Tiger farm team.

You bring up some good points, and you're right -- they may have changed colors along the way. Although it seems unlikely to me for several reasons:

1. From "The Denver Bears: From Sandlots to Sellouts": "Over the winter of 1954-55 the Howsams diligently prepared for triple A ball. The old uniforms were redesigned to include Yankee pinstripes and an Old English style "D" on the shirt fronts and caps...." It would seem odd to me that they would pay homage to the Yankees by adding pinstripes and making them BROWN.

2. The uniform style described above lasted through the 1962 season; in those days not just uniform designs but the uniforms themselves were required to last for multiple seasons, as minor league teams didn't have a lot of money for replacements. So the Ebbets Field cap (and therefore the brown/orange color scheme) could really only have existed in 1963 and/or '64. If this is true, then the Bears would have had to buy all new uniforms in both 1963 and 1965 (as we know they were in navy/red for '65). Given their economic woes during those years, I just don't think that's a plausible scenario.

3. Here's an interesting photo from a 1963 program:

Note the Old English D cap with the new style jersey. I'm pretty sure they never actually wore this combo in a regular season game; this photo was probably from spring training before the new hats came in. Nevertheless, it seems unlikely to me that anyone would be wearing a navy hat with a uniform consisting of brown and orange. Stranger things have happened though, I suppose...

[Gothamite]

Heck, stranger uniform things have happened in Denver. Right about that time, too....

[darkhaha]

Heck, stranger uniform things have happened in Denver. Right about that time, too....

Yep, I guess we can be thankful the Bears weren't sporting vertically striped socks -- although that might have made an amazing combination with the strike-zone uniforms!

[Discrim]

Recently came across some photos of the Denver Bears in the 1950s. Here's the unique "strike-zone" uniform that was briefly (and grudgingly) worn in 1952:

heh, I kinda like those.

[Sec19Row53]

Recently came across some photos of the Denver Bears in the 1950s. Here's the unique "strike-zone" uniform that was briefly (and grudgingly) worn in 1952:

heh, I kinda like those.

Regulars here aren't surprised

[totc]

Wow. That's an interesting idea. I'll have to consider that at length.

I'm confused - were those uniforms specifically designed to illustrate the strike zone, or is it just a name added because it was an unintended consequence of the design?

Here's a quote from "The Denver Bears: From Sandlots to Sellouts" by Mark S. Foster:

"Bob Howsam [the Bears' General Manager] attempted to capitalize on the centennial of Denver's settlement by dressing the players in replicas of the 1859 uniforms [on opening day, 1959]...

Er, uh, given the fact that the Cincinnati Red Stockings started pro baseball in 1869, wouldn't that have been a bit specious?

[Gothamite]

Not necessarily.

I took from that sentence that they were wearing replicas of 1859-style uniforms.

[darkhaha]

Wow. That's an interesting idea. I'll have to consider that at length.

I'm confused - were those uniforms specifically designed to illustrate the strike zone, or is it just a name added because it was an unintended consequence of the design?

Here's a quote from "The Denver Bears: From Sandlots to Sellouts" by Mark S. Foster:

"Bob Howsam [the Bears' General Manager] attempted to capitalize on the centennial of Denver's settlement by dressing the players in replicas of the 1859 uniforms [on opening day, 1959]...

Er, uh, given the fact that the Cincinnati Red Stockings started pro baseball in 1869, wouldn't that have been a bit specious?

There were many amateur and semi-pro teams playing throughout the country for years before the Red Stockings became the first (openly) all-professional team in 1869.

[bulldogbarks55]

Roxfan,

Is that Frank "Bullets" Verdi wearing the pinstriped uniform in the picture at the bottom of the page? Verdi had a long relationship with the Rochester Red Wings as a player and later on the manager. While coaching third base for the Wings in Havana he was hit in the head by a stray bullet from a Cuban soldier's machine gun on July 26, 1959. Verdi was coaching third because Rochester manager Cot Deal had been ejected earlier. Verdi happened to be wearing a plastic cap liner and the slug defelected off that but tore the wool cap. Deal didn't wear the liner so who knows what would have happened. Havana Sugar Kings shortstop Leonardo "Chico" Cardenas was wounded in the shoulder during the melee. The game was suspended at that point. July 26 is Castro's big holiday. Soldiers were let in to ElGran Stadium for free and there were barrels of rum all over the place for people to drink from. The soldier who fired the shots was probably inebriated.

Red Wing pitcher Artie Kay, who would make Rochester his off-season home, told me years later that when the bullets started flying the Red Wings bullpen crew ran right for the clubhouse in center field. Havana would continue in the International League until mid-1960 when the team was moved to Jersey City in the interests of player safety. Cuban-born players (notably Francisco "Pancho" Herrera of the Buffalo Bisons) for other IL teams would remain at a hotel in Miami (also in the IL) while their teams went to Cuba for fear that Uncle Fidel wouldn't let them return to the USA. Verdi's nickname is a result of that fateful night.

[totc]

Wow, a strike zone uniform. I had never heard of the idea. I does look dorky as hell, but just wait for Nike to make it the Oregon Ducks new baseball uni. Ha Ha!!

I wonder -- did the entire Pacific Coast League experiment with this, or were the Bears royally ticked off about balls and strikes calls from the past season?

[roxfan00]

Roxfan,

Is that Frank "Bullets" Verdi wearing the pinstriped uniform in the picture at the bottom of the page? Verdi had a long relationship with the Rochester Red Wings as a player and later on the manager. While coaching third base for the Wings in Havana he was hit in the head by a stray bullet from a Cuban soldier's machine gun on July 26, 1959. Verdi was coaching third because Rochester manager Cot Deal had been ejected earlier. Verdi happened to be wearing a plastic cap liner and the slug defelected off that but tore the wool cap. Deal didn't wear the liner so who knows what would have happened. Havana Sugar Kings shortstop Leonardo "Chico" Cardenas was wounded in the shoulder during the melee. The game was suspended at that point. July 26 is Castro's big holiday. Soldiers were let in to ElGran Stadium for free and there were barrels of rum all over the place for people to drink from. The soldier who fired the shots was probably inebriated.

Red Wing pitcher Artie Kay, who would make Rochester his off-season home, told me years later that when the bullets started flying the Red Wings bullpen crew ran right for the clubhouse in center field. Havana would continue in the International League until mid-1960 when the team was moved to Jersey City in the interests of player safety. Cuban-born players (notably Francisco "Pancho" Herrera of the Buffalo Bisons) for other IL teams would remain at a hotel in Miami (also in the IL) while their teams went to Cuba for fear that Uncle Fidel wouldn't let them return to the USA. Verdi's nickname is a result of that fateful night.

You are correct...that picture is of Frank Verdi.

[darkhaha]

Wow. That's an interesting idea. I'll have to consider that at length.

I'm confused - were those uniforms specifically designed to illustrate the strike zone, or is it just a name added because it was an unintended consequence of the design?

Here's a quote from "The Denver Bears: From Sandlots to Sellouts" by Mark S. Foster:

"Bob Howsam [the Bears' General Manager] attempted to capitalize on the centennial of Denver's settlement by dressing the players in replicas of the 1859 uniforms [on opening day, 1959]... They hated the uniforms, which brought back memories of a similar sartorial experiment during the 1952 season. In that year Howsam had given a brief trial to predominantly white home uniforms, colored blue above the letters and below the knee cap. The idea was to help the umpires call balls and strikes. To the great relief of the players, both uniform experiments were short-lived."

This brings me to a question about the Bears' colors. I attended my first Bears game in 1966, and I distinctly remember their colors being navy and red. I have it confirmed from Jim Burris, the long-time Bears GM, that the colors were navy and red when he took over in 1965. The above story would suggest that at least one of their colors was navy (or some other shade of blue) even back in 1952.

So for many years I assumed that their colors had ALWAYS been navy and red, at least since the re-formation in 1947. But awhile back I saw what is purported to be a 1962 Bears ballcap on the Ebbets Field Flannels site that is brown with an orange "D". I know for sure it's not the DESIGN that the '62 Bears used, as that was the last year of dark caps with a white old English D. I'm just wondering where they got information that the Bears' colors were brown and orange at around that time, because I can't find any evidence to indicate this (obviously, I wish we had some color photos from that era, but I don't know of any).

If anyone has any knowledge or info on this topic I'd love to hear it...

Just got off the phone with former Bears owner and Cardinals and Reds general manager Bob Howsam, who is now retired in Sun City, Arizona. What a delightful man -- he's gotta be around 90, and he's still sharp as a tack. When I started asking him about the Bears' uniforms and colors, he even brought up the strike-zone unis!

Anyway, he confirmed for me that the Bears NEVER had brown and orange colors. He said they were always navy and white and often added red to the mix (before and after the pinstripe years of the late 50s to early 60s). Combined with an e-mail I got a few months ago from Jim Burris (who became the Bears' GM in 1965), who said the Bears' colors were navy and red before he got there, I think I've gotten to the bottom of a mystery that has bugged me for years. Of course, my wife still thinks I'm insane for worrying about stuff like this...

[Gothamite]

That's great - thanks for doing the legwork!

[Sec19Row53]

[snip]

Of course, my wife still thinks I'm insane for worrying about stuff like this...

Tell you wife she has company, in that there are other wives who worry about their husbands in the same way

[Brick]

In 1970 and 1971, the Denver Bears were the AAA affiliate of the Washington Senators. The Bears changed their nickname to the Zephyrs in 1984. In 1993 the Zephyrs moved to New Orleans to accommodate the Rockies. In 2005-2006, the New Orleans Zephyrs became the AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals. So the last AAA affiliate of the Washington Senators became the first AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

[darkhaha]

In 1970 and 1971, the Denver Bears were the AAA affiliate of the Washington Senators. The Bears changed their nickname to the Zephyrs in 1984. In 1993 the Zephyrs moved to New Orleans to accommodate the Rockies. In 2005-2006, the New Orleans Zephyrs became the AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals. So the last AAA affiliate of the Washington Senators became the first AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

Thanks for the interesting tidbit. One correction, though -- I believe the Bears changed their name to "Zephyrs" for the 1985 season.

[roxfan00]

Does anyone know what that patch is on the jersey? I don't think I've seen anywhere else.

[AHcreative]

Ugh. I hate that phony "retro" jersey.

Just realized, in the upper left hand corner - what team creates a logo of their mascot missing a pitch?

Looks like he hit it to me. See the two red lines to the right or the ball, they signify the ball moving away from the bat. If the lines were on the left of the ball, that would mean that the ball was traveling right, therefore, he would have missed it.

EDIT:: Woah, his feet are the opposite way... Maybe he did miss it. That is weird.

[walkerws]

Ugh. I hate that phony "retro" jersey.

Just realized, in the upper left hand corner - what team creates a logo of their mascot missing a pitch?

Looks like he hit it to me. See the two red lines to the right or the ball, they signify the ball moving away from the bat. If the lines were on the left of the ball, that would mean that the ball was traveling right, therefore, he would have missed it.

EDIT:: Woah, his feet are the opposite way... Maybe he did miss it. That is weird.

He's in the process of swinging. The lines start on the right moving left and his bat makes the arc.