Similar to the issue I have with the Newark Bears' "incorporation" date, I'm a little bit against the patch on the new alternate jerseys the Braves unveiled this week.
The Braves, of course, were established in 1876 (when the National League formed) in Boston. They were known as the Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves and Rustlers until 1912, when they adopted the Braves moniker and stuck with it save for a five-year shift to Bees from 1936-40. They moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and stayed for 13 seasons, all as the Braves. Then, in 1966, they relocated to Atlanta, and it's that year that these uniforms are meant to commemorate.
My problem with the patch is that it says 1876 and "Atlanta Braves." But, of course, the team wasn't in Atlanta in 1876. That pairing just isn't accurate to me. (And the 1966 unis had a much different shoulder patch, but that's another issue.) I suppose a solution would be pairing 1876 and "Braves Baseball" or simply "Braves," but the team just didn't see it that way.Labels: baseball history, Braves, uniforms
