Firestone: Washington Senators and 3-D uniforms
From David G. Firestone at Uni Watch on February 4, 2014:
From 1956 to 1958 the Washington Senators utilized what came to be known as the “3D” uniform. These jerseys featured an ambitious and innovative design, with the front “W” insignia and back numbers rendered in block-shadowed type. The design was scrapped after 1958, and very few original examples survive. As was frequently the case with MLB uniforms at the time, many of the original jerseys had the logos and numbers removed and were then re-used in the minor leagues.
So what happened to those numbers that were removed? Some of them occasionally show up on eBay, and I recently bought four of them for my personal collection: a 1 worn by Eddie Yost; a 4 worn by Ken Aspromonte; a 6 worn by Albie Pearson; and a 30 worn by Whitey Herzog and Faye Throneberry.
These numbers weigh twice as much as traditional numbers from the same era. Though they do show some material loss, they are all in generally good condition.
If we take a closer look at these numbers, something unusual becomes apparent: The bottom red layer and top blue layer are both tackle twill, but the cream-colored center layer is the same flannel material that formed the body of the jersey
Read the full article here: http://www.uni-watch.com/2014/02/04/a-close-look-at-the-senators-block-shadowed-numbers-from-the-1950s/
Originally published: February 4, 2014. Last Updated: February 4, 2014.