Untitled (Baseball game)

L. Prang & Company · 1887

This proof before letters aquarelle print includes the color chart below image. It is of the print titled Base Ball by Henry Sandman and published by L. Prang, Co. and depicts a baseball game in progress. The batter is dressed in a dark blue or blackish uniform with long white socks and may belong to the Chicago White Stocking Team. His teammates are sitting on a bench in the right foreground. The players in the field are dressed in white or cream uniforms with red belts and long red socks and are probably members of the Boston Beaneaters-earlier known as the Boston Red Stockings. Their star player/manager during this period was Mike "King Kelly", who would have played for the Chicago White Stockings the year earlier but who was in 1887 Boston's catcher, outfielder and star batter. Kelly was noted for his slide and for reciting "Casey at the Bat". The team's name was later changed to the Boston Braves in the National League and they eventually became the Atlanta Braves -but by then Boston had the American league Red Sox. The players are watching the ball being caught by the shortstop.