Here They
Are in All Their Glory!
The
Uniforms of the Chicago White Sox
Bask in the Tradition. Bask
in the Memories.
Titled “A South Side
Obsession” and Licensed by Major League Baseball,
the Artwork is available in two framed
presentations:
An eye-catching framed-and-matted print
measuring 12” x 21” that sells for only $52 each—which is an exceptional
value for a fully assembled Artpiece of this size. And a dramatic 19” x 39” triple-matted high-quality print (a
Letter of Authenticity is included) that is limited to an edition size of only
299 and sells for the discounted cost of $399.
Please note your Artwork will arrive at your
door in 7 to 10 days when you place your order. And needless to say, there is a 30-day full moneyback
guarantee. In addition, The
Greatest-Scapes pays all shipping costs and any required sales tax!
The Greatest-Scapes also offers the option of
an interest-free Extended Payment Plan for credit card orders. For the $52 framed print, you can pay $26.00
upfront and the balance of $26.00 thirty days later. While the $399 framed Limited Edition can be purchased with an
initial $133, and payments of $133 billed thirty and sixty days later.
To phone in your credit
card order, please call us at 1-800-786-3022 anytime between 10am and 6pm
(Eastern) Monday through Friday. You
can also mail in your order, payable to The Greatest-Scapes, to: The Greatest-Scapes/P.O. Box
5548/Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Please
include your shipping address and specify which Artwork(s) you’re ordering and
how many. And please don’t hesitate to
call us toll-free if you ever have any questions or would like any additional
information.
For your convenience, you can print out our
Order Form.
Click Here for
Order Form
And this Artwork evokes an unmistakably
Classic quality. Indeed, it will look
at home next to a diploma or a work of fine art. Whether you hang it on a wall or lean it on a shelf or mantle,
the Artwork will make a striking impression.
Please keep in mind, though, the visuals
depicted here on the website simply can not do justice to the detail and
quality of the actual Artwork.
Please note the uniform images shown are
produced from hand-painted watercolor paintings. The publisher chose this route, rather than photographs, because
in many cases original jerseys no longer exist, even at the various halls of
fame. In addition, a more consistent
look and feel for the uniforms is achieved by painting them, and allows for a
higher level of detail than a photograph in some cases.
Here, then, is a detailed description of the
12” x 21” Artpiece that sells for only $52 each. It consists of a 5” x 15” paper print that is housed in a black
frame with a textured black mat. The
black mat has a white groove cut into it, thus adding depth and beauty to the
piece. Weighing approximately five
pounds, the Artwork is covered by crystal-clear glass and includes a
“hanger” on the back to allow for easy hanging. The black frame—and especially the textured black mat with
white groove—makes this a truly stunning Artpiece.
The above is an example of the
12” x 21” Artpiece, which depicts the Washington Redskins.
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As for the 19” x 39” Limited Edition Artwork,
please note each Artwork is printed on 115-lb Garda Gloss stock and then
mounted to avoid any rippling effects.
As for its matting and framing, the Limited Edition is triple-matted in
an acid-free framing style. The outer
mat is a rich, black textured mat with white core. The middle and inner mat colors have been selected to complement
the team’s colors and the overall framed piece. The matting is framed to create a shadow box effect, giving the
entire framed piece a unique three-dimensional look. The frame is an exquisite solid wood frame finished with a rich
black matte texture, chosen to complement all three mats and the print
itself. Finally, the Artpiece is
protected by high-quality framing glass; the total weight of the Artpiece being
approximately 10 pounds.
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The above is
an example of the 19” x 39” Limited Edition Artpiece,
which depicts
the New York Yankees.
Here then is the history of the White Sox’ Uniforms …
#1.
1911 In
1901 the Chicago White Sox franchise began, as did the American League. The Sox
were called the White Stockings, a name that was borrowed from earlier Chicago
baseball teams - in fact the Cubs franchise, which began in 1876, was initially
known as the White Stockings!
In the beginning these White Stockings were
owned by Charles Comiskey and managed by the their prize pitcher Clark
Griffith. They won their first American League pennant in 1901, the first year
the AL operated. In 1902 the team name was shortened to the Chicago White Sox.
This road uniform is from 1911, the White
Sox’s second season at Comiskey Park - their home for the next 80 years! Note
the upright collar on this road uniform which is not quite a “cadet collar”, a
style worn a few years later by many major league teams. This jersey is a
pullover style, button-down jersey. If you notice, there is a center belt loop
on the pants. Players of this era usually wore their belt buckle to one side so
they could prevent injury when sliding into a base. Note also the “W.S.” on the
collar, which stands for White Sox, not World Series.
When we look at this jersey we can’t help but
think of photos of a famous member of the White Sox of this era, Chief Bender.
#2.
1917 This
was a special World Series uniform to commemorate the United States of
America’s involvement in World War 1. Notice the flags on both sleeves. Notice
also that this collar is in fact a “cadet collar”, a popular style worn by many
major league teams of this era.
1917 was a great year for the Sox - after a
spectacular regular season with 100 wins and just 54 losses, they went on to
defeat the New York Giants 4 games to 2 and win the World Series. This was the
White Sox’ second World Series victory - their first came in 1906 against the
cross-town Cubs. 80+ years later Sox fans around the world are still waiting
for the 3rd World Series Championship - but patience is a virtue and
we know our day will come!
This 1917 uniform is from two years before
the infamous “Black Sox” incident. For those of you who don’t know baseball
history, 8 Sox ballplayers were found guilty of betting against their own team
in the World Series of 1919. All 8 were banned from professional baseball for
life one year later. Those players included the legendary Shoeless Joe Jackson
who batted .375 in the Series, an average which certainly seems to suggest that
he wasn’t trying to throw the series, leading to a debate which continues to
this day.
#3.
1926 What
a beautiful uniform! Notice the unusual white collar piping on this black road
uniform - see how it abruptly stops just above the lettering? In most jerseys
the piping then continues down the front of the jersey, but not this one. Note
also the fact that there are two white socks on the left sleeve, an early team
monogram.
#4.
1935 The
beauty and simplicity of this home jersey speaks for itself. Notice especially
the bat and ball incorporated into the SOX logo - simple and elegant design at
its best. Notice also the upright blue collar - this is known as a “cadet”
collar, a collar style that was popular in the late teens.
#5.
1942 Note
the fact that this jersey has a zippered front. During the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s many teams used zippered jerseys
instead of the more traditional button front jerseys, while a handful of teams
wore them well into the 70’s and even the 80’s. The Reds, Yankees and A’s were
the three pre-1977 major league teams that never wore zippers. The 1937 Cubs
were the first team to wear a zippered jersey, and as far we can tell the 1988
Phillies were the last to wear one. For the White Sox,
the zippered front jersey began in 1938 and continued until the 1955 season.
The colors of this uniform are red, white and
blue, done at least in part to honor the fact that America had entered World
War II.
During the Second World War, the question is
raised, should able-bodied athletes of baseball be fighting for their country
rather than playing baseball? Baseball Commissioner Landis asked President
Franklin D. Roosevelt what to do - here is part of Roosevelt’s reply:
“I honestly feel it would be best for the
country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed and
everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before… Here is another
way of looking at it - if 300 teams use 5,000 or 6,000 players, these players
are a definite recreational asset to at least 20,000,000 of their fellow
citizens - and that in my judgment is thoroughly worthwhile.”
Wartime sleeve patches were worn by all
levels of professional baseball teams between 1942 and 1945. A “Health” patch
(seen on this jersey) was worn during the 1942 season, part of a war-time
health and fitness awareness campaign, and from 1943-1945 a “Stars and Stripes”
was worn.
#6.
1959 After
having no pinstripes on their uniforms since 1932, the Sox began wearing
pinstripes on their 1951 home uniform and continued to do so until 1968. Also
of interest on this home uniform are the uniform numbers on the sleeves of the
jersey - a new addition. Uniform numbers first made their appearance on the
front of a uniform in 1952 - the Brooklyn Dodgers were the first team to wear
uniform numbers on the front of their jersey. The Braves followed suit in 1953,
and the Reds joined in beginning in 1956. The 1916 Cleveland Indians actually wore
a uniform number on their sleeve, but it wasn’t until the ’52 Dodgers that the
number made it to the front. The classic Sox logo, as seen on this 1959
uniform, first appeared on the 1949 home uniform.
In 1959, after a 40+ year absence, the White
Sox make it to the World Series. Despite winning game one 11-0 and having the
great Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio in their lineup and a career year from
starter Bob Shaw, the Sox fall to the now Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 2.
This is the last year the Sox made it to the World Series, but hope springs
eternal in the hearts of Sox fans!
#7A. & #7B.
1970 The
White Sox continue to change the look of their uniform, although they continue
to come up with clean, classic looks. On both of these home and road uniforms, uniform
numbers appear on the front of the jersey. Uniform numbers first made their
appearance on the front of a uniform in 1952 - the Brooklyn Dodgers were the
first team to wear uniform numbers on the front of their jersey. The Braves
followed suit in 1953, and the Reds joined in beginning in 1956. The 1916
Cleveland Indians actually wore a uniform number on their sleeve, but it wasn’t
until the ’52 Dodgers that the number made it to the front. The home jersey is
reminiscent of a Tigers or Red Sox uniform.
The road uniform is more blue than gray, and
has a great thick “swoosh” under the Chicago script - note how the swoosh has
“White Sox” written on it. It’s unusual for a baseball jersey to have both the
name of the team and the city on the uniform at the same time, as this jersey
does.
#8A.
1973 After
complimenting the White Sox on their great taste through the years, we have to
say that the mid 70’s to early 80’s weren’t their proudest moment. Some people
say the Sox had some of the ghastliest uniforms in all of baseball for a 10
year period, although we wouldn’t go that far (for proof, see the Padres!).
What we can say about both these uniforms is
that they are of a double-knit style that most major league teams succumbed to
during the 70’s and early 80’s. It was a pullover style, made of stretchy,
synthetic material. The pants were called “Sans-a-Belt”’s because the
elasticized waistline eliminated the need for a belt. Notice also that the 1973
jersey brought back the zippered front, and the left sleeve patch is the Sox
logo in a red circle.
#8B.
1977 The
1977 uniform was especially unusual. Note the collar on this pullover style
home uniform. Professional baseball hadn’t seen collars this large since the
early 1910’s. Also unusual was the fact that the Sox also wore this jersey with
shorts - we’re not sure today’s ballplayer would put up with this fashion
statement, but in the 70’s almost anything went!
We can’t write about the Sox without bringing
up the name of the team owner Bill Veeck. Veeck was a famous promoter and among
other things staged all sorts of wacky and fantastic events to bring people to
the ballpark through the years. Perhaps the most famous was “Disco Demolition
Night” on July 12, 1979. This was a promotion gone awry – thousands of fans ended
up throwing their records on the field and at the players, and fortified by
beer, then rushed the field. The field was torn up so badly that the second
game of the double header had to be cancelled (and forfeited by the Sox)! If
you haven’t heard of Bill Veeck, you should really read about him. Check out a
book called “Veeck -- As In Wreck” by Bill Veeck with Ed Linn, University of
Chicago Press, 2001. In many ways Veeck was years ahead of his time.
#9.
1983 Do
you love it or hate it? This home uniform is still the double knit pullover
style, with the “Sans-a-Belt” waistband, but features a unique horizontal band
across the jersey and arms with a funky “Sox” in the middle. The patch on the
left sleeve commemorates the 50th All-Star game, held at Comiskey
Park this year. Note also the unusual touch of putting the uniform number on
the pants instead of on the front or sleeve of the jersey, something the Sox
started doing in 1982. When we see this uniform we can’t help be reminded of
the great catcher and Hall of Famer, Carlton Fisk.
#10.
1990 As
you can see on this home uniform, the Sox have finally left the double knit,
sans-a-belt era behind them - thank goodness! This 1990 home uniform harkens
back to a 1940’s style, and features a much more classic looking White Sox
logo.
1990 is the White Sox’ final season at
Comiskey Park, ending a run that began on July 1st, 1910. The next
season the Sox moved into a brand new park, also named Comiskey Park, right
across the street from the original. With the demolition of Comiskey I in 1991,
America lost yet part of its past and yet another classic ballpark was gone.
#11.
1997 The
Sox had a number of different jerseys and pants as part of their uniform
repertoire this year, and they would mix and match among them from one game to
the next. This 1997 uniform jersey features the classic Sox logo from the 50’s,
60’s & early 70’s, as well as small white sock on the left sleeve. This
black jersey really shows a lot of respect for the White Sox team history. And
when we see this uniform we can’t help but think of Frank “The Big Hurt”
Thomas, a White Sox fixture and home run phenom.
If we could see the full right sleeve of this
jersey, we would see a patch honoring the 50th anniversary of Jackie
Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier. All teams wore this patch in honor
of Jackie Robinson and all he achieved, and all MLB teams retired his number 42
- the first time in the history of the big four North American sports (MLB,
NFL, NBA, NHL) that a number has been universally retired.
***************************************
The Chicago White Sox: “A South Side
Obsession”
TRADITION…
MEMORIES… CLASSY…
Order Yours Today … and Revel in it!
800-786-3022
412-781-3022
E-mail:
greatestscapes@hotmail.com