Sartorial Tribe: 1948 Indians Home

As the years tick by it feels like every new season sees MLB introduce another batch of special uniforms to each team's wardrobe. We've got Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, retro throwbacks and a bunch more. And this got me thinking; the entire aesthetic side to sports has always been hugely appealing to me. I love the uniforms, the logos, the entire design of sporting attire. Baseball in particular has an extremely rich history and has always been a huge factor in my love for the game.

On that note, I thought I would sprinkle in the odd post here and there about the Indians' uniforms, past and present. Uniforms I like, that I love, and some that I hate. I'll try and feature a good variety too, from every era of Tribe baseball. Without further ado, let's look at our entry edition:

What better way to start than with Cleveland's cream of the crop, the best Indians team in the club's history, the 1948 championship side. Their home uniform that season was something to behold, and not only because it was the uniform worn when the Tribe last took home the World Series.

Here's a photo of player-manager and hall of fame shortstop Lou Boudreau congratulating pitcher Gene Bearden after the left-hander had shut down the Boston Braves in Game 3 of the World Series. You'll have already noticed that the Indians script across the chest is very reminiscent of today's uniforms, a certain throwback to the glory days.

An iconic shot of the legendary Satchel Paige from the 1948 season, his first in the majors following a dominant career in the Negro Leagues. The socks stand out immediately and would look good on today's players (and they do, with Francisco Lindor regularly rocking the look). You'll have also noticed the cap with the wishbone C logo, now a staple logo for the Cincinnati Reds, but was used by the Tribe for nearly four decades between the 30's and 70's.

The only blemish on these classic threads is the rather ghastly Chief Wahoo logo on the player's left sleeves. The Native American image that would come to define the Indians was still a couple of years away from becoming the team's primary logo and wouldn't feature prominently on the club's caps until the mid-80's. The 1948 version is, shall we say, less refined than his modern counterpart.

Overall though, it's a vintage uniform from a glorious era of baseball. Many would argue that baseball has never looked better aesthetically than the late 40's (I would argue this, actually). It was a time when the Indians were so stacked with talent, with legends like Bob Feller, Larry Doby, and Bob Lemon representing the Tribe, leading them to their second and most recent championship. And they looked damn good too. Maybe our current group can join their 1948 counterparts and help elevate the 2017 uniform to legendary status? Time will tell on that one.