Hometown Baseball Jerseys in DC Over 50 Years

Photograph by Huggins and Scott Auctions.

The Washington Senators that existed from 1961 to 1971 adopted much of the on-field look left behind the team that bolted Washington to become the Minnesota Twins, right down to the pinstripes. They weren’t to last, though. After 1971, the Senators bolted (again), this time to become the Texas Rangers.

Photograph by Legendary Auctions.

After the Senators left, Washingtonians seeking a baseball fix had to look north toward Baltimore. For more than 30 years, the Orioles subbed in as DC’s “home team.”

The Nationals have undergone a few uniform changes since baseball returned to DC in 2005. Their first uniform featured the team’s name in red block letters with navy borders and gold shadows, a design that reminded some fans of the hamburger chain Fuddruckers. The current design was introduced before the 2011 season, and ditched the spelled-out name in favor of the “curly W.”

This article appears in our October 2015 issue of Washingtonian