I’ve been collecting throwback Indians jerseys for almost 30 years, and I’ve learned a lot about the best options for getting jerseys that most closely resemble the originals.
It’s not the cheapest hobby in the world when you do it this way, but if you’re so inclined, it can be a lot of fun.
I started buying throwbacks to honor the players of my dad’s childhood; he was a teenager during the ‘50s, and saw the great teams of Larry Doby, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, Bobby Avila and his favorite player, Luke Easter. He continued to be a big fan throughout the 1960s and ‘70s.
I’m nearly 50 now, so my earliest memories are of the Tribe teams of the mid-‘70s. I would imagine that a majority of you will be interested in throwbacks of the polyester double-knit era of the ‘70s through the ‘90s, and perhaps younger readers will want jerseys from the Grady Sizemore era of the aughts to early 20-teens. Part 1 of this guide is for those groups of fans.
One note – this is not a guide to game-worn jerseys. There are many who could give you far better insights than I on that kind of collection. I refer here to re-creations of jerseys that are designed to look authentic.
One of the better retailers of ‘70s and ‘80s jerseys is Custom Throwback Jerseys. There, you can obtain most of the prominent styles the Tribe wore during that period.
The price tag is $180. These replicas should please 90-95% of fans who remember these jerseys when they were worn on the field.
They can be customized with any name and number you’d like – a huge advantage over Mitchell & Ness jerseys, for instance.
Here are some of the throwbacks they offer, made by Majestic, alongside game-worn originals that were made by either Rawlings or Russell.
What you’ll often see is that the back lettering on the originals had wider spacing.
– The scarlet red with the “Caveman”-style wordmark of the 1974-77 era;
Note that the Majestic version is darker than the original, and the lettering on the back is thinner. Otherwise this is a very good replica.
– the navy blue Caveman-wordmark jerseys of the same time frame;
– the navy blue 1979-85 style, with more conventional block letters for the wordmark
– the 1989-93 style, like those seen in “Major League II” – both the home whites and the road grays. Please note that these are slightly different than the 1986-88 set, which didn’t have the racing stripes down the shoulders and sides of the torso. The ’86-’88 version was used in the first “Major League.”
Now again, most people won’t see a problem with any of these. But if the difference between these items and the originals matters to you, there are a few options to have the letters and numbers stripped and replaced, which I’ll get to shortly.
If you’re nostalgic for the great teams of the ‘90s, and didn’t get around to grabbing a jersey during that era, the good news is that this period is recent enough that there are still very nice specimens available on eBay – including retail authentics made as part of Russell Athletic’s Diamond Collection. Some of them already have your favorite player’s names on them, with appropriate patches from whatever year it was. Those can be anywhere from $100-$180. If you don’t see one with the player you want, a very good alternative is to buy one of the many blank Russells from this time frame, which can be anywhere from $50-$90, and have it customized with the name and number of your choice.
As always with eBay, look very closely at the photos of the jersey, and ask any questions you have of the seller before ordering. I’ve had good experiences by following those two guidelines. The one time I did wind up with a counterfeit jersey, it was because I didn’t look closely enough at the photos.
For customization, I have found three very solid ways to go:
1) Bill Henderson, author of “The Game Worn Guide to MLB Jerseys, 1970-2017,” 8th ed.
Contact: bill.henderson350@gmail.com
Aside from being the author of “The Game Worn Guide,” the definitive work on jerseys of the polyester era, Bill is a professional graphic designer who also does customizations. He has done exhaustive research on every jersey worn by MLB teams since 1970, and will have any Tribe jersey’s specs on file to assure that your jersey looks exactly as the players wore them. His fees vary depending on how much time and labor are involved, but if all you need is a name and number — perhaps one or both in two colors, perhaps with a nameplate – the cost could very well be less than $100. If you need a name and/or number stripped and replaced, that is a more expensive project. But rest assured that the result will be correct. He’ll show you a proof of what the result will look like, and give you a final look when the jersey is done, before shipping it back to you.
I would also recommend Bill’s book, “The Game Worn Guide to MLB Jerseys.” You don’t have to be into actual game-worn jerseys — which can be very expensive – to get a lot out of the book. To date I have yet to acquire a game-worn jersey. However, if you really care about whether your jersey looks like the original, you’ll want this book as a reference.
Bill can also do complete jersey graphics for you if you can supply him with a blank. This can be useful if you want something not offered by Custom Throwback Jerseys, such as the white version of the Caveman jerseys they wore during 1973-77. He’s the single best choice for such a job, in my view.
Here is a game-worn white mid-‘70s Indians jersey.
Bill could make something like this if supplied with a white blank – and the appropriate patch.
2) Patsy Elmer, proprietor of Big-Time Jerseys, Phoenix
Contact: bigtimejerseys@gmail.com
Patsy has done the lettering and numbering for many professional sports teams during a long career. She has the same eye for detail that Bill Henderson does, working out of a much larger operation. I had her make a 1996 Albert Belle jersey out of a Russell Authentics blank, at a total of $90 plus postage. She also fixed the NOB font on a red 1976 Mitchell & Ness Tribe jersey for me, for $63, including $10 for shipping. Superb work, in each case.
Here is the 1976 M&N jersey I sent her.
Now, here is a ‘76 jersey worn by Frank Robinson himself.
I wanted the NOB font to more closely match the original. So Patsy removed the letters and replaced them. Here is a side-by-side comparison with the M&N:
This was an excellent job. The NOB looks as close to the original jersey as reasonably possible 40-odd years later.
One important note: Patsy won’t work on unlicensed jerseys. If it’s a Majestic throwback, or M&N, or one of the retail authentics you find on eBay, she’ll be happy to work with you, but she won’t re-create an entire jersey from an unlicensed blank.
3) Exclusive Pro Sports, Rockford, IL
Contact: Josh Kliebe jkliebe@exclusivepro.com
EPS is another of the highly-acclaimed providers of jerseys to professional teams who happens to do consumer customization as a sideline. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with them. The one time a mistake was made, they paid the postage to have the item returned, and fixed it immediately.
The one thing to bear in mind with EPS is that they have among the longest turnaround times anywhere. Your jersey will turn out great, but it could take two months or more, especially if you send it in the late fall or early winter. That’s because this is one of their busiest times of the year, when they are providing uniforms for pro teams. Your best bet is to send something in the spring or early summer, when turnaround times will be somewhat faster. Keep an eye on the company’s Facebook page for periodic updates about how busy things are at any given time. There is a much-appreciated Spring sale, when customizations are marked 20% off.
Like Bill, EPS can make you a jersey from “scratch” using one that is blank on both sides, but again, consider the turnaround factor.
One additional note. Now that the Indians have announced the elimination of Chief Wahoo after the 2018 season, some may want to consider non-Wahoo throwback options.
The only year since 1947 that Wahoo was not on the jerseys or caps was 1972, which also happened to be the first year the Indians (and most other teams) changed over from flannel to polyester doubleknit material.
Here are examples of originals from Bill Henderson’s book on jerseys.
I have a couple of recreations of 1972 home and road jerseys, made for me by Tailgating Jerseys of the Philippines. The proprietor is an American, Harv Harvison.
Harv does a good job; just be sure to send him the best possible photos of the jersey, as he seems to generate each research job anew even if someone else has ordered the same item.
Price tag for each was $134, including shipping.
I mentioned earlier that Bill Henderson or EPS can make customized jerseys using a blank with no lettering on the front or back. Harv has shown a willingness to supply polyester blanks. His staff is very good at doing the trim Indians jerseys included on the V-neck and sleeves during the ‘70s and ‘80s, so if ordering a blank, ask him to do that for you.
Getting back to Wahoo, he also has the appropriate patches – both the circular version that shows the chief batting, and the one with just his head – as well as the hard-to-find “Cleveland Spirit of ’76” patch that teams wore in that Bicentennial year. You can ask about obtaining these patches separately, or have him put them on your blank.
By airmail from the Philippines, it takes about nine days to receive your order once it’s shipped. It goes to Singapore, then is shipped directly either New York or Los Angeles, where the U.S. Postal Service takes charge.