Dodger home jersey

[CaliforniaCajun]

From 1938-1951 the home jersey had the script "Dodgers" without a number on front.

In 1952 the red number was added to the front.

Did Dodger fans like the addition of the red number on front?

[dodger dynamo]

It never really bothered me...although I remember thinking wearing the numbers on the front when the team was "away" would have made more sense....but for me it wasn't a big thing...

[penncentralpete]

It never really bothered me...although I remember thinking wearing the numbers on the front when the team was "away" would have made more sense....but for me it wasn't a big thing...

It took a few more years for the red number to appear on the front of the road uniforms...............1959 in the wrong city.

[CaliforniaCajun]

I was wondering if the red number was added to suggest an "America's Team" image.

I don't like numbers on front for the fans. When they buy a replica jersey they don't get a number, and when they do it either costs extra or the number doesn't look the same.

[Let's Go Mets!]

From 1938-1951 the home jersey had the script "Dodgers" without a number on front.

In 1952 the red number was added to the front.

Did Dodger fans like the addition of the red number on front?

I still remember how cool the red numbers looked, collecting 1957 Topps cards of the Dodgers as a kid. They always caught my eye.
They were a nice addition!

[penncentralpete]

I was wondering if the red number was added to suggest an "America's Team" image.

I don't like numbers on front for the fans. When they buy a replica jersey they don't get a number, and when they do it either costs extra or the number doesn't look the same.

.........unless of course you have the money for a Mitchell & Ness jersey. They are perfect replicas.

[EdTarbusz]

I was wondering if the red number was added to suggest an "America's Team" image.

I don't like numbers on front for the fans. When they buy a replica jersey they don't get a number, and when they do it either costs extra or the number doesn't look the same.

I've read that the red numbers were added for the benefit of the few fans that had color TVs in the early 1950s.

[penncentralpete]

Here's a shot of that pretty red number (Billy Cox, 1952).

[Let's Go Mets!]

Here's a shot of that pretty red number (Billy Cox, 1952).

Here's another....Carl Erskine.

[Let's Go Mets!]

Joe Black............

[Let's Go Mets!]

My favorite player...Gil Hodges, with a thinner number. What year?

[jayzeeg]

i remember reading that the reason it was done was to make the players more recognizable for television. they were the first big league team to do so in 1952. the cool thing is that it is easier to place the year in photos you see that are not dated, knowing that any picture without the front number was 1951 or earlier. i always noticed that the 14 on the front of gil hodges' uniform was always smaller than his teammates.

[penncentralpete]

i remember reading that the reason it was done was to make the players more recognizable for television. they were the first big league team to do so in 1952. the cool thing is that it is easier to place the year in photos you see that are not dated, knowing that any picture without the front number was 1951 or earlier. i always noticed that the 14 on the front of gil hodges' uniform was always smaller than his teammates.

Gil's red front number wasn't always thinner than his teammates. The boys all had three home uniforms, one of which had the thin front number. Hodges just seemed to wear his more often. In team pictures you will notice a bunch of other Dodgers wearing the thinner red number. Here's Big D wearing his............

[jnakamura]

Here's one with Snider (thin) and Hodges (fat)

http://www.baseballforum.com/attachments/baseball-history-teams-yester-year/34d1150927357-brooklyn-dodgers-1955-dodgers-snider-labine-hodges-campy

And even into L.A. the thin number variations remained

https://www.bestsportsphotos.com/image.php?productid=35279