The Hutchinson Salt Packers wore the identity of Hutchinson, Kansas, a city that sits on top of one of the largest rock salt deposits on earth. The Salt Packers name first appeared in 1906, carried by a club that played in the Western Association and Kansas State League, won the 1910 Kansas State League championship, and survived its home grounds, Cook Athletic Park, burning down in 1910.
The name's Western League chapter in 1918 arrived through one of the strangest transactions in minor league history: a same-day franchise swap. On June 2, 1918, Hutchinson's struggling club moved to Oklahoma City, and on the very same day the Topeka franchise moved into Hutchinson and took up the Salt Packers name. The relocated Salt Packers played well, sitting in second place at 37-31, five and a half games behind Wichita, when the season stopped for good. The federal government's World War I "work or fight" order, requiring men to take war-essential jobs or face the draft, forced the entire Western League to fold in early July.
Professional baseball returned to Hutchinson under the Wheatshockers name in the 1920s and 1930s, but the Salt Packers name stayed in 1918, frozen mid-pennant race by the war.
The Western League was a Class A circuit for most of its life, operating from 1900 through 1937 and again from 1947 through 1958, fielding teams across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states, including Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, and later Texas and New Mexico. For its first decade it stood just one step below the major leagues. An earlier league of the same name, which ran from 1885 to 1899, renamed itself the American League in 1900 and lives on today as one half of Major League Baseball.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our crewneck sweatshirts are classics that anyone is sure to recognize. They are thick, durable Gildan brand crews. They are a cotton/poly blend that stands the test of time.
Size Guide: True to size
- Made with a medium-heavy fabric blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester (8.0 oz/yd² (271.25 g/m²)), this sweatshirt feels cozy and is the perfect choice for those colder months.
- The classic fit along with the crew neckline deliver a comfy wearing experience with a clean-cut style. Meanwhile, the double-needle stitching at the shoulder, armhole, neck, waistband, and cuff seams add top-tier durability.
- Say goodbye to itchiness thanks to the gray, pearlized tear-away label.
- Made using 100% ethically grown US cotton. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. The blank shirt's dyes are OEKO-TEX-certified dyes with low environmental impact.
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Tumble dry: low heat; Do not iron; Do not dryclean.
