The Dayton Aviators, based in Dayton, Ohio, took their name from the city's aviation legacy as home to Wright brothers Orville and Wilbur. Dayton is still home to the National Museum of the United States Air Force and the Wright Brothers National Museum. The club was a charter member of the reformed, six-team Class B Central League, joining Akron, Canton, Erie, Fort Wayne, and Springfield to open play on April 25, 1928.
Dayton's debut season was its best on the field: the Aviators went 76-59 in 1928, finishing just one game behind the regular-season-leading Erie Sailors in a split-season schedule. Fort Wayne and Erie split the two halves of the season, and Fort Wayne went on to beat Erie for the playoff title.
The following year's club featured a future Hall of Famer: 19-year-old second baseman Billy Herman, in just his second professional season, hit .329 across 138 games for the 1929 Aviators. Herman went on to a long major league career, mostly with the Chicago Cubs, making 10 consecutive All-Star teams and finishing with a .304 career average and 2,345 hits before his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.
The Aviators folded after a last-place 1930 season, a 56-81 finish that left them 26 games behind the pennant-winning Springfield Blue Sox, though Dayton's Clyde Hatter did lead the league with 217 strikeouts that year. The Central League itself didn't return in 1931, and Dayton's spot was eventually filled by the 1932 Dayton Ducks.
The Central League itself was a Class B circuit that ran, often sporadically, from 1903 into the 1930s (with a later 1948-51 revival), fielding teams mostly from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
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.
