The San Francisco Mission Reds played in the West Coast's top minor league from 1926 through 1937, the "other team" in a two-team baseball city, representing the working-class Mission District while the beloved Seals got the headlines. The franchise arrived from Southern California, where it had been the Vernon Tigers, and went by Mission Bells in its first seasons before settling on Mission Reds by 1928; fans and writers also called them the Monks or simply the Missions.
The Reds hit like few teams anywhere, ever. Playing at Recreation Park, whose right field fence stood just 235 feet away behind a 50-foot chicken wire screen, the 1929 club batted .319 as a team and produced one of the most famous seasons in minor league history: Ike Boone won the league Triple Crown with a .407 average, 55 home runs, and 218 RBIs, still among the gaudiest stat lines the game has recorded. Even so, the Reds lost the championship series that year, as close as the club ever came to a pennant. Ox Eckhardt kept the tradition going, setting the league record with a .414 average in 1933 and winning the 1935 batting title at .399, edging a 20-year-old Seals outfielder named Joe DiMaggio by a single point; Eckhardt still holds the highest combined professional batting average ever recorded, a point ahead of Ty Cobb.
The only Hall of Famer ever to wear the uniform was a local: Harry Hooper, the St. Mary's College product who had begun his professional career with the Alameda Grays in 1907, returned home to serve as the club's playing manager in 1927 after his long Red Sox and White Sox career.
The Reds never solved their real problem, which was the Seals. Consistently outdrawn even while sharing Seals Stadium after 1931, the franchise gave up on San Francisco after the 1937 season and moved south to become the Hollywood Stars, one of the league's glamour franchises. The Mission Reds remain a cult favorite of uniform collectors and West Coast baseball historians, the hard-hitting, hard-luck team from the wrong side of a one-team town that briefly had two.
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 standard tees are classic, heavyweight t-shirts that are durable and thick. They are looser fitting and run true to size.
Size Guide: True to size
- Brand: Gildan | Product ID: 5000
- Made with medium fabric (5.3 oz/yd² (180 g/m²)) consisting of 100% cotton for year-round comfort that is sustainable and highly durable.
- The classic fit of this shirt ensures a comfy, relaxed wear while the crew neckline adds that neat, timeless look that can blend into any occasion, casual or semi-formal.
- The tear-away label means a scratch-free experience with no irritation or discomfort whatsoever.
- Made using 100% US cotton that is ethically grown and harvested. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. This blank tee is certified by Oeko-Tex for safety and quality assurance.
- Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Do not iron; Do not dryclean; Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Tumble dry: low heat.
