Ah, Opening Day — the tradition! The pageantry! The conference call I had to participate in from about 1:30 to 2:45, right in the middle of the Mets/Reds game! Good times, good times.
Pretty tame day uni-wise, but there were some interesting tidbits. Here’s a rundown:
• Weirdest sight of the day was in Houston, where the Cubs were wearing their blue jerseys. See how the walking cub in the jersey logo is on a blue background? Now compare that to Aramis Ramirez, whose chest logo had a white background. Reader Eric Pickett notes that the white-backed logo appears on the Cubbies’ replica jerseys, but the replicas have that clunkier Majestic logo-plus-wordmark, while Ramirez had the standard Majestic mark on his sleeve yesterday. Looks like they just put the wrong logo on his chest.
• I don’t think I’ve ever seen an erect nipple visible against a baseball jersey before. But I have a feeling we may be seeing more of them now that Cool Basees are becoming more common. The flimsier fabric will leave little to the imagination.
• The Rangers somehow thought Opening Day would be a good time to debut their new red alternate jerseys (thank you very much, Nolan Ryan). Even worse, Salty wore blue gear, although he later replaced the blue helmet with a red one. Also, note that he’s now wearing his brim facing forward — is that a new thing for him, or had I just not noticed before?
• I’m surprised the Yankees haven’t added an armband for Johnny Blanchard and/or Arthur Richman. Maybe they’ll do it for their home opener.
• Speaking of the Yanks, how lame is it for them and the Mets to be wearing their “Hey, we’ve got a new stadium!” cap patches on the road? The Yanks are even wearing their new stadium sleeve patch on their road grays, which is really pushing it.
• The A’s wore their usual solid-green road caps, but they wore their yellow-brimmed home batting helmets, and catcher Kurt Suzuki wore his home catcher’s helmet. Steve Vucinich, if you’re reading this, what’s the story?
• Speaking of the A’s, Brandon Davis notes that Oakland starter Dallas Braden cut a little notch in his undershirt collar and, just below that, wrote “209” — the area code of his hometown, Stockton, California.
• Throwbacks on Opening Day — whoa. But it’s their final opener in the ’Dome, so why not? NNOB, too.
• Man, those new Nationals road uniforms look soooo weird when you see the front and back at the same time. Such a mismatch. They reallyreallyreally should have changed the uni number font.
• Good to see Ed Montague’s still wearing the short-brimmed ump cap when working the plate. Is he the last one who does this?
• Here’s Toronto’s new maple leaf patch, and you can sort of see the new Ted Rogers memorial patch here (these were both shown in last week’s ESPN column, but only on black backgrounds). Amazing how they can keep adding things that aren’t blue, no?
• I’m sure there’s a good explanation for this. I’m also sure I don’t want to know what it is.
• Nice to see Manny’s hair is in midseason form.
Finally, there’s this: Yesterday I mentioned that MLB’s “Opening Day” logo shouldn’t be used for night games (if at all). That prompted Dan Cichalski to create a collage of the 11 on-field logos used yesterday. Note the Minnesota logo at upper-right — never seen that one before.
One down, 161 to go.
Research Query: Take a look at the word “View-Master” in this photo. Do any of you designer folks know what font that is, and/or do you know of any similar font(s)? If so, please let me know. Thanks.
Special Holiday Offer: Alain Nana-Sinkham, who runs the Classic Old School Gear operation, is running a special offer for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. I’ll let him explain: “I’ve had some really great feedback from some kids’-size jerseys I’ve done, like this one for my son — I did my college jersey design in his and my size. So from now until May 15th, when a customer buys a jersey at the regular price (which can range from $99 to $189, depending on the materials and complexity), I will throw in a kids’ size jersey of the same design for $19.”
Good deal, right? Right. You know what to do.
• Starting tomorrow, I’ll create a separate page for the classifieds and provide a link to it from the site’s home page.
• You can advertise anything — help wanted, job wanted, hot date wanted (good luck), memorabilia for sale, DIY services available, organize social gatherings, a link to your blog, a link to your e-commerce site, a petition to get teams to stop wearing black, conspiracy theories, whatever. I don’t really plan to play hall monitor on this page, but I do reserve the right to reject ads that push the limits of stupidity and/or belligerence. So if you’re a Red Sox fan and think it would be worth $25 to place an ad that simply says, “YANKEES SUCK DICK!!!!!,” don’t bother. Or at least try to be more creative.
• For now, I’ll just lump everything together into one big list; eventually, if there are enough ads to warrant it, I’ll break things out into separate sections — “Help Wanted,” “Stuff for Sale,” etc.
• Ads will cost $25 per week, or $20 for Uni Watch Membership Program enrollees.
• Ads will be limited to 65 words, not including contact info. HTML is fine but not required. You can link to images (or to anything else on the web), but the ad itself cannot include images — just text.
• If you want people to respond to your ad, there are several ways you can let them do so: (1) Provide your phone number. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this method, but hey, it’s your life. (2) Provide a link to a web site that includes your contact info. (3) Provide your e-mail address. I think this is the best method. If you don’t want to disclose your regular address, just create a new gmail or yahoo address and use that. Easy. (4) If you don’t want to do any of these, I will assign you a box number. Respondents will send e-mail to me (“Responding to Box #7,” or whatever), and I will forward it to you. This service will cost an extra $5 per week.
• To place an ad, PayPal the proper amount to paul_lukas at earthlink dot net. If you’re not PayPal-ish, send a check, money order, or well-concealed cash to Paul Lukas, 671 DeGraw St., Brooklyn, NY 11217.
• Ads will be posted no later than two weekdays after payment is received (and usually much sooner than that) and will be removed one week after they’re posted. If you want to renew for another week, just send another payment.
Did I leave anything out? If so, I’m sure you’ll let me know.
Uni Watch News Ticker: After a long winter hibernation, Steve Dewing’s awesome baseball photography site is once again adding new material. If you’re new to his site, kiss the rest of your day goodbye, because once you start clicking through his incredible images, it’s impossible to stop. ”¦ Jeff Spry sent along some great photos from 1976, when Santa got him a full Steelers uniform, which he immediately wore. “I found that old jersey a few years ago while cleaning out my parents’ basement,” he says. “My two boys have both loved wearing it.” ”¦ Oh. My. God. That’s Scott Davis, who plays for Potomac State College in West Virginia (with big thanks to the team’s assistant coach, Don Schafer). ”¦ Uni Watch pastry chef Elena Elms engaged in her annual ritual of bringing baseball-themed cookies to her office on Opening Day. “My co-workers seemed more interested in some basketball game, but they’ll eat any free food,” she says. ”¦ Jeremy Brahm sent along some pics from the Chinese basketball all-star game. The North is in red, the South in blue. That’s former NBAer Wang Zhizhi in that last photo, No. 14. ”¦ If you see Kim Jong Il in a White Sox cap, it’s because the team sent caps to 16 world leaders. Details in the middle of this page (with thanks to James Huening). ”¦ Wanna own some ice from the Spectrum? Now you can (with thanks to John Muir). ”¦ A Wall Street Journal reporter called me the other day because he’s doing a story on Twin City Knitting and wanted to pick my brain about stirrups and other athletic hosiery. Half an hour later, as we were concluding our conversation, he said, “And does your psychiatrist know about all this?” Cute. ”¦ Also, a Baltimore Sun reporter interviewed me at length yesterday regarding the upside-down apostrophe on the Orioles’ alternate cap, so I think that shit is about to hit a sizable fan. Or at least I hope so. ”¦ The Astros will wear a stadium 10th-anniversary cap patch tomorrow (with thanks to Ryan Patrick). ”¦ Yesterday I mentioned that Ty Lawson briefly changed numbers the other day. Now Chris Warfford has taken things a step further, noting that when Lawson changed back to his regular No. 5, his new jersey did not have the Final Four logo. ”¦ The Cardinals are hosting the MLB All-Star Game this year, so their season tickets make reference to past ASGs played in St. Looie. Check them out here (courtesy of Ben Traxel). ”¦ “Huge cycling uniform news from the Tour of Flanders on Sunday,” writes Robert Danneker. “The top ‘classics’ team in the world, Quick Step, was almost prohibited from starting the race by the UCI (international cycling body) because they were going to wear retro-style uniforms that had not been sanctioned by UCI. There was nothing illegal about the nature of the kit — it just hadn’t been submitted for UCI approval.” For further details, go to this page and search on the word “prohibited.” ”¦ Speaking of cycling, interesting article about retro-styled cycling attire, of a sort, here (with thanks to B. Mitchell). ”¦ Further to yesterday’s note about the new Majestic shop across the street from Fenway: All Bosox tees being sold at the Yawkey Way Store now have an annoying Majestic logo on the chest. ”¦ John Feeney attended the open house at the Fort Wayne TinCaps’ new stadium, Parkview Field, and took a bunch of photos. ”¦ Yesterday I asked if anyone knew the story behind the jersey in the background of this shot. My thanks to the many readers who pointed me toward this answer. ”¦ Here’s an odd one: a Dallas Cowboys team portrait taken at Dodger Stadium (with thanks to Joe DeAngelis). ”¦ Good find by Tris Wykes, who writes: “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this combination of a half-shield and a full shield cut-out to protect the jaw and mouth. That’s Philadelphia Phantom Lasse Kukkonen playing against the Norfolk Admirals last weekend.” ”¦ I think we may have mentioned this before, but just in case: Cross-sport promotion on the calendar in Baltimore, where the Orioles will be giving away a Ravens-colored cap on NFL draft day. If the Orioles make the playoffs, will the Ravens return the favor by wearing orange-trimmed uniforms in October? (With thanks to Steve Patterson.) ”¦ Fun radio story about the mud smeared on baseballs here (thanks, Kirsten).
NCAA Contest Results: Vince is tabulating them right now. Should have the list of winners tomorrow.
Does anyone know if Chip Kelly will be changing the Ducks uniforms this year. I hope so…
SO SAD ….
So may MLB teams dressed like softball teams with their dark jerseys and their drop shadowed numbers and their black trim and their multiple logos.
You look around and many of the older teams have had histories of classy, timeless uni designs, and now they look like sad sack bantam playground teams. Pitiful. And the newer teams could have learned. But they didn’t and they haven’t. And now we get to have to endure this crap.
It is enough to want to quote Beano Cook, who says that Baseball’s MVP for EVERY YEAR should be the guy that makes the last out of the last game of the season and gets the entire thing over with!
That said, none of unis in MLB are nearly as bad as the NFL Bengals, Bills or certain monochrome dark jersey combos.
[quote comment=”321776″]SO SAD ….
So may MLB teams dressed like softball teams with their dark jerseys and their drop shadowed numbers and their black trim and their multiple logos.
You look around and many of the older teams have had histories of classy, timeless uni designs, and now they look like sad sack bantam playground teams. Pitiful. And the newer teams could have learned. But they didn’t and they haven’t. And now we get to have to endure this crap.
It is enough to want to quote Beano Cook, who says that Baseball’s MVP for EVERY YEAR should be the guy that makes the last out of the last game of the season and gets the entire thing over with!
That said, none of unis in MLB are nearly as bad as the NFL Bengals, Bills or certain monochrome dark jersey combos.[/quote]
Cincinatti Reds- Best uni’s in all of baseball
While I was not at all happy to see the Rangers wearing their new red alts on Opening Day, I will concede that they look great. Both on tv and in person, the shade of red is so bright and sharp. I love ’em.
Fans polled at the Ballpark were 10-1 in favor of the red over the blue. It doesn’t hurt that the Rangers have only made the post-season during the handful of seasons in which red was their primary color.
They should have never given up the red, which let the Angels jump in and steal it. Now the Rangers have the appearance of being Angels wannabes (which I suppose they are).
I was so close to contending in the march madness bracket…. then it all fell apart. oh well, having all four of the final four teams isn’t too shabby for a person who hasn’t watched a full basketball game in a decade…
Speaking of patches…
Paul, here’s a question: In your ESPN column you said that the Mets have done away with the alternate black “New York” jerseys and will be wearing the alternate black “Mets” jerseys both at home and on the road. I assume that the home jerseys will have the patch, but what are they going to do with the patches when they wear that top on the road? Remove the patch? Have two pairs, one for home and one for the road. Wear the patch on the road but only on the black tops…………?
[quote comment=”321780″]Speaking of patches…
Paul, here’s a question: In your ESPN column you said that the Mets have done away with the alternate black “New York” jerseys and will be wearing the alternate black “Mets” jerseys both at home and on the road. I assume that the home jerseys will have the patch, but what are they going to do with the patches when they wear that top on the road? Remove the patch? Have two pairs, one for home and one for the road. Wear the patch on the road but only on the black tops…………?[/quote]
Don’t know for sure. My guess: One set of blacks, patch-inclusive.
I knew the Astros would eventually use that 10th Anniversary logo as a patch this year!
[quote comment=”321780″]Speaking of patches…
Paul, here’s a question: In your ESPN column you said that the Mets have done away with the alternate black “New York” jerseys and will be wearing the alternate black “Mets” jerseys both at home and on the road. I assume that the home jerseys will have the patch, but what are they going to do with the patches when they wear that top on the road? Remove the patch? Have two pairs, one for home and one for the road. Wear the patch on the road but only on the black tops…………?[/quote]
the solution is they won’t be wearing the black jerseys on the road
/yeah…right
I never knew Steve Dewing had hockey pictures! You hockey wing guys will really enjoy link. Early 70’s masks! Scroll down to see Doug Favell’s orange(!) one. Whats up with that?
I love my Pittsburgh Pirates, its been very painful to have gone through the last sixteen years but at least the unis have always been easy on the eyes. I will miss the vests though
Has anyone inquired regarding the use of Cool Base jerseys during cold weather? Are teams not buying the regular jerseys any longer? Do players simply prefer the Cool Base feel, regardless of the weather?
It just seems odd to read of a 37-degree day and see a bundled up Aaron Harang wearing his Cool Base.
link
[quote comment=”321782″]I knew the Astros would eventually use that 10th Anniversary logo as a patch this year![/quote]
Does anyone else think it’s sort of goofy to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of your stadium with a patch? Is it really that big of a deal?
The Cubs starting pitchers get to choose the jersey the team wears for the game. Zambrano always chooses the royal blue atlternate, so I’m sure that’s why they were wearing them on opening day.
That A’s thing was really weirding me out last night. Why keep the solid green hats but not the solid green helmets? I have no preference for the home or road hat scheme, but at least be consistent in what you wear. I was glad to see them wear their “Oakland” road uniforms. They’ve tended to wear the “Athletics” green alts a lot on the road in recent years.
You can chalk the Cubs blue alts up to Zambrano pitching. He always prefers the blue jerseys to the pinstripes or road grays.
Those Twins throwbacks are sweet. They should become the permanent home uni. Make a gray version, pair it with the all-navy “TC” cap, and you’ve got a great uniform scheme.
The Blue Jays could learn something from this picture: more blue, fellas.
link
Why don’t they put the “Opening Night” logo. It was shown countless times on the various screens in the SkyDome last night, and yet they use the “Opening Day” logo on the field. I don’t have a problem with that in and of itself, but if you are going to have a separate logo for night games, you might as well use it.
While I agree that the Jays NEED blue, I think both the maple leaf (obviously not going to be blue) and the TED memorial are quite nice as they are. Heard on the radio this morning that the maple leafs was one of the very first things their new (interim) president implemented after coming in the off-season, in an effort to re-brand themselves as “Canada’s team.” I know a lot of people have been pissed off that there was no maple leaf on these uniforms (myself included).
Looks like the Astros’ 10th anniversary logo is on the bases.
link
Owning a piece of the ice is nothing new. I have a Commemorative piece of the Game 7 ice from when the Hurricanes won the Cup in 2006.
Yes, I think the whole idea of owning a piece is a joke and would have never bought it for myself, but it was a gift, so buzz off… lol
Regarding Aramis Ramirez’ jersey logo: if you look closely, it’s only the top part, above the bear, where the inside is white. Below the bear’s feet, the white part is cut out, as it should be. So I think it was a cutting error rather than a case of the wrong logo being swen on.
Love the throwbacks for the Twins! And great to see them being used on Opening Day! But once again Majestic shows its incompetence at making jerseys without player names on them — they leave a link, as if a name were going to go there. If poor #13 were three or four inches shorter, the number would be tucked into his pants!
Is this some kind of mash up of the Cubs traditional logo and the walking bear?
link
[quote comment=”321785″]I love my Pittsburgh Pirates, its been very painful to have gone through the last sixteen years but at least the unis have always been easy on the eyes. I will miss the vests though[/quote]
Agreed. I almost did not recognize them when I looked at pictures from yesterday’s game……very sad.
[quote comment=”321784″]I never knew Steve Dewing had hockey pictures! You hockey wing guys will really enjoy link. Early 70’s masks! Scroll down to see Doug Favell’s orange(!) one. Whats up with that?[/quote]
While I can’t see the pictures, I’ll assume it’s the NHL’s first painted mask design. Doug rolled that out for Halloween in 1971.
I like the uniforms worn by the ushers at Angels Stadium. Really dig those vests and hats.
link
the dallas team photo at Dodger Stadium isnt a surpirse, that was where they practiced for that Super Bowl, 27
Cowboys at Dodger Stadium — Super Bowl XXVII (played at the Rose Bowl) had media day at Dodger Stadium.
[quote comment=”321787″][quote comment=”321782″]I knew the Astros would eventually use that 10th Anniversary logo as a patch this year![/quote]
Does anyone else think it’s sort of goofy to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of your stadium with a patch? Is it really that big of a deal?[/quote]
To quote myself from late last night (in reference to the Twins “honoring” ugly unis worn by some terrible teams and a stadium no one can stand) because the thought applies to a 10th anniversary stadium patch with equal appropriateness (maybe more)…
“Dumb, dumb, dumb. Not to mention contrived. Yet another example of the revisionist history and/or trumped up “events” that splatter the landscape of big time sports like pigeon droppings these days.”
—Ricko
[quote comment=”321785″]I love my Pittsburgh Pirates, its been very painful to have gone through the last sixteen years but at least the unis have always been easy on the eyes. I will miss the vests though[/quote]
agreed that the pirates have one of the best looking uni’s in the bigs! and i had THOUGHT i was going to miss the vests, but the sleeve look for the buccos turned out VERY sharp! i love vests for classic baseball unis, but i hate how every player seemed to wear a different undershirt! it was very frustrating to watch!
the bucs can wear their sleeved jerseys, i’ll wear my vest out in section 131 and we’ll all be happy!!! then… the game will probably start, and we all know how that goes…
[quote comment=”321794″]Regarding Aramis Ramirez’ jersey logo: if you look closely, it’s only the top part, above the bear, where the inside is white. Below the bear’s feet, the white part is cut out, as it should be. So I think it was a cutting error rather than a case of the wrong logo being swen on.
Love the throwbacks for the Twins! And great to see them being used on Opening Day! But once again Majestic shows its incompetence at making jerseys without player names on them — they leave a link, as if a name were going to go there. If poor #13 were three or four inches shorter, the number would be tucked into his pants![/quote]
Twins didn’t have NOB on their home unis back then.
The problem lies with uni-makers not moving the number up to the NNOB position.
Too much work, I suppose.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”321799″]the dallas team photo at Dodger Stadium isnt a surpirse, that was where they practiced for that Super Bowl, 27[/quote]
pretty sure we all get that… just “odd to see”, that’s all.
sorry if this has been discussed before, but the walking Cub on the blue background makes it look like the Cub has FIVE legs, or four legs and an extra, um, appendage
Re Philadelphia Phantoms full shield/visor combo:
Thomas Vanek of the Buffalo Sabres has worn the exact same visor/fullshield combo since returning from a jaw injury. This photo is from last night link
Great post Paul!
How nice was it to see “Junior” hitting a sweet homerun in a Mariners jersey on Opening Day. Maybe all IS right in this world after all.
[quote comment=”321803″]
Love the throwbacks for the Twins! And great to see them being used on Opening Day! But once again Majestic shows its incompetence at making jerseys without player names on them — they leave a link, as if a name were going to go there. If poor #13 were three or four inches shorter, the number would be tucked into his pants![/quote]
Twins didn’t have NOB on their home unis back then.
The problem lies with uni-makers not moving the number up to the NNOB position.
Too much work, I suppose.
—Ricko[/quote]
Ricko, I know; I think it’s Majestic’s fault. The Cubs had this problem with their number-only home jerseys a few years ago, but their Rawlings- and Russell-made number-only jerseys in the ’80s and ’90s had the numbers positioned perfectly.
The only other excuse I can think of is that Majestic considers massive 6’5″ players to be the standard — link
The problem is that a big player with a nubmer positioned “normally” doesn’t look nearly as terrible as a normal-sized player with a number positioned too low.
Red Sox tees have had the Majestic logo since last season and not just at the Yawkey Way store.
[quote comment=”321790″]The Blue Jays could learn something from this picture: more blue, fellas.
link
Agree wholeheartedly. The powder blue retros are great, they’re the only baseball jersey I bothered to purchase. I wouldn’t be upset if they wore those more.
All of the Majestic T-shirts that are not Authentic Collection have the nmark at the neck.
Gregg Zaun had a pretty sweet mask paint job yesterday, couldn’t find any pics though.
From the Baltimore Sun:
Catcher Gregg Zaun had his catcher’s mask custom-painted by a Toronto company. It’s orange with fierce black birds on the side and the Maryland shield on the back.
[quote comment=”321813″]From the Baltimore Sun:
Catcher Gregg Zaun had his catcher’s mask custom-painted by a Toronto company. It’s orange with fierce black birds on the side and the Maryland shield on the back.[/quote]
But does it have an upside down apostrophe?
[quote comment=”321802″][quote comment=”321785″]I love my Pittsburgh Pirates, its been very painful to have gone through the last sixteen years but at least the unis have always been easy on the eyes. I will miss the vests though[/quote]
agreed that the pirates have one of the best looking uni’s in the bigs! and i had THOUGHT i was going to miss the vests, but the sleeve look for the buccos turned out VERY sharp! i love vests for classic baseball unis, but i hate how every player seemed to wear a different undershirt! it was very frustrating to watch!
the bucs can wear their sleeved jerseys, i’ll wear my vest out in section 131 and we’ll all be happy!!! then… the game will probably start, and we all know how that goes…[/quote]
a win like yesterday?
The Nat’s are a disaster on all levels, so why not the unis?
[quote comment=”321785″]I love my Pittsburgh Pirates, its been very painful to have gone through the last sixteen years but at least the unis have always been easy on the eyes. I will miss the vests though[/quote]
1 and 0!! 1 and 0!! 1 and 0!! …HUGE win for the Battlin’ Bucs!! ahh…my National League team…my beloved Pirates…I’ll savor this…(until they drop below .500 which should be by the end of the week)…but I predict Pirates will finish 79 – 83…There is hope!!
ps. The Pirates have had possibly some of the most underrated uni’s (except the Red vest)..my personal fave is the 94 Gray cap w/black P with the yellow outline (the one I got from American Needle I sent Paul the pic of the Phillies logo on the inside)…that took years to find!!
[quote comment=”321792″]Looks like the Astros’ 10th anniversary logo is on the bases.
link
I started a side business buying old bases from MLB clubs and making them into decorative sofa pillows by embroidering flowers and rainbows and unicorns on them. If you see me at the local swap meet come by and give me a holla! Mention uniwatch and I’ll give you a 10% discount bringing your total to a mere $900 for a two pillow set. Keep your wife happy with your brilliant taste in decor while you snooze away all the while breathing in tiny particles of Shea Clay ™. Cash only because some of you sound like swindlers.
[quote comment=”321810″][quote comment=”321790″]The Blue Jays could learn something from this picture: more blue, fellas.
link
Agree wholeheartedly. The powder blue retros are great, they’re the only baseball jersey I bothered to purchase. I wouldn’t be upset if they wore those more.[/quote]
they’re still gonna wear them on friday’s this year, yes?
/doc looked good, as always, yesterday…what’s the over/under on his first complete game?
Those Twins unis are fantastic, but I still think Griffey in any M’s uni looks even better!
The Twins retros are nice, but I think the normal unis (aside from the hideous blue alts are one of the 5 best in baseball, so I wouldn’t change a thing fulltime.
Well, actually I would wear the red hat at home fulltime (with the current unis too), and wear the blue TC logo hats on the road, instead of that stupid M logo.
The Pirates new unis look fine, but I prefered the vest. At least they kept the pinstripe vests, which were my favorite. The cream colored home vests from the early 60’s or so would be the best to me.
[quote comment=”321820″][quote comment=”321810″][quote comment=”321790″]The Blue Jays could learn something from this picture: more blue, fellas.
link
Agree wholeheartedly. The powder blue retros are great, they’re the only baseball jersey I bothered to purchase. I wouldn’t be upset if they wore those more.[/quote]
they’re still gonna wear them on friday’s this year, yes?
/doc looked good, as always, yesterday…what’s the over/under on his first complete game?[/quote]
I haven’t heard anything – there’s been nothing on the news about whether they’re going to continue wearing the powder blues. Which leads me to think they won’t, just because they usually aren’t quiet about any of their promotions.
A friend of mine who works at the Red Sox team store told me that the Majestic logo was slowly phased in on the t-shirts last year. When Jason Bay was traded here, his t-shirts had the logo, ditto for when Bartolo Colon made his mid-season debut.
I for one think it’s incredibly annoying. The whole reason you go to the “Team Store”, and not to places like Sports Authority or Modell’s, is to avoid things like this.
Looks like I’ll just go there now and buy them for half the price.
The Majestic logo creep is horrific. I can’t wear my Phillies World Series Champions T-shirt, it has the collarbone M, then and MLB logo, the World Series graphic and then ANOTHER Majestic mark and MLB logo at the belly button. It says Majestic more times than it says Phillies! horrendous, it makes me want Nike to get the MLB contract to stop this nonsense. Oh, wait…we are doomed.
I thought the Twins’ throwbacks looked great last night. Very clean, classic look but doesn’t really look outdated. I have always been afraid of the Twins changing unis. I was only 8 when they switched to the current set in ’87, and I associate the look with two championships and a lot of great memories. I think of their unis as a timeless look – they haven’t grown outdated in 22 years. But last night was the first time I’ve ever thought hmm… maybe change isn’t so bad!
Is it just me or do those Ravens styled O’s caps look nothing like the Ravens? They are just royal and white. If anything, they are a tribute to the Baltimore Colts…
I don’t have a screen capture but did anyone else notice that during the entire Orioles/Yankees broadcast yesterday ESPN was using the old Oriole logo?
I know it’s a subtle change but it was driving me crazy every time it popped up.
Looks like most of the A’s were wearing Cool Flos, except for Giambi … and his decal was different from everybody elses. The “A” on his decal matches the “A” on the caps. The “A” on the A’s helmets has always been different.
Maybe Vucinich could clear up this age old mystery for us.
Noticed that CC was wearing a Rawlings glove yesterday. What happened to his Nike contract?
[quote comment=”321829″]I don’t have a screen capture but did anyone else notice that during the entire Orioles/Yankees broadcast yesterday ESPN was using the old Oriole logo?
I know it’s a subtle change but it was driving me crazy every time it popped up.[/quote]
Yeah, I saw it, too. I don’t know if YES updated the Orioles logo to show the new one, either.
Looks as though Aramis may have a miscut patch on his uni. Looking at the Cubs’ replica, the white field behind the walking bear is seen through the legs whereas that area is blue on the jersey of one Aramis Ramirez, just like the on-field jersey.
Wow, my first post on this blog and it’s about me looking between the walking bear’s legs.. yeesh.
Gotta love all the colors going on in this pic. Ladies and gentlemen, Syracuse football!
link
I’m not as offended with the notion that it would be Red Sox fans who’d be the stupid ones on a message board as I am with the one that we’re the only ones who hate the Yankees. Hating the Yanks is a ‘Baseball God’-given right of all fans everywhere.
[quote comment=”321834″]Gotta love all the colors going on in this pic. Ladies and gentlemen, Syracuse football!
link
my favorite comment: how does oregon wear this crap?
[quote comment=”321784″]I never knew Steve Dewing had hockey pictures! You hockey wing guys will really enjoy link. Early 70’s masks! Scroll down to see Doug Favell’s orange(!) one. Whats up with that?[/quote]
My God. You can actually see the net behind these guys. These photos are awesome. Something still so right about those brown pads that all the goalies had.
Check out those striped shorts. And I think the markings on the lane stand for “Home” and “Visitor,” but I’m not sure. Anyone know?
link
[quote comment=”321835″]I’m not as offended with the notion that it would be Red Sox fans who’d be the stupid ones on a message board as I am with the one that we’re the only ones who hate the Yankees. Hating the Yanks is a ‘Baseball God’-given right of all fans everywhere.[/quote]
According to link even Jesus hates them too.
Majestic starting doing the t-shirts for the Red Sox at some point last year. I’m glad I got my Sean Casey t-shirt early in the season, on a Fruit Of The Loom shirt.
I’m a bit worried about the Twins.
In 1982, they played their first game against Seattle and lost. (They did score a bunch more runs than last night.) They went on to lose 102 games. That was the first time the Twins (and not the franchise) had lost 100 games or more.
I realize the idea is to pay tribute to the HHH Metrodome (something the ownership would never have done before getting Target Field) and all that, but is there ever a good reason to bring back a uniform from such a bad team as the early-mid 80s Twins?
At least they aren’t wearing the powder blue unis.
I’ll be at the game where the O’s give away the Ravens hat, so I’ll be sure to report back. I have no clue what I’ll do with a purple Orioles hat though. I have no love whatsoever for the Ravens, but I’m a huge O’s fan so I guess I’ll give it to my wife, she’ll enjoy it…maybe.
In reference to the baseball mud, I heard from some TV broadcast last year that the mud came from Blackbird, DE. I have also read it comes from Millsboro, DE and other NJ areas. Anyone else hear anything along those lines?
[quote comment=”321787″][quote comment=”321782″]I knew the Astros would eventually use that 10th Anniversary logo as a patch this year![/quote]
Does anyone else think it’s sort of goofy to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of your stadium with a patch? Is it really that big of a deal?[/quote]
Why not? Teams are putting on link, link, 7th anniversary of the team’s 3rd relocation patches, etc. Sure it’s overkill, but how else are they gonna get someone to buy a $200 jersey that they already own?
At least the Red Sox and the Cubs resisted the temptation to do 80th/85th/90th/95th anniversary patches on their respective ballparks.
[quote comment=”321784″]I never knew Steve Dewing had hockey pictures! You hockey wing guys will really enjoy link. Early 70’s masks! Scroll down to see Doug Favell’s orange(!) one. Whats up with that?[/quote]
The pictures aren’t loading for me.
But if its the mask I’m thinking of, it was the NHL’s first ever painted mask – Favell’s teammates in Philadelphia spraypainted his mask orange for the October 31, 1971 Hallowe’en game.
[quote comment=”321844″][quote comment=”321787″][quote comment=”321782″]I knew the Astros would eventually use that 10th Anniversary logo as a patch this year![/quote]
Does anyone else think it’s sort of goofy to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of your stadium with a patch? Is it really that big of a deal?[/quote]
Why not? Teams are putting on link, link, 7th anniversary of the team’s 3rd relocation patches, etc. Sure it’s overkill, but how else are they gonna get someone to buy a $200 jersey that they already own?
At least the Red Sox and the Cubs resisted the temptation to do 80th/85th/90th/95th anniversary patches on their respective ballparks.[/quote]
Well put.
No word whether the ‘Stros will try to get a furlough for Jeffery Skilling or invite Ken Ley’s widow to the “celebration”.
[quote comment=”321842″]I’ll be at the game where the O’s give away the Ravens hat, so I’ll be sure to report back. I have no clue what I’ll do with a purple Orioles hat though. I have no love whatsoever for the Ravens, but I’m a huge O’s fan so I guess I’ll give it to my wife, she’ll enjoy it…maybe.[/quote]
send it to brooklyn…
i know a good place up on DeGraw St you could send it to… hee hee. i’m sure the guy there would be thrilled!
What’s up with Orlando Hudson? He wore #30 all of Spring Training, but yesterday, he was wearing #13
Ryan Miller of the Sabres debuted his new mask last night in the loss to Detroit. According to his blog entry that was posted here a few weeks ago he intends to wear the new mask when the Sabres wear their 3rd jerseys, which means he should be wearing it next on 4/11 against the Bruins.
Here are the only pictures I could find:
link
link
One side of the mask has a blue dragon on it and the other has a gold dragon. The strip down the center has various Chinese characters.
I’m looking to buy two pairs of stirrups for my softball league this summer. I’ve been looking online for a place to order individual pairs of stirrups and have been having trouble. One vendor, “Anaconda Sports” has good prices but has gotten some lousy reviews. Specifically, I’m looking for one pair in columbia blue and another pair in maroon, so trying to find them in a store is probably going to be hit or miss.
Does anyone have an recommendations?
Thanks,
Jim
I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t have a problem with teams wearing throwbacks from a “bad” era. If the uniform design is cool, I don’t think there’s an issue bringing it back for a few games, despite the ineptitude of the original team wearing it.
I realize the link make concessions for current uniform issues (buttons, narrowed sleeve stripes) but one thing that really bugs me is how they just use any old number style. When the Twins wore these at the Dome, they only had link. And they are not alone, it almost always gets ignored. Numbers are just as important letters (IMO), go the extra inch please.
[quote comment=”321776″]SO SAD ….
So may MLB teams dressed like softball teams with their dark jerseys and their drop shadowed numbers and their black trim and their multiple logos.
You look around and many of the older teams have had histories of classy, timeless uni designs, and now they look like sad sack bantam playground teams. Pitiful. And the newer teams could have learned. But they didn’t and they haven’t. And now we get to have to endure this crap.
It is enough to want to quote Beano Cook, who says that Baseball’s MVP for EVERY YEAR should be the guy that makes the last out of the last game of the season and gets the entire thing over with!
That said, none of unis in MLB are nearly as bad as the NFL Bengals, Bills or certain monochrome dark jersey combos.[/quote]
So Sad…
So many teams dressed in faux-historic uniforms with minimalist cuts and little to no tie to their mascot to give an almost anonymous look to their team.
You look around at other teams with historically classy uniforms, and see that they still look remarkably similar, with no sense of experimentation or adventure in their teams evolution. Some even look like snooty historical baseball teams, despite their modern materials. And now we are stuck as uniform designs get further dilluted, people’s mindsets being stuck in “They Changed It, Now It Sucks” mode.
It is enough for me to quote Taylor Caldwell, “A writer has got to be a cynic. You’ve got to look at life clearly. No rose-colored glasses.” And when I do, I realise that some of the uniforms we hold so dear to heart may not be as grand as we think to others.
At least the NFL is willing to experiment at times, even if it does produce stinkers. Some teams like Penn State’s football team cling so tightly to tradition that I’d say it starts to dilute the word.
(I’m just playing, I don’t mean a single bit of malice with my little parody, I just feel at times we tend to take on a strange “It’s better because it is old” attitude here that I don’t think is always correct. There are several things that were better in the past, yes, but there are several things in the present that are better in the uniform world, and some things will get even better in the future.)
Never know Whitey had to wear #3 with the Cards:
link
[quote comment=”321787″][quote comment=”321782″]I knew the Astros would eventually use that 10th Anniversary logo as a patch this year![/quote]
Does anyone else think it’s sort of goofy to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of your stadium with a patch? Is it really that big of a deal?[/quote]
yes. In Houston any building with a lifespan of 10 years+ deserves a logo/patch. Gentrification and lack of zoning laws cause architectural chaos, and building are frequently torn down. The only one worth in the cities eyes is the 8th wonder of the world.
On another note, I’m not familiar with the Cubs using the all blue cap with the blue alt. Don’t they usually wear the red brimmed cap? I’m pretty positive I’ve only seen them wear the red brimmed cap with that combo.
[quote comment=”321820″][quote comment=”321810″][quote comment=”321790″]The Blue Jays could learn something from this picture: more blue, fellas.
link
Agree wholeheartedly. The powder blue retros are great, they’re the only baseball jersey I bothered to purchase. I wouldn’t be upset if they wore those more.[/quote]
they’re still gonna wear them on friday’s this year, yes?
/doc looked good, as always, yesterday…what’s the over/under on his first complete game?[/quote]
They are still having “Flashback Fridays” so although I haven’t seen anything that says they are wearing them, I think it is assumed to be part of that promotion (they also have players from the past come back and sign some autographs and stuff, which is the part of the promotion that I’ve seen advertised).
I missed the 7th yesterday, so I’m not quite sure what happened to him, but hopefully he get it soon. He is a workhorse, but I don’t think Cito wanted to leave him out there too long this early in the season. I’m going to set the over/under at May 13, just because it is my birthday.
No Screengrab, but noticed Abreu’s batting helmet had a white dot on top yesterday during Halos/A’s game. Never seen it before on any other Angel player…
[quote comment=”321852″]I’m looking to buy two pairs of stirrups for my softball league this summer. I’ve been looking online for a place to order individual pairs of stirrups and have been having trouble. One vendor, “Anaconda Sports” has good prices but has gotten some lousy reviews. Specifically, I’m looking for one pair in columbia blue and another pair in maroon, so trying to find them in a store is probably going to be hit or miss.
Does anyone have an recommendations?
Thanks,
Jim[/quote]
I bought a couple pairs on Amazon last summer. There are a few different sellers that have them, so I’d try on there… just a word of warning though… I get emails from them now whenever one of their sellers is having a sale on socks (I assume I can turn these off, but I just delete them)
[quote comment=”321856″][quote comment=”321787″][quote comment=”321782″]I knew the Astros would eventually use that 10th Anniversary logo as a patch this year![/quote]
Does anyone else think it’s sort of goofy to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of your stadium with a patch? Is it really that big of a deal?[/quote]
yes. In Houston any building with a lifespan of 10 years+ deserves a logo/patch. Gentrification and lack of zoning laws cause architectural chaos, and building are frequently torn down. The only one worth in the cities eyes is the 8th wonder of the world.
On another note, I’m not familiar with the Cubs using the all blue cap with the blue alt. Don’t they usually wear the red brimmed cap? I’m pretty positive I’ve only seen them wear the red brimmed cap with that combo.[/quote]
No more red brimmed cap for the Cubs at all, it’s history. Only the solid blue this year with a both home and away uniforms.
[quote comment=”321776″]You look around and many of the older teams have had histories of classy, timeless uni designs, and now they look like sad sack bantam playground teams. Pitiful. And the newer teams could have learned. But they didn’t and they haven’t. And now we get to have to endure this crap.[/quote]
Quite agree.
I think someone asked about how long the Cubs would stick with their current (new this year) jersey or hat? Until all the old ones wear out, then they’ll change back.
All worship the almighty marketing dollar. :-(
My goodness, just how terrible are the National Championship Locker room apparel that UNC got last night?
link is a giant 1 with the UNC logo in it. Thats it. A kindergardener could have designed a better one. And link With the giant black #1 dominating the front, its just as bad.
Nike did link same link with Florida winning in football. Since when did ‘1’ become the new ‘National Champions’?
Not only did the shit not hit the fan at the Baltimore Sun, but the head of the copy desk instructs Mr. Lukas to link
In the first published version, he actually mistakes “then” for “than.” Do I care too much about language and punctuation to ever become a copy editor?
[quote comment=”321862″]My goodness, just how terrible are the National Championship Locker room apparel that UNC got last night?
link is a giant 1 with the UNC logo in it. Thats it. A kindergardener could have designed a better one. And link With the giant black #1 dominating the front, its just as bad.
Nike did link same link with Florida winning in football. Since when did ‘1’ become the new ‘National Champions’?[/quote]
a) those are actually pretty cool… LOVE the simple design!
b) WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY better than anything rbk has, or would put out there!!!
Alfredsson wore the half-visor and jaw protection when he broke his jaw a little while ago too.
from feb. 21 – link
[quote comment=”321863″]Not only did the shit not hit the fan at the Baltimore Sun, but the head of the copy desk instructs Mr. Lukas to link
In the first published version, he actually mistakes “then” for “than.” Do I care too much about language and punctuation to ever become a copy editor?[/quote]
So, Just because it’s a logo, and just because “The humble apostrophe is one of our most-misused punctuation marks” means it is OK to not use it correctly or make it a big deal? I really don’t understand this logic. Also, because the graphic designer decided to draw it incorrectly, means that it is OK too. This guy needs to “get a grip”.
That is odd that the Yankees and Mets wear patches to let whoever know they both have new stadiums.
The Red SOx are pushing the start of their opener today to 4:06pm in order to honor Ted Williams who had a .406 avg in 1941.
[quote comment=”321868″]The Red SOx are pushing the start of their opener today to 4:06pm in order to honor Ted Williams who had a .406 avg in 1941.[/quote]
were they rained out yesterday? so that on 4/06 they would start at 4:06?
seems kinda strange otherwise
Apparently, I don’t care enough to quote the douchebag accurately. Sorry about that.
They say that whenever a national title is decided that shirts and hats for both teams in the final are printed. The shirts for the losers are then donated to people in poorer nations.
Somewhere in the world there are probably people who think MSU won last night and have the T-shirt to prove it.
And most Americans would be happy to be given a trendy Chelsea 2007-2008 Champions League Winners shirt if you offered it to them.
[quote comment=”321869″][quote comment=”321868″]The Red SOx are pushing the start of their opener today to 4:06pm in order to honor Ted Williams who had a .406 avg in 1941.[/quote]
were they rained out yesterday? so that on 4/06 they would start at 4:06?
seems kinda strange otherwise[/quote]
(I mean this as no disprect to Ted Williams, to be sure)
More importantly, why no traditional 68th Anniversary Patch?
Contrived, contrived, contrived.
The pigeon droppings just go and on.
Splat here. Splat there.
And we’ve supposed to filled with the emotional significance of it all.
Zzzzzzzz…
—Ricko
disrespect. Sheesh.
I just feel at times we tend to take on a strange “It’s better because it is old” attitude here that I don’t think is always correct. There are several things that were better in the past, yes, but there are several things in the present that are better in the uniform world, and some things will get even better in the future.
I don’t think the attitude is that strange. It has to do with one of the primary functions of uniforms: identifying teams. When someone says “New York Yankees”, we all picture the same uniform. For “Atlanta Hawks”, though, there are many images. (I associate the Hawks with their ’80s uniforms, which can be described as ugly but were distinctive, as were Dominique’s teams. YMMV.)
Some changes are for the better, others are for the worse, and deciding which is which is often in the eye of the beholder. All other things being equal, there’s an advantage to not changing, so that a team’s identity becomes that much more established.
[quote comment=”321788″]The Cubs starting pitchers get to choose the jersey the team wears for the game. Zambrano always chooses the royal blue atlternate, so I’m sure that’s why they were wearing them on opening day.[/quote]
That’s a “tradition” that Dusty Baker implemented and it’s something that Lou Piniella really needs to retire. He can just call it the latest in the seemingly endless parade of rituals to break the goat curse.
Why the hell did they bring back the blue alts last year, anyway?* One of the best things about the 2007 season was that they were mothballed. Too bad it wasn’t permanent.
*Yes, that’s a rhetorical question.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So is anyone keeping track of the teams that dishonored opening day by wearing their t-ball gear?
Braves, Cubs, Rangers… anyone else?
[quote comment=”321856″] In Houston any building with a lifespan of 10 years+ deserves a logo/patch. Gentrification and lack of zoning laws cause architectural chaos, and building are frequently torn down. The only one worth in the cities eyes is the 8th wonder of the world.
[/quote]
I guess I’m not the sentimental sort but I’d favor blowing up the Dome. It’s a rat infested dump that costs Harris County a million dollars a year to maintain for no reason other than sentimentality. The cost of imploding it, though several million, would be recovered in a few years.
[quote comment=”321791″]While I agree that the Jays NEED blue, I think both the maple leaf (obviously not going to be blue) and the TED memorial are quite nice as they are.[/quote]
Yeah, a link? That would never work.
Seriously though, why not do link in blue with red trim instead of vice-versa?
Brew Crew are in their traditional road gray uniforms. Glad they didn’t screw it up by wearing their blue alts. *phew* Would still love to see “Milwaukee” across their chest though.
[quote comment=”321863″]Not only did the shit not hit the fan at the Baltimore Sun, but the head of the copy desk instructs Mr. Lukas to link
In the first published version, he actually mistakes “then” for “than.” Do I care too much about language and punctuation to ever become a copy editor?[/quote]
That’s not the person who interviewed me. Wonder if each one knew that the other was planning to write about this same subject….
[quote comment=”321874″]I just feel at times we tend to take on a strange “It’s better because it is old” attitude here that I don’t think is always correct. There are several things that were better in the past, yes, but there are several things in the present that are better in the uniform world, and some things will get even better in the future.
I don’t think the attitude is that strange. It has to do with one of the primary functions of uniforms: identifying teams. When someone says “New York Yankees”, we all picture the same uniform. For “Atlanta Hawks”, though, there are many images. (I associate the Hawks with their ’80s uniforms, which can be described as ugly but were distinctive, as were Dominique’s teams. YMMV.)
Some changes are for the better, others are for the worse, and deciding which is which is often in the eye of the beholder. All other things being equal, there’s an advantage to not changing, so that a team’s identity becomes that much more established.[/quote]
Change for change sake is not good. Not changing for not changing’s sake is not good either.
I’m a real traditionalist. So, for example, I love UCLA’s basketball uniforms. But a few years ago when they had gold and later navy blue alternates, I liked those too.
I love the Red Sox uniforms, but I like the idea of a red or blue alternate. I love baseball and traditional uniforms, but it’s silly to me that teams should only wear white or grey — a little color goes a long way. But not too much — having, say, ten different uniforms and caps is silly too. And some of the crazy junk in the NFL, NBA, or college basketball or football should not be shown to children, period.
So, bottom line: Some change is good and some change is not.
Could be his lackey doing research?
[quote comment=”321882″]
Could be his lackey doing research?[/quote]
I asked the person who interviewed me if she was aware that her colleague had written about the same topic, and whether her column would still run tomorrow. Her response: “Yes, it’s still running. We’re writing ‘across platforms’ these days, so I’m supposed to feel good that my colleague scooped me.”
[quote comment=”321878″][quote comment=”321791″]While I agree that the Jays NEED blue, I think both the maple leaf (obviously not going to be blue) and the TED memorial are quite nice as they are.[/quote]
Yeah, a link? That would never work.
Seriously though, why not do link in blue with red trim instead of vice-versa?[/quote]
As a Jays and Leafs fan, I must say I like this idea.
Ugh, I’m a sucker for punishment. At least I’m not an Isles or Mets fan. Talk about punishment…
link
Just the one photo at the moment.
Speaking of the Jays, didn’t they wear gray (graphite) caps with their home unis for the first couple years after they did their image overhaul?
Is that another one for Ricko’s gray cap quest? Or does that not count since it was such a dark shade of gray?
[quote comment=”321886″]Speaking of the Jays, didn’t they wear gray (graphite) caps with their home unis for the first couple years after they did their image overhaul?
Is that another one for Ricko’s gray cap quest? Or does that not count since it was such a dark shade of gray?[/quote]
I wouldn’t say completely gray. I’d call them grayish, and I’d say they were pretty much loathed by fans. Well, at least the Jays fans I know, anyway. The black caps are just fine for me.
[quote comment=”321886″]Speaking of the Jays, didn’t they wear gray (graphite) caps with their home unis for the first couple years after they did their image overhaul?
Is that another one for Ricko’s gray cap quest? Or does that not count since it was such a dark shade of gray?[/quote]
Yes, they had a grey (technically it was graphite) cap at home and a black one on the road. Eventually the black one became the home and road cap.
[quote comment=”321875″]Why the hell did they bring back the blue alts last year, anyway?[/quote]
Because gray polyester is dull, lifeless, and insipid?
Forgive me for picking on you, JTH, but what is it that people like about gray? Any team that began its existence before about 1920, like the Cubs, has a long history of link, so it can’t be just tradition.
Gray might have had something going for it back in the 1950s when (a) uniforms were flannel, not polyester, and the gray was actually a melding of various shades with plenty of character, and (b) everybody’s pants were pulled up so you could see their sock colors (and the socks themselves often had stripes in them). Today all of that is gone in favor of a boring monotone artificial fabric that goes down to the shoetops.
I’m convinced that the trend toward colored uniforms that flowered in the ’70s — routinely explained by the spread of color TV — had as much to do with the fact that around 1972 every team began wearing polyester, which really brings out the dullness in a gray uniform.
Then in the mid-’90s teams wanted to return to something a little more staid, but almost immediately after returning to gray, they saw how boring it was and so began the trend toward alternate jerseys that continues to this day.
If you have to wear gray, at least be like the Braves and put a lot of color into it by using plenty of piping, a standout logo, and big readable numbers. (And force the players to pull their pants up and show some striped socks.) But the Cubs have a strong tradition of wearing shades of blue and looking good in them — there’s no reason to force them to bow to gray-worship. I say make the blue walking-bear jerseys their standard road uniform, and ditch the gray!
[quote comment=”321885″]link
Just the one photo at the moment.[/quote]
So that season and one more for the Cubans I guess.
[quote comment=”321886″]Speaking of the Jays, didn’t they wear gray (graphite) caps with their home unis for the first couple years after they did their image overhaul?
Is that another one for Ricko’s gray cap quest? Or does that not count since it was such a dark shade of gray?[/quote]
definitely more charcoal than gray…but still a shade of gray
[quote comment=”321875″]That’s a “tradition” that Dusty Baker implemented and it’s something that Lou Piniella really needs to retire. [/quote]
AFAIK, Ozzie lets the starter choose the uniform too. I don’t know if its MLB-wide.
Sox in pinstripes, KC in all grey today.
[quote comment=”321871″]They say that whenever a national title is decided that shirts and hats for both teams in the final are printed. The shirts for the losers are then donated to people in poorer nations.[/quote]
Insert obligatory “the economy is going to hell in a handbasket” comment here.
[quote comment=”321889″][quote comment=”321875″]Why the hell did they bring back the blue alts last year, anyway?[/quote]
Because gray polyester is dull, lifeless, and insipid?
Forgive me for picking on you, JTH, but what is it that people like about gray? Any team that began its existence before about 1920, like the Cubs, has a long history of link, so it can’t be just tradition.
Gray might have had something going for it back in the 1950s when (a) uniforms were flannel, not polyester, and the gray was actually a melding of various shades with plenty of character, and (b) everybody’s pants were pulled up so you could see their sock colors (and the socks themselves often had stripes in them). Today all of that is gone in favor of a boring monotone artificial fabric that goes down to the shoetops.
I’m convinced that the trend toward colored uniforms that flowered in the ’70s — routinely explained by the spread of color TV — had as much to do with the fact that around 1972 every team began wearing polyester, which really brings out the dullness in a gray uniform.
Then in the mid-’90s teams wanted to return to something a little more staid, but almost immediately after returning to gray, they saw how boring it was and so began the trend toward alternate jerseys that continues to this day.
If you have to wear gray, at least be like the Braves and put a lot of color into it by using plenty of piping, a standout logo, and big readable numbers. (And force the players to pull their pants up and show some striped socks.) But the Cubs have a strong tradition of wearing shades of blue and looking good in them — there’s no reason to force them to bow to gray-worship. I say make the blue walking-bear jerseys their standard road uniform, and ditch the gray![/quote]
I agree with Mark about the vanishing of stirrups leading to a “sameness” in the appearance of uniforms. The other day I was looking though Okkonen’s book, at 1957 in particular, and thinking about exactly that. If you cover up the stirrups and imagine all those unis with ankle length pants it is seriously drab. Pretty much across the board.
And just yesterday I was remembering how much more fun the opening weeks were, uni-wise, in the days of my kidhood. It was always intriguing to see, say, a long time Yankee or Dodger who was now an Oriole take the field in black, orange white striped stirrups. Oftentimes made the guy look really different. Nowdays, not so much.
So I suppose seeing a long-time Yankee or Dodger in a 2099 red jersey for Texas or something is not unlike that experience of 50 or so years ago.
(those were all hypotheticals, of course)
—Ricko
Mark in Shiga – agree completely. Check the old footage of how the grey uniforms used to look, with the rich texture, compared to the flat dull grey today, those old road flannels looked awesome.
I think I need to watch 61* tonight.
Also on gray hats – didn’t the Royals wear gray hats in the 90s? I can’t find photo evidence but I remember it pretty clearly.
[quote comment=”321863″]Not only did the shit not hit the fan at the Baltimore Sun, but the head of the copy desk instructs Mr. Lukas to link
In the first published version, he actually mistakes “then” for “than.” Do I care too much about language and punctuation to ever become a copy editor?[/quote]
It’s funny. He tells Paul to get a life and prattles on about how it’s just uniform details. Apparently, this reporter is unfamiliar with Paul’s work (and probably this blog).
On the subject of losing team’s championship merch being shipped overseas, ESPN was actually still running a banner ad with both UNC and MSU champion garb this morning when I was *ahem* busy at work.
Completely off topic, I was in the local discount sports store (SportMart) by my office and they had two full racks of CCM Flames replica jerseys (2003-2007 version) at $39.99 each.
link
With the 2009 version of the C of Red coming up in a couple weeks, I can see these flying off the rack pretty quickly.
[quote comment=”321889″][quote comment=”321875″]Why the hell did they bring back the blue alts last year, anyway?[/quote]
Because gray polyester is dull, lifeless, and insipid?
Forgive me for picking on you, JTH, but what is it that people like about gray? Any team that began its existence before about 1920, like the Cubs, has a long history of link, so it can’t be just tradition.
Gray might have had something going for it back in the 1950s when (a) uniforms were flannel, not polyester, and the gray was actually a melding of various shades with plenty of character, and (b) everybody’s pants were pulled up so you could see their sock colors (and the socks themselves often had stripes in them). Today all of that is gone in favor of a boring monotone artificial fabric that goes down to the shoetops.
I’m convinced that the trend toward colored uniforms that flowered in the ’70s — routinely explained by the spread of color TV — had as much to do with the fact that around 1972 every team began wearing polyester, which really brings out the dullness in a gray uniform.
Then in the mid-’90s teams wanted to return to something a little more staid, but almost immediately after returning to gray, they saw how boring it was and so began the trend toward alternate jerseys that continues to this day.
If you have to wear gray, at least be like the Braves and put a lot of color into it by using plenty of piping, a standout logo, and big readable numbers. (And force the players to pull their pants up and show some striped socks.) But the Cubs have a strong tradition of wearing shades of blue and looking good in them — there’s no reason to force them to bow to gray-worship. I say make the blue walking-bear jerseys their standard road uniform, and ditch the gray![/quote]
I so agree.
I was browsing “Dressed to the Nines” the other day, and after I hit the 1990’s, I kinda hit a wall of boredom with white-home, gray-road. I know “Dressed” stopped tracking alts at that point, but it really has this subtle corporate blandness to it. Is white and gray really they only option for MLB teams?
Watchin the Sawks game right now. Joe Maddon of the Rays appears to have some extra material on the bottom of his cap. Are these fold-down flaps for cold games or something? Looking for a photo…
Well, I’ll be. Amazing what a little Googling can find a guy.
Maddon’s Cap: link
Decent little article from the Boston: link
[quote]And just yesterday I was remembering how much more fun the opening weeks were, uni-wise, in the days of my kidhood.[/quote]
hopping aboard a trolley to watch chief bender face jack chesbro thru a knothole? ;)
[quote comment=”321889″]
Because gray polyester is dull, lifeless, and insipid?[/quote]
Nonsense. Home whites and road grays = perfection. Colored alts look like crap.
The Indianapolis Indians AAA Baseball wore them well into the 1990s, I saw them in person when they came to New Orleans to play the early N.O. Zephyrs. I thought theior getting rid of them and their newer unis were at least two steps backward.
CORRECTION
I now believe it was the Buffalo Bisons AAA Baseball team (and not the Indianapolis Indians AAA Baseball team) that wore gray road caps well into the 1990s.
I did see them in person when they came to New Orleans to play the early N.O. Zephyrs. I thought their getting rid of them and changing to their “updated” newer unis were at least two steps backward.
My mistake, the changing of the AAA leagues 7-8 years ago, with the merged up larger PCL has me mixing up my old AAA recollections.
[quote comment=”321889″][quote comment=”321875″]Why the hell did they bring back the blue alts last year, anyway?[/quote]
Because gray polyester is dull, lifeless, and insipid?
Forgive me for picking on you, JTH, but what is it that people like about gray? Any team that began its existence before about 1920, like the Cubs, has a long history of link, so it can’t be just tradition.
Gray might have had something going for it back in the 1950s when (a) uniforms were flannel, not polyester, and the gray was actually a melding of various shades with plenty of character, and (b) everybody’s pants were pulled up so you could see their sock colors (and the socks themselves often had stripes in them). Today all of that is gone in favor of a boring monotone artificial fabric that goes down to the shoetops.
I’m convinced that the trend toward colored uniforms that flowered in the ’70s — routinely explained by the spread of color TV — had as much to do with the fact that around 1972 every team began wearing polyester, which really brings out the dullness in a gray uniform.
Then in the mid-’90s teams wanted to return to something a little more staid, but almost immediately after returning to gray, they saw how boring it was and so began the trend toward alternate jerseys that continues to this day.
If you have to wear gray, at least be like the Braves and put a lot of color into it by using plenty of piping, a standout logo, and big readable numbers. (And force the players to pull their pants up and show some striped socks.) But the Cubs have a strong tradition of wearing shades of blue and looking good in them — there’s no reason to force them to bow to gray-worship. I say make the blue walking-bear jerseys their standard road uniform, and ditch the gray![/quote]
Uh, Mark… *link*
Anyway, where did I say that all teams must wear gray on the road? Just link I mentioned that I hope the White Sox wear powder blue in the Civil Rights game.
Just because I think the Cubs’ alt jerseys look bush league on the field, doesn’t mean I’m opposed to color.
I’d love to see the Cubs go back to powder blue road unis. Maybe not full-time, but I’d much rather see them go with that as a road alt vs. the royal blue top/gray trousers combo.
I do think that home unis should always be white (or off-white).
[quote comment=”321892″][quote comment=”321875″]That’s a “tradition” that Dusty Baker implemented and it’s something that Lou Piniella really needs to retire. [/quote]
AFAIK, Ozzie lets the starter choose the uniform too. I don’t know if its MLB-wide.
Sox in pinstripes, KC in all grey today.[/quote]
Yeah, I’ve been wondering how the Sox decide which jersey to wear. It seems like they kinda go by streaks. If they’re on a winning streak in one particular jersey, you tend to see them until they lose in them and then they’ll switch.
The 2005 postseason is a perfect example. They wore the vests at home for the Boston series and for game 1 against the Angels, which they lost. After that loss, they switched to the sleeved pinstripes and didn’t lose again in them, so they stuck with them at home the rest of the way.
They didn’t lose at all in the grays, so they wore them for all of the road games.
[quote comment=”321880″][quote comment=”321863″]Not only did the shit not hit the fan at the Baltimore Sun, but the head of the copy desk instructs Mr. Lukas to link
In the first published version, he actually mistakes “then” for “than.” Do I care too much about language and punctuation to ever become a copy editor?[/quote]
That’s not the person who interviewed me. Wonder if each one knew that the other was planning to write about this same subject….[/quote]
I thought it was funny that you were told to get a life, you know, with your blog being available to anyone who wants to p
[quote comment=”321907″][quote comment=”321880″][quote comment=”321863″]Not only did the shit not hit the fan at the Baltimore Sun, but the head of the copy desk instructs Mr. Lukas to link
In the first published version, he actually mistakes “then” for “than.” Do I care too much about language and punctuation to ever become a copy editor?[/quote]
That’s not the person who interviewed me. Wonder if each one knew that the other was planning to write about this same subject….[/quote]
I thought it was funny that you were told to get a life, you know, with your blog being available to anyone who wants to post /sarcasm. I went to post a response on his blog and have to wait until he approves my comment (which he probably wont) Thanks for allowing us to share our ideas about uni’s on this site[/quote]
MLB Logo or Patch???
Random question.. but what kind of car did Santonio Holes win for being the Super Bowl MVP this past year? Year before, Eli Manning received a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. However, I don’t remember what Holes received.
1. I still wear an umpire’s beanie when I’m behind the plate.
link
2. Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez were discussing “classic” unis during the Met’s opening day telecast.
3. I also wear a throwback DIY Brewers sweatshirt:
link
link
link
link
And JTH, no orange anywhere!
[quote comment=”321909″]MLB Logo or Patch???[/quote]
Patch, it’s the 100th Anniversary patch, or from DTTN.
[quote comment=”321911″]And JTH, no orange anywhere![/quote]
Well, there’s always the next DIY project.
You could turn one of link into one of link.
[quote comment=”321913″][quote comment=”321911″]And JTH, no orange anywhere![/quote]
Well, there’s always the next DIY project.
You could turn one of link into one of link.[/quote]
Too late, I’m finishing this one up too:
link
link
Wow, in this 8:30pm/7:30c ABC Peanuts “All Stars” special from 1966, Charlie Brown is really obsessed with uniforms! He ends up getting a DIY uni made out of Linus’s blanket by the team. Hey I watched this and the “Easter Beagle” for the nifty Jazzy musical numbers :P Now here’s something shocking: the animators actually have American sounding names!
The Blackhawks were link their black sweaters tonight, but they’re in the standard road whites.
Oh, NBA Green Week? Woulda made sense for either the Bulls or Knicks to wear their green St. Paddy’s Day unis again tonight, right? Naturally, both teams are in their regular gear.
And to round out this Chicago Uni Watch update, the Cubs are in gray and the Astros are wearing their pinstripes. Good to see the Astros are in the giant cap patch club.
aint the reds their alts?
;)
[quote comment=”321912″][quote comment=”321909″]MLB Logo or Patch???[/quote]
Patch, it’s the 100th Anniversary patch, or from DTTN.[/quote]
and THIS is why i love this site – thanks for the answer
[quote comment=”321917″]aint the reds their alts?
;)[/quote]
Maybe in about 5 or 6 hours…
[quote comment=”321871″]They say that whenever a national title is decided that shirts and hats for both teams in the final are printed. The shirts for the losers are then donated to people in poorer nations.
Somewhere in the world there are probably people who think MSU won last night and have the T-shirt to prove it.
And most Americans would be happy to be given a trendy Chelsea 2007-2008 Champions League Winners shirt if you offered it to them.[/quote]
I never miss out on an opportunity to post link.
[quote comment=”321825″]A friend of mine who works at the Red Sox team store told me that the Majestic logo was slowly phased in on the t-shirts last year. When Jason Bay was traded here, his t-shirts had the logo, ditto for when Bartolo Colon made his mid-season debut.
I for one think it’s incredibly annoying. The whole reason you go to the “Team Store”, and not to places like Sports Authority or Modell’s, is to avoid things like this.
Looks like I’ll just go there now and buy them for half the price.[/quote]
I work at the Red Sox Team Store. Who is your friend?
Our player are printed at a place in the Chinatown section of Boston, so I’m curious as to whether this Majestic logo epidemic originated with the the brand, the Red Sox, MLB or some combination of the three.
Why exactly are the Red Sox t-shirts being singled out for having the Majestic logo below the collar. They’re certainly not alone:
link
link
link
link
link
link
[quote comment=\”321884\”][quote comment=\”321878\”][quote comment=\”321791\”]While I agree that the Jays NEED blue, I think both the maple leaf (obviously not going to be blue) and the TED memorial are quite nice as they are.[/quote]
Yeah, a blue maple leaf? That would never work.
Seriously though, why not do this in blue with red trim instead of vice-versa?[/quote]
As a Jays and Leafs fan, I must say I like this idea.
Ugh, I\’m a sucker for punishment. At least I\’m not an Isles or Mets fan. Talk about punishment…[/quote]
I’m ma Jays and Isles fan lol. I think that the reason it wouldn’t work is because of the Leafs… It would seem too similar, at least for my liking. Obviously, others would love it. If they didn’t insist on wearing those hideous black uniforms we would never be having a discussion on the colour of the Maple Leafs. I’ve grown to actually like the whites, but I still can’t stand the black ones one bit.
Ugh. Forgot the question mark. Shoulda said:
Why exactly are the Red Sox t-shirts being singled out for having the Majestic logo below the collar?
ok, stupid question. When buying stirrups, do I need to by the stirrup and the sanitary or do they normally come together?
[quote comment=”321923″][quote comment=\”321884\”][quote comment=\”321878\”][quote comment=\”321791\”]While I agree that the Jays NEED blue, I think both the maple leaf (obviously not going to be blue) and the TED memorial are quite nice as they are.[/quote]
Yeah, a blue maple leaf? That would never work.
Seriously though, why not do this in blue with red trim instead of vice-versa?[/quote]
As a Jays and Leafs fan, I must say I like this idea.
Ugh, I\’m a sucker for punishment. At least I\’m not an Isles or Mets fan. Talk about punishment…[/quote]
I’m ma Jays and Isles fan lol. I think that the reason it wouldn’t work is because of the Leafs… It would seem too similar, at least for my liking. Obviously, others would love it. If they didn’t insist on wearing those hideous black uniforms we would never be having a discussion on the colour of the Maple Leafs. I’ve grown to actually like the whites, but I still can’t stand the black ones one bit.[/quote]
I’m actually a fan of the black uniforms. I guess a team can’t please everyone with their colour schemes.
Anyway, I think it’s quite clear after the first two games that the Jays simply cannot lose while wearing their home whites. It just seems impossible now.
What do you mean “wishful thinking?”
[quote comment=”321925″]ok, stupid question. When buying stirrups, do I need to by the stirrup and the sanitary or do they normally come together?[/quote]
you gotta buy the sanitary separate – which means you can go with the nice color on color when appropriate (as i do with the navy on columbia or brown on yellow, depending on which softball shirt I’m goin’ with)
[quote comment=”321925″]ok, stupid question. When buying stirrups, do I need to by the stirrup and the sanitary or do they normally come together?[/quote]
Sanitaries sold separately.
link looked sharp at Phoenix last night, both in good pitching and in good stirrups.
I don’t think that’s a nipple shot of Zambrano. I believe it’s a necklace. I’ve never really got the point of wearing jewelry while playing, but it looks like Zambrano does.