When I wrote about the difference between uniforms and equipment last Friday, I neglected to mention compression sleeves. The rules surrounding them make no sense: On the one hand, your undershirt sleeves have to be a certain color (unless you’re David Wright); on the other hand, you can wear a compression sleeve — which looks just like an undersleeve — of just about any color. Which is how we ended up with Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton wearing a stars/stripes compression sleeve yesterday.
Stanton’s sleeve hit the trifecta of stupid: the flag-desecration thing, the superhero thing, and the “I don’t actually understand what this holiday is about” thing. It was the low point in a brutal day for MLB aesthetics, as all 30 clubs went G.I. Joe. You can see each team’s uniform in the slideshow below (if you can’t see the slideshow on your mobile device and/or would prefer to see the photos as a gallery, click here):
As you may have noticed in that slideshow, the Blue Jays had a different camouflage pattern than the other teams, based on what the Canadian military wears. That’s nice — except that they still had to wear the military costume on an American holiday, which doesn’t make much sense, a fact not lost on The Globe & Mail’s Cathal Kelly, who wrote, “Why are we paying fealty to a neighbour? And especially in this way? We are the United States’ global partner, not its kid brother.” Kelly then continued:
Seeing your heroes running around in camo is neither heartening nor instructive. It’s toying with politics. Cheering in that environment is a mandate of the hive mind, because are you going to be the one guy who sits on his hands while everyone is standing? No matter how good the intention, it’s coercive and arbitrary.
When you don the trappings of war in an environment that has nothing to do with real battle, you are play-acting. I’m not sure what the sight of 17 Americans, five Dominicans, a Venezuelan and an Australian wearing the distinctive camo of the Canadian military is supposed to mean to Canadians. The only guy who makes any sense is [Canadian-born] Brett Lawrie.
Well put.
A few additional notes:
• The umpires got into the act, wearing G.I. Joe caps.
• The “LA” logo on the back of the Dodger Stadium mound went G.I. Joe as well.
• The Rays apparently couldn’t wait for Memorial Day and wore their G.I. Joe caps — but not the jerseys — on Sunday.
• The Mets and Pirates, who are both wearing Ralph Kiner memorial patches on their right sleeves this season, played each other yesterday. Interestingly, the Mets included the Kiner patch but the Pirates did not:
Were any other patches missing from yesterday’s jerseys?
(My thanks to all contributors, including Mark Coale for the Globe & Mail article, Brian Skokowski for spotting the Kiner patch omission, and of course Phil.)
The lowercase chronicles, continued: A uni-centric subtext to yesterday’s Pirates/Mets tilt was that the Mets had called up outfielder Matt den Dekker prior to the game. He entered the game in the 9th inning and, as you can see at left (and can click to enlarge), had lowercase letters on his NOB, just like Jacob deGrom and Travis d’Arnaud.
This is at least the third different NOB format den Dekker has had as a pro ballplayer. Last year the Mets rendered his name in all-caps; at triple-A Las Vegas, he’s had just a lowercase d.
d’Arnaud is currently on the DL but is expected to be activated tomorrow. When that happens, the Mets will have all three of their lowercase-NOB players on the active roster at the same time. Or to put it another way, they will be playing in 3-d.
Interestingly, when New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was on hand to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day, the Mets gave him a jersey with all-caps lettering.
In case you missed it, yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the very first Uni Watch column. I had a lot to say about this in yesterday’s entry. If you didn’t catch that, I urge you to check it out here.
Meanwhile, here are a few more more anniversary-related developments:
• When I unveiled that anniversary logo yesterday (designed by our own Scott M.X. Turner, don’tcha know), several people asked if it could be made available on a T-shirt. Sure can — look here.
• Some people have also asked about having the logo made into a sleeve patch. I’m looking into that, but it might depend on how much demand there is — would you be interested in purchasing such a patch? If so, please let me know. Thanks.
• We’re going to have an anniversary party at Sheep Station on the evening of Tuesday, June 10, 7:30pm. This is the first time we’ve done a Brooklyn party on a weeknight, and I realize it may not be as convenient as a weekend for some of you, but circumstances (i.e., my schedule and Phil’s schedule) left us with no other options. Hope to see you there.
• I’m having the anniversary logo printed onto a large-ish banner, which will be on display at the party on June 10. If you want to organize a UW party in your town, let me know and I can ship the banner to you (as long as you send it back, natch). Not quite the same as showing up myself, but still not bad, right?
Attention NYC-area readers: I’ve mentioned Jody Avirgan’s excellent “Ask Roulette” events several times over the past year. It’s a simple premise — strangers get up onstage and ask each other questions — but it ends up being more entertaining than the sum of its parts, because Jody is an unusually witty host and there are always “celebrity” guest participants. (I was one of the celebrities last year. You can check out my segment in the Dec. 24 entry here.)
Ask Roulette is coming to the Bell House tonight, 8pm. The special guests include Chuck Klosterman and Jay Smooth. Sadly, I won’t be able to attend (I have a longstanding date with my brother tonight), but Ask Roulette is totally worth your time — you should go!
PermaRec update: There’s been a new development in the story about that 1975 high school ring that I’ve been trying to return to its owner. Get the story over on Permanent Record.
Baseball/Softball News: You knew this was going to happen: The Dodgers wore their “Dodgers” gray jerseys on Sunday — except for coach Davey Lopes, who wore the “Los Angeles” jersey (thanks, Phil). ”¦ Sunday was Dominican Mother’s Day, so the Blue Jays’ Dominican players wore pink accessories. The sad thing is that most fans probably thought it was a breast cancer thing (from Casey Levene). ”¦ Great story on the guy who paints the signs at Spokane’s minor league stadium (from Kenny Ocker). ”¦ Phil had good coverage on Sunday of Saturday’s Mariners/Astros throwback game, but here’s a photo gallery for those who want more (from Tim Dunn). ”¦ Another team wearing solid-orange: Oklahoma State (from Mark Rybczyk). ”¦ Very nice uniforms the other day, complete with vertical placket lettering, for Southeastern Louisiana (from John Schmitt). ”¦ The U. of Florida softball team was wearing white stirrups over white sannies the other day. Love those stripes (from Jaime Galindo). ”¦ “I saw the highlights of Sunday’s Red Sox/Rays ” brawl,” says Scott Turner. “When Johnny Gomes was ejected, he handed his glove to Mike Carp, his replacement in the outfield. I know Carp is a first baseman, but he’s played outfield so presumably he’d have a fielder’s glove.” Odd. ”¦ Pablo Sandoval wore a Batman undershirt yesterday. To honor the troops, I guess (from Sean Robbins). ”¦ Speaking of honoring the troops, the Jacksonville Suns observed the holiday yesterday with this tasteful jersey design. Classy! ”¦ This isn’t the first time we’ve noted Hunter Pence’s super-high pants, but man — those pants are super-high! The White Sox should trade for him and then do a Sox-in-shorts throwback game just for him (screen shots by Scott Novosel). ”¦ New logo set for the 2014 Korean All-Star Game (from Dan Kurtz).
NFL News: DeSean Jackson, recently acquired by the ’Skins, says Robert Griffin III offered to change his uni number so Jackson could wear No. 10, but the league “was too invested” in having Griffin keep his number. Hmmmm (from Yusuke Toyoda). ”¦ Here’s a mid-1960s photo of 49ers Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson — No. 37 — wearing the wrong jersey design. Those shoulder stripes were only part of the Niners’ uniform program from 1959 through ’63, so Johnson must have been wearing an old jersey (good spot by Tom Farley).
Hockey News: Derick Brassard of the Rangers was missing his front helmet number during Sunday night’s playoff game against the Canadiens. Gotta say, I liked it better when the helmets didn’t have those numbers, which often look too cluttered (screen shot by Mikey Brethauer).
Soccer News: Here’s a great behind-the-scenes photo of Italy’s jerseys being prepared for pre-World Cup friendlies (from Joe Hickey). ”¦ ESPN has created really nice poster designs for all 32 World Cup teams. ”¦ Here are some thoughts about Brazil, Nike, and hype. ”¦ Real Madrid celebrated “La Decima” — its 10th European Cup title — with this shirsey (from Yusuke Toyoda). ”¦ Also from Yusuke: “On Saturday, Queens Park Rangers won the promotion playoff to move up to the Premier League while wearing their red and black away kit, but put on their home colors for the post-match celebrations with ‘R’s are going up’ printed on the back. ”¦ The rest of these are from Trevor Williams: New kits for Ireland, Indonesia, Recife, Sevilla, and new reversible kits for five Penalty-outfitted clubs.
Grab Bag: Last week I mentioned and linked to a couple of new sock manufacturers. One of those operations, American Trench (whose main product is trenchcoats but also makes socks), sent me three pairs of striped sock samples, and I’m happy to report that they’re wonderful — really comfortable, tight enough to stay up but not too tight, and I love the stripe patterns. The blue/gray design is supposedly inspired by the Brooklyn Dodgers’ uniform and the red/gray one is supposedly Red Sox-inspired, both of which frankly seem like a bit of a reach to me, but whatever — they’re just great socks. American-made, too. Uni Watch’s highest rating! You can buy them in various configurations here and here. … “A little boy had an accident and his favorite Under Armour shirt was ruined,” says Kelly Duncan. “His mom wrote a letter to UA, trying to find a replacement, and the company came through in a really nice way.” ”¦ It’s not that unusual for members of a rock band to wear matching outfits, but I particularly like that the bassist and guitarist of the excellent Atlanta garage band the Woggles, who I saw on Friday night, both have “W”-emblazoned straps and white amp cords. Nice details. ”¦ The U.S. military has been policing its trademarks a bit more aggressively lately. ”¦ Here’s an article/video on the guy who makes the WWE championship belts in his garage. ”¦ The Denver/Duke NCAA lacrosse semifinal game featured several uni-notable details, as both teams wore two-tone helmets. As you can see in that shot, Denver wore the NCAA tourney patch on the clavicle, but Duke wore it on the rear collar. And Denver’s uni numbers had a Rocky Mountain theme (all this from Jared Buccola). … Super-teeny-tiny logo adjustment for Google (from Laurence Holland). ”¦ ”¦ Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay celebrated his victory with his very young son — who wore a suit modeled after daddy’s. “Awwww,” says David Firestone. ”¦ You mess with the swoosh and the swoosh will mess with you. Douchebags. ”¦ Would you wear flip-flops to meet the President of the United States? Some members of the Northwestern women’s lacrosse team did just that in 2005 (from Tommy Turner). ”¦ I knew baseball umps used to wear formal suits, but I didn’t know basketball refs wore suits until I saw this 1921 high school basketball photo. Amazing! Lots more photos of a similar ilk here (great stuff from Chris Wheeler). ”¦ All 18 indigenous-themed uniforms for the Australian Football League have now been released. “All were designed by indigenous artists — that’s how you honor native peoples, Mr. Snyder,” says Lew Strawn Jr. You can watch the Indigenous round for free here. … Absolutley faaaascinating article on airport runway fonts and graphics. Highly recommended (big thanks to Paul Lee).
Couple typos: missing an “f” in the “Ask Roulette” section, and there’s an extra “t” in the soccer ticker.
Fixed.
Here’s a mid-1960s photo of 49ers Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson – No. 37 – wearing the wrong jersey design. Those shoulder stripes were never part of the Niners’ uniform program (good spot by Tom Farley).
Actually, the Niners used those style stripes on their white jerseys from ’59 – ’63. (The silver helmet era)
Ah, good point. Will adjust text!
I think its been mentioned before that in the 70’s some 49ers would wear red jerseys without sleeve stripes. Jimmie Johnson was one of them.
Johnson is also wearing socks that have no striping, compared to the rest of his teammates which have the three white stripes. Also, comparing his pants, to the pants worn by #64, Johnson’s pants have two seams in the middle, while #64’s only have one seam. So it appears he is wearing a completely different uniform than the rest of his team. Oh well, at least he is wearing the same helmet.
Actually, the kid’s Under Armour shirt was the only thing he was wearing that wasn’t destroyed.
yep. great PR for UA
In reference to the Nike/USATF story… what is wrong with what Nike (by way of the USATF) did? The athletes have iundividual deals with Oiselle but compete for a team sponsored by Nike. Then Oiselle removed the Nike logo from photos and replaced it with their own?
Isn’t that skin to Nike sponsoring LeBron, and replacing the Adidas logo on his NBA All-Star uniform with a swoosh?
Without having seen the photo in question, I don’t see anywhere that Oiselle placed its logo in the picture, so I don’t think the All-Star jersey thing works here (and Nike uses Nike-fied national team uniforms in its ads all the time). Otherwise, I don’t see this as anything other than Nike bullying a small company the way it wouldn’t with Adidas.
Plus, we’re talking about a company that told its endorsers to cover the Reebok logo with the American flag for the Dream Team’s gold medal ceremony in 1992.
First quote from the USATF (let’s be serious… probably Nike) statement: “The removal and replacement of the Nike Swoosh…”
So I again reiterate… If Adidas posted a picture of RG3 in his Washington-NFL-team uniform, but photoshopped out the swoosh and added their own logo, wouldn’t Nike be justified in being upset about that? Companies like Nike spend this sponsorship money so that when you see the uniform, you see their logo. By Oiselle placing theirs on the image, it’s as if they are claiming to be the people who made the uniforms.
So I again reiterate… If Adidas posted a picture of RG3 in his Washington-NFL-team uniform, but photoshopped out the swoosh and added their own logo, wouldn’t Nike be justified in being upset about that?
Eh. As long as we don’t see the USATF/’Skins logo, what’s the big deal?
But can we agree that the removing part of it isn’t a big deal? Nike did it in 2010, link, link.
Again, I wish I could see the photo in question that no one appears to have taken a screenshot before it was taken down.
I agree 100% that obscuring a logo is a completely different conversation than replacing it with your own.
link.
I would’ve sent a cease-and-desist for the shitty photo editing.
Perhaps the meaning behind the gesture is more important than the aesthetics. Many of Monday’s games were preceded by moving ceremonies.
I don’t know of anyone form MLB reads these comments. But if so, a heartfelt thank you for showing your support. Deeply appreciated.
With all of the camo, red/white/blue, and “honoring the troops” uniform abominations yesterday I’m about ready to give up trying to explain to people that Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and Independence Day are not one in the same thing. The article about the Blue Jays just drives the point home that nobody involved in this whole mess really knows what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, or what it means and that the general (sporting) public is right onboard this runaway, destination-less train with them.
The guy who pointed out the Kiner patch inconsistency to me last night said that the Pirates’ omission of the Kiner patch was particularly egregious because Kiner was a veteran. After all, he wrote, the camo jerseys “were meant to honor veterans.”
I thanked him for spotting the patch omission (great catch) but also pointed out that Memorial Day is not about honoring veterans. It’s about memorializing the war dead.
He said, “I guess you’re right. I didn’t think of it like that.”
Sigh.
So on point. The camo and flag desecration costumes bug me to no end, but the ‘let’s honor our veterans’ when it’s a day to remember the fallen puts me over the edge. From play-by-play talking heads, to on-field ‘celebrations’, to interviewing war vets and thanking them, to even some military related web sites, can’t anyone get these two holidays straight? It isn’t that hard. And to top it off, when you try to explain the difference to some folks and they get all ornery about it, then I just throw my hands up and say why bother.
Last year was the tipping point for me. Between all the camo crap “honoring” our soldiers, to Pinktober, I get very frustrated explaining why this is all bad and actually NOT honoring any victims or cancer patients at all, but my friends don’t want to hear about it.
I know I should “keep fighting the good fight”, but it constantly falls on deaf ears and people then accuse me of hating the military, not honoring/supporting our troops, and actually liking breast cancer. So I quit. I’m done. If you want to desecrate the American flag, honor the wrong people on the wrong day, and “support” breast cancer awareness all throughout October by wearing overpriced merchandise… go for it.
It’s sad that there far too many who don’t understand the deeper meanings of US national holidays. They are seen merely as the kickoff to summer, a day to watch football and be catered to, an opportunity to sleep in, and on and on. Many go out of there way to trivially and publically celebrate themselves on an almost daily basis, yet have no idea what is right and appropriate on the few days set aside to reflect on the courageous, selfless, and often heroic acts of others.
Additionally, I’m at a loss to explain why, with each passing year, there are fewer and fewer daily US flag displays in my area.
The simple answer to many questions like yours (indeed, many questions about why things are the way they are) is, “Because Americans, largely, are self-indulgent a-holes.”
…at triple-A Las Vegas, he’s had just a lowercase d…
That is actually also an upside-down “P”. Look at how it matches the “R”
Correct. But my point is that they gave him one lowercase letter, irrespective of how they achieved that.
MLB is trying to sell that the camo on the uniforms is to show us their support/celebration of the US Military. Why do they have the Tampa Bay Rays playing in Canada. Tampa Bay is home to MacDill AFB, which is home to the US Central Command for the wars overseas. Wouldn’t serve best to play games in cities located near military bases and fill the seats with troops and actually celebrate them. Just a thought.
Since Memorial Day is about honoring the dead — not celebrating the military — wouldn’t it be better to play games in cities near military cemeteries?
Better yet: Wouldn’t it be better to wear a black armband, have a moment of silence, and dispense with all the pandering nonsense?
Hey Paul, you make a much better point.
Paul hit it out of the park on this one. This is exactly what should happen. 100% agree.
Paul, I feel a better way to acknowledge Memorial Day is to not play games on that day and also have most businesses close on this day. This is a day to mourn those who have lost their lives for this country, not to have a picnic or a 3-day sale. I saw picture of little girl beside her father’s grave. It broke my heart. I must have cried for nearly a hour. I wished every American would have seen that picture. I think then people would have a understanding what the word Memorial is suppose to mean. That’s my 2 cents.
You just wrote the “Tampa Bay Rays” and “fill the seats” in consecutive sentences. Just sayin’. :)
(Tampa native and Rays fan here. But it’s true.)
Great point KT.
ChaosRWM still makes a valid point – but perhaps as to a day other than Memorial Day. If teams want to honor the armed forces on Armed Forces Day, they could play games for the troops at bases near their home ballpark (for no charge to the servicemen/women and their families). There are a lot of complications (costs, travel, etc.), but it could sort of be like a domestic USO baseball tour that actually pays homage to those who are currently serving.
As a veteran, the GI Joe thing does less to honor than it does to make sports organizations appear like they actually care. A simple moment of silence would be more appropriate than anything else for those who have died in the service of the United States. Most veterans don’t want to be pandered to and would prefer something like that to honor the fallen. The GI Joe stuff is just simply pandering and abhorrent to me.
I also don’t care for the flag desecration stuff either. Nothing wrong with being patriotic and displaying the flag properly. Still, the excuse can be made simply by looking at what Uncle Sam wears. The original in flag desecration.
Worth noting that Ireland have only ever gone monochrome green on a small handful of occasions in the past, generally against teams in monochrome white. One of those occasions was perhaps one of the greatest embarrassments for Irish soccer of recent years, a 5-2 loss to Cyprus – not exactly a memory worth recalling. Ireland aren’t going to the World Cup either so it’s not as though this is some more of FIFA’s shenanigans. Very strange.
Even stranger though is the fact that the green on the jersey is a slightly lighter shade than on the shorts. You can kind of see it in those promo shots, but it was very clear in Sunday’s friendly game against Turkey: link
You can tell Padday is the real deal because he employs the UK/Irish locution wherein a singular noun for a sports team (“Ireland”) is followed by a plural verb (“Ireland aren’t going to the World Cup”). I suppose it’s because “Ireland” in this instance denotes a bunch of various people, but still, it just doesn’t sound right to the American ear.
As for the uni, OK, I guess, though I really hate the silly numeral font employed to satisfy the corporate sponsor.
I do my best to accommodate yous yanks by using “soccer” rather than “football” and yet you still complain? There’s just no pleasing some people!
As for the number, that’s just the retail version they’re wearing in the promo shot (yes, the retail version includes an advertiser’s logo that the on field version doesn’t. Happened back in the Eircom days too: link It’s cuckoo-bananas but whatever). The game jerseys had a fairly standard, rounded font. link
Last link didn’t work for some reason. Here’s a different one: link
I don’t think he’s complaining at all, Padday. At least not about *you*.
Have to admit, that’s probably the thing about British English that really bothers me; pairing plural verbs with collective nouns.
But then maybe the plural for collective nouns make more sense. Like, “Indiana’s basketball” is an “it”, but the “Indiana Pacers” is a “they”, even though they’re the same thing. And then we can’t decide if “Miami Heat” is an “it” or a “they”.
…and that’s why I hate singular nouns for team names.
Yes, yes, yes plural nouns and singular verbs in conditional whosits and predicate whatsits blah blah blah – but back to the issue at hand (if I may be so bold), why the monochrome? why now? and secondly why can’t a major sportswear company get a consistent shade of green for its [their??] jerseys and shorts?
Sort of off-topic, but does John O’Shea look a somewhat big-bottomed in that pic? Or does it seem that way because he’s apparently one of about five players left in the world who tuck their shirts in.
O’Shea looks like he just ate the Turkish player in one picture, but in the other his shirt is untucked and he looks normal sized. Perhaps just a camera distortion problem on the first pic.
Fat
link
Skinny
link
What we must remember is that John O’Shea is no longer the sprightly young beansprout who nutmegging Louis Figo while playing on Manchester United’s left wing all those years ago. With the accumulation of years comes in turn the accumulation of a certain amount of “junk in the trunk” so to speak. That O’Shea also tucks in should not be held against him, nor should it be a source of disparagement. It shows he’s a pragmatist, someone who understands that we can’t all be rockstar Georgie Best with a mop top and oversize jersey alike flowing in the wind. Somebody’s got to be a professional, somebody’s got to buckle down, tuck in and hopelessly attempt to stop players infinitely more talented than them before rashly bundling the opponent over, incurring a penalty and most likely a red card in the process. That’s the John O’Shea philosophy.
To answer the question about wearing/not wearing patches: The Braves didn’t wear the Hank Aaron 40th anniversary patches yesterday. Gallery: link
Jimmy Johnson has the wrong socks roo!
*too
Brewers added stars and stripes to their mound logo yesterday (I’m assuming they don’t always do that).
link
link
The Brewers routinely change their mound logo to match the occasion — throwback logo for throwback games, Negro League logo for Negro League games, etc. Just guessing, but I suspect they lead the league in mound logos.
The camo unis and hats (pixel unis and hats more than camo) were by far more ridiculous than Stanton’s arm sleeve. Yes, Memorial Day is about remembering the fallen and it’s not the 4th of July or Veteran’s Day, but what do they drape every soldier’s casket with? The American Flag.
The American Flag has always been used in memorial to the fallen (think 9/11 and how the country rallied behind the flag) and I feel Stanton’s sleeve at least looked like the flag, whereas the uniforms and hats always look ridiculous, especially for teams who go softball tops. The gray and white unis with the camo seem to blend and hide better.
I agree that using imagery of the American flag is a better way to commemorate Memorial Day than wearing camo. But how one displays the flag matters, too. According to the US Flag Code, wearing the flag as an article of clothing is considered inappropriate. And clothing that is supposed to look like the flag is considered to be the flag for purposes of complying with the Flag Code.
That is absolutely true.
That ship has also long since sailed.
I don’t disagree. Flag desecration for sure. But to call it the low point of all the bad from yesterday seemed crazy to me. Just thought the sleeve actually was the least ridiculous of the special features from yesterdays games.
Well said, BvK1126.
Query whether people think sports teams should follow the US Flag Code. While it is a law (violation of which could be considered illegal or immoral), there is no penalty for non-compliance and the Supreme Court has ruled that prohibitions against desecrating the flag are unconstitutional.
The Flag Code may not be enforceable, nut it does lay down the tenets of good flag etiquette. If you ask people if they support the Flag Code, they’ll invariably say yes. Then when you mention some of the Code’s specific provisions (like not wearing the flag as clothing, not using its likeness in commercial advertising, etc.), they’ll realize they don’t really know what the Flag Code prescribes (and proscribes).
Most people think it prohibits burning the flag (it doesn’t). When they are confronted with the reality that some of the socially questionable ways they show off their facile consumer-patriotism are actually considered disrespectful to the flag, they face a tough dilemma. They’ usually vacillate between changing their behavior or deciding that the pro-Flag Code crowd needs to “lighten up.” Sadly, it seems like most choose the latter course of action.
*but
The flag code states that you can wear the flag… It does not say that you can not wear a representation of the flag. Stanton’s arm sleeve is very clearly not a flag. It does not have 50 stars and probably does not even have 13 stripes, there for it is not a flag. The whole “Flag Desecration” thing on this website is out of hand, and screams of a ‘Holier then thou’ mentality.
Now I agree that yesterday was no place for all of the camo, and that a better tribute would be for every team to have black letters/numbers on their whites/grays.
THANK YOU! Every time I see the words “Flag Desecration” on this website I cringe. Some people obviously have no clue what that really means. These same people are quick to point out your mistakes in interpretation though. But this is behavior I’ve come to expect from this site.
I am a veteran. The camouflage pattern worn yesterday is the same one I wore when I served my tours in Iraq. While I think there is no way you can get it 100% right, the ceremonies and tributes were nice. There are some out there who will just be offended no matter what. I just try to document what was worn and move on. Don’t you wish more people would do that?
While I agree that the camo is ridiculous in all cases, it at least contrasts with the softball tops in a readable way, unlike the white/gray jerseys.
Watching the Dodgers vs. Reds on television last night, I thought about the pure silliness of it all where MLB removed the flag colors on the two teams’ uniforms in favor of camouflage on Memorial Day.
The guy who makes wrestling belts….he’s made belts for sport teams too. Go through his gallery on his website. There’s a Titan’s Sack Champion belt, and a Florida Gators belts, and a SF 49er belt
link
Here’s the 49ers belt
link
While watching the Blue Jays game last night my 9 year old daughter asked why the Jays were wearing ‘Minecraft’ inspired hats.
“And looks like we’ve got a creeper in the infield–”
[BLAAAM]
“Ouch! Mid-windup, Jim, that’s never fun.”
“And adding insult to injury, Joe West just called a balk!”
“We’ll go to a commercial break while the grounds crew rebuilds the mound.”
I’d watch far more baseball if that could happen.
Well MLB should have a new camo pattern to copy soon. If you remember the article that said the universal pattern for camo didn’t work very well. A new “scorpion” design is in the works.
link
It’s funny how after all this time, the new “scorpion” camo – which Army Times says will have a new name when it’s officially announced – sure does look like both German and USMC camo patterns from WWII.
Also, it turns out that there is such a thing as camopedia:
link
“Also, it turns out that there is such a thing as camopedia”
Thanks for torpedoing my productivity for the rest of the day.
For what it’s worth, the light rail train that runs from Bloomington to Target Field goes by Fort Snelling National Cemetery. The large number of fans traveling to and from the Minnesota-Texas game could have had a more relevant observation of the day by removing their hats and remaining silent as they passed by.
Any reason the airports article is posted under Soccer?
Refreshed and you had already got it. Thx Paul!!!
Did Lopes wear the wrong jersey the whole game? It’s the ninth inning in that screenshot.
The Canadian pattern is called CADPAT, and its the same pattern the Raptors have worn
link
link
I thought it was interesting that the American teams used desert camoflage (I don’t know the correct name) while the Jays used “Temperate Woodland” instead of either the Arid version of CADPAT.
(I’m leaving aside the issue of celebrating Memorial Day in Canada which is well covered above)
Apparently it’s illegal in Canada to wear the exact camo pattern unless you know, you are in the military in some form. So it’s a replica pattern. Cripes. There has to be a better way.
I think the answer is that CADPAT is both patented and copyrighted, so you wouldn’t be allowed to use it in something you make.
I don’t think there’s anything illegal about wearing surplus CADPAT gear.
You’d think Mojang would have a copyright to the “knock-off” pattern the Raptors wear. I feel like I’m looking at something from Minecraft.
Re patches on Memorial Day, the Padres wore their Jerry Coleman patches on Monday.
link
They did not, however, wear them at home over the weekend when they were wearing their 1984 brown unis.
link
While the Padres did not split the “d” on their 1984 throw backs, they did do so for the giveaway jerseys.
link
The giveaways also had the proper arching, which is naturally easier to do via screen-printing.
link
When the Braves were playing in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago announcer Joe Simpson asked Hunter Pence about his high pants before the game. I’m not remembering Pence’s complete answer, but it had something to do with helping keep his knees from getting banged up as much, or helping with the healing.
My name is misspelled as “Lew”. ;)
…said Leo.
Here’s a question I need some help with…
I’m a loyal Braves fan and a sucker for superstition. I’m trying to get rid of some stuff around the house and that involves trimming down my collection of baseball caps. There are 2 Braves caps that have served me well throughout the years, but they’re in rough shape and have recently been replaced with newer, cleaner versions.
The question is, what’s a proper way to dispose of an old, reliable hat? Throwing it in the garbage seems sad, but I can’t really give it away – who would want an old, used hat?
Is this ludicrous? I’m open to suggestions…
-martyB
Well, old flags get incinerated.
Given that the items are team-specific, you could just leave them at the ballpark after a game.
In Catholicism items that have been blessed but are now unusable are buried. How cool would it be to bury the caps at the site of the new ballpark?
Okay, I like what you’re thinking. Unfortunately, I live in NYC and getting anywhere near consecrated ground will be difficult. My location also makes it tough, because I certainly can’t leave an innocent, old Braves cap out for some random Mets fan to take his or her frustrations out on.
Maybe some sort of funeral pyre is the right idea…
Cinder blocks and letting them sleep with the fishes in the East River?
Attend as many NHL games in your area as you can and take the hats along with you to throw on the ice after the home team scores a hat trick?
Really it works for any level of hockey. And an 8 year old might get a kick out of it.
Yes, but with all the nice folks operating/playing at the non-professional level, it’s likely that you will be re-united with said hat. You can anonymously leave it unclaimed at the professional level (I think most major areas allow you to retrieve tossed caps after the contest, except for Philadelphia; they display them forever for home-team hat tricks…dunno what becomes of abandoned ones), always remembering fondly the last time you shared company.
Are the squatchees in good enough shape that you could turn them into lapel pins or cuff links?
Clothing donation charity, e.g.: Goodwill store. Because even though I personally might not want a used hat, somebody with more dire economic circumstances might buy or take it.
Yes, it is ludicrous.
I’m going to guess the Rays wore those caps on Sunday because ( a ) they weren’t going to be at home on Monday and ( b ) you gotta showcase ’em to sell ’em, and, not to put too fine a point on it, MLB’s raison d’etre in all this is to sell them, not to honor anybody.
Another view
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Kind of like the well intentioned, but bossy house guest, inflicting their own views on your household. No disrespect to any veteran on either side of the border, but would have a simple poppy on the sleeves for the Blue Jays, been a whole lot more respectful to the two countries.
Someone didn’t read today’s lede very carefully.
I will do the very Canadian thing, and humbly apologize. Yep tend to scan too quickly when at work.
Just giving you shit. I like your “bossy house guest” analogy!
Memorial day is one of the ugliest days in the MLB.All the unis and caps are horrid. Def in need of a uni tweak concept challenge
How’s this for a concept: Every team wears its regular home or road uniform on Memorial Day. Period. Full stop.
Either baseball is by its nature already a patriotic, fully American institution, in which case every team’s regular uniform is a patriotic display suited to a national holiday. Or baseball is not, by its nature, particularly American or patriotic, in which case nobody who loves America or respects the memory of our war dead has any business going to or watching a baseball game on a national holiday. Either way, MLB has no reason to change uniforms or play dress-up in soldier clothes for the day.
Agreed…At most a black armband or patch to on Memorial Day to commemorate soldiers who have lost their lives defending our country. I have yet to understand how stars and stripes or camouflage honors the dead. Although, I guess black armbands or patches don’t sell caps or jerseys.
Here’s the test: When you went to your local Memorial Day parade, did all the people who showed up to watch the parade wear camouflage clothes? Of course not, because “dress up in soldier clothes” is not how adults commemorate Memorial Day. Two classes of people can dress up in soldier clothes on national holidays: Soldiers and veterans, and young children. If a random grown-up civilian showed up at your Memorial Day barbecue dressed in combat fatigues, pretty much every adult present would be like, “Dude, WTF?”
There is, or should be, no difference between the standards we uphold for ordinary people and those we expect of professional athletes. It would not generally be socially acceptable for you or I to show up to our jobs or to a public event wearing military camo; neither should we accept MLB players doing so.
Love the Anniversary logo. I notice that both eggplant and purple are listed as color options for the T-Shirt. I trust this is just an oversight on your part which will be corrected post haste.
Nice tweak to the masthead!
Man, that one is both great and subtle. I would have never noticed it otherwise.
Just got an email from MLB linking to auctions for Memorial Day camo jerseys and caps worn by the Nats. Neither the email, nor the link, says anything about the proceeds going to help veterans or military families.
I suppose MLB is so busy supporting the troops that they forgot to mention that the money is going to the Wounded Warrior Project or something, and not just lining MLB’s coffers, right?
If you question MLB’s motives, you obviously don’t care about the troops.
Can’t they honor the military/veterans/war dead/patriotism as well as sell some merchandise at the same time?