Skip to content
 

Uni Watch DIY Project: Creating a Jersey From Scratch

b24

[Editor’s Note: Remember our recent entries about NHL-themed neckties? The same anonymous DIYer who created those is back with a DIY jersey project. Enjoy. ”” PL]

By Anonymous

I recently found an inexpensive roll-end piece of really nice navy wool material and decided to use it to make a early-1900s-style baseball jersey for a fictional team I made up called the Blue Whales, loosely based on the Chicago Whales of the Federal League. I’m not a great sewer, so I decided to simplify the design to make sure it was easy to make, with plenty of shortcuts and cheating. Here’s how I did it:

1. I didn’t have a pattern but took basic measurements from a modern baseball jersey I have. I noticed from old photos that the cut of early-1900s jerseys tended to be really boxy and untailored — perfect for working without a pattern. I cut out the front and back but cutting identical pieces measuring 30″ high by 20″ wide. I cut out the hole for my head, making sure my head would pass through easily. I then sewed the two pieces together at the shoulders [for all of these photos, you can click to enlarge]:

b4

2. I then cut out two identical sleeves, both 18″ long by 9″ wide. With the good side of the body pieces facing up, I pinned and sewed the sleeve with the good side down. This is an easy way to attach sleeves as opposed to the much more difficult inset sleeve method normally used:

b6

3. I sewed the sleeves onto the body. Here’s how it looked with the four panels (front, back, left sleeve, right sleeve) all sewn together:

b7

4. I wanted this jersey to have a point collar (like on a regular men’s shirt). I made the collar from two long strips of material. Using two pieces with a center seam in the back made it easy to position the collar correctly for sewing. I initially made the pieces longer than needed to fit into the hole and then pinned them in place. I then trimmed the collar to the proper length and turned over and sewed three sides (leaving one long side unturned) to make the finished edge of the collar. This photo shows the strips of fabric:

b9

In this next photo, the collar is pinned in, with the good side facing the inside of the jersey, ready to be sewn into place, so that the good side will show when the collar is folded out:

b10

This next photo shows the steps to the completed collar: The yellow arrow shows the underside of the finished edge to the collar; the white arrow shows collar sewn into the neckline along this seam, with the collar inside the jersey and with the good side facing inward; and the
green arrow shows how, once the collar is sewn in, it’s flipped out and down so you see the good side up and the seam is hidden under the collar.

collar new

5. Here’s a major shortcut: I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do the buttons correctly (sewing buttonholes can be a pain, and you have to get the buttons and holes to align perfectly), so I came up with a major shortcut: Instead of using functioning buttons, I sewed on a fake placket. It’s just a strip of material sewn onto the front. This is why I needed to make sure the hole was big enough to put my head through, as I wouldn’t be able to unbutton it. You can see the fake placket in this photo, which also shows the finished collar folded out:

b14

6. I created rounded shirttails by trimming the bottom corners of the body panels, using a dinner plate to get the correct rounded look as found on the original jerseys. I pinned over the edge and sewed it to get the finished edge. I thought this step would be really difficult, but this material turned out to be really easy to work with:

b16

7. I cut out the “B” logo (for “Blue Whales”) from piece of very nice cream wool material. I lightly hand-stitched it on then sewed it on with the machine, using a matching cream topstitching thread. I followed a similar process to create a whale logo patch for the left sleeve:

b17

c19

8. Now it was time to close up the jersey. I turned it inside-out and sewed it together on both sides from the bottom all the way to the end of each sleeve:

b20

9. With the jersey still inside-out, I turn over the edges of the sleeves and sewed them to finish the ends:

b21

10. Remember, I wasn’t planning on having functional buttons. But I still wanted to add some buttons to the placket, even if they’d only be ornamental. I was able to find some real mother-of-pearl buttons in an antiques shop — perfect for the old-timey feel I was trying to achieve:

b22

b24

The feel and quality of the finished jersey are far better than I thought I’d be able to achieve. A lot of this has to do with the beautiful wool materials and the antique buttons. Still, there are a few things I would do differently next time. First, I’d use functional buttons and buttonholes, which would give me a truly functional collar. As it stands now, the neck opening is too wide for the proper vintage look. Second, I would have tapered the arms to make them wider at the body and narrower at the cuffs, as is typical for most garments. I didn’t think of this and made them the same width all the way.

Overall, though, the look and feel are really nice, and the price was right — my total cost for materials was about $12. And I still have plenty of the cream-colored wool for another project, which will probably be a cadet-collared version with working buttons.

+ + + + +

ESPN update: In case you missed it yesterday (and you probably did, because it wasn’t posted until fairly late in the day), my latest ESPN column is another look at MLB firsts and lasts. Enjoy.

+ + + + +

“C” section: Remember my recent ESPN column on MLB teams with logo inconsistencies? Reader Chris Scott has identified another one. Take a look (click to enlarge):

As you can see, the wishbone-C on the Reds’ helmet is much more “open” than the one on their cap. I assumed that the cap version was the correct design and that the helmet version was a bastardization of it, because (a) that was the case with the Dodgers and Braves (or at least it was until the Braves recently changed their helmet to match their cap), and (b) caps are the cornerstone of MLB’s merchandising program, so I figured they’d get that right.

But then I checked the MLB Style Guide and was surprised to find that the Reds’ official headwear mark is actually the helmet version! Look (click to enlarge):

So all those caps that the Reds wear — to say nothing of all those caps that the Reds sell — have the wrong logo. Incredible.

Reds fans, what do you think about this? Were you aware of the mismatched logos? If so, did you know which one is official and which one is bogus? And if you own a Reds cap, how do you feel about it now that you know it features an unofficial logo?

It’s worth noting that both logos have evolved over the years, as you can see in these old photos that Brinke Guthrie sent along (click to enlarge):

It’s not unusual for team’s logos to evolve, of course, but it’s interesting to see that the Reds’ helmet mark seems to have opened up while the cap mark has closed up. Let’s just blame it all on the drop shadow.

Finally: If anyone from New Era is reading this and can shed any light on why your company is using the wrong Reds logo, feel free to be in touch. I’ll protect your anonymity, of course.

+ + + + +

Screen shot 2009-10-04 at 10.07.15 PM.png

Culinary Corner: When the New Girl and I started dating, she’d been a vegetarian for a long time but was ready to dip her toe back in the carnivorism pool — and I, of course, was only too happy to oblige. She’s tried a lot of meaty things over the past year and a half, and it’s been a mixed bag — some things she likes, others she doesn’t, a few she’s changed her mind about, and several depend on her mood.

But there’s one thing she’s always happy to eat. She’s decided she loves — loves — hamburgers. Anytime, any way. She hasn’t had one for breakfast yet, but I’m fairly certain she’d do so if the opportunity came up.

I like burgers, too. I frequently order them at pubs and such, and I used to cook them a lot at home when I was younger. Over the years, though, they’d kinda fallen out of my repertoire as I moved on to fancier forms of meat cookery.

But thanks to the New Girl’s newfound burger-thusiasm, I’ve been cooking a lot of burgers, and it’s been fun to rediscover the simple pleasures of making them. We’ve made them in the cast iron skillet, on the grill, in the broiler. I even reached deep into a cupboard and pulled out the old George Foreman grill I got back in 1995 (I was writing an article about products featured in infomercials and had to test-drive all of them). Still works fine!

There are lots of things to be said about the best way to cook a hamburger — which kind of meat to get, what to add to it, how to form the patties, and so on. But I don’t want to talk about any of that today.

Instead, I want to talk about the bun.

I’ve gotten kinda fussy about burger buns over the years. The standard-issue supermarket bun is crap — it has no flavor, it’s too squishy, and it turns to mush once the burger’s juices start flowing. The whole experience ends up becoming a race to finish the burger before the bun completely disintegrates. Most of the other options are maddeningly imperfect: Kaiser roll? Too big, too thick. Brioche? Too puffy, too eggy. Portuguese roll? Close, but a little too dense. And on and on.

With all the burgers the New Girl and I have been cooking lately, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is only one acceptable bun option: Thomas’ English muffins. They’re sturdy enough to hold up to a burger’s juices but not so thick or dense that you have to fight your way through them when taking a bite. They provide a solid, strong surface that feels good in the hand as you pick up the burger. They’re visually appealing, adding a nicely rustic look to the burger. And you pretty much have to toast them (the very thought of eating an English muffin right out of the package is sort of gross, no?), which is good, because a burger bun should always be toasted. And if you think an English muffin tastes good fresh out of the toaster, wait until you toast one on the grill — mmmm. Hell, you can even butter the muffin before putting the burger on it, which would be gilding the lily with a conventional bun but is somehow permissible with an English muffin because, hey, it’s an English muffin.

The burgers we’ve been making have been fairly generous-sized — eight ounces a pop — so at first we used Thomas’ Sandwich Size muffins, which are a bit larger than the standard size. But lately we’ve been using the standard size (translation: I was too lazy to run to the supermarket to get more of the Sandwich Size) and it’s worked out fine. If you favor a wider patty, however, the Sandwich Size would definitely be better. I leave that choice up to you.

But for the larger question of which kind of bun to use, there’s only one answer. Thomas’ or don’t even bother.

+ + + + +

New advertiser shout-out: As you may have noticed in the right-hand sidebar, we have a new advertiser: American Trench, whose striped socks have made a distinct improvement to my wardrobe over the past month or so (I’m wearing a pair of them right now, in fact). Their socks are super-comfy, really good-looking, and USA-made — a rarity in today’s sock marketplace. I’m very, very pleased to have them on board as a Uni Watch advertiser. Please check out their fine products.

Incidentally, American Trench paid for their ad with Square Cash, a new-ish service from Square — the same folks who let you swipe a credit card on your iPhone. Square Cash launched last October, but this was the first time I’d used it, and I was impressed. It’s really easy, and it’s free — all you need to send or receive cash is a debit card.

I’ve now added Square Cash as a payment option for Uni Watch Membership sign-ups and stickers. Of course, you can still pay via Amazon Payments, or by sending an old-fashioned check. (Sorry, still no PayPal — a long, frustrating story.)

+ + + + +

’Skins Watch: The Lingerie Football League has a new team in DC, which was going to be called the Redskinettes. Given the controversy about the ’Skins name, however, the team has now decided to go with a different moniker (from Cary O’Reilly). ”¦ Champ Bailey is the latest former ’Skins player to come out against the team’s name (from Mike McLaughlin).

Baseball News: There are soooooo many things wrong with this photo. That’s Cathedral (baserunner) and St. Peter-Marian (first baseman), two high schools in Massachusetts (from Scott, who didn’t give his last name). ”¦ The excellent Mets Police blog asks a fine question: Should we celebrate the Mercury Mets’ 15th anniversary? ”¦ No photo, but SNY roving reporter Kevin Burkhardt donned a Citi Field groundskeeper’s uniform and raked the infield along with the grounds crew after the bottom of the 6th inning during last night’s Brewers/Mets game. He was mic’d up and described what he was doing the entire time. As he and the rest of the crew walked off the field, play-by-play man asked Burkhardt, “Do you get to keep the uniform?,” to which Burkhardt replied, “I’m gonna keep it on the rest of the night. ”¦ In a related item, last night was CosPlay Night at Citi Field. Hey, the Mets even dressed up as ballplayers! ”¦ Love this vintage Phillies necktie (thanks, Phil. ”¦ New research has confirmed what appears to be the earliest appearance of Babe Ruth in a Yankees uniform (from Tom Shieber). … MLB 14 The Show shows Rangers reliever Darren O’Day’s NOB without an apostrophe (from Harrison Hamm). … Zombie jerseys for the Inland Empire 66ers (thanks, Phil). ”¦ Whoa, look at this 1906 baseball uniform advertisement. … Even better: this Ohio Umpire Association patch. … Taylor Teagarden was recently called up by the Mets and has joined the ranks of catchers who wear their helmet with the brim facing forward. He wasn’t doing that during spring training or during his stints with the Rangers and Orioles, so he must have become a front-brimmer during his time at triple-A this season. ”¦ Here are the 1964 throwbacks that the Phillies will be wearing tonight and on Sunday. ”¦ Yesterday’s Ticker linked to a photo of Derek Jeter holding a cap with a white sweatband, instead of the usual black. That prompted an interesting communiqué from someone who works in New Era’s European office (and who prefers to remain anonymous): “It looks like that might actually be the new gray sweatband, which seems to be used in hats featuring technical attributes, like moisture wicking. It’s my understanding that it is currently only in Diamond Era products [i.e., BP caps ”” PL]. So if Jeter was using a Diamond Era cap, then that might be why the sweatband was gray.” ”¦ Neglected to mention the other day that the Pirates and Cubs wore their Memorial Day G.I. Joe uniforms on Tuesday. Why? Oh, no reason in particular — just because. See, that’s the thing with this stuff: It’s never just for one holiday, or one game, or one anything. It seeps into the fabric of the culture and spreads, like a virus, until we reach the point where some corner of the sports world is playing dress-up soldier practically every day. It’s absurd, and it needs to stop. ”¦ In a related item, lifelong Pirates fan Tom Reynolds was so disappointed by the team going G.I. Joe that he wrote this open letter to team chairman Bob Nutting. … Also worth noting: When the stars/stripes caps — the ones being worn on July 4 — began circulating this week, lots of people said, “Well, at least they’re not doing camo on July 4, which is a good thing, because Independence Day isn’t about the military.” But net proceeds from the sales of the stars/stripes caps are going to the Welcome Back Veterans Fund — a military charity. Is WBV a worthy organization? Probably (although, as with all charities, it’s hard to know for sure until you see their books). But there are plenty of other worthy charities out there, too. Again and again, the message from teams and leagues is to celebrate the military to the near-exclusion of everything else, and to conflate patriotism with militarism (and, of course, consumerism). I’ll say this much for the teams and leagues engaged in this behavior: They sure know how to stay on message. Too bad the message is such a bad one. Not all soldiers are heroes, not all heroes are soldiers.

NFL News: Odd sight: Bernie Kosar in a Bears T-shirt. “To most NFL fans, that photo is a non-story, but for die-hard Browns fans, even almost 30 years later, Bernie wearing that T-shirt and working with the Bears is the number one topic of heated conversation and controversy on Cleveland sports talk radio,” says Jim Mason. “We just can’t quit him.” ”¦ On Wednesday I linked to this shot of some Jags in shorts and at least one guy in hemmed game pants. “This hemmed pants are usually worn by centers around the NFL, because the shorts would get in the way of their snapping motion,” explains Eric Hurd. Interesting! ”¦ Next-to-last item on this page indicates that the Steelers will wear their bumblebee throwbacks on Oct. 26, and that news led to the funniest tweet of the night (thanks, Phil).

College Football News: There was a report yesterday that Washington State was going with two different colors for its end zones, but later in the day the school put out its own report, which shows both end zones in red (from Mike McLaughlin). ”¦ Former USC coach John McKay didn’t wear Nikes. But the statue of him at USC’s John McKay Center shows him wearing swoosh-emblazoned footwear. Key quote: “It couldn’t be related to the fact Nike owner Phil Knight donated money to the McKay Center. Of course not.” Douchebags (from Scott Rodriguez).

Hockey News: Now that’s a hockey jersey. “That’s the inimitable crest of the Finnish squad Jokerit,” says Ty Nicholson. “Also, because it’s a Euro Trophy jersey, no pesky ads.” Of course, if they really want to take the jester concept all the way, the uniform’s pant legs should have been two different colors, and then the socks should have reversed the pant color sequence.

NBA News: The sports reporter for a San Antonio TV news show has had the Spurs’ logo shaved into the back of his head, which would be an ethically dubious move if anyone took TV news sports reporters even a little bit seriously.

Soccer News: This is awesome: Bill Radocy has created a monster document listing the rosters and stats for each World Cup team, and if you scroll to the end you’ll find TV listings. A total public service, Bill — well done! … Here’s a piece on the writer who designed Brazil’s World Cup uniform (from Matt Dowell). … Faaaascinating article about the correlation between women’s dress hemlines and soccer shorts length (thanks, Phil). … Even Russell has created a series of really cool World Cup player illustrations — definitely worth checking out. … Here’s how the start of the World Cup was handled yesterday on 10 different newspapers’ front pages. ”¦ Love this World Cup beer display (thanks, Phil). ”¦ World Cup referees are wearing vibrating smartwatches (from Yusuke Toyoda). ”¦ Also from Yusuke: “AC Milan’s new unis caused confusion over the team’s logo. The Milan city crest is on the home jersey and the logo of Casa Milan, the club’s new headquarters, is on the away jersey, causing some supporters to think the logo had been changed without the fans having been consulted.”

Grab Bag: A Silicon Valley startup company placed a Craigslist ad seeking an office girl to grill meats for the staff. Rumors that I once placed a similar Craigslist ad are almost completely untrue. ”¦ Nice Payne Stewart tribute yesterday by Rickie Fowler (thanks, Phil). … More and more men are wearing sneakers as dress shoes. If you want to join them (which I don’t recommend, but whatever), here are tips on how to wear sneakers with a suit. … In a related item, here are some recent sneaker sales figures (from Tommy Turner). … Here’s a little piece about Jimmy Connors’s tennis gear (thanks, Brinke). ”¦ A little birdie tells me that Jewel Osco, a Chicago-based grocery chain, will soon be issuing red Converse shoes to cashiers and baggers. ”¦ As you’ve probably heard, Iraqi police forces have been responding to the latest crisis in their country by tearing off their uniforms.

+ + + + +

One last time, because I worry that it was easy to miss in the midst of today’s lengthy post, my latest ESPN column is another look at MLB firsts and lasts. Enjoy.

•  •  •

• • •

 
  
 
Comments (170)

    It doesn’t even look like it says “ODAY” to me. It looks more like “OCAT”.

    Is that even a Rangers jersey? Looks like the Angels to me.

    As a Reds fan, I’ve always noticed the inconsistency, but never considered the helmet would be the official logo. Now that I do, I’m perplexed. The cap logo looks better, IMO, but would look a shit ton better without the drop shadow. Also worth mentioning is when the official wishbone C is flat, it looks fine, as on a logo sheet, but on the helmet, it almost looks too open. I suspect that’s due to the curve of the helmet itself. The logo is also too big on the helmet. Well, thanks uniwatch, that’s going to bug me forever.

    The helmet logo used to be even bigger back in the late ’80s. I was a sentimental Reds fan growing up in NJ because they had a guy from my hometown on the team. The helmet logo was comically huge.

    I would assume you’re taking a “bite” of your burgers, though I suppose taking a “bit” does make some sense, too.

    But an English muffin for a burger? I just don’t think I can get behind that. Unless you’re putting fried eggs on your burgers, which I am always a fan of.

    I’m going to give the ‘toasted English muffin as a bun’ thing a try.
    I imagine those nooks and crannies might hold quite a bit of grease; did you allow the patty to rest on a wire rack to allow some of that to run off?

    “I even reached deep into a cupboard and pulled out the old George Foreman grill I got back in 1995 (I was writing an article about products featured in infomercials and had to test-drive all of them)”

    Was this a manufacturer-sent freebie that was never requested to be returned(like your smoker?)?

    I love my Foreman grill. Mostly I make falafel on it, but when I make burgers or steak, they come out great.

    English muffin burger? I’d eat that.

    A burger on an English muffin is amazing!! It doesn’t get soggy with “meat juice” and adds a level of texture to the burger. Schlafly Tap Room, here in STL, turned me on to the this idea with their Tap Room burger. One of the best and most underrated burgers in STL, which now has me using the English muffin at home.

    While I was reading your bun write up I was like please say english muffin, please say english muffin…BAM! Totally the best!

    I was also reading the write up thinking “he has to say toasted English muffin here.” I discovered this about ten years ago (while on a diet, actually, because English muffins were less “points” than a standard bun) and it has yet to be topped.

    I’ll have to give it a shot. Never been a huge fan of English muffins (I think it’s the texture of the dust or whatever that is that coats them), but I’m encouraged by all the positive responses.

    “Iraqi” not “Iraqui”.

    “Without consulting the fans having been consulted” wins a department of redundancy department award.

    Pretzel buns and salt bagels are also suitable for use with burgers.

    Maybe I’ve just not had good pretzel buns, but in my experience, they are much better in theory than in practice. I always come away thinking I wouldn’t have missed anything if I had a normal bun.

    There are better and worse. Supermarket ones, not so good. Whole Foods, not too bad. Local markets named Marczyk’s or Tony’s, awesome.

    Pretzel buns are quite good, too, though we did make some ourselves, and they went bad before we could use all of them.

    Local grocery store sells bakery fresh buns that aren’t too small or too big, with lots of flavor. I’ll almost always take a regular bun over a non-regular bun, but I’ve been known to dive into a patty melt from time to time.

    Also, I wouldn’t consider MLB’s message about supporting the troops to be a BAD one, just an overplayed one. The way you worded it makes it sound like you’re advocating to actively NOT support the troops.

    I wouldn’t consider MLB’s message about supporting the troops to be a BAD one…

    I consider the relentless celebration of the military over and over and over and over and over and over again, to the near-exclusion of all other sectors of society, and the conflation of patriotism with militarism, to be very bad indeed.

    Once Paul clarified his position, I thought this line should also be addressed:

    “The way you worded it makes it sound like you’re advocating to actively NOT support the troops.”

    Love the Blue Whale jersey! I’m a fan of the collared baseball jerseys and the Cadet Collars! I cannot wait to see what you come up with for the cadet collar. Will it be more of the Pittsburgh Rebels/Brooklyn Tip Tops or a sloping Cadet Collar Like the Whales/Packers? With the Blue Whales navy top, I hope you figure out a way to make pants to go with them.

    If you want to purchase Payne Stewart-esque golf garb you can always check out link

    “I’m not a great sewer, so I decided to simplify the design to make sure it was easy to make, with plenty of shortcuts and cheating.”

    Better than I could ever do.

    As a sewist [a term I hate, but not as much as ‘sewer’ with its other meaning] myself, I’m very impressed with Anonymous’ jersey. Good work!

    “[W]hy isn’t it Creds?”

    Because they don’t have any cred?

    (Sorry. Mostly.)

    God, I hate Nike. What “douchebags”! Not like the good people at Square (TM) whose service is “really easy, and it’s free – all you need to send or receive cash is a debit card.” I heard from a journalist that their service was impressive.

    The message of this blog is slowly becoming “Corporations need to stop advertising on sports uniforms…and let bloggers do it for them.” The disconnect here is amazing.

    Fight the system…and be sure to buy American Trench socks and a Uni-watch t-shirt on the way out using Square Cash (TM).

    I’ve spelled out my issues with Nike many times.

    If you have any issues with Square or American Trench socks, please share them with us.

    Otherwise, I’m not sure what your point is.

    I think what Lincoln is saying is that he’d like to pay an annual membership fee for a premium, ad-free version of Uni Watch.

    I’m a reds fan from cincinnati. What disturbs me more than the two different wishbone logos is the three different fonts the reds wear at one time. I have written to the team to ask why but never get a return.

    For some context / elaboration, they have the script “reds” found on batting jerseys and sweatshirts, the typical font on their uniforms and the “reds” font jnside the wishbone c. Now it appears we can add one more irregularity to the mix…

    My Reds hat is the 1967-92 Cooperstown version, so the C is open like on the current batting helmet. I actually never noticed the cap/helmet disparity though, until you pointed it out. I always thought the helmets looked different, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I just thought the unnecessary black drop shadow appeared thicker on the caps than on the helmets. The Reds uniform is just a mess in general.

    The 67-92 label is actually a dubious claim on the seller’s part though, as the Reds were wearing the closed-up wishbone C as early as link

    One of the little aspects of the world cup that I love is that many of the teams put the match flags on their uni’s. For example yesterday Croatia had the flag and date and location in the center. link

    All a matter of personal opinion of course, but I really dislike it. It’s done too often now and I think it takes away from the “special”-ness of it.

    I dig the flags for WC/Euro/Confed, etc., but I don’t think they should be used for every international match. Friendlies and qualifying matches don’t need them. Just my opinion.

    Reds fan here. I’ve noticed the irregularity before, and it doesn’t bother me. Both logos are readily identifiable with the reds.

    Stumbled on this today (from the Baseball HOF site). Uni content, and it plays off the ticker item on Babe’s first/earliest appearance in a Yankee uniform…..

    “On June 13, 1948, an ailing Babe Ruth makes his final appearance at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees retire Ruth’s uniform No. 3 during [the] ceremonies….”

    I’ve been on a ciabatta kick lately and have used it for several homemade burgers. I also try to get it whenever ordering out, but it can be a little harder to come by.

    There seemed to be some question about the Welcome Back Veterans Fund.

    It’s a group that MLB Charities has partnered with. Just like the Red Sox focus on the Jimmy Fund. MLB Charities works with veterans. Many groups try to focus one one cause or another, and MLB Charities has chosen veterans.

    I know there seems to a crusade against this thing, and people here don’t miss an opportunity to take a shot at it. We sure do get the “Not all soldiers are heroes…” line a lot. There’s a subtle — and sometimes not-so-subtle –anti-military vibe.

    Our soldiers volunteer to put their lives on the line to protect us and our nation’s interests. There are a few people who get mixed in who are not heroic. They’re human and that happens.

    We’ve had people at conflict now for more than a decade. These are special people and deserve our thanks. A special jersey or a cap once in a while is a nice gesture.

    And yes, police and firefighters also put their lives on the line. I sure wouldn’t be opposed to something special for them.

    Anyway, I know these sincere thoughts won’t make a difference. I’m sure I’ll be ripped to shreds in the comments for my stance. But the drumbeat of criticism becomes background noise at some point. I’d rather talk about the Reds caps or the Cubs neat throwbacks.

    Anyway, before we pile on the Welcome Home fund, here’s some background. They’re good people working for a good cause.

    Hundreds of thousands of our veterans, home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, have returned suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Far too often they come home and find their spouses and children suffering as well. Welcome Back Veterans (WBV) was created to inspire Americans to reach out and help our returning veterans and their families. These heroes were there when we needed them-they served us all and kept us safe-it is our turn to be there for them.

    WBV is committed to providing PTSD treatment to our veterans and their families in a public/private partnership with the Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, Major League Baseball Charities, the McCormick Foundation, the Entertainment Industry Foundation and world renowned Centers of Excellence at University Hospitals throughout the country. Currently, Welcome Back Veterans is funding programs at:

    Weill-Cornell Dept. of Psychiatry (New York, NY)
    University of Michigan Depression Center (Ann Arbor, MI)
    Stanford University Dept. of Psychiatry (Palo Alto, CA)
    Mass General Hospital (Boston)
    Emory (Atlanta)
    UCLA
    Duke University
    Rush University Medical Center
    Our goal is to transform the lives of our returning veterans by providing on-going treatment to them and their families for any PTSD issues they may have. At the same time, we want to change the way Americans think and talk about PTSD. Our program is designed to complement existing efforts at the Veterans Administration and Department of Defense, which at times, are sorely over-taxed by the large number of veterans they have to serve.

    Ultimately, WBV is committed to creating a national network of Centers of Excellence to provide the best care to those who deserve nothing less while funding ground breaking research to continue seeking ground breaking treatments for PTSD.

    All of us can play a part. It is now our turn to serve.

    To date Welcome Back Veterans has raised over $17 million to make a difference in the lives of our courageous veterans and their families. This money includes matching funds provided by the McCormick Foundation. Three rounds of grants have already been awarded to non-profit organizations across the nation.

    Thanks for the info on WBV.

    I am not anti-military or anti-veteran, but I am very much opposed to the relentless political messaging by teams and leagues that celebrates the military over and over and over and over and over again, to the near-exclusion of all other sectors of society.

    When there are special uniforms saluting teachers, the Peace Corps, social workers, and other deserving groups, we can talk. Until then, this is just cheap pandering that falsely equates patriotism with militarism.

    About this:

    the drumbeat of criticism becomes background noise at some point. I’d rather talk about the Reds caps or the Cubs neat throwbacks.

    So would I. Unfortunately, teams and leagues keep pushing their relentless political messaging. *That’s* the drumbeat. I’m just responding to it. Believe me, there’s nothing I’d like more than to stop covering this topic — I find it at least as tedious as you do. But that’s not up to me; it’s up to the teams and leagues.

    I don’t think it’s a political thing. The military belongs to everyone.

    This is a cause the MLB has focused on. I don’t think anyone pounds on the Red Sox for working closely with the Jimmy Fund and not every other charity out there.

    I think the military has always been associated with patriotism. They’re the “home team” in the truest sense of the word.

    I agree that social workers and police and nurses do wonderful things. I’m proud to have people in all of those roles in my family.

    But the veterans always have been treated a little differently. How many stadiums have been named “Veterans Stadium?” I think there’s one near you on Long Island where the Islanders play. And Soldier Field in Chicago. There are many others. I don’t see those names criticized with demands for “Peace Corps Stadium” and “First Responder Park.”

    You seem to be conflating an active military presence throughout the world (which, contrary to your perceptions, not every American supports) with helping wounded veterans. I doubt anyone, myself (and not speaking for Paul here) has a problem with. We don’t do nearly enough for our wounded vets — the problem I have is that we’re creating too many of them. And when we do, we don’t do enough for them. My goal is to create a lot less WOUNDED veterans.

    That is not (speaking only for myself, here) an anti-veteran sentiment, it’s an anti WAR sentiment. Now, if you’re in favor of continued military presence in all areas of the earth, for whatever reason or intention, and continuing to put American men and women in harms way, thereby creating more wounded soldiers and veterans, that’s up to you. I’d rather we took better care of all Americans at home, myself, and have a far less number of wounded troops and vets overall.

    Maybe I’m wrong, but I perceive all these bombastic displays and camo-laced unis not so much as support for our wounded veterans (a worthy cause, absolutely), but more as an “America FUCK YEAH!” pro-militaristic bent (and as such, a political statement) coming from MLB.

    But back to unis. We’ve beaten this horse to death, but MLB could just as easily donate money to WBV, WWP, etc. without needing to camo up the unis.

    Actually, I don’t care for those stadium/arena names. But they’re old — they were bestowed/established/etc. ages ago, and we’re stuck with them.

    If a *new* facility got that name, I might have some commentary on that. Of course, that won’t happen anymore because selling the naming rights to a corporation is more important than honoring veterans, teachers, or anyone else.

    I disagree with Phil. I don’t think anyone is pro-war, and I don’t think MLB players wearing camo uniforms makes a statement calling for us to send our forces in harm’s way. I think that’s a bit of a straw man argument. I don’t think anyone watching the Padres wearing a camo jersey is inspired to start calling for an invasion of Syria.

    There have frequently been uniform references to the military. Sure, they were patches. Things were more subtle then. Times change. Teams didn’t wear memorial patches for deceased players until the Pirates and Roberto Clemente, and now they have memorial displays for front office employees and investors. (Tom Clancy).

    Do we oppose the Winnipeg Jets uniforms and logos? That looks like a military jet on there. The Lakeland Flying Tigers have a military design as well. I’m sure there are others.

    And yeah, we’re an “America, F-yeah!” kind of place. We believe in American exceptionalism and have always been the loudest, proudest in the room. I’m sure that drives people in other countries nuts. But that’s who we are, and that sure isn’t new.

    I didn’t mean to soapbox all morning on this. I just wish sometimes we could the topic without the “Not all soldiers are heroes” line.

    Guess I’m an outlier. I love the old Astros rainbow unis and the Padres brown.

    I just wish sometimes we could the topic without the “Not all soldiers are heroes” line.

    That’s funny, sometimes *I* just wish teams and leagues could go about their business without elevating one sector of our society above all the others.

    Like I said, if you’re sick of this topic (as I am), don’t look at me — look at the teams and leagues that are perpetuating it.

    “And yeah, we’re an “America, F-yeah!” kind of place. We believe in American exceptionalism and have always been the loudest, proudest in the room. I’m sure that drives people in other countries nuts. But that’s who we are, and that sure isn’t new.”

    ~~~

    Don’t want to go off on a completely non-uni related rant here, but maybe driving people in other countries nuts isn’t always the best idea? (Those are your words, not mine). But think about it.

    Sometimes I think you guys are as “in your face” about this than the leagues and teams are. Or even more so.

    Sometimes I think you guys are as “in your face” about this than the leagues and teams are. Or even more so.

    The idea that a niche blog could possibly be as “in your face” about *anything* as Major League Baseball is laughable.

    In any case, as I keep saying (and you keep ignoring): I’m sick of this topic too. If only the leagues and teams would dispense with it, I could happily do likewise.

    “I don’t think anyone is pro-war, and I don’t think MLB players wearing camo uniforms makes a statement calling for us to send our forces in harm’s way. I think that’s a bit of a straw man argument.”

    Why do you think that’s a straw man? I myself think it’s perfectly on point and an example of why I find the militarism so objectionable.

    A free society’s relationship with a military is and ought to be a complex one. Not the individual soldiers, mind you, but the services themselves. We need a military, but we shouldn’t ever be eager to use it. That nuance gets lost in all the drag shows.

    Or, put another way: the more we reduce the military to a game of dressing up, the less Americans seem to care that we’re sending generations of their fellows to fight and die with inadequate support. Which not only makes it more palatable for politicians to “send our forces in harm’s way”, but can actually incentivize them to send more.

    “And yeah, we’re an “America, F-yeah!” kind of place. We believe in American exceptionalism and have always been the loudest, proudest in the room. I’m sure that drives people in other countries nuts.”

    It drives many of us in this country nuts, as well.

    From the Washington Warriorettes article:
    Now, there are a number of amazing things about those two paragraphs, including the claim that the LFL was considering the name “Redskinettes,” a phrase that was trademarked by the Redskins in 1990. I mean, no, the Warriorettes were not originally slated to be named the Redskinettes.

    “Look, this is a hot topic nationally,” he said, when I asked if this was all a gimmick.

    That sounds like a yes.

    “That being said, we understand the symbolic value of going to the forefront of this. If the Redskins won’t stand up and do it, we’ll stand up and say ‘This is wrong, this is why it’s wrong, and this is what we’re going to do about it.’”

    They’re kinda late to the forefront, unless the dude’s speaking specifically about Lingerie Football League.

    Point of observation on the DC Baseball History FB page this morning: the similarities between link and the link Discuss.

    It can’t be the same picture! The Sens Logo has stripes on its stirrups. Just lucky coincidence.

    The Pirates and Cubs wore the Memorial Day caps and jerseys for “Military Appreciation Night” or something…so there WAS a reason, even though it’s not a great one (though I’d argue the Military Appreciation Night is a far more appropriate occasion for such a spectacle than Memorial Day).

    They auctioned ’em off the next day, and the jersey worn by top prospect Gregory Polanco, who played his first MLB game that night, went for more than $16,000.

    The Pirates and Cubs wore the Memorial Day caps and jerseys for “Military Appreciation Night” or something…so there WAS a reason…

    Yeah, but why was June 10 “Military Appreciation Night”? Like I already said: No reason, just because.

    Those uniforms were specifically created for Memorial Day (which, as we’ve already gone thru many times, is inappropriate). But oh, now they’re also for “Military Appreciation Day.” Which can be any day. Or every day.

    Enough.

    Paul,

    An English-style muffin for an American burger!!!…you commie hipster bastard! Just kidding of course. Actually I think this move should put you in line to be our next US ambassador to England. Gives a better meaning to the Taco Bell’s tag line “Think outside the bun”.

    Personally, when I’m making serious burgers, I go to a local bakery where they always have freshly made buns. Nice firm outside, but not too hard. Soft and dense inside. Slightly sweet, which balances nice with the richness of the burger an its toppings. Toasts up great and nicely sized. Will try the muffin next time. Makes sense since I usually make fried ham or jumbo and cheese sandwiches and use an English muffin

    In my personal experience, no English person is really sure why we call them “English muffins.” Apparently across the pond, there’s no such thing.

    There also appears to be no connection to “putting a little English” on a ball to make it spin, and the country itself.

    Well, it’s like “Canadian bacon” is simply “back bacon” in the 51st, or how “American football” is just “football”, isn’t it?

    Interestingly, what Americans call “muffins”, the cupcake-shaped sweet bun, are called “American-style muffins”.

    As for the billiards term, the origin is a French pun based on the word anglé for “angle”, which sounds like Anglais for “English.

    As for the billiards term, the origin is a French pun based on the word anglé for “angle”, which sounds like Anglais for “English.

    Not so terrible after all. This brought about many hours of pondering at a pub… and now I know.

    I believe what Americans call Canadian bacon is back bacon to us Canadians.

    That’s exactly what I said.

    One thing I noticed with Cesc Fàbregas’s Chelsea unveiling – looks like Chelsea Premier League jerseys are moving to link.

    Until this year, their link, though the link

    Native Bridgeporter here, enjoying any Pogo reference on Friday the 13th.

    Obligatory uniform item: I am not much for italic numbers on uniforms, but Miami’s seem to do the trick much more than others. I can’t stand U Cincinnati’s version, on football, mens’ hoops, or womens’ hoops.

    Funny thing about that (beautiful) Jokerit Helsinki sweater (jersey, whatever): It’s listed as being game worn by “Steve Mason”, the current starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, 2009 Calder Trophy winner and Vezina Trophy finalist. The back of the jersey (sweater, whatever) pictured clearly reads “MOSES”, indicating that though it might be game-worn, it was worn by Steve Moses, a current Jokerit player who played collegiately at the University of New Hampshire.

    Just wanted to say, I’m the seller of that auction, and this was a typing error on my part in the item title, and not an intentional attempt to mislead. A game-worn goalie sweater would be far bigger than an XL, and it’s clearly a photo of the jersey of an on-ice player and not the goalie.

    One thing that strikes me about that sweater is that I don’t see a single maker’s mark on the jersey in any of the photos.

    Of Possible Interest to Paul Only: My father swears that his mother, the cook at his father’s bar and grille in Brooklyn from the 50’s to 70’s, was the first (at least in Brooklyn) to serve burgers on an English muffin. She also put a healthy pat of butter on it before the burger. The bar was in Bay Ridge. Lots of places served burgers on English muffin thereafter. And you’re right, it’s the best bun.

    Thanks for posting the insight from the New Era source re: Jeter’s hat. Jeter’s hat isn’t a Diamond Era, however, but it’s interesting his caps may use technology from one.

    Not sure what goes on in Europe but Diamond Era hats here all have black sweatbands. New Era is allowing for customs with the material so a person ordering said custom could vary the colour of the sweatband should they so choose but to date all on fields are black.

    As for Jeter’s hat; it’s a Derby made poly 5950 like all the other on fields (save for those players who prefer the low profile model) but I suspect that the white sweatband is a personal customization as being The Captain has its perks.

    I have never seen a comment on it by him but when he broke in 1995 the on field hats were wool and had white sweatbands, perhaps it’s a superstition?

    Publix supermarkets makes a “French Hamburger Bun” link That might be the perfect burger bun. Works great for pulled pork or egg sandwiches too.

    Martin’s “sandwich” Potato Rolls are my ‘go to’ hamburger delivery system; I use their “long” roll for hot dogs (when not serving them to children…they generally prefer ‘white-bread rolls for some reason) and pulled pork.
    They are well worth the extra expense.

    Damn, now I want a burger…and I just had one last night. Oh well, it’s vidalia season, might as well make the best of it and fire up the grill again tonight. Curious what beer would pair well with an english mcburger, though.

    “Damn, now I want a burger…and I just had one last night.”

    Aaannnnddd…..??????

    Gosh darnit, guess I’m having burgers for lunch now. Is it lunch yet? (*tummy grumble*)

    Loved the Rickie Fowler tribute to Payne Stewart. Payne was my guy back in the day, both for his awesome wardrobe and being a class act. I was devastated when he died in the plane crash. I may finally have a reason to root for someone in golf.

    On the topic of the MLB’s championing of military charities….

    While hiding out on the couch sick these last two days, I’ve seen video of two of those surprise returns by a soldier in which the soldier surprises the family on the field with the assistance of the MLB club. I think one I saw was live game video while the second was on an MLB channel highlights show (may have been the same surprise).

    One announcer said, “I never can get enough of these” while the other said “I never tire of these.” Both statements illustrate our inability to imagine a world where we aren’t sending our military persons around the globe for ridiculous periods of time. We have been actively at war for over 13 years now. By saying she never tires of these, the announcer seems to be justifying everything that precedes the return — and that her enjoyment of the return and the surprise supersede everything else. That if we have to be at war — and how can we imagine now a world without war? — at least we can have wonderful surprises that both make war appear more humane and make us, individually, feel better about the whole process.

    Personally, I’d like us to be in a position where these surprises stop (at least for now) because we get out of the military conflicts we are in.

    Rant over.

    You actually agree with this??? “By saying she never tires of these, the announcer seems to be justifying everything that precedes the return – and that her enjoyment of the return and the surprise supersede everything else.”

    I hate Camo unis. I hate all the sops and shams (Phil’s word, I believe, from yesterday) at the ballpark. Not just limited to supporting the troops – but *all* the uni-related or pre-game “support the (fill in the blank)” crap. I fully understand Paul’s position that teams and leagues support a few groups – but “near-exclusion of all other sectors of society”. Got all that and can’t agree more. And, I AM tired of the “surprise” return videos. Enough already!

    BUT, saying that the announcer or anyone else who, unlike me, is not tired of the practice is “justifying everything that precedes the return” is the single-most idiotic statement I’ve ever read on Uni Watch. And it’s worthy of the sanctimonious “THIS” with the arrows?

    And, incredibly, it’s in the same thread, where it is implied by a couple of loyal readers, that it’s wrong to “drive people nuts”(in this country and others) by believing in American exceptionalism and national pride.

    My goodness.

    I think that what the announcer meant to say in full was: “I never tire of seeing people separated from their families and sent overseas to fight in a war (whether you support it or not) for months on end with the phone calls and the cards and missed holidays and possibly not knowing how your spouse is doing halfway around the world in a third world country fighting people with bombs strapped to their chests and then they are discharged and come home and surprise their family at the ballpark”. I never tire of that.

    What I wonder is…has the returnee just arrived from the airport and chose to surprise them at the airport with no down time in between, or has the returnee been home for hours or days and thought surprising them at the ballpark was more important than spending those hours or days with them?

    “…it’s wrong to “drive people nuts”(in this country and others) by believing in American exceptionalism and national pride.”

    ~~~

    Au contraire, mon frere. There’s nothing wrong with believing in American exceptionalism and national pride. None. What. So. Ever.

    But there’s “belief” and “unconditional” or unquestioning support. There is nothing wrong with being a proud American. But being a proud American does NOT mean a blind faith and acceptance that everything this nation does (especially politically) is “good.” You may disagree, but I believe (as the bumper stickers say) “Dissent is Patriotic.” We (as Americans) cured (basically) polio, invented the Internet and put a man on the moon. Am I proud of that American exceptionalism? You bet your ass, baby! But that does not mean that I’m proud of everything America does, past, present and future, always.

    For example, am I proud that at one time slavery was legal in this country, and perpetuated for centuries, eventually culminating in a war to end it? No. Am I proud of “American” treatment of the ORIGINAL inhabitants of this nation, the native peoples? Am I proud of this nation’s treatment of its veterans, past and present? No, I’m not.

    I agree with the statement by Matt. I don’t believe he’s saying he’s upset by the announcers’ statement in the sense that he wishes we wouldn’t be uniting veterans with their families. I’m pretty sure he’s saying (and if he isn’t then I am) we now never grow tired of them because they’re just expected — that we are and will be in a perpetual state of war, whereby we expect we’ll be seeing soldiers returning from foreign lands where we continue to have an active military presence forever — we’ve been in Afghanistan now, longer than the amount of time we fought the Civil War, World War I and World War II COMBINED. Enough is enough. Lets find a way to bring our boys (and ladies) home so these “reunions at ballparks” aren’t even necessary.

    You may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.

    So will I ever “tire” if these reunions? I already am — not because they aren’t great and heartfelt — but because we’ve been needing them for far too long.

    No, now you’re qualifying.

    “By saying she never tires of these, the announcer seems to be justifying everything that precedes the return – and that her enjoyment of the return and the surprise supersede everything else.”

    I think that this is the single-most idiotic statement ever made here.

    No matter how you feel about current events and its terrible consequences, it is wrong to unfairly assign *that* motive (“the surprise supersede (sic) everything else”)to the anonymous “announcer”. Shameful, and frankly, I’m very surprised and disappointed that you agree.

    “Shameful, and frankly, I’m very surprised and disappointed that you agree.”

    ~~~

    Well, I’m sorry you feel that way. But unless Matt answers, then neither of us can know what he meant by his statement.

    I don’t think it’s unfair to assign that motive to the announcer. It may not be correct, but it’s not unfair. You just don’t happen to agree or think it’s possible. I think it is. But maybe Matt doesn’t.

    Maybe she does mean this, maybe she doesn’t. Unless we ask her, we’ll never know anyway. But I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility. And I do believe there are some (maybe not specifically her) in this country who do feel that way.

    We’ll just have to agree to disagree.

    I couldn’t disagree more. Appreciating/being moved by a soldier reuniting with his/her family is in no way an endorsement of having sent them to war.

    Is being moved by video of someone hearing for the first time an endorsement of hearing loss?
    Is being moved by the reunion of a police officer and someone they assisted the result of a subconscious desire to see people put in harms way?
    Is being moved by someone walking for the first time, waking from a coma to see their loved ones, an abducted child reunited with their family, etc. justification of “everything that precedes them”? Because those are all things I would say I “can never get enough of”.

    Appreciating/being moved by a soldier reuniting with his/her family is in no way an endorsement of having sent them to war.

    I completely agree.

    However… all those other examples you cite — how come we never see any of those feelgood stories at the ballpark? All we ever see are military reunions. Just another example of MLB’s relentless political messaging.

    So while I agree with your point, you’ve also made mine.

    I know historically in the Pre-Target Field days (I don’t go much anymore) that the Twins would regularly celebrate something cool before the game along these lines. But it always seems to be a pre-game ceremony and that’s it. It’s not really broadcast to everyone on TV or made a big deal of throughout the telecast.

    Thanks for including the Pogo strip at the end of today’s post. I miss Pogo in the comics page.

    You’re very welcome. There are so many Pogo strips that address the issue of Friday the 13th — it was fun to look thru them all and hard to decide which one to use today.

    Walt Kelly was one of the best ever. It was Churchy LaFemme who was obsessed with Friday the 13th; I’m not sure why, but it made for a good running joke.

    Your small note on the reporter getting the Spurs logo shaved into his head is a good one. Hope it makes sense to some folks.

    Local news is supposed to be in the business of covering teams, not rooting for them. Let’s say there’s an incident where a Spurs player is arrested for something today, or the NBA reports the team has done something in the front office that is an egregious violation of league rules and might result in a serious fine or punishment. Can they send that reporter to cover it now? Are we going to think he’s going to cover the story in a neutral & unbiased way that presents all sides? Probably not.

    Saw a social media post from a Milwaukee TV station the other day that said, “GO BREWERS!” I wanted to reply and say, “Brewers fan, too, but you guys aren’t supposed to be in the business of rooting for the team.”

    Don’t get me wrong, I know it sneaks in here and there — I watch a lot of Olbermann and he’s made it pretty clear the last few nights he’s rooting for the Rangers. But he’s rarely excessively overt about it and still provides pretty sober analysis, the same way you, Paul, do about the Mets. When this happens, though … ugh.

    I don’t really see any harm in a local reporter supporting the local team. Not in today’s world of global 24/7 coverage of everything, anyway. Yeah, sure it’s catering to the local audience, but what’s so bad about that? It’s not like people in any other part of the country are getting their sports news from that guy. A national network like ESPN should absolutely be neutral in their coverage, but a TV station in San Antonio? I say let ’em have their fun.

    I think it’s worse when media members feign neutrality, when they’d have more credibility if they were transparent about their rooting interests.

    “There are soooooo many things wrong with link.”

    Right! For starters, there’s a shocking lack of camo…

    Agreed.

    I find myself developing a taste for white batting helmets.

    My only complaint is the attempt at Tequila Sunrise. No one has done (or ever will do) Tequila Sunrise as well as the mid-70’s Astros.

    Here in Wisconsin, we seek out the proper buns for our many meats and sausages. Bakeries have the best buns, especially Sheboygan bakeries. We usually go with hard rolls for burgers, which are more robust than the grocery store variety of hamburger buns but not too big. Hard rolls also are just fine for brats. That’s how they’re served in Sheboygan. Brat buns, more robust than hot dog buns, are a close second for brats.

    Yes, Sheboygan-style brat buns (which I’ve enjoyed many times during my Wisconsin trips) would be ideal for a burger. Nothing quite like that is available here in NYC, though, at least not that I’m aware of. Several things come close, but nothing exactly matches the Sheboygan-style bun.

    ” Zombie jerseys for the Inland Empire 66ers…”

    Considering the team’s highway theme, the jerseys don’t make the players look like zombies. They look more like roadkill.

    ENOUGH BURGER TALK! Now I’m going to have to buy some lean ground beef, sweet Videlia onions (accept no substitute), good cheese (not school bus orange “American cheese food” slices) and maybe, just maybe, some English muffins on my way home tonight. Anyone else like to mix a little BBQ sauce into the meat before grilling?

    As a Reds fan I never noticed the difference between hat and helmet. I have always hat the black that was added to uniforms in 1999 and do not wear any of the official hats that Reds have sold in that time. I have a bunch of Cooperstown hats for Reds including a hat from 1930s, 1940s and 50s, 1961-66 hat, the 1967-92 hat, and the 1993-98 hat.

    I have my own issues with “patriotic” gear days as well as “awareness” days.

    But reading some of the comments from Paul and Phil have made me so angry here. I do believe that they are the ones turning the topic into a political issue based on their clearly biased views, rather than keeping it a uniform/commercialism/respect issue.

    How am I “turning it into a political issue”?

    Here’s what you apparently don’t get: Relentlessly celebrating the military over and over and over and over again to the near-exclusion of all other sectors of society is an inherently political act. Conflating patriotism and militarism is an inherently political act.

    I’m not introducing politics into the uni-verse. I’m just pushing back against the relentless political messaging that others are introducing.

    As for my “clearly biased views,” I think what you mean is that I have a point of view on this topic, just as I do on the issues of stirrups, vertical arching, and hamburger buns. Tell me, do those points of view also amount to “bias”? And if so, do those biased views make you angry? Or only this one? Why or why not?

    “…rather than keeping it a uniform/commercialism/respect issue.”

    ~~~

    “Respect” issue? What does that mean? And, like Paul says, we are addressing the issue as presented by MLB. You may not agree with how either of us sees it, and you’re welcome to disagree — but simply because we may or may not share the same POV as you doesn’t mean that MLB isn’t constantly coming out with more and more pro-military gear. Supporting wounded veterans DOES NOT REQUIRE OVERT DISPLAYS OF CAMOUFLAGE on uniforms.

    When MLB stops with the camo, we’ll stop talking about it.

    And if you think the ONLY way MLB can support wounded vets is to make this stuff, good on you. I respectfully disagree.

    I would just like to point out that we are not Klingons who live for battle and conquest, nor are we in a nation where Service Guarantees Citizenship. The military does not need to be honored on a daily basis.

    I personally think this applies to more than just honoring the military. I am sick of a month of NFL action being pink. I am sick of all the different and hideous camo uniforms. I am sick of sporting leagues honoring every single thing where I don’t even care to watch it anymore. I watch sports to get away from stuff. Not be constantly reminded about them.

    “…I am sick of sporting leagues honoring every single thing where I don’t even care to watch it anymore…”

    Really? I mean, REALLY?

    Picture this, it’s a Sunday afternoon, I’m sitting on the couch reading…I don’t know, something, and my wife says “how come you’re not watching the race?” And I say “because one of the cars has a paint job honoring the military and you know, I’m just so sick of it, I just don’t care to watch it anymore.”

    I like most things Paul and the rest do here, I’m a daily reader, this place is right up my alley. But never once I have let the enjoyment of the sport or competition actually be trumped by some members of the team I root for wearing pink accessories or sporting a camo paint job. Paul’s messages are loud and clear in my mind, and I wish at the very least the leagues would acknowledge the holidays appropriately (if they need to to begin with) but making it unwatchable?

    And I think Paul may be even ok with it being once a single season to be honest. Say July 4 or so. If your team plays, wear the stupid stars and stripes hats. If not, too bad.

    I know Paul is against using the “stars and stripes” as part of a uniform, referring it to flag desecration, so I don’t understand why everyone gets so upset for his opinions on the military stuff. He never struck me as being ANTI-MILITARY, more of an ANTI-CONSISTENTLY-RELENTLESS-AND-ABSURD-WAY-MLB-CHOOSES-TO-HONOR-THE-MILITARY. His beef really is with the MLB and not the military.

    It seems the “rah-rah” display of cheap patriotism everywhere is just a method of blowing sunshine up a veteran’s ass, rather than giving them useful or substantive support. How about decent health care, or a good job, or looking after their loved ones? Oh, no, that would involve actual effort!

    In regards to the shoes with suits article, I was surprised that not one mention of David Tennant as the 10th Doctor on Doctor Who. From 2005-2010 his outfit was a brown suit with a pair of white Converse sneakers. He is probably the most popular Doctor of the modern era & one of the most popular in the show’s 50 year history. If you go anywhere near SDCC or NYCC (or any Con for that matter) I can bet that you’ll see that on a cosplayer.

    I get this is a uni related site, but technically that was the 10th Doctor’s “uniform” if you over-think things like I tend to do.

    I loved the Cathedral/St. Peter-Marian. It’s the Power of Purple!

    Ray S.
    Kansas State ’82

    Creamer just Tweeted out a photo of the link

    I was going to avoid the whole army/patriotism argument today, but New Era’s marketing line is “Once Seen, Never Forgotten” – Never. Forgotten. you know like the folks who died in the towers, or all those folks buried at Arlington, or the POWs in Vietnam…

    Crass. Commercialism.

    UGH UGH UGH UGH UGH! No. Just… no.

    I won’t be watching baseball on the 4th anyway; I plan to be outside, enjoying a community picnic.

    The idea with Tennant’s costume was, first of all, to continue the re-booted Doctor Who’s idea that he shouldn’t wear a flamboyant, obvious “costume”, but clothes. Compare the Fifth and Tenth Doctors and you’ll see the point.

    The concept was called “geek chic.” It was a smart looking outfit, but with one piece out of place. In this case, the Chuck Taylors that Tennant insisted on wearing. They continued it when they made him a blue suit (crimson red sneakers) or had him wear a tux (black sneakers).

    Why brown? The costume designer had done first concepts in silver gray. She asked Tennant if he had a favorite color. “Yes,” he said. “Brown suits me well.”

    Interestingly enough, when it came time to outfit the Eleventh Doctor, they were going to go in a more “costume-y” direction but new actor Matt Smith balked. He said it looked more “like how someone else would dress him” and requested link. Where Tenant’s calling card was the trainers, Smith’s became the bow tie.

    As the character became darker through the course of Smith’s run, he hid out in the Victorian era and adopted a link. One I think suits the character well, walking the line between too-regular clothes and link.

    I think the only thing black there are the boots. It’s a navy Crombie, navy slacks, navy cardigan. There have even been some recent on-set photos where Capaldi is wearing a dark blue shirt.

    Someone with the Twins must be a Uni Watch reader. The All Star Game “Peanut” characters in St. Paul have managed to avoid any apostrophe catastrophes!

    link

    Good to see. Although I’d like to think that the ranks of correct apostrophe users extends beyond the Uni Watch readership….

    The “C” on the Reds cap looks more like the “C” in the TC logo for the MN Twins than their own “C” on the helmet.

    I just toast or lightly grill my hamburger bun. Since it’s a bit drier (but toasty tasting), it helps soak up the burger juices nicely. What I don’t like are burgers stuffed with so many condiments that the burger falls apart while you try to eat it.

    Spain break out the third all-white kits. This because…to avoid a clash with the referees, who are wearing red shirts, black shorts and socks.

    Perhaps they felt the Dutch orange would clash, too. Hard to see why; the orange is a very bright shade this time. Maybe it was a thing of “Spain is the home team, we forced them to change to a third kit on short notice, let’s force the Dutch to change…good! No clashes.”

    It perplexes me that what the referees where would take precedence over the teams’ uniforms. But then again, most of what FIFA does perplexes me.

    Refs should be supplied with several sets of zubaz featuring colors that aren’t worn by any team in the group such as teal, pink, brown, etc.

    The refs have several sets this year. The shorts and socks will always be navy blue. The shirts can be navy with red trim; red with navy trim; yellow with navy trim; bright blue with navy trim; or bright green with navy trim.

    I put it on the Adidas design team. They’re outfitting both the referees and Spain. It didn’t occur to them to compare notes and say “whoops, if the referees wear red shirts , we can’t wear our red kit, and our black one is out too”?

    The ‘shoes with suits’ article reminded me of the newest puke worth trend in the fashion world. Short suits. That’s right. ‘Business’ suits that come with matching shorts instead of pants/trousers.

    The article I read about it cited 6-7 brands (including H&M and J Crew) that have included them in their summer sets. Google led to the discovery that Pharell wore a suit short to an award show (which supports my hypothesis that celebrities will represent 75% of the short suit target audience/purchasers).

    A fairly simple rule has existed for quite some time: if the occasion is formal enough to require a jacket, your legs should be covered.

    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNJJJJJJJJJJJJEEEEEEEEEEEE!

    Spain will never wear white again!

    It was a nice kit. Cardinal red stripes and numbers with metallic gold accents. Not bad for short notice.

    Just skimmed thru all the comments and didn’t see anything that referenced the open letter Mr. Reynolds wrote, at least directly. Anyway, just wanted to say Thank you, sir. I agree completely. The incessant deification of the military in this country makes me sick.

    The Chicago Bears and the University of Chicago also sports “C’s” with close similarities to the Cincinnati Reds helmet and cap C…

    University of Chicago
    link

    Chicago Bears
    link

    I refuse to watch games when teams wear uniforms I dislike. When Oregon first wore their chrome helmets in the Rose Bowl a few years ago, I didn’t watch it solely for that reason. Uniforms increase my enjoyment of the game, and I don’t want to watch dreck.

    Those Philadelphia MLB team ’64 throwbacks are OK.
    The tops are sort of antique white, not super-bright like their current jersey. Nice!
    The font used for the numbers doesn’t look period-correct though; they are clearly smaller and aren’t chain-stitched (wasn’t expecting that, but if they go through the effort on the front script, why not go all out?)

    Paul, great article today regarding the “Coolest Softball Team Ever”. As an aside, the Canadiens Alumni still have a summer softball team that travels across Quebec – link. A couple of ex-Expos are also on the tour.

    As far as identifying who the players are – one clue is that I believe for the most part anyway, the numbers they are wearing (if you can see them) was their number with the Canadiens- I was able to identify a few.

    Looking at the photo:

    Back row just to the left of the guy in the beige jacket and maroon top is Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion (innovator of the slap shot).
    Back row just to the right of the guy in the beige jacket and maroon top is Phil Goyette.

    Middle row to the right of the guy with the glasses #9 Maurice “The Rocket” Richard
    Middle row – last guy on the right standing with his elbow in face of guy kneeling in red jacket is Lorne “Gump” Worsley

    Back row – standing directly behind Gump Worsley is “Red” Storey – famous all around Canadian athlete better known as a referee in the CFL and then the NHL – one of the great story tellers of the game
    Back Row – on right side of Gump Worsley wearing a white turtleneck is Dickie Moore

    Front row, first guy on left #14 – Claude Provost
    Front row middle of photo #1 Gerry McNeil (not 100% on this one – also thought it may have been Tom Johnson but McNeil was a goalie and wore #1).

    Cheers,

    Ted

Comments are closed.