Today I have a special set of Uniform Concepts & Tweaks — three proposed MLB “City Connect” concepts from three different designers! Be sure to check them out and let the designers know what you think in the comments below!
I hope you guys like this feature and will want to continue to submit your concepts and tweaks to me. If you do, Shoot me an E-mail (Phil (dot) Hecken (at) gmail (dot) com).
Hi Phil (and readers),
Since all MLB teams are getting City Connect jerseys next year, I thought I’d make one for the team that’s the most likely to do the worst job. The colors are a mosaic, like how the Oakland Roots (USL) do their uniforms. The tree is used all over the web to represent Oakland, but not the city flag. I’d be happy if the A’s came out with these. What do all of you think?
A (amateur) jersey swap of A’s closer Dany Jimenez.
Michael Thompson
Next up is Stefan Knaack, with a proposed CC uni for the Cleveland Guardians:
Phil,
This is a design for a City Connect uniform for the Cleveland Guardians which is inspired by the Cuyahoga River fires.
The cap and sleeve logo is a water droplet on fire with a muted 216 (Cleveland’s area code) in the droplet, a direct reference to the fires. This design (without the 216) is actually something that I mocked up years ago for a tattoo for myself which I still haven’t gotten around to having done.
The chest logo is inspired by the design of the Teamsters logo, an homage to Cleveland’s robust history of organized labor; the horses are replaced with Guardians of Transportation and the wheel is replaced with a baseball diamond.
Gold is added to the color palette for the fire, the Guardian statues, and as a trim color.
The high socks depict flames atop the surface of the water of the Cuyahoga.
Cheers,
Stefan Knaack
And our final CC concept today comes from Aaron Smith, with a proposed CC for the Texas Rangers (complete with an entire line of merch).
Hey there, Phil
Long-time reader, first-time emailer.
With all the City Connect uniforms coming out this year for MLB (with varying degrees of success), it got me thinking – what in the WORLD would our local Texas Rangers hang their hat on for their uniforms?
Wait a minute… say that again… hang their hat…
I give you my submission for the Texas Rangers “City Connect” uniforms… a vintage cross-city cross-over.
I know that the throwback look for the Mavs is WIDELY loved even more than their current look (emo space horse and all), and other than nearby theme parks and chain restaurants – there’s not a lot of city-specific stuff to connect with in Arlington.
I’m sure there would be some hefty conversations w/ the Mavs marketing team in order to make this happen, but even SPLITTING the profits from the sale of these puppies between both organizations would certainly add up to a pretty penny.
This stuff would sell.
The photos attached are numbered in the order it makes sense to me, but totally up to you how to display there (if at all).
Hope you and UniWatch readers like the idea :)
Aaron Smith
LOGO
UNIFORMS
CAPS
BRANDING
GEAR
OK readers (and concepters). If you have some tweaks or concepts, shoot ’em my way with a brief description of your creation and I’ll run ’em here.
I’m skeptical that the Oakland would be considered. From a distance it would look like a real bad digestive system. The Cleveland fire would be too negative for the city tp connect with. The Rangers/Mavs crossover has some legs.
I definitely agree with you that the river fires aren’t something that the team, MLB, or Nike would go for as an inspiration for a CC uniform, but I can say that I think most Clevelanders would love the idea. It’s an aspect of our history that we embrace now that the river has been cleaned substantially; our roller derby association is called Burning River, as are many other local institutions.
Good call, Stefan. I wonder if the Chicago Fire is a similar story. It was started by a cow, right? It was unfortunately quite tragic (300 people died), but it’s an indelible part of the city’s history — again, unfortunately.
I wonder what people will be saying about September 11th in a hundred years.
Seconded.
I really like that Texas Rangers’ concept. Good colors, good graphics.
Thanks, Walter! I appreciate the compliment.
Love the Rangers concept. For me, the best look would be green jersey, white pants, and blue hat with green brim. I don’t hate the idea of green pants, but I definitely think the all-blue look has been overdone thus far with the CC unis.
Thanks for the kind words about the designs.
Agreed that the all-blue approach has been done a few times. I’d really prefer the green – just seems like more of a stretch for a relatively conservative organization. Here’s hoping, though!