M59

This will surely be an unpopular opinion on this forum, but I wouldn't be super upset to see the end of gray jerseys. Grey pants? That would irritate me a bit. But the jerseys wouldn't upset me that much. I wouldn't mind at all if the Orioles had two orange and two black jerseys (one each with "Orioles" and one each with "Baltimore" script on the front), scrapped the white, grey and Cash Grab Connect jerseys. And, given the current state of MLB plackets, go ahead and make them two-button henley pullovers. But that's just me. I'd also send the O's cap straight back to hell. Again, that's just me.

Cardinals have also swapped their distinctive front number font for a miniature version of the back numbers (just like the knockoff jerseys always did)...and they're having a mismatched road colors issue. https://uni-watch.com/2024/02/29/mlb-nike-fiasco-now-features-mismatched-road-greys/#comment-1049826

The road is IMO clearly the best of a bad lot here. I'd literally completely forgotten this Nationals uniform set.

Other than their first kit, The Nationals have never truly had a uniform uniform set. (And the original alternate didn't really synch up with the original home and road.) The more they piecemeal their changes, the more confused their kit gets.

Other than MLB / Nike's screwups with the 2024 jerseys, the Orioles haven't changed...anything...since 2010 (unless you count anniversary and memorial patches). Other than the unfortunate change from "low i" to "high i", the black jersey hasn't really changed (except for the sleeve patch) since 2001. Compared to that degree of stasis, the Nats' level of churn looks even crazier that it actually is.

Like the blue jersey/red cap combo. Less enamored of the front number being gone...no matter how much I dislike that font. But hey, the jersey is now 0.75% lighter, so the players are now faster!

Another Athletic piece on the Nikepocalypse... https://theathletic.com/5298710/2024/02/26/explainer-mlb-nike-uniform-issues/?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20240227&instance_id=116206&nl=from-the-times&regi_id=78561931&segment_id=159293&te=1&user_id=237efb3d4cff04733b30fffff0fca801&access_token=15126801

When the Orioles were still doing 3-color script, numbers and NOB on the black jerseys, they used this size NOB, but maintained the smaller size on their home and road (2-color) jerseys, IIRC, it gets difficult to do 3-color NOB in the smaller size.

I can recall some chatter about the Rays' NOB font being unnecessarily large, otherwise, no.

The new jersey controversy makes it to Baltimore Baseball.com "What’s what? Many players have spoken, not for attribution, about how disappointed they are with the new uniforms this season. I’m generally neutral on the uniforms, but I really don’t like how small the lettering for the names on the jersey’s back is." https://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2024/02/26/orioles-beat-pirates-2-0-2nd-straight-win-irvin-retires-6-batters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=orioles-beat-pirates-2-0-2nd-straight-win-irvin-retires-6-batters&utm_source=BaltimoreBaseball.com+List&utm_campaign=15e8c74bd8-RSS_MAILCHIMP&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cddc084dff-15e8c74bd8-228940032&mc_cid=15e8c74bd8&mc_eid=37352608ed I know this is my particular dead horse to beat, but I'm still really annoyed at the change in the Orioles' front numbers. What was the point? I thought all the custom number fonts MLB now rolls out with every new jersey was to foil the counterfeiters. Why then switch a team to the same front number font the counterfeiters have been using? Like most of the changes in this "chassis", it doesn't make sense. I haven't checked on the Cardinals or White Sox yet to see if this foolishness has spread to them as well, but I suspect it has. SMDH.

So what they're saying is Nike made the placket smaller to accommodate the lower logo placement. How dumb can MLB / Nike be? Alternatively, how dumb do they think we are, to accept that explanation?

"But...they worked fine on the NBA uniforms we designed before we moved over to the MLB team! Why is everybody being so cranky?!?"

Just checked on some video from today's Orioles ST opener. It certainly appears that their front numbers are now just smaller versions of the back numbers. WTF that point of THAT is...I have no idea whatsoever. Did it perhaps make the jersey 0.0000000001% lighter and the players commensurately faster? I'm sure Nike will tell us that's the reason.

Thanks for that. I no longer have a photobucket account, and have yet to figure out how to "insert image from URL". At least my placket is the right width.

Given the placement of the belt tunnels, it still looks...wrong.

Catching up on this week's Uni Watch entries...and was struck by the photo of the front of the A's green jersey. Whatever it is Nike is using for the jersey script, sure looks...different...than what I'm used to. https://uni-watch.com/2024/02/21/most-mlb-teams-wont-have-perforated-numbers-after-all/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

In searching for the UA Padres prototype, I stumbled across this eBay auction for a Westchester Giants jersey. Could it be that the Fabric UA was going to use for the back is being used by Nike for the entire jersey? https://www.ebay.com/itm/313419429172

IDK. The UA Padres prototype that popped up a few years back was some of what I was expecting Nike to do with this template. Particularly the fact that the back fabric didn't match the front. I do, however, continue to believe that certain MLB teams--particularly the one I happen to root for-- would be well-served to adopt a two button jersey. (And given that the Orioles wore a two-button henley-style pullover in 1994, it wouldn't be unprecedented, either.) https://uni-watch.com/2021/03/23/rare-find-an-apparent-under-armour-mlb-prototype-jersey/

You're not alone in that.

1) Thanks to Sodboy13 for finding a non-paywalled version of the Atlantic story. The link worked for me. The story is worth a read. 2) The sartorial distance between MLS and NASCAR is depressingly small. Lucky for me, I’m not a soccer fan. 3) Given that I’m not a fan of her music, I tend to forget how attractive Katy Perry is. Thanks to adsarebad for the reminder! 4) The photos of that Yankees road jersey makes me think that Nike is using a version of the fabric that was used on the side panels last year…for the entire jersey. I’m sure that’s going to work out just fine!

Unfortunately paywalled, but the Atlantic weighed in on the Nike fiasco today... https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/02/mlb-jerseys-nike-fanatics-quality/677512/

I wonder if the two guys on the viewer's left are minor league call-ups. They certainly got a different (and larger) NOB font than the guy on the viewer's right.

Except, those aren't "last year's" game pants. They're All Star Game Pants in the current template. Look at the Phillies photo posted by BBTV for pocket placement on pants in the "old" template.

The jersey looks like a bad replica t-shirt...and WTF is up with the pocket placement on those pants? If I was a player it would infuriate me to a) no longer be able to customize my pants and b) have the pockets be halfway down my ass. That placement is decidedly lower than on the 2023 pants. As once said to a former boss: you never miss something you didn't have...but you take away something people came to expect...they're gonna be very unhappy.

RE: the Angels. I don't mind losing the drop shadow from the back #s. Would like to see it go from the front numbers, as well. (I'd also like to see them use plain block numbers like the Cardinals and Orioles do. The pointy bits do nothing for me.) RE: the Nationals. Even if your number font sucks (and theirs does) not having front numbers on a script-front jersey is a no-no in my book. That team is really striving to find ways in which to make their uniform set look worse.