Cincinnati Reds: Time For A Change?

[Jungle Jim]

The Cincinnati Reds have worn their current set since 2007, and while it is an improvement over the BFBS era of 1999-2006, I have never been a fan of the black-billed road caps and gimmicky font.  Is it time for a change?  If so, which direction should they go?

 

I will forever be a fan of the simple yet elegant set of 1968-71, and I'd love to see it return.  I've said it before, but if they had just kept that look from that point forward, they would be considered unchangeable classics along with teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, and Cardinals.  While I loved the pullovers and elastic waistbands as a kid in the 1970s, I now regret that the greatest seasons in the history of the franchise happened in those, rather than the more traditional set that proceeded them.

 

As for the current set, they have lasted longer than most in the history of the franchise.  Here's a rundown of their previous looks dating back to 1939, ordered by length of tenure:

 

1972 - 1992 (21 seasons) -- Pants leg stripe and second red sleeve stripe added 1988-92

 

 

1939 - 1955 (17 seasons) -- Blue highlights 1939-46, Red highlights 1947-55

 

2007 - Present (12 Seasons) 

 

1999 - 2006  (8 seasons)

 

1993 - 1998 (6 Seasons)

 

1961 - 1966 (6 Seasons)

 

1956 - 1960 (5 Seasons)

 

1967 - 1971 (4 Seasons) -- Pinstripes on home uniform for 1967 season only

 

 

[Cardsblues02]

No. The BFBS unis of the early 2000s was a stupid trend, but black is a Cincy color. The black billed cap looks fine IMO, just to add some contrast. Do I love the Reds current set? Not really. But I think it fits them fine. They also have a good looking red alt. 

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

I'd love to see a return to the 1993-1998 look.  So clean and dignified: just red and white, no black.

 

[Gothamite]

The black has to go. Save it for merchandise.

 

Red and white look so good together on the uniform. 

[AstroCree]

I love the 90s look too, just minus the Pinstripe Caps. 

[aawagner011]

Everything from the 50s and 60s looks fantastic (except the one with blue trim). I especially love the vests with the red undershirts, but only if they were true vests, rather than a normal cut with the sleeves cut off. Black has gotta go. Been way too long.

[BrandMooreArt]

45 minutes ago, Gothamite said:

The black has to go. Save it for merchandise.

 

Red and white look so good together on the uniform. 

 

i dont see why it HAS to go. the argument can be made that red, white, and black look great together too.

 

besides the point of "i dont like it" im not seeing a real issue here. if you do a font that's not "gimmicky" then what do you do, a tailswept-script like everyone else? if we're throwing out suggestions, im for red, white, and gray which would put a nice spin on the identity but i still don't think anything NEEDS to change

[WSU151]

I like the '88-92 set the best, and it'd look great as a button-down.

[TheOldRoman]

Yes. They need to change. The black needs to go from the uniforms, and at very least, they need to lose the black-brimmed cap (which is only seen in the bottom half of innings on the road). Their number/name font is awful and too "olde tyme baseball" like some crappy independent minor league team calling itself the Mudville Nine would wear. They should bring back the 70s-90s font, which is unique despite being a block font.

[WavePunter]

I love the Reds' font.. Sue me

[oldschoolvikings]

 

I'm not really sure how you'd top this;

 

[henburg]

I think that the Reds current look is pretty great. I'm not sure how the font they use is gimmicky at all. I would be happy with the removal of black but it doesn't hurt the look too much to me at all. 

[WavePunter]

2 minutes ago, oldschoolvikings said:

 

I'm not really sure how you'd top this;

 

I've never been a fan of the old red blob chest patch with the jersey-colored-C and "REDS" inside.. Would be better imo if the C and REDS were red with no blobby patch outline

[lbj273]

I love the sleeveless jersey look for the Reds, both home and away.  Just do them without the BFBS.

[orangefaniniowa]

Can somebody explain to me why the Cincinnati Reds dropped the home white pinstripe set after the 1967 season?  Those unis looked sweet, then they scrapped them for a regular plain white set which I never liked.

 

[Quillz]

2 hours ago, henburg said:

I think that the Reds current look is pretty great. I'm not sure how the font they use is gimmicky at all. I would be happy with the removal of black but it doesn't hurt the look too much to me at all. 

It's not. "Gimmicky" is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot here, just like "lazy." I mean, at the end of the day, a gimmick is basically just something that identifies and sells any given product or team. Every team has a gimmick in that sense.

[IceCap]

2 hours ago, oldschoolvikings said:

 

I'm not really sure how you'd top this;

 

This look would be considered a modern classic on par with the Yankees, Tigers, and Dodgers had they kept it. For good reason too.

[OnWis97]

I'll take the 67-71 set, sans pinstripes. 

 

I'm not a fan of red pinstripes and we already have them in Philly.

I think red and white is a great combo and since it's so traditional, old-school block font works best.   

[MCM0313]

8 hours ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

I'd love to see a return to the 1993-1998 look.  So clean and dignified: just red and white, no black.

 

I don't usually like the way vests look in baseball, but I'd take these back in a heartbeat. A small change, though: no pinstripes on the hats. White with red bill for home, grey with red bill for road, solid red with home alt red tops for the weekends.

[Ray Lankford]

Just drop the black bill and they're good.