Cincinnati Reds: Time For A Change?

[goalieboy82]

what i think they should go with:

or

 

[AstroCree]

I also want them to bring back sleeveless jerseys. 

[AnPheitseog]

5 hours ago, monkeypower said:

I am pro-white outline (or any colour outline on scripts and numbers) in the vast majority of cases, provided the team has more colours in the brand to work with. Just plain non-outlined scripts and numbers make me think of cheap rec league/beer league screen printing (see Dallas Stars). That white outlined "Cincinnati" is such a good look.

 

To me, this outlined script and number,

 

looks infinitely better than this.

 

 

4 hours ago, the admiral said:

Yeah, that Orioles jersey looks bad because we're used to outlines on the white and grey uniforms. 

 

Not sure about wanting too many different kinds of numbers in baseball. I'd say at least half the teams in the majors should have regular block or varsity block (though the Mariners and Rays should both have custom or at least non-standard numbers). I wouldn't want an NFL situation where you have teams making tiny changes to make their numbers proprietary -- the Cardinals and 2006 Vikings come to mind here.

Just for reference, it does. 

 

Orioles use the same colors for their home, road, and black jerseys. It's an orange number with a black outline. Script and names are as well.

 

 

 

As for the reds. I like the black, but it needs to go on the cap. 

[Quillz]

It's weird... I agree the Reds should have a white outline around their red numbers because it helps the red contrast against the road grays better. But in the case of the Orioles, I actually prefer no white outlines, because the orange already has plenty of contrast against the black. So it really depends on the application.

[Silent Wind of Doom]

The Reds are like the Pirates and Diamondbacks.  They've got two looks of equal footing in my mind that would both be perfect.

 

The Big Red Machine look (although button-down and with white outlines on the away grays.

 

 

And the pinstriped vest look from the 50's-60's and 90's-00's, although at its cleanest form.  I don't think any of them are perfect.  I'd say pinstripe cap at home, and red cap on the road.

 

 

Although Ark's combination set is a good compromise.

 

On 1/26/2018 at 12:39 AM, Quillz said:

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.

 

When people say "gimmicky", they don't mean having a gimmick, or at least they don't in the traditional sense of the word.  It means fad-chasing or having no good qualities or reason for existing past selling.

 

On 1/26/2018 at 9:19 AM, McCarthy said:

Tony Perez's batting glove looks like it could be evidence in a murder case. 

 

It looks like he bought it at a police auction and pulled the blades off the fingers.

[FiddySicks]

On 1/26/2018 at 9:14 AM, Bmac said:

If it's not appropriate to post links to concepts, the mods may remove this. I'm not sure where we stand on that but this thread seems like the perfect example of an appropriate time.

 

This is a concept I made last year:

 

Cincinnati Reds

 

This is SO good. Absolutely perfect for the Reds. 

[Ark]

I would bring back the pullover jerseys, no need for buttons. It would be unique in today's MLB, and it's what they actually wore during their peak as a franchise. 

[Ark]

On 1/26/2018 at 7:25 PM, Ark said:

Here's my ideal set

 

 

 

 

So before I said this is my ideal set. But I just realized that the pants stripes weren't added until later (1988). Here's the road version:

 

 

Here are their previous uniforms before the pants stripes:

 

 

 

I actually prefer them without the stripes. It's a cleaner look. 

[Beeperino]

In addition to the above, I would love to see an alternate set that incorporates Mr. Redleg, like the one below sported by Frank Robinson:

 

Interestingly, this look has now been adopted/adapted by the Reds' new rookie affiliate in Greeneville, Tennessee (albeit with their Davy Crockett adaptation of Mr. Redleg):

 

 

 

 

[-Akronite-]

On 1/26/2018 at 3:22 PM, monkeypower said:

I am pro-white outline (or any colour outline on scripts and numbers) in the vast majority of cases, provided the team has more colours in the brand to work with. Just plain non-outlined scripts and numbers make me think of cheap rec league/beer league screen printing (see Dallas Stars). That white outlined "Cincinnati" is such a good look.

 

To me, this outlined script and number,

 

looks infinitely better than this.

 

 

I disagree only because I think your examples are bad, since I generally agree that the addition of a white stroke helps colors pop and creates a more balanced look.

 

In this instance you have an Orioles jersey with a black outline and a white outline. To me, that looks cheap and overdone compared to say, this:

 

And again, I usually like the use of a white stroke, but something about that orange being directly on the black looks gorgeous in that instance. What a beautiful set.

[-Akronite-]

On 1/26/2018 at 7:54 PM, goalieboy82 said:

what i think they should go with:

or

 

 

Adding blue to the set would be maybe the worst possible idea IMO. We have so many red, white, and blue teams in baseball. Reds can and have owned the red and white look.

 

I can go either way on the black. If they got rid of the black brim and kept it as an accent, their set is fine as is. I wouldn't mind them dropping it and adjusting their current look to just red and white either.

[Beeperino]

1 hour ago, -Akronite- said:

 

Adding blue to the set would be maybe the worst possible idea IMO. We have so many red, white, and blue teams in baseball. Reds can and have owned the red and white look.

 

I can go either way on the black. If they got rid of the black brim and kept it as an accent, their set is fine as is. I wouldn't mind them dropping it and adjusting their current look to just red and white either.

 

My opinion: red/white on home uniform with any black being absolutely minimal.  Red with black on road grays, with minimal white.  The current set tries to "have it all" and, as a consequence, the road uniforms are just hard on the eyes. 

[BBTV]

I do consider their number font gimmicky.  I can't think of a better word for it.  They're going out of their way to portray an olde-timey look, and it comes off as anything but - especially since they added an outline and shadow around it.  Ironically, a plain font with shadow might have looked more olde-timey.

 

There's no need for them to force it.  They are the oldest team - they don't need to pretend that they are.

 

Everyone seems to love the BRM uniforms, however I'm not a big fan of the white C.  I know there's history behind it, but it just seems '70s to me (again, I know it was around before then.)

 

I'd like to see the Reds in cream and red.  I don't consider the cream "gimmicky" - it looks great on the Giants - and I think it'd look great with red, as long as they don't use white accents.  Not sure if the white C on the cap would clash or not - that's an advantage that the Giants have going for them.

[Cardsblues02]

41 minutes ago, Beeperino said:

 

My opinion: red/white on home uniform with any black being absolutely minimal.  Red with black on road grays, with minimal white.  The current set tries to "have it all" and, as a consequence, the road uniforms are just hard on the eyes. 

I can agree with this.

 

There are plenty of sports teams that need to drop black, but the Reds aren’t one of the “get rid of it now!” teams. As long as they keep it to a minimum, its fine.

[AnPheitseog]

I honestly still hold to my original position. 

 

Drop the black bill, and the Reds are fine. Even without doing that, the reds look really good right now.

[Beeperino]

In any event, I think change is coming in some form. Whether it's the age of the current set, the transition away from Majestic, the sesquicentennial of the original Red Stockings, or just a "change of scenery" based on the past few years.  From a recent article by their in-house beat reporter:

 

Quote

There have been no announcements, but I would be surprised if, at minimum, there wasn't a new alternate uniform. This season's batting-practice caps feature the Old English letter "C" that the original Red Stockings used in 1869. It could be a harbinger of things to come in 2019.

 

Source: https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/will-jim-riggleman-be-reds-full-time-manager/c-277668476

[joekono]

I would have to go with the 93-98 sets. It has everything you may want(vest) and something you don't(BFBS). Ain't nothing wrong with a team called the Reds having just red.

[BC985]

3 hours ago, Beeperino said:

In any event, I think change is coming in some form. Whether it's the age of the current set, the transition away from Majestic, the sesquicentennial of the original Red Stockings, or just a "change of scenery" based on the past few years.  From a recent article by their in-house beat reporter:

 

 

Source: https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/will-jim-riggleman-be-reds-full-time-manager/c-277668476

 

This doesn’t sound good at all. Having the wishbone C and old English C will result in a muddled “we don’t know who we want to be” look. The NL Central already has the Milwaukee Brewers around to hold that distinction. 

 

FWIW, I agree with @BringBackTheVet that the uniform number font looks gimicky. At the same time, I like the black drop shadow on the caps because by itself the wishbone C can look flat. A minimal amount of black outlining can help the reds maintain a classic look without looking bland. I would also bring back the pinstripe vests and white pinstripe hat for Sunday day games. 

[MCM0313]

8 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

I do consider their number font gimmicky.  I can't think of a better word for it.  They're going out of their way to portray an olde-timey look, and it comes off as anything but - especially since they added an outline and shadow around it.  Ironically, a plain font with shadow might have looked more olde-timey.

 

There's no need for them to force it.  They are the oldest team - they don't need to pretend that they are.

 

Everyone seems to love the BRM uniforms, however I'm not a big fan of the white C.  I know there's history behind it, but it just seems '70s to me (again, I know it was around before then.)

 

I'd like to see the Reds in cream and red.  I don't consider the cream "gimmicky" - it looks great on the Giants - and I think it'd look great with red, as long as they don't use white accents.  Not sure if the white C on the cap would clash or not - that's an advantage that the Giants have going for them.

So make the cap cream. The Reds had white caps (with red pinstripes) as recently as 1998.

[BBTV]

2 hours ago, MCM0313 said:

So make the cap cream. The Reds had white caps (with red pinstripes) as recently as 1998.

 

Yuck.