MLB: Trying to Please Everyone With Nike's 4+1 Rule (Braves 7/22)

[Victormrey]

Royal blue instead of navy is a huge improvement for the Brewers' set  The CC cap with their regular logo + the flag design is such a smart choice, improving the (imho) rather awful MKE design, and the brick pattern on the wordmark is a nice touch!

[coco1997]

On 7/2/2024 at 3:19 PM, Victormrey said:

Royal blue instead of navy is a huge improvement for the Brewers' set  The CC cap with their regular logo + the flag design is such a smart choice, improving the (imho) rather awful MKE design, and the brick pattern on the wordmark is a nice touch!

Thanks, man!

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

 

HOME:

 

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

ROAD ALT:

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- I didn’t want to mess around with new Las Vegas uniforms for the A’s, so this is my pitch for how the A’s could and should look were they to stay in Oakland.

- I’m surprised this hasn’t happened yet, but the A’s really should decide whether they’re a hunter or Kelly green team. For my set, all four uniforms use the same shade.

- The road and home alt pay homage to Oakland’s original sleeveless look while using headspoon piping inspired by the team's unofficially retired gold alternate. 

- Sometimes imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery. Since I couldn’t come up with anything better myself, I based my City Connect design off @colinturner95's excellent concept. The use of the Public Works Oakland tree motif is a no-brainer, and, given how most teams' City Connects turned out this season, it’s a reasonable bet the A’s would have ended up with a mono-black look. For my tweak, I took Colin's sleeve pattern idea  and extended it to the pants. I also worked up a new OAK wordmark for the front of the jersey and remade the team's cap logo in the same style as the wordmark and numbers. 

 

C&C appreciated! Programming note: I had originally planned to save the two teams without City Connects for last, but, as I'm prone to do, I decided to add a few extra teams to the series at the last minute.

[Jake3roo]

Any reason for the MLB logo on the jerseys the way it is?

[Big Yellow Flag]

26 minutes ago, Jake3roo said:

Any reason for the MLB logo on the jerseys the way it is?

A reference to the 1969 uniforms. See here.

[cubbeblue88]

The road alt for the Brew Crew would look even more supreme with pinstripes - great work as always on this series. 

[cubbeblue88]

Love the sleeveless A’s look. And the city connect tweaks work - looking forward to what you decide to do for the move to LV. 

[coco1997]

On 7/5/2024 at 5:43 PM, cubbeblue88 said:

Love the sleeveless A’s look. And the city connect tweaks work - looking forward to what you decide to do for the move to LV. 

Thanks!

 

On 7/4/2024 at 12:10 AM, Jake3roo said:

Any reason for the MLB logo on the jerseys the way it is?

Yep, @Big Yellow Flag is correct that the MLB logo on the chest is a nod to those '69 uniforms. I should've mentioned that in my previous post. 

 

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

 

HOME:

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- Kansas City’s look is pretty much perfect, so I didn’t feel the need to change much. I could go either way on a block vs. script style “Kansas City” for the road but ultimately kept the status quo.  

- One change I did make was to pair the home alt with matching powder blue pants to complete the throwback look. 

- The Royals’ City Connects are fine—I’d put them right around the middle of the pack—but they could certainly be more interesting, so I tried something that pays homage to the great Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues while keeping the best elements of the team’s actual design.

- Gold replaces powder blue, which would give the City Connect a color scheme completely different than the team’s everyday look but one that still feels distinctly “Kansas City.” I also went with raglan sleeves, an off-white base for a nice vintage look, and put the “R” logo on the cap.

C&C appreciated! 

[maxwasson]

13 minutes ago, coco1997 said:

Thanks!

 

Yep, @Big Yellow Flag is correct that the MLB logo on the chest is a nod to those '69 uniforms. I should've mentioned that in my previous post. 

 

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

 

HOME:

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- Kansas City’s look is pretty much perfect, so I didn’t feel the need to change much. I could go either way on a block vs. script style “Kansas City” for the road but ultimately kept the status quo.  

- One change I did make to the home alt was to pair it with matching powder blue pants to complete the throwback look. 

- The Royals’ City Connects are fine—I’d put them right around the middle of the pack—but they could certainly be more interesting, so I tried something that pays homage to the great Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues while keeping the best elements of the team’s actual design.

- Gold replaces powder blue, which would give the City Connect a color scheme completely different than the team’s everyday look but one that still feels distinctly “Kansas City.” I also went with raglan sleeves, an off-white base for a nice vintage look, and put the “R” logo on the cap.

C&C appreciated! 

 

Wow,  I didn't think our City Connects could look any better, but this is an awesome uniform!

[coco1997]

On 7/6/2024 at 10:04 AM, maxwasson said:

Wow,  I didn't think our City Connects could look any better, but this is an awesome uniform!

Thanks!

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

 

HOME:

 

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- Since the Giants’ orange alts are their only jersey with front numbers, I wanted to either drop the numbers altogether or add them everywhere else, and I chose the latter. It would probably take some getting used to, especially on the home, but I think it looks good.

- I’ve never been big on any “San Francisco” wordmark the Giants have used—the best being their script version, which has sadly been limited to a BP jersey and dugout jacket—so I used just the SF monogram on the road, much like the team did from the ‘80s to early ‘90s.

- The home alt now uses the same trim style as the home jersey, and the road and road alt share the same triple piping style, as well. 

- Metallic gold accents feel like a remnant of late ‘90s-early 2000s design, something we’ve more or less moved away from at this point. I dropped the gold (except on the roundel) and I don’t think the uniforms really lose anything as a result. The shadows are also gone from the road alt for a cleaner look.

- San Francisco has one of the weakest City Connects, but it’s just a couple minor tweaks away from actually being pretty solid. The first thing I did was switch from Giants orange to the reddish International Orange, (if you’re taking inspiration from the Golden Gate Bridge, at least get the color right). Then, I replaced the "G" with the team's 1994-99 arched "SAN FRANCISCO" wordmark, which matches the style of the numbers. Lastly, I went with a simple white "SF" for the cap logo.

 

C&C appreciated as always! 

[udubfan19]

On 7/9/2024 at 1:08 PM, coco1997 said:

Thanks!

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

 

HOME:

 

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- Since the Giants’ orange alts are their only jersey with front numbers, I wanted to either drop the numbers altogether or add them everywhere else, and I chose the latter. It would probably take some getting used to, especially on the home, but I think it looks good.

- I’ve never been big on any “San Francisco” wordmark the Giants have used—the best being their script version, which has sadly been limited to a BP jersey and dugout jacket—so I used just the SF monogram on the road, much like the team did from the ‘80s to early ‘90s.

- The home alt now uses the same trim style as the home jersey, and the road and road alt share the same triple piping style, as well. 

- Metallic gold accents feel like a remnant of late ‘90s-early 2000s design, something we’ve more or less moved away from at this point. I dropped the gold (except on the roundel) and I don’t think the uniforms really lose anything as a result. The shadows are also gone from the road alt for a cleaner look.

- San Francisco has one of the weakest City Connects, but it’s just a couple minor tweaks away from actually being pretty solid. The first thing I did was switch from Giants orange to the reddish International Orange, (if you’re taking inspiration from the Golden Gate Bridge, at least get the color right). Then, I replaced the "G" with the team's 1994-99 arched "SAN FRANCISCO" wordmark, which matches the style of the numbers. Lastly, I went with a simple white "SF" for the cap logo.

 

C&C appreciated as always! 

that made the city connect so much better! (what is the stupid G doing on their jerseys IRL? its CITY & they aren't in gan francisco)

[coco1997]

On 7/11/2024 at 8:31 AM, udubfan19 said:

that made the city connect so much better! (what is the stupid G doing on their jerseys IRL? its CITY & they aren't in gan francisco)

Thanks! I actually don't mind the "G," but on its own the front of the jersey looks like an incomplete thought. Even just adding some front numbers would've helped improve the jersey. 

 

NEW YORK YANKEES

 

HOME:

 

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- The Yankees were a tough one, having only ever had one home and one road uniform for nearly the entirety of their existence. For the home alt, I repurposed the off-white design from my What if Every Team Kept Its Original Look series for a 1913-14 throwback look. 

- As suggested by @jbayer in another thread, the road alt adapts the Bombers’ fantastic late '40s dugout jacket, with its gorgeous “Yankees” script and red trim, into a jersey. I’d probably stipulate this alt never be worn against the Red Sox, though, due its similar colors to the Yanks’ biggest rival.

- It’s impossible to imagine the Yankees doing anything crazy for their hypothetical City Connect, so I tried to keep things realistic. The jersey features the Bronx abbreviation “BX" (which is part of the team’s 2024 social media hashtag) in the style of the New York Highlanders, and the design is trimmed in Liberty green; it’s a distinct yet understated shade that I think the Yanks could pull off, and, as others have pointed out, it’s the same color as the gear players like Aaron Judge and Nestor Cortes have used this season. Lastly, the torch logo on the sleeve comes from this Nike T-shirt design and feels very City Connect-y. 

 

C&C appreciated as always, and have a great weekend!

[maxwasson]

30 minutes ago, coco1997 said:

Thanks! I actually don't mind the "G," but on its own the front of the jersey looks like an incomplete thought. Even just adding some front numbers would've helped improve the jersey. 

 

NEW YORK YANKEES

 

HOME:

 

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- The Yankees were a tough one, having only ever had one home and one road uniform for nearly the entirety of their existence. For the home alt, I repurposed the off-white design from my What if Every Team Kept Its Original Look series for a 1913-14 throwback look. 

- As suggested by @jbayer in another thread, the road alt adapts the Bombers’ fantastic late '40s dugout jacket, with its gorgeous “Yankees” script and red trim, into a jersey. I’d probably stipulate this alt never be worn against the Red Sox, though, due its similar colors to the Yanks’ biggest rival.

- It’s impossible to imagine the Yankees doing anything crazy for their hypothetical City Connect, so I tried to keep things realistic. The jersey features the Bronx abbreviation “BX" (which is part of the team’s 2024 social media hashtag) in the style of the New York Highlanders, and the design is trimmed in Liberty green; it’s a distinct yet understated shade that I think the Yanks could pull off, and, as others have pointed out, it’s the same color as the gear players like Aaron Judge and Nestor Cortes have used this season. Lastly, the torch logo on the sleeve comes from this Nike T-shirt design and feels very City Connect-y. 

 

C&C appreciated as always, and have a great weekend!

 

I do like the new road alternate in this set, despite the team being named the "Yankees" I'm surprised they hadn't really had that many "patriotic" uniforms throughout their history, I guess they just wanna differentiate themselves from the Washington Senators/Nationals. 

 

I also really like the City Connect you designed for the Yankees. 

[Paul Lucas]

You definitely did my Yanks justice, great work!!!

[TrueYankee26]

Those CCs are incredible  

[coco1997]

On 7/12/2024 at 10:37 AM, maxwasson said:

I do like the new road alternate in this set, despite the team being named the "Yankees" I'm surprised they hadn't really had that many "patriotic" uniforms throughout their history, I guess they just wanna differentiate themselves from the Washington Senators/Nationals. 

 

I also really like the City Connect you designed for the Yankees. 

 

On 7/12/2024 at 12:34 PM, Paul Lucas said:

You definitely did my Yanks justice, great work!!!

 

On 7/12/2024 at 1:36 PM, TrueYankee26 said:

Those CCs are incredible  

Thank you all!

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

 

HOME:

 

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- My D-Backs set is very similar to one I’ve shared in the past, albeit with some updates to reflect the team’s 2024 redesign, namely the new “DIAMONDBACKS” alternate and updated “D” snake cap logo. I love the promotion of turquoise to secondary color status, but I can’t help but feel the team can close the gap between their Sedona red/black/sand and purple/turquoise/black/copper looks even further. The new hierarchy of colors would shake out as follows:

 

Black – Magenta
Sedona Red – Turquoise
Turquoise – Copper 

This new color scheme would allow Arizona to “bring back the purple” while avoiding similarities to the division rival Rockies AND keeping sand/black/red exclusive to their City Connect. 
-  I thought about bringing back the pinstripes but decided I’d let Colorado own the “purple with pinstripes” look in the NL West. And although I liked them at first, I’ve determined headspoons just don’t look right on the D-Backs, so they’re gone. 
- TV numbers, which are currently only found on the D-Backs' new red alternate, have been added across the board for consistency. 
- I love Arizona’s City Connect, so no changes other than adding some sleeve trim to match the pants and switching to a Serpientes “S” for the cap logo, a la the team’s batting helmets.

 

C&C appreciated! Just one AL and one NL team left. 

[Paul Lucas]

Looking good! May I suggest changing the back numbers on the Home and the front numbers on the Road Alt for consistency?

[coco1997]

On 7/15/2024 at 9:00 PM, Paul Lucas said:

Looking good! May I suggest changing the back numbers on the Home and the front numbers on the Road Alt for consistency?

Good call! I've gone back and implemented your suggestions in my previous post. 

 

HOUSTON ASTROS

 

HOME:

 

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- As a nod to their National League origins, and (mainly) because their City Connect is also navy, Houston’s road alt is replaced with a fauxback based on the team’s dusty cream-colored away unis from ’89-93. I’ve always loved those jerseys’ racing stripes, an application of the sunrise pattern far superior to the current alt’s side panels, which have always felt very Spring Training/BP jersey to me.

- The only change with the fauxback is a new “Houston” wordmark to avoid three of the team’s four jerseys having “Astros” on them.

- When the ‘Stros debuted their new uniforms for the 2013 season, they featured an orange-heavy home look that, much like the Marlins, the team quickly and sadly phased out. There are plenty of MLB teams that wear orange but none as a primary color, so I restored that look and also used it for the road, just as the team did between 1971-74.

C&C appreciated! Just one team left before we wrap things up. 

[gimmick]

While I like the Astros current uniforms, I don't like the fact that they basically use their name-on-the-back font for their team name on the front of the jersey. That font is fine for the name, but it looks clunky as a team name on the front.

I always find that I like the way the uniform looks from behind, but not from the front.

Maybe try using a script or something from their history

[coco1997]

On 7/20/2024 at 8:15 AM, gimmick said:

While I like the Astros current uniforms, I don't like the fact that they basically use their name-on-the-back font for their team name on the front of the jersey. That font is fine for the name, but it looks clunky as a team name on the front.

I always find that I like the way the uniform looks from behind, but not from the front.

Maybe try using a script or something from their history

I actually tried out that exact thing for my What if Every MLB Team Kept Its Original Look series. You can find that post here. 

 

ATLANTA BRAVES

 

HOME:

 

ROAD:

 

HOME ALT:

 

ROAD ALT:

 

CITY CONNECT:

 

Notes:

 

- I could have left the Braves good and well alone, but there was one tweak I really wanted to make: bringing back the team’s off-white alternate and making that the new primary home uniform. It’s a subtle change but one that would put a little more daylight between Atlanta’s home and City Connect uniforms.

- The road set gets a new cap design which pairs better with the navy alt.

- All four jerseys now feature the same triple piping style. That piping has always screamed “Braves” to me, and I’d like to see more of it, not less. I also restored the missing belt loop piping to the front of the pants, perhaps Nike's greatest uniform crime this season.

- The only changes to the City Connect are the addition of the mountain peaks to the sides of the cap inspired by this and contrasting red front numbers. 

 

And that's a wrap! Thanks to everyone who followed along and commented, and if you haven't already, please check out my new series MLB Teams in the Style of All-Star Game Jerseys.