2025 MLB Uniform/Logo Changes

[BBTV]

That's a shame.  Fenway is a dump.  It's not old and charming like Wrigley.  It's just old.  The last time I was there was 2010, but the concourses reminded me a lot of some older AA stadiums I went to back when I was a lowercase g.  I wonder if the player facilities - lorckerrooms, clubhouse, indoor cages, training rooms, etc. are up to par with the rest of the league, or if they're lousy too.  I know the history and all that, but even if they built a replica but with open concourses, no supports, a modern scoreboard, and random parts of the green monster that shoot flames if an outfielder gets too close, it would be worth it.  I guess there's no temporary place they could play for three seasons so it's a moot point, but it'd be nice.  

 

I also thin Camden Yards needs a pretty major renovation, but that's a different story.

[schlim]

My family moved to Massachusetts when I was young so I went to a lot of games at Fenway, surviving the round communal urinals, bad, poorly aligned seats, crowded concourses and the bleachers being segregated away from the people with real tickets (for good reason, the bleachers are not only awful but the crowds were worse).

 

I finally got to Wrigley for the first time about ten years ago and thought that was a dump, so I guess which one you prefer is  whichever park you discovered first and found charming for all its awful quirks.

 

Despite the aborted plans to build a new Fenway next door in the late 90s, I think Fenway is here to stay, especially with the Sox' ability to close off the streets and turn them into a defacto concourse during games.

 

Besides Wrigley, Fenway and Dodgers Stadium , there are probably just a few other stadiums that are historical and will last. Lambeau will probably continue to survive the 30+ year lifespan new parks have now, maybe Arrowhead will survive all the dumb machinations the Chiefs are trying now, but besides that, are there any other parks that will last? SF, Baltimore? Or are we in for an endless stream of ever changing malls ala new Yankee Stadium?

 

 

[BBTV]

9 minutes ago, schlim said:

My family moved to Massachusetts when I was young so I went to a lot of games at Fenway, surviving the round communal urinals, bad, poorly aligned seats, crowded concourses and the bleachers being segregated away from the people with real tickets (for good reason, the bleachers are not only awful but the crowds were worse).

 

I finally got to Wrigley for the first time about ten years ago and thought that was a dump, so I guess which one you prefer is  whichever park you discovered first and found charming for all its awful quirks.

 

Despite the aborted plans to build a new Fenway next door in the late 90s, I think Fenway is here to stay, especially with the Sox' ability to close off the streets and turn them into a defacto concourse during games.

 

Besides Wrigley, Fenway and Dodgers Stadium , there are probably just a few other stadiums that are historical and will last. Lambeau will probably continue to survive the 30+ year lifespan new parks have now, maybe Arrowhead will survive all the dumb machinations the Chiefs are trying now, but besides that, are there any other parks that will last? SF, Baltimore? Or are we in for an endless stream of ever changing malls ala new Yankee Stadium?

 

 

 

The owners (or owner-ish people) of each team in the Phila Sports Complex has said that they have no plans to seek a new stadium any time soon, and in one case (Citizens Bank Park, which just turned 20) "no reason it can't last another 20 at least."  Lincoln Financial is 21 and there's no plans or even hints of any, and the No Sponsor Center (formerly Wells Fargo Center) just went through a $500M (maybe more) privately-financed renovation and is pretty awesome, so there's zero chance of it being replaced even though it's now nearly 30.

[PlayGloria]

Maybe I'm just crazy or had way too many beers at the time, but I've been to Wrigley multiple times and loved every second of it. 

I know the Royals are trying to piggy-back on the Chiefs new stadium plans, but I also really like Kauffman. I've seen a couple Cards-Royals series out there and thought the ballpark was great. I know it has been renovated once, but for a ballpark that opened in the 70s, I think it holds up. Its been a few years since I have been there, so maybe that's not the case anymore. Didn't realize until I just googled it that it is the 6th oldest ballpark in the majors. 

[Pharos04]

Shame about the blue alts but the garish Marathon uniforms do seem to resonate with some fans. There are always a multitude of yellow jerseys in the stands. I don’t get it but meh.

 

I could absolutely see a Fenway CC. But I also wonder if they could pull a New England CC (red and green, pine tree flag) or even something to tie into the 250th of Lexington and Concord which is next year. Intrigued where they will go but I won’t hold my breath that it’ll be good.

[WBeltz]

34 minutes ago, PlayGloria said:

Maybe I'm just crazy or had way too many beers at the time, but I've been to Wrigley multiple times and loved every second of it. 

I know the Royals are trying to piggy-back on the Chiefs new stadium plans, but I also really like Kauffman. I've seen a couple Cards-Royals series out there and thought the ballpark was great. I know it has been renovated once, but for a ballpark that opened in the 70s, I think it holds up. Its been a few years since I have been there, so maybe that's not the case anymore. Didn't realize until I just googled it that it is the 6th oldest ballpark in the majors. 

Kauffman is pretty good still.I do like its location and the arrangement.  Plus its very easy to get in and out of.

[adsarebad]

15 hours ago, fouhy12 said:

@hormone @MJD7 I get the brand dilution argument, but I also think the City Connect is just a better uniform than the navy blue alternate. And the CC has been around for a while now, so I think it has established a spot within the Red Sox brand. 

 

I am curious which direction they go with a new CC, though. That's where brand dilution could become an issue if they have three different color schemes. 

 

For the record, my take is that they should have the home whites, road greys, red tops as a home and road alternate, and then the 70s pullover jerseys with red caps as a day game weekend alternate. Then, I'd keep the current CC uniforms indefinitely in that slot.

The navy alternate have the team colors.  Therefore it's superior  to any random fashion jersey they can come up with. And it's a clean simple jersey.

 

"And been around for a while, so it's part of the brand"  ?

3 years ... out of a 100+ year old team.....   wtf?

 

And that Boston CC uniform is one of the worst jerseys to be worn in MLB history.

NOTHING to do with the Red Sox!

[McCall]

1 minute ago, adsarebad said:

The navy alternate have the team colors.  Therefore it's superior  to any random fashion jersey they can come up with. And it's a clean simple jersey.

 

"And been around for a while, so it's part of the brand?"

3 years ... out of a 100+ year old team.....   wtf?

 

And that Boston CC uniform is one of the worst jerseys to be worn in MLB history.

NOTHING to do with the Red Sox!

Then maybe they should rename this uniform series "CITY Connect" instead of "FRANCHISE Connect"...

[fouhy12]

Any discussion around the Red Sox CC has to include the fact that the Boston Marathon and baseball team are closely tied after the events of 2013.

 

It isn't just a random event that happens to take place in the same city. The way the baseball team captured the hearts of the city after the 2013 bombing and then turned that into a World Series win is a big reason why those two events are tied. And, before that, the team has always played a game at 11am the day of the marathon as part of what is a state holiday. 

[adsarebad]

41 minutes ago, McCall said:

Then maybe they should rename this uniform series "CITY Connect" instead of "FRANCHISE Connect"...

I have no idea. And don't care.

 

Instead read the actual Red Sox fans response on that X post..... 99% say they  "HATE THE YELLOW CC JERSEY"

[Klondyke]

One thing I don't quite get is Sacramento failing to be able to negotiate to get their name attached to 'The Athletics' (as they will be known next year).  Many cities use sports team as a Loss Leader to get their name out there as a form of free advertising for their tourism departments.

 

I get why the Athletics did not do it, but it's not like John Fisher had any leverage. Because of the TV deal the team had to stay in the bay area if they wanted to get that revenue.

 

Even OKC got their city name some what represented when the Hornets had to relocate their for a bit. Their name was officially the New Orleans/OKC Hornets (NOK for short). OKC specifically negotiated that their name get represented.   

[MJD7]

20 hours ago, Digby said:

Throughout the 2010s, they would occasionally wear the 70s pullover top/red-crown cap for throwback nights at Fenway. Usually unannounced. You could buy the caps from New Era/tops from Mitchell & Ness whenever you felt like. It was fine! Nobody was mad about this arrangement!

I would love to see it as a more consistent, permanent alternate,  maybe every Sunday home game or something like that (at least for the cap, I'd be fine with them not bringing the jersey back).

 

19 hours ago, Digby said:

For the first year or two, I don't think they were from what I saw, but then they went from "Marathon weekend special" to "idk random series throughout the whole season" and I guess it worked as a marketing scheme, unfortunately. Feel like I've seen that merch more on kids than adults, so I guess the post-Zoomers have pestered their parents enough to buy it, but some adults buy it too.

I thought they became especially popular during that first season because they kept winning in them, and thus kept wearing them beyond the original Marathon weekend. Obviously, being the very first City Connect out of the gate also brought about increased attention and shock value, because of how different it was.

 

19 hours ago, Digby said:

I'm also thinking about how, when these launched, part of the PR was that it was meant to be a semi-rebrand to reach out the parts of greater Boston that have not always been welcomed in Red Sox fandom. Which was funny considering that the Marathon has an even more anti-black history than the Red Sox do, and also that they maybe didn't need to be weirdly hostile and ultimately trade the best black player of our generation 2 years earlier. But what do I know.

I don't remember seeing anything about it intending to be a "semi-rebrand," although I could be wrong about that.

 

18 hours ago, BBTV said:

That's a shame.  Fenway is a dump.  It's not old and charming like Wrigley.  It's just old.  The last time I was there was 2010, but the concourses reminded me a lot of some older AA stadiums I went to back when I was a lowercase g.  I wonder if the player facilities - lorckerrooms, clubhouse, indoor cages, training rooms, etc. are up to par with the rest of the league, or if they're lousy too.  I know the history and all that, but even if they built a replica but with open concourses, no supports, a modern scoreboard, and random parts of the green monster that shoot flames if an outfielder gets too close, it would be worth it.  I guess there's no temporary place they could play for three seasons so it's a moot point, but it'd be nice.  

 

I also think Camden Yards needs a pretty major renovation, but that's a different story.

Oh wow, honestly Fenway and Camden Yards are my two favorite ballparks I've been to, besides Target Field (which I'm naturally biased towards). I guess I appreciate the old-time charm of them, personally. I haven't been to Wrigley yet, although it is on my bucket list.

 

18 hours ago, schlim said:

Besides Wrigley, Fenway and Dodgers Stadium , there are probably just a few other stadiums that are historical and will last. Lambeau will probably continue to survive the 30+ year lifespan new parks have now, maybe Arrowhead will survive all the dumb machinations the Chiefs are trying now, but besides that, are there any other parks that will last? SF, Baltimore? Or are we in for an endless stream of ever changing malls ala new Yankee Stadium?

I could see AT&T Park (or whatever its called now), Camden Yards, PNC Park, and Target Field lasting a long time, at the very least, along with the obvious Wrigley, Fenway, Dodger Stadium, & Yankee Stadium.

 

Busch Stadium will probably be around for a while, too, with the beautiful Gateway Arch in the backdrop. Petco Park also has some staying power with the Western Metal Supply Co. wall integrated into it.

 

So overall, I would say there are more than a few great ballparks left.

 

7 hours ago, Pharos04 said:

Shame about the blue alts but the garish Marathon uniforms do seem to resonate with some fans. There are always a multitude of yellow jerseys in the stands. I don’t get it but meh.

 

I could absolutely see a Fenway CC. But I also wonder if they could pull a New England CC (red and green, pine tree flag) or even something to tie into the 250th of Lexington and Concord which is next year. Intrigued where they will go but I won’t hold my breath that it’ll be good.

I've always thought the Sox could pull off red and pine green as their full-time color scheme, if not for the tradition associated with navy. I'd love to see it.

 

5 hours ago, fouhy12 said:

Any discussion around the Red Sox CC has to include the fact that the Boston Marathon and baseball team are closely tied after the events of 2013.

 

It isn't just a random event that happens to take place in the same city. The way the baseball team captured the hearts of the city after the 2013 bombing and then turned that into a World Series win is a big reason why those two events are tied. And, before that, the team has always played a game at 11am the day of the marathon as part of what is a state holiday. 

This. Although the Marathon jersey does not share the Red Sox primary color scheme &/or logos, one could argue it connects to the city (& the team) as well as any design does in the entire program.

 

I visited Boston earlier this spring, and when I asked our tour guide what he thought of the City uniform, he honestly seemingly didn't understand that I meant only in strictly aesthetic terms, since the Marathon, especially after 2013, is just so inherently tied to the city of Boston and to the Red Sox themselves.

[BBTV]

26 minutes ago, MJD7 said:

d Camden Yards are my two favorite ballparks I've been to, besides Target Field

 

The problem with Camden Yards is that it still has the dark concourses that are totally cut off from the field, so that if you go to the bathroom or get a beer, you are missing the game.  Also other than the designated areas, you can't just hang out against a rail and watch the game - you need to be in your seat... which is the other problem - due to the cut-off concourses, there's reduced airflow in many sections which makes the seating area muggy af.  Not just hot, but muggy.  I've gone to a lot of games in >90 degree weather, and I don't even think my trip to Camden Yards was even close to that, but it was among the least comfortable seats I've had due to the lack of air flow (when you entered the vomitory to go to the concourse, the difference was night and day.

[Anubis2051]

On 9/24/2024 at 11:04 PM, BBTV said:

 

The owners (or owner-ish people) of each team in the Phila Sports Complex has said that they have no plans to seek a new stadium any time soon, and in one case (Citizens Bank Park, which just turned 20) "no reason it can't last another 20 at least."  Lincoln Financial is 21 and there's no plans or even hints of any, and the No Sponsor Center (formerly Wells Fargo Center) just went through a $500M (maybe more) privately-financed renovation and is pretty awesome, so there's zero chance of it being replaced even though it's now nearly 30.

 

Aren't the sixers actively attempting to build a new arena downtown? Even Camden was in the hunt from what I understand. 

[BBTV]

1 hour ago, Anubis2051 said:

 

Aren't the sixers actively attempting to build a new arena downtown? Even Camden was in the hunt from what I understand. 

The sixers have nothing to do with the fka Wells Fargo center. 

[TheBigFiz21]

As far as Camden Yards goes, it is just as wonderful of a ballpark as when I first walked in 20 years ago. A lot of the criticisms and complaints from fans across the Internet that I hear the most are:

• The CF scoreboard being the smallest in the league
• A sound system that somehow can't reach some parts of the ballpark
• The LF upper deck being closed off for most games outside of Opening Day, weekend regular season, and postseason games

Now, I'm absolutely positive that Rubenstein's ownership team will have solutions, both short-term and long-term, to keep the yard amongst the best of MLB. I've heard some fans notice some improvements in the sound system in flag court, but nothing since then, so maybe the fixes on that will come soon. As for the LF upper deck, I think those seats will be removed, likely for some kind of party deck a la Coors Field. The big challenge with things like that and redoing the concourses, as was suggested earlier, is how to successfully add that and catch up with what newer stadiums have while also maintaining its timeless, retro-classic look as a ballpark that is just as amazing as it was in '92. Maybe during this offseason, we will see them get together with the Maryland Stadium Authority to announce those future plans for any changes.

[BBTV]

3 hours ago, TheBigFiz21 said:

As far as Camden Yards goes, it is just as wonderful of a ballpark as when I first walked in 20 years ago. A lot of the criticisms and complaints from fans across the Internet that I hear the most are:

• The CF scoreboard being the smallest in the league
• A sound system that somehow can't reach some parts of the ballpark
• The LF upper deck being closed off for most games outside of Opening Day, weekend regular season, and postseason games

Now, I'm absolutely positive that Rubenstein's ownership team will have solutions, both short-term and long-term, to keep the yard amongst the best of MLB. I've heard some fans notice some improvements in the sound system in flag court, but nothing since then, so maybe the fixes on that will come soon. As for the LF upper deck, I think those seats will be removed, likely for some kind of party deck a la Coors Field. The big challenge with things like that and redoing the concourses, as was suggested earlier, is how to successfully add that and catch up with what newer stadiums have while also maintaining its timeless, retro-classic look as a ballpark that is just as amazing as it was in '92. Maybe during this offseason, we will see them get together with the Maryland Stadium Authority to announce those future plans for any changes.

I forgot about the sound system but yeah that was another thing. It was very difficult to understand. I forget if it was because of it being too faint, or echoey, but I definitely remember us commenting about it. 
 

I think Citizens Bank Park has done its concourses to achieve the best balance between modern and retro. Overall it’s certainly not as retro-ish as Camden Yards - I’d call CBP a modern park  covered in retro materials - but the concourse thing can be achieved (though probably not due to the way the seating is and how much they’d lose and how long an effort like that would take, if  it was even feasible from an engineering standpoint. 
 

EDIT: giant 40k scoreboards are overrated. Half the space is taken up with ads, and baseball doesn’t show as many replays as any other sport  it’d be nice if it showed you the live pitch from the TV angle so you can see balls/strikes (don’t need the white box tho) but it’s basically, at least in CBP (which has one of the largest in the league) just for ads and sabrbetric stats that nobody at the game cares about. 

[Digby]

Why would anyone want a bigger scoreboard? 55" 4K TV's are like $150 now, just stay home and watch that. The gigantic screens plastered over any flat surface in stadia/arenas over the past 10-15 years are one of the worst trends in pro sports, and there's a lot to pick from. 

[gosioux76]

31 minutes ago, Digby said:

Why would anyone want a bigger scoreboard? 55" 4K TV's are like $150 now, just stay home and watch that. The gigantic screens plastered over any flat surface in stadia/arenas over the past 10-15 years are one of the worst trends in pro sports, and there's a lot to pick from. 

Amen to that. And I'm all for a terrible sound system. In fact, how about no sound system at all? I'd rather hear the sounds of the game. Limit it to the announcements for batters and pitching changes. Cut out the rest of the noise. 

[Digby]

5 minutes ago, gosioux76 said:

Amen to that. And I'm all for a terrible sound system. In fact, how about no sound system at all? I'd rather hear the sounds of the game. Limit it to the announcements for batters and pitching changes. Cut out the rest of the noise. 

 

I find most of the covered seats at Fenway Park to be deafeningly loud with how they pump the noise in. And it's not the music (their organ guy can be as loud as he wants), it's the canned noise with screen graphics and the PA announcements themselves that are just physically painful in volume. I get that it's mostly old farts that go to these games now but...