AP chimes in on alt uniform trend

[MonkeyWrench32]

At first, I was totally against alternate uniforms. But lately I've realized that white vs gray is pretty boring, and getting some color in the game isn't a bad idea. But if I were commish, here's some rules I would make:

- Only one team can wear an alt at a time! The other night the Rangers wore blue vs. the Blue Jays in black, and it looked totally stupid.

- Each team is allowed one home, one road, and one alt! (not including one-time things, like the Padres military day unis). None of this "5 different unis" crap. Do the Mets really need a pinstriped white AND a plain white? Of course not. White, gray, alt.

- Only the home team can wear an alt! Okay, I'm not 100% on this one, I guess. But why bother trying to impress the road fans?

- The colored top has to be considered the alt! I HATE that the Marlins wear their black top seemingly ALL the time. You should be allowed to wear the alt twice a week, tops.

I wish the Tigers would get a blue alternate fashioned like their home jersey for Sunday home games.

[boardname]

At first, I was totally against alternate uniforms. But lately I've realized that white vs gray is pretty boring, and getting some color in the game isn't a bad idea. But if I were commish, here's some rules I would make:

- Only one team can wear an alt at a time! The other night the Rangers wore blue vs. the Blue Jays in black, and it looked totally stupid.

- Each team is allowed one home, one road, and one alt! (not including one-time things, like the Padres military day unis). None of this "5 different unis" crap. Do the Mets really need a pinstriped white AND a plain white? Of course not. White, gray, alt.

- Only the home team can wear an alt! Okay, I'm not 100% on this one, I guess. But why bother trying to impress the road fans?

- The colored top has to be considered the alt! I HATE that the Marlins wear their black top seemingly ALL the time. You should be allowed to wear the alt twice a week, tops.

I wish the Tigers would get a blue alternate fashioned like their home jersey for Sunday home games.

Good call, I do like the Sunday afternoon home game being sort of a special thing. I wouldn't mind if the Dodgers busted out a blue jersey for that.

What the Yankees should do is have an alt that's navy blue, but has the Yankees script on it in white. It's a sweet wordmark that they don't use on either of their uniforms.

[Survival79]

BTW, I can't wait to see those Padres jerseys next Wednesday that the article mentioned

[oakland ehs]

it's an ugly jersey but a good tribute to the armed forces.

[VitaminD]

With powder blue: Twins, Blue Jays, Royals, Mariners, Rangers, Expos, Braves, Mets, Phillies, Cardinals, Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers.

With gray: Orioles, Red Sox, Yankees, White Sox, Indians, Tigers, Angels, Athletics, Reds, Pirates, Padres, Giants.

Team in its own world: Astros.

I grew up watching tons of National League games in Philadelphia during the Powder Blue Era, and I am 99.999% sure the Dodgers and Mets NEVER rocked the powder blues. For a couple of years, the Mets wore a royal blue every now and again on the road that resembled a BP jersey. But both teams stayed with the traditional grays.

And going the other way, the 1971-1975 White Sox did wear powder blues with the red trim before the late '70s and their venture into the world of shorts and the wide-lapel collars.

The rest of the lists are correct as you recall them.

[jkrdevil]

The Dodgers in the 40's had a powder blue alt, but not in the time in question. The Dodgers and the Yankees were one of the few teams that stayed with tradition and kept white and grey button down uniforms.

[winters in buffalo]

Five sets is a bit much, but I think that with such a long season, baseball is the place for alt unis.

Three makes sense, a white, a gray and a color.

[The_Admiral]

At first, I was totally against alternate uniforms. But lately I've realized that white vs gray is pretty boring, and getting some color in the game isn't a bad idea. But if I were commish, here's some rules I would make:

- Only one team can wear an alt at a time! The other night the Rangers wore blue vs. the Blue Jays in black, and it looked totally stupid.

- Each team is allowed one home, one road, and one alt! (not including one-time things, like the Padres military day unis). None of this "5 different unis" crap. Do the Mets really need a pinstriped white AND a plain white? Of course not. White, gray, alt.

- Only the home team can wear an alt! Okay, I'm not 100% on this one, I guess. But why bother trying to impress the road fans?

- The colored top has to be considered the alt! I HATE that the Marlins wear their black top seemingly ALL the time. You should be allowed to wear the alt twice a week, tops.

1. Astros red vs. Cubs blue isn't TOO offensive. black and blue is though. I see where you're coming from and I'll say that's probably a good idea.

2. YES. What the Mets are doing is completely ridiculous. (Also, they have too many jerseys.)

3. I'm not 100% impressed either.

4. Marlins wear black too much. Yes.

Me, I'd require city names on road greys, and yes, limit the alt abuse.

[Chazberg]

yes, because white and grey are so creative. it never gets old.

If you watch sports for creative uniforms, why don't you go check out the AFL or maybe the AHL. Not a 135-year-old league of our nation's pastime.

[TFoA]

Here's how I would solve the Mets and Astros' problems of too many unis...

Mets

Home: White w/o pinstripes, blue cap, blue bill, NY logo

Away: What They Have Right Now, same cap

Alt: Black Alt with "Mets: script, black cap, black bill, alt NY logo

Astros

Home: White w/o pinstripes, brick red cap

Away: What they have Right Now, black cap

Alt: Brick red alt with "Astros" script, brich red cap

That's what I think they should go to IMO.

[The_Admiral]

No black cap. Red cap with an H star. No black anything anywhere for the Mets.

[rbripley]

but i would like to see something more innovative than standard grey.

Actually, given the fact that most every other North American professional sports league mandates that its member teams wear either White or color jerseys depending upon where they're playing, MLB's choosing to mandate White home and Grey road uniforms would be the truly unique - and innovative - practice.

Yup. It's a distinguishing difference. I like it and look forward to the pendulum swinging back in that direction.

[southpawstu19]

for all of you who feel that white and grey is just too boring, take a look at the padres. they dont use grey as their away uniform, they use a sand color. persoanlly i love the idea and think that more teams should take that type of difference into consideration. also the giants use an off white/cream color for their home uniforms. lastly, no one has put an opinion of vests as alternates. i believe that they should be used instead of all of these solid colored jerseys. the vests allow for more of the color to show through the sleeves of the undershirt. i mean this is is just an opinion.

[Blue Falcon]

Color me crazy, but I loved all the Pirates uniforms from the 70s, I think they had nine combos. With 162 games to play, what's wrong with having so many unis?