Padres wearing Camos during every Sunday home game

[larrypep]

Per Uni Watch's blog, the Padres will be wearing camos every Sunday home game this year, thus truly living up to it's "alternate" designation. I personally like this idea since I think the current set is way too boring; at least this has a little unique character (the Padres pioneered the camo design).

Camouflage jerseys -- at one time a once-a-year community gesture by the Padres -- are spreading. The Padres will now be wearing them for every Sunday home game, plus the White Sox will be wearing camouflage on July 4 and the Reds on July 5 because that's what the Minutemen wore while fighting the Brits. Or what the Founding Fathers wore while signing the Declaration of Independence. Or, uh, something like that.

Uni Watch Blog on ESPN - March 25, 2008

[tohasbo]

Per Uni Watch's blog, the Padres will be wearing camos every Sunday home game this year, thus truly living up to it's "alternate" designation. I personally like this idea since I think the current set is way too boring; at least this has a little unique character (the Padres pioneered the camo design).

Camouflage jerseys -- at one time a once-a-year community gesture by the Padres -- are spreading. The Padres will now be wearing them for every Sunday home game, plus the White Sox will be wearing camouflage on July 4 and the Reds on July 5 because that's what the Minutemen wore while fighting the Brits. Or what the Founding Fathers wore while signing the Declaration of Independence. Or, uh, something like that.

Uni Watch Blog on ESPN - March 25, 2008

Why wear it all the time? It would be a good thing to wear once or twice a season but we are talking about at least them wearing it for 10 games.

[Sodboy13]

If this signals either the departure of the blue jersey with the Swingin' Friar patch, or the sand road uni, I'll be ticked. The camo jersey works as a one-off novelty each season. As a regular alternate, its true ugliness will shine through. And I believe it was BallWonk who said there's nothing patriotic about a bunch of millionaire ballplayers playing Army dress-up, and he was dead-on. Now other teams are jumping on this ridiculous camo bandwagon because, you know, they don't want to be viewed as not supporting the troops. (Oh, and it makes them extra money, too.) What's next in MLB's patriotism pissing match - mandatory flag lapel pins?

[Bouj]

If this signals either the departure of the blue jersey with the Swingin' Friar patch, or the sand road uni, I'll be ticked. The camo jersey works as a one-off novelty each season. As a regular alternate, its true ugliness will shine through. And I believe it was BallWonk who said there's nothing patriotic about a bunch of millionaire ballplayers playing Army dress-up, and he was dead-on. Now other teams are jumping on this ridiculous camo bandwagon because, you know, they don't want to be viewed as not supporting the troops. (Oh, and it makes them extra money, too.) What's next in MLB's patriotism pissing match - mandatory flag lapel pins?

I don't see how this would signal the end of the road sand uniforms. The camos are only being worn for Sunday home games. If anything is conspiring against the sands, it is either the players' preferences (they complained about them) or ownership's choice (via decree to wear the blues on the road, like Astros owner Drayton McLane did when he called for the brick alts to be worn on the road almost exclusively).

[BallWonk]

The sad thing is that with their crisp white unis, bright khaki unis, and navy blue alt shirts, the Padres already have military-themed uniforms.

The other sad thing is that the Padres aren't even wearing the right camo pattern on their alt jerseys. If they're gonna do this crap, they should at least wear the same pattern of camo as either the Marine Corps or the Army.

Putting aside my intense dislike of the whole camo uniform idea, what other examples do we have of a team regularly wearing uniforms that are dominated by a color other than their official team colors? (And Pantone, I know that the green cap is by definition included in the team's list of official colors, but you know what I mean: This is not a team that wears or uses green outside of these alt uniforms.) I think it would be interesting to compare nonstandard-color uniforms in baseball history.

[larrypep]

If this signals either the departure of the blue jersey with the Swingin' Friar patch, or the sand road uni, I'll be ticked. The camo jersey works as a one-off novelty each season. As a regular alternate, its true ugliness will shine through. And I believe it was BallWonk who said there's nothing patriotic about a bunch of millionaire ballplayers playing Army dress-up, and he was dead-on. Now other teams are jumping on this ridiculous camo bandwagon because, you know, they don't want to be viewed as not supporting the troops. (Oh, and it makes them extra money, too.) What's next in MLB's patriotism pissing match - mandatory flag lapel pins?

The Padres have had a long-standing tradition that dates back to 1969 of reserving one section for the USMC and one section for the USN each Sunday home game. This is not a complete novelty (though I am not completely naive in the notion that MLB likes the cash cow of an additional alternate set to play off patriotism); the Padres have always supported the military via their Sunday specials. Makes sense to wear the camos each Sunday in tribute to this.

[tohasbo]

yeah but to wear it EVERY Sunday Home game? I would stick one or two sunday games and on July 4th.

[BallWonk]

The Padres have had a long-standing tradition that dates back to 1969 of reserving one section for the USMC and one section for the USN each Sunday home game. This is not a complete novelty (though I am not completely naive in the notion that MLB likes the cash cow of an additional alternate set to play off patriotism); the Padres have always supported the military via their Sunday specials. Makes sense to wear the camos each Sunday in tribute to this.

Yeah, it would, except that the Padress already have uniforms that resemble naval and marine uniforms. And their camo jerseys look nothing like the camo worn by seamen or marines.

Reserving a section for sailors and marines and their families: That is supporting the troops. Bravo. More teams should do likewise. (This means you, Nationals.) But dressing up in the wrong pattern of camo? That's just as bad as putting one of those yellow ribbon magnets on your car. ("I support the troops, but not so much that I'm willing to risk damaging the paint on my car with a sticker to say so.")

Plus, the point of modern camo is not to make you invisible, but to make it harder to see the lines of your body. That makes it harder to see a person with peripheral vision, and also harder to detect a person's movements. Which would seem to offer an unfair competitive advantage to the team wearing it. It should make it harder for pitchers and catchers to pick up on baserunners' movements, for example. Why not let the Brewers wear green uniforms with baseball-sized white polka dots to honor Milwaukee's circus heritage (true!) while we're at it? That shouldn't be a problem for batters, right?

[oddball]

Why is wearing a camo uniform twice a year or ten times a year better than every Sunday? What is so wrong with this? At least they understand how to do a alternate uniform, leave it to one day and only that day. Too many teams just randomly wear their alternate uniforms and just really have no set uniforms. I think alternates should be worn Sundays for home teams and Fridays or Saturdays for visiting teams. When alternates are worn, then the opposing team wears its regular home or road uniform except for on special days such as throwback days where both teams should wear uniforms from the same year that are correct looking for that era.

[Lee.]

yeah but to wear it EVERY Sunday Home game? I would stick one or two sunday games and on July 4th.

If they wear them every week, then the opposing batters won't know where the pitch is coming from

[tohasbo]

Why is wearing a camo uniform twice a year or ten times a year better than every Sunday? What is so wrong with this? At least they understand how to do a alternate uniform, leave it to one day and only that day. Too many teams just randomly wear their alternate uniforms and just really have no set uniforms. I think alternates should be worn Sundays for home teams and Fridays or Saturdays for visiting teams. When alternates are worn, then the opposing team wears its regular home or road uniform except for on special days such as throwback days where both teams should wear uniforms from the same year that are correct looking for that era.

I understand why they wanna do it every sunday home game to honr the military but sometimes whenever im watching a baseball game and I see those, i gotta strain my 22 year old eyes to see the names on the unis. Not good for me, especially if I am gonna be watching it in HD. Just seems a little too much for me. At least it'll be better than looking at the Rockies alternate vest jersey EVERY game.

[AndrewPF]

If this signals either the departure of the blue jersey with the Swingin' Friar patch, or the sand road uni, I'll be ticked. The camo jersey works as a one-off novelty each season. As a regular alternate, its true ugliness will shine through. And I believe it was BallWonk who said there's nothing patriotic about a bunch of millionaire ballplayers playing Army dress-up, and he was dead-on. Now other teams are jumping on this ridiculous camo bandwagon because, you know, they don't want to be viewed as not supporting the troops. (Oh, and it makes them extra money, too.) What's next in MLB's patriotism pissing match - mandatory flag lapel pins?

+1

[TTaylor44]

I personally like the camo jerseys, and if i counted correctly they are gonna be wearing them 13 times this season.

[Sport]

I personally like the camo jerseys, and if i counted correctly they are gonna be wearing them 13 times this season.

That doesn't seem like a lot, but that's a lot. It will get old somewhere around game number 3.

[Sodboy13]

I personally like the camo jerseys, and if i counted correctly they are gonna be wearing them 13 times this season.

That's camo in 16% of all home games. Ugh.

Thanks for posting, though, Terry. It reminded me I've got a couple of jerseys I need to send to you.

[oddball]

Well, I figured I'd bring this thread back up since the Pads are wearing their camos vs. the Dodgers tonight.

[Wally1912]

Well, I figured I'd bring this thread back up since the Pads are wearing their camos vs. the Dodgers tonight.

[mantleisthebest7]

That hat is sweet but the jersey sure sucks. Oh well......

[dahatman]

Well, I figured I'd bring this thread back up since the Pads are wearing their camos vs. the Dodgers tonight.

and like the Blue Jayswho have a matching alt helmet, the Padres have a matching green helmet. you gotta give a few points to taking the time to have it done right.

[Sport]

It would be a lot cooler if they used the sort of digitized camoflauge that most of the military now uses. Although, I do like the adoption of green when they wear these and that they use their tan pants.