MLB 2009

[BallWonk]

I like the front of the uniform and the hat. The back number now looks out of place.

It's a real shame, because the new "Washington" script is fantastic.

Things that are wrong with the new Nats road uniform:

1. White outline around the blue outline on the script (and elsewhere). Ugly, unnecessary, makes the uniforms look like bad replicas.

2. The DC on the sleeve is out of place. Looks like it belongs to a different team. Plus, gold.

3. The numbers:

3-A: Numbers don't match front to back. On the front, it's red with a blue bevel and blue outline. On the back it's blue with a gold bevel and blue outlines. Possibly the worst number treatment by any team at any level of professional baseball.

3-B: The gold on the back is ridiculously out of place. Makes it look like one of those jerseys people make where they sew the right half of one team's uniform onto the left half of another team's uniform, except here it's front and back, not right and left.

3-C: The number font itself is much too heavy for the new "Washington" script. The Nats need a number font with a much thinner stroke and no blocky serifs to go with the much more delicate new script.

4. The blue cap and socks are not integrated into the overall uniform design anymore. They're just leftovers that clash. I've never been a fan of the Nats' uniform piping -- in baseball, "generic" is spelled with narrow bands of triple-stripe piping at the neck and sleeves -- but switching back to the old road uniform's blue-red-blue from the new uniform's red-blue-red would help integrate the blue cap and socks and also match the color order of the red script with blue outlines.

5. The little MLB logo remains blue and gold for a team that has just taken significant steps to downplay the blue and the gold in its color scheme. Frankly, I wish the Nats would make red and gold their color scheme with blue used only as an accent/outline color. (Well, personally, I wish the Nats would use a blue and gold scheme with no red at all, but that ain't gonna happen, so if we're doomed to a primarily red team, I'd like to see red and gold rather than red and blue.) But even if the team doesn't commit to red and gold, the MLB logo on the jersey probably should be red and gold, not blue and gold, or even red and blue but reversed from the standard MLB logo. In any event, the blue and gold MLB logo is absolutely wrong here.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the script works in action. Looks quite sharp, crappy execution and all, but that just magnifies what a crime it is that the team screwed up the execution of this uniform so badly. This is the "Phantom Menace" of baseball uniforms: An absolute disaster that was about three better decisions from greatness. Let this be a lesson to all teams: Don't redesign your uniforms the month after you lose your VP of marketing.

[BJ Sands]

Two BJ's in a row. What are the odds?

Depends on the gi... nevermind.

[Lee.]

Two BJ's in a row. What are the odds?

Depends on the gi... nevermind.

Seriously, you're just encouraging him.

[patsox]

Two BJ's in a row. What are the odds?

Depends on the gi... nevermind.

Seriously, you're just encouraging him.

Because you've never said anything remotely like that, right Lee?

[Lee.]

Two BJ's in a row. What are the odds?

Depends on the gi... nevermind.

Seriously, you're just encouraging him.

Because you've never said anything remotely like that, right Lee?

I have never said anything like that in the past few weeks at least ever.

Enough derail. Back to mocking the Nats and Jays unies.

[cappital92]

As much as I love the Nationals, and as much as I love design, for some reason, I'm quite content. I think the Nationals probably had the script ready, fired the marketing VP, then had the replacement decide the numbers, hat, etc. The lack of beleveling on the front numbers doesn't bother me because I can't see gold beleveling on red numbers that small on my TV. If the numbers were blue, then I'd be more upset. For some reason, I'm not bothered by the blue hat, as I've always thought that the red and blue hats could be interchangeable with each other. I liked the old road, but, IMO, I'd rather see a hodgepodge of decent-good stuff like the new road than consistent crap all around, like the Marlins.

[BigEd76]

Here's the Twins one in action:

...and speaking of that game, how awesome is it to see this again?

[Lee.]

Here's the Twins one in action:

Out:censored:ingstanding.

[patsox]

Here's the Twins one in action:

...and speaking of that game, how awesome is it to see this again?

The Twins should rock that jersey/pants combo with a blue hat/red bill combo permanently.

[Neon_Matrix]

I'd never have known the patch was actually outlined in blue had I not seen this.

[BJ Sands]

I can't help but get sad when I see that. Oh what could have been.

[BallWonk]

As much as I love the Nationals, and as much as I love design, for some reason, I'm quite content. ... The lack of beleveling on the front numbers doesn't bother me because I can't see gold beleveling on red numbers that small on my TV. ...

I completely understand where you're coming from. I would just point out that while you're watching on a small screen where uniform details can't be seen, an increasing minority, that will soon be a very large majority, of fans watch on screens that are not only larger but HD. I've seen a couple of games in HD, and the visibility of details is almost ridiculous. Uniform designers (and especially the team management they work for) need to design with the HD viewer in mind.

Unfortunately, I'm about to upgrade to an HD set, and I'm dreading Nats road games. The new uniforms were eye-hurting enough for me yesterday in low-def, where the gold was kind of blurry and less clashy than in still pictures. But in HD, the gold is going to jump right out. As is the white outlining around everything.

[Sport]

Probably already mentioned, but the Orioles new batting helmets with the orange bill that actually match their home hats looked really nice. It's a refreshing change from a league that appears to be getting away from the cap matching the helmet.

[leopard88]

The new Rangers alternate jerseys in action:

The wore their alternates on Opening Day? That makes no sense to me.

The new Nats road jerseys in action:

I like the front of the uniform and the hat. The back number now looks out of place.

Agreed.

Two BJ's in a row. What are the odds?

Already covered.

[Yac12]

Here's the Twins one in action:

Out:censored:ingstanding.

Back when the Twins wore these did the batting helmets match the caps?

For yesterdays game they used the blue batting helmet with the TC. The base coaches wore the helmets with the white front.

[leopard88]

Back when the Twins wore these did the batting helmets match the caps?

For yesterdays game they used the blue batting helmet with the TC. The base coaches wore the helmets with the white front.

I believe these were always paired with the helmet with a blue crown, white front panel and red brim (like Joe Mauer wears when he is catching).

[machpost]

The new Nats road jerseys in action:

I think it's a refreshing change. The old road unis were terrible.

The one thing I'd change is the gold beveling on the back. I'd make it blue.

[TBGKon]

I know these are both fashion jerseys, but could anyone see the Mets going with one of these options as an alt jersey of some kind:

[Bmac]

I know these are both fashion jerseys, but could anyone see the Mets going with one of these options as an alt jersey of some kind:

The orange is ok. The black looks too much like the Giants or O's. Plus I think they should have a blue alt.

[Epiphanic]

I'm probably in the minority, but I think those "retro" Twins uniforms don't look good at all. I'm just not a fan of that script especially compared to their current one. Perhaps I'm too accustomed to their regular look, but I'm not feelin' these.