LA Dodger fans

[worcat]

I've always wondered this but why do the dodgers have red numbers in the front? Is there any historical reasoning behind this? I figured some dodger fan would know or just an mlb guru.

[slapshot]

moving this to a more appropriate forum, might be more likely to get a definitive answer there as well

[oddball]

I've never seen an official reason why it's red. I've read a couple places where it was mentioned that it was red for the few people that had color tv's. I presume that works. It was first on the home uniforms in 1952 and then finally on the road uniforms when the Dodgers moved to LA in 1958. They were the first team to put a number on the front of the jersey.

[McCall]

They were the very first team to put numbers on the front of the jersey and they've always been red. Don't know the reason behind the red exactly.

[sacker12]

They were the very first team to put numbers on the front of the jersey and they've always been red. Don't know the reason behind the red exactly.

One reason I heard was to make it easier for Vin Scully to pick out the numbers on the jersey from the pressbox at Ebbetts Field.

[infrared41]

Because it looks damned good. That's my guess.

[Quillz]

Really, I don't think anyone knows for sure. I've often wished the uniforms used blue numbers, but on the other hand, I think it would get lost among all the other blue on the uniform. In the end, red might seem odd, but it sticks out well on the uniform, and that's what is most important.

[hormone]

One rumor I heard was when they were first putting them on, they didn't have enough blue material so they went with red for everyone and they probably won or something and stuck with it.

My .02...I think it looks as out of place as a gray facemask on a non-gray team. I don't care that the official Dodger logo has a few red streaks either. So does the Yankees and they don't don red in their uni.

[BallWonk]

I don't care that the official Dodger logo has a few red streaks either. So does the Yankees and they don't don red in their uni.

And this right here is why the Dodgers, not the Yankees, have the best home uniforms in baseball. That touch of red is what makes the Dodgers unis work. Turn that front number blue, and at a quick glance you'd never be able to tell whether you're looking at Kansas City or the Rangers on throwback day. It's the flash of red on the block numbers that makes the Dodgers stand out with even the briefest glance. These are easily the most instantly distinctive home uniforms in baseball. (Close runners up: Braves, Giants, Tigers.) Since the most important aesthetic function of a sports uniform is to make players easily recognizable as members of a particular team, the red numbers are the single best element of the Dodgers uniforms.

I've heard and read several theories, but none seem to come with definitive sourcing, and none are particularly more compelling than the others. (Except the "didn't have enough blue material" story, which is extremely implausible.) Probably a happy accident of personal taste by persons unknown that just happened to come along at the right time (not only the dawn of color TV, but more importantly the height of the color-magazine era) to allow the Dodgers to define a lasting, distinctive style.

[rentz]

I'm a big Dodgers fan. I've never been to L.A, but it's a pretty chill place

[gueman]

Well the ball and lines of motion on their logo are red so it really is not much of a stretch in include a red number. Seems like a good way to add it to the uniform. I am sure that if they had no red plenty of folks here would bitch that they have red in their logo but not on their uni's.

[cheo25]

I hate the Dodgers, but their uniforms are awesome. BallWonk said it pretty good before me, and I'll echo his sentiment that the red numbers allow you to easily recognize the Dodgers. I like the fact that they dropped the white outline on the road uniforms a few years ago, and I'm a huge fan of the red numbrers.

[Quillz]

I don't care that the official Dodger logo has a few red streaks either. So does the Yankees and they don't don red in their uni.

And this right here is why the Dodgers, not the Yankees, have the best home uniforms in baseball. That touch of red is what makes the Dodgers unis work. Turn that front number blue, and at a quick glance you'd never be able to tell whether you're looking at Kansas City or the Rangers on throwback day. It's the flash of red on the block numbers that makes the Dodgers stand out with even the briefest glance. These are easily the most instantly distinctive home uniforms in baseball. (Close runners up: Braves, Giants, Tigers.) Since the most important aesthetic function of a sports uniform is to make players easily recognizable as members of a particular team, the red numbers are the single best element of the Dodgers uniforms.

I've heard and read several theories, but none seem to come with definitive sourcing, and none are particularly more compelling than the others. (Except the "didn't have enough blue material" story, which is extremely implausible.) Probably a happy accident of personal taste by persons unknown that just happened to come along at the right time (not only the dawn of color TV, but more importantly the height of the color-magazine era) to allow the Dodgers to define a lasting, distinctive style.

I guess I'm a bit biased in agreeing that the Dodgers have the best uniforms in the MLB, but I certainly wouldn't consider the Yankees to have unrecognizable uniforms. They virtually invented pinstriped uniforms in baseball, and their interlocking letter logo has become practically synonymous with New York in general. When I see the New York uniforms, I don't for a second confuse them with Colorado, Minnesota, Florida or Pittsburgh.

I'm a big Dodgers fan. I've never been to L.A, but it's a pretty chill place

Just don't go to South Central.

[RyanMcD29]

I'm a big Dodgers fan. I've never been to L.A, but it's a pretty chill place

Work hard, party hard

[Gothamite]

One rumor I heard was when they were first putting them on, they didn't have enough blue material so they went with red for everyone and they probably won or something and stuck with it.

Hurm.

Seems extremely unlikely that a team which hadn't worn red anything in sixteen years would have enough red felt around lying around to create uniform numbers for the whole team (and yet somehow not have enough of their signature blue).

[illwauk]

If that story is true, it's probably because the manufacturer, not the Dodgers themselves, didn't have enough blue to go around.

There's a story about when Vince Lombardi became coach of the Redskins, he switched the teams supplier to the company his brother worked for (I think it was Rawlings, but don't quote me). When he placed his order for burgundy jerseys, his brother informed him that all they carried was red, scarlet and cardinal. When Vince still insisted on burgundy, his brother changed the name of the cardinal to "redskin burgundy" and shipped him the jerseys they eventually played Super Bowl VII in.

In other words, the "didn't have enough blue" story seems plausable given the era we're talking about.

[TruColor]

Just don't go to South Central.

I've been there (I lived there in the early '90s...right around when the Rodney King riots happened). In the daylight.

Doesn't look as scary as it is.

[The_Admiral]

Well, that's probably because you weren't drinking your juice in the hood. Would've been totally different if you were.

[Gothamite]

If that story is true, it's probably because the manufacturer, not the Dodgers themselves, didn't have enough blue to go around.

There's a story about when Vince Lombardi became coach of the Redskins, he switched the teams supplier to the company his brother worked for (I think it was Rawlings, but don't quote me). When he placed his order for burgundy jerseys, his brother informed him that all they carried was red, scarlet and cardinal. When Vince still insisted on burgundy, his brother changed the name of the cardinal to "redskin burgundy" and shipped him the jerseys they eventually played Super Bowl VII in.

In other words, the "didn't have enough blue" story seems plausable given the era we're talking about.

I still don't buy it.

There's a huge difference between a manufacturer not carrying the right shade of burgandy and not having any blue on hand. Blue, for crying out loud!

[Eye]

Just don't go to South Central.

Did you have to use your AK?