City Connect is a brand name for a line of alternate uniforms made by Nike, Inc. for Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. The uniforms feature different color schemes, typefaces, and graphic elements compared with the teams' typical home and away uniforms. Of MLB's 30 teams, 20 have a City Connect uniform. The uniforms are designed to reflect the cultural aspects of each team's home city.[1]

Descriptions

Nike and MLB introduced the first round of City Connect uniforms during the 2021 season. A second round debuted during the 2022 season, a third during the 2023 season, and a fourth during the 2024 season.[2]

Introduced in 2021

Logan Webb wearing San Francisco's City Connect uniforms before a game in 2021

Seven teams started wearing City Connect jerseys during the 2021 MLB season.

  • Arizona Diamondbacks, sand-colored with black letters and red numbers, and with "Serpientes" in front as an homage to Arizona's Hispanic community.[3]
  • Boston Red Sox, with a yellow base and blue letters as an homage to the Boston Marathon, which normally takes place on Patriots' Day.[4]
  • Chicago Cubs, dark blue with sky blue accents, with elements inspired by the flag of Chicago. The uniform has "Wrigleyville" on the front, in a lettering style similar to the Wrigley Field marquee.[5]
  • Chicago White Sox, in a dark grey shade with white pinstripes and featuring Gothic-styled lettering as an homage to the South Side of Chicago.[6]
  • Los Angeles Dodgers, with a blue cap, jersey, and pants with “Los Dodgers” written on the cap and jersey. Jersey also includes black on the sleeves as a nod to street art culture in Los Angeles.[7] Cap was revised in 2022, moving the "Los Dodgers" to the side, replacing it with the traditional "LA" logo, and adding black to the brim and button.[8] In 2023, white pants with blue piping replaced the blue pants.[9]
  • Miami Marlins, with a red base, white pinstripes, and white letters with light blue trim as a tribute to the Cuban Sugar Kings.[10]
  • San Francisco Giants, with an orange and white design, a silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a unique fog gradient across the front, sleeves, and numbering of the jerseys. [11]

Introduced in 2022

Dominic Smith wearing Washington's City Connect uniforms during a game in 2023

The seven teams that introduced City Connect uniforms in 2021 would continue to wear them for selected games. Seven additional teams introduced City Connect uniforms in 2022.

  • Colorado Rockies, with a green base, purple accents, Colorado written on the front and a special logo on the cap resembling the state's license plates.[12] In 2023, white pants were added as an alternative during day games, with the green pants being used for night games.[13]
  • Houston Astros, with a navy base, tequila sunrise accents (suggestive of its 70s and 80s rainbow uniforms), "Space City" stenciled in the NASA 'worm' font on the front, and a hat with a planet revolving around a futuristic version of the "H-star" logo, in honor of Houston being home to the Johnson Space Center.[14]
  • Kansas City Royals, with a navy base and powder blue accents, and a stylized "KC" insignia in homage to Kansas City's "City of Fountains" nickname.[15]
  • Los Angeles Angels, with a sand base, red accents and "Angels" written on the front in honor of the beaches in Southern California.[16]
  • Milwaukee Brewers, with a powder blue base, navy accents, yellow and white striping, a grill and bratwurst patch, the team's "Brew Crew" nickname, and the MKE airport code with "414" blended in on the hat in honor of being in Milwaukee during the summer.[17]
  • San Diego Padres, with a white base, pink and mint sleeves, and San Diego on the front in honor of the culture of both the city of San Diego and Tijuana.[18]
  • Washington Nationals, with an anthracite base, pink accents and printed cherry blossoms in honor of the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival.[19]

Introduced in 2023

The Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates wore City Connect uniforms for the first time in 2023.[20]

  • Atlanta Braves, with a white base, blue sleeves, and red accents, heavily inspired by the team's 1974 season home uniform worn by Hank Aaron when he surpassed Babe Ruth with his 715th home run.[21]
  • Texas Rangers, a natural, cream-colored top with the “TX” graphic on the right side of the player’s chest. The logo/color treatment is influenced by the gothic lettering of the Dallas Eagles and the “X” includes a spur, a nod to the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs. The positioning of the graphic and number(s) are consistent with the jerseys the Spurs and Cats wore. On the left chest is a number laid out in speed red. The typography is inspired by the 1920 championship medal won by the Fort Worth Panthers. On the right sleeve is a mythical creature – affectionately known as the Peagle – a blend of the mascots of the Rangers' predecessors, the Fort Worth Panthers/Cats, and the Dallas Eagles. The inside collar of the jersey shows a “4*21” reference to the date synonymous with connecting the state of Texas, baseball in Texas, and the Rangers' origin story. The jock tag features Mayor Vandergriff’s iconic “Dream the Big Dream” phrase. The pitch blue-colored pants match the “TX” graphic on the jersey and feature rope braid piping in a nod to the logo texture of the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs. On the front left hip is an icon that pays homage to the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs, the team that played in Arlington and proved the region could support a Major League Baseball team.[22]
  • Seattle Mariners, with a dark blue base with yellow lettering and black pants. It features a patch on the jersey sleeve featuring Mount Rainier, as well as the letters "PNW", an acronym for Pacific Northwest. The uniform also features the colors of Amarillo, Rush Blue, and Sundown, representing the inaugural colors of the team, as well as the word "Seattle" across the chest in the lettering style of the city's first Major League Baseball team, the Seattle Pilots.[23]
  • Cincinnati Reds, with a black base and red accents. The jersey features a diamond shape "C" on the cap and jersey. It also features the word "CINCY" (nickname for Cincinnati) across the chest. On the collar it features an Ohio Buckeye and under it is the motto of Cincinnati, "Juncta Juvant" ("Strength of Unity" in English).[24]
  • Baltimore Orioles, with a black base and white accents. The jersey is inspired by Baltimore and its neighborhoods. The cap features an italic B (commonly used on the Orioles Away Jersey). For the jersey, it features the word “Baltimore” in capital letters and white lettering. On the collar and the piping, it feature the colors and shapes of the neighborhoods of Baltimore.[25]
  • Pittsburgh Pirates, with a gold base and black accents. The Jersey and Pants colors are similar to the flag of Pittsburgh. The jersey features the abbreviation of Pittsburgh "PGH". The uniform also features a custom print with three elements, the inverted "Y", the astroid, and the check. Inside of the "PGH" and the numbers on the back features a pattern located on the sides of the Three Sisters Bridges.[26]

Introduced in 2024

The Philadelphia Phillies,[27] St. Louis Cardinals,[28] and Toronto Blue Jays[29] will reveal their City Connect uniforms and wear them for the first time during the 2024 Major League Baseball season.

Summary table

This is a summary list of the teams that have worn City Connect uniforms, their reveal dates, their on-field debut dates, their most recent use, the number of times each team had wore, and their usage patterns during the 2024 MLB season. Teams that do not have a City Connect uniform (Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays) are not included in the list.

TeamOn-field debutReveal dateLatest use Times usedUsageSources
Arizona DiamondbacksJune 18, 2021June 13, 2021September 29, 2023 35Friday home games[3]
Atlanta BravesApril 8, 2023March 27, 2023September 30, 2023 15Saturday home games[21]
Baltimore OriolesMay 26, 2023May 22, 2023September 29, 2023 11Friday home games[25]
Boston Red SoxApril 17, 2021April 6, 2021September 10, 2023 35Saturday home games[4]
Chicago CubsJune 12, 2021June 8, 2021September 8, 2023 24Friday home games (June−September)[5]
Chicago White SoxJune 5, 2021May 28, 2021September 15, 2023 30Monday home games[6]
Cincinnati RedsMay 19, 2023May 13, 2023September 22, 2023 11Friday home games[24]
Colorado RockiesJune 4, 2022May 27, 2022September 30, 2023 35Wednesday and Saturday home games[12]
Houston AstrosApril 20, 2022April 10, 2022September 18, 2023 18Monday home games[14]
Kansas City RoyalsApril 30, 2022April 25, 2022September 29, 2023 26Friday home games[15]
Los Angeles AngelsJune 11, 2022June 6, 2022September 17, 2023 26Various home games[16]
Los Angeles DodgersAugust 20, 2021August 19, 2021September 18, 2023 19Various home games[7]
Miami MarlinsMay 21, 2021May 17, 2021September 23, 2023 36Saturday home games[10]
Milwaukee BrewersJune 24, 2022June 17, 2022September 29, 2023 28Friday home games[17]
Philadelphia PhilliesSpring 2024Spring 2024 TBD[27]
Pittsburgh PiratesJune 27, 2023June 22, 2023September 29, 2023 8Friday home games[26]
San Diego PadresJuly 8, 2022July 1, 2022September 22, 2023 22Friday home games[18]
San Francisco GiantsJuly 9, 2021July 5, 2021September 26, 2023 36Tuesday home games[11]
Seattle MarinersMay 5, 2023April 28, 2023September 29, 2023 10Friday home games[23]
St. Louis Cardinals20242024 TBD[28]
Texas RangersApril 21, 2023April 17, 2023September 23, 2023 22Friday and Saturday home games[22]
Toronto Blue JaysMay 31, 2024May 6, 2024 TBD[29]
Washington NationalsApril 9, 2022March 29, 2022September 24, 2023 38Friday and Saturday home games[19]

Reaction

Boston.com conducted a poll of its readers in April 2021 and found a polarized reaction to the Red Sox's yellow and blue City Connect jerseys. About 49% of respondents said that they loved the new uniforms, about 36% said that they hated them, and about 9% chose the "I'm speechless" option.[31] After the Red Sox wore the City Connect uniforms for four consecutive games in September 2021, winning all four, manager Alex Cora said that the team would continue to wear them for as long as they kept winning. "I'm sorry, but if we continue winning, we've got to stay with them," Xander Bogaerts told NESN.[32]

A columnist for the San Francisco Examiner wrote in May 2022 that the Giants had a record of 12 wins and 2 losses in their City Connect jerseys. Although some fans derided their design as looking like an orange Creamsicle, fans eventually warmed to the jersey, increasingly wearing them to games on Tuesday nights, when the team typically wears their City Connect uniforms.[33]

Of the first 11 City Connect designs, USA Today's For the Win blog ranked the White Sox's uniform design as the best and the Giants' design as the worst.[34] In a July 2022 review ranking the first 14 uniform designs, ESPN's Joon Lee described the City Connect program as the league's boldest alternative jersey designs since the Turn Ahead the Clock promotions of the late 1990s. Lee rated the Rockies' City Connect uniforms as the best, and the Dodgers as the worst.[2]

The Padres' City Connect uniforms generated $240,000 in revenue at the team's official store on July 1, 2022, their first day of sale. The last time the team had introduced a new alternative uniform, in 2020, the team store sold $73,000 worth of merchandise on launch day.[35]

Upon its announcement in 2023, the Texas Rangers' City Connect design met with polarized reactions from local sports media commentators and fans, particularly about the hybrid "Peagle" mascot that appeared on the uniform tops.[36][37][38][39]

Baltimore's City Connect design drew positive reviews for the colorful interior patterns, and also criticism for its mostly black, unadorned exterior.[40] The Orioles' players liked the look of their City Connect uniforms.[41]

Of the 20 designs that were announced during the first three seasons of City Connect, Joon Lee ranked the Orioles' design 20th, noting comparisons to Great Britain's generic uniforms at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Lee rated the Rockies' design as the best.[42] Three writers for The Athletic voted on their preferences among the first 20 City Connect designs. The Giants' and Rangers' designs tied for last place; the White Sox were rated as the best.[43]

References

  1. ↑ Thompson, Jackson. "Nike unveils NBA-like 'City Connect' uniform for Boston Red Sox, with more MLB teams coming soon", Insider. April 16, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Lee, Joon (July 1, 2022). "Ranking MLB's radical City Connect uniforms: Which one's No. 1?". ESPN. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "D-backs reveal City Connect series uniforms". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  4. 1 2 "Red Sox unveil Patriots' Day-inspired unis". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 2021-04-06. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  5. 1 2 "Cubs embrace all of Chicago with new unis". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  6. 1 2 "New White Sox jerseys a true game changer". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  7. 1 2 "Los Dodgers! Los Angeles Unveils New, Truly Dodger Blue, City Connect Uniform".
  8. ↑ "New Dodgers City Connect Cap for 2022 Season". 6 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "New Dodgers City Connect Pants For 2023 Season". 17 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Marlins unveil Cuban-inspired uniforms". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  11. 1 2 "Giants rep Golden Gate, fog on new unis". MLB. July 5, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Rockies' City Connect uniforms a nod to iconic Colorado plates". MLB.com.
  13. ↑ Purple Row [@PurpleRow] (April 8, 2023). "Big uniform news: *Except for today*, when the Rockies wear their City Connect uniforms during the day, they will wear white pants. For night games, they will wear their green pants. But today is special, so white pants at night" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. 1 2 "Astros reveal space-themed City Connect unis". Houston Astros. MLB. April 10, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Royals unveil City Connect uniform". Kansas City Royals. MLB. April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Angels City Connect unis rep SoCal beach scene". Los Angeles Angels. MLB. June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Brewers unveil "Brew Crew" City Connect uniforms". Milwaukee Brewers. MLB. June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "San Diego culture, colors highlight Padres City Connect unis". San Diego Padres. MLB. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  19. 1 2 "Cherry blossoms burst with flair on Nationals' City Connect uniforms". Washington Nationals. MLB. April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  20. ↑ Svoboda, Dylan (March 27, 2023). "Braves, Rangers, Mariners, Reds, O's, Bucs to wear City Connect unis". MLB.com. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  21. 1 2 "Braves honor Aaron's legacy with new City Connect uniforms". Major League Baseball. MLB Advanced Media. March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Texas Rangers Reveal Nike City Connect Jerseys, Pay Homage to Dallas-Fort Worth". Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Spirit, colors of Pacific Northwest come alive in Mariners' City Connect unis". MLB.com. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  24. 1 2 "Reds' City Connect unis a nod to the future, younger generations". MLB.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  25. 1 2 Rill, Jake. "O's drop bold new City Connect jerseys -- with a surprise inside". MLB.com. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  26. 1 2 "'We bleed black and gold': Bucs unveil City Connect uniforms". MLB.com. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  27. 1 2 Farkas, Brady (December 1, 2023). "Philadelphia Phillies Set to Make Major Uniform Adjustment in 2024". Fastball. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  28. 1 2 Hochman, Benjamin (January 16, 2023). "Cardinals Warm-up day 3: Cardinals will wear City Connect uniforms in 2024". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  29. 1 2 Serrao, Vanessa (December 19, 2023). "Toronto Blue Jays to Debut Their City Connect Uniforms in 2024". Last Word On Baseball. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  30. ↑ Lukas, Paul. "Report: Phillies' City Connect Uni Will Feature City Flag Colors". uni-watch.com. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  31. ↑ Chianca, Peter (April 8, 2021). "Boston.com readers love the Red Sox Patriots' Day look - except for the ones that hate it". Boston.com. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  32. ↑ Starr, Gabrielle (September 22, 2021). "Red Sox will continue to wear lucky yellow City Connect uniforms". BoSox Injection. Fansided. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  33. ↑ Kassel, Ethan (May 26, 2022). "San Francisco Giants win but eyeballs lose with Creamsicle uniforms". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  34. ↑ Curtis, Charles (June 6, 2022). "The MLB alternate City Connect Nike jerseys, ranked: Where the Angels' threads land". For The Win. USA Today. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  35. ↑ Bacharach, Erik (July 19, 2022). "Padres City Connect jerseys bring revenue bump". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  36. ↑ Dearmore, Kelly (April 18, 2023). "Texas Rangers City Connect Uniforms Don't Connect With Many Sports Personalities". Dallas Observer. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  37. ↑ Dow, Lawrence (April 18, 2023). "Social media is conflicted over the Rangers' newly released City Connect jerseys". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Texas Rangers fans disgusted by team's City Connect outfits: "Must have had an elementary school contest on designing the uniforms"". sportskeeda.com. April 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  39. ↑ "The Texas Rangers New City Connect Uniforms are Awful". sportstalk790.iheart.com. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  40. ↑ Worthington, Aliza (May 22, 2023). "Orioles unveil City Connect uniforms to mixed reviews". Baltimore Fishbowl. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  41. ↑ Kostka, Andy (May 23, 2023). "Here's what Orioles players actually think about the City Connect jersey". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  42. ↑ Lee, Joon (June 22, 2023). "Ranking MLB's radical City Connect uniforms: Which one's No. 1?". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  43. ↑ Jones, Jason; Koreen, Eric; Edwards III, James L. (June 28, 2023). "MLB City Connect series: All 20 uniforms ranked, including the newest ones from 2023". The Athletic. Retrieved June 29, 2023.

See also

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