Let’s Talk About These New Uniforms

Trapaholic

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 11, 2023
259
They look cheap and off-brand. In some of the other photos I have seen, the Mariners logo patch on the sleeve has gone from a stitched logo to what looks like an iron-on.

In terms of the Red Sox, the font on the name plate used have the same font as the numbers and the logo on the front of the jersey. Now it looks like Times New Roman or something.

These things are just not ready for prime time. It sucks when ticket and concession prices are steadily on the rise, and the on-field players look like they are wearing K Mart knock-offs. It just doesn't look like a serious product for a major sports league.
 

nattysez

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 30, 2010
9,384
There are a million stories about the unis. Michael Chavis posted a picture of his uni (which was completely screwed up -- the numbers weren't lined up) and a Fanatics customer service person responded as if he were a fan and asked for purchasing info so they could send him a new jersey.

On the positive side, the horribleness of the unis is now getting nationwide attention, so something's going to have to be done to address them. But I expect the days of a beautiful uniform with sewn on patches, numbers and letters are long gone regardless.
 

Brand Name

make hers mark
Moderator
SoSH Member
Oct 6, 2010
4,937
Moving the Line
They look like a cheap video game that couldn't be bothered to layer the textures. Just waiting for someone to split their pants, which are the ultimate crossover of Costanza's breathability and Leon Black's balls hanging out.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
25,455
Nike keeps saying how much lighter these uniforms* are as if the players were lugging around pianos on their backs. It's a shirt and pants, how much can they weigh? Though I suppose if Dave Roberts was in these uniforms, he'd have been safe by two feet.

* I know that this is all marketing speak, but it's so, so dumb. The material costs less, that's what the the main feature is. Anything else is just spin.
 

Gdiguy

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
6,935
San Diego, CA
Nike keeps saying how much lighter these uniforms* are as if the players were lugging around pianos on their backs. It's a shirt and pants, how much can they weigh? Though I suppose if Dave Roberts was in these uniforms, he'd have been safe by two feet.

* I know that this is all marketing speak, but it's so, so dumb. The material costs less, that's what the the main feature is. Anything else is just spin.
They're pre-preparing for climate change where the players will be out in 115 weather

It really is mind-blowing how a multi-billion dollar organization like MLB is willing to outsource decisions on stuff like 'our players look ridiculous' to a company trying to save a few $
 

BC1994

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2001
756
This has been all over the Today Show, of all places, so it is definitely getting a lot of attention.
 

Wingack

secret Sox fan
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
36,015
In The Quivering Forest
They look like a cheap video game that couldn't be bothered to layer the textures. Just waiting for someone to split their pants, which are the ultimate crossover of Costanza's breathability and Leon Black's balls hanging out.
What happens when they get wet? If they are see-thru now....
 

djbayko

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
27,031
Los Angeles, CA
It seems like Nike is always ruining uniforms everywhere in every league. They have this primal urge to make everything remarkably different for no good reason.
 

The Talented Allen Ripley

holden
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 2, 2003
12,832
MetroWest, MA
But Nike designed them and Fanatics is just following their specs (Fanatics sucks, so it pains me to defend them). Paul Lukas from Uni Watch elaborates:

But I heard that Fanatics is manufacturing these uniforms for Nike and just slapping a swoosh on them.
It’s true that Fanatics is manufacturing the game jerseys for Nike. But (a) Fanatics has been manufacturing Nike’s MLB game uniforms for four years now, because Fanatics owns the old Majestic factory in Pennsylvania, so there’s nothing new about that arrangement, and (b) they’re manufacturing the uniforms according to Nike’s design specs.

In other words, Fanatics is basically serving as a subcontractor here. They do what they’re told by their client, and the client is Nike.

So you’re saying we should blame Nike?
I’m not saying you should blame anyone. Hell, maybe you like the MLB template changes! (I saw yesterday, for example, that some readers prefer the Cardinals’ new jersey script to the old one.) What I’m saying is that whether you like or dislike the changes, those changes came from Nike, not from Fanatics.

I hate Fanatics! Why are you defending them?
I’m not defending (or attacking) anyone. I’m simply trying to provide accurate information, because a lot of people seem to mistakenly believe that Fanatics is responsible for the new MLB uniform template.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
25,455
It really is mind-blowing how a multi-billion dollar organization like MLB is willing to outsource decisions on stuff like 'our players look ridiculous' to a company trying to save a few $
Par for the course with the Manfred administration, as this is not the first time that MLB has egg on its face in pursuit of an extra dollar.
 

Joe D Reid

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
4,361
But Nike designed them and Fanatics is just following their specs (Fanatics sucks, so it pains me to defend them). Paul Lukas from Uni Watch elaborates:
That could account for the pants, but it doesn't account for things like the Chavis jersey having misaligned numbers (unless the Nike specs are truly insane). What we have here appears to be a bad idea that, independently, has also been badly executed.
 

Toe Nash

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 28, 2005
5,849
02130
Nike keeps saying how much lighter these uniforms* are as if the players were lugging around pianos on their backs. It's a shirt and pants, how much can they weigh? Though I suppose if Dave Roberts was in these uniforms, he'd have been safe by two feet.

* I know that this is all marketing speak, but it's so, so dumb. The material costs less, that's what the the main feature is. Anything else is just spin.
Not to mention that lighter fabric isn't necessarily cooler in the heat. Plus they play games in the cold too.

Anyway these are really so bad and the change was so obvious (as opposed to something that got shitty over time) that I feel like they have to fix it. I can understand some stuff like the logo being iron-on because theoretically that would look the same unless you're up close, but the letters being totally different and colors a different shade makes no sense and seems like something teams would have to sign off on? Just wild stuff.
 

SemperFidelisSox

Member
SoSH Member
May 25, 2008
33,923
Boston, MA
I’ve got a Tom Brady jersey from when Adidas was making them that has held up incredibly well over the years. Same for all of the Majestic baseball ones. But of course Fanatics bought Majestic and Nike took over.
 

jacklamabe65

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Nike keeps saying how much lighter these uniforms* are as if the players were lugging around pianos on their backs. It's a shirt and pants, how much can they weigh? Though I suppose if Dave Roberts was in these uniforms, he'd have been safe by two feet.

* I know that this is all marketing speak, but it's so, so dumb. The material costs less, that's what the the main feature is. Anything else is just spin.
Great line about Dave Roberts, JMOH! This is all a metaphor of our times, my friend.
 

Jed Zeppelin

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2008
53,022
Fanatics is by far the worst company that I have ever bought a product from on more than one occasion. Maybe it is Nike's fault mostly but there is no way Fanatics doesn't deserve any blame. They are a blight on sportsdom.
 

loshjott

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2004
15,708
Silver Spring, MD
As a youth baseball dad and coach for many years those semi-transparent pants were hard to avoid without spending way too much for high quality Nike or Under Armour pants that the kids would grow out of in a year. Glad to see MLBers are now going through the same thing.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
SoSH Member
Feb 22, 2004
13,749
The Paris of the 80s
No shortage of reasons to dump on this year's uniforms. They didn't bother to align "Dodgers" properly so the second "d" gets partially cut off:

78632

Script and numbers are also smaller. I'm guessing they'll save pennies per jersey on lettering. I'm surprised they're not back to pullovers to save money on buttons.
 
Last edited:

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
25,455
No shortage of reasons to dump on this year's uniforms. They didn't both to align "Dodgers" properly do the second "d" gets partially cut off:

Script and numbers are also smaller. I'm guessing they'll save pennies per jersey on lettering. I'm surprised they're not back to pullovers to save money on buttons.
It’s because the placard (I think that’s what it’s called, the red outline on the front of the Sox jersey) is smaller than the old version.

For some reason that doesn’t bother me too much. I know it’s driving Lukas and his crew crazy but I think it’s such a little thing and it looks weird that I kinda like it.

It’s amazing to me how much mileage this story is getting. Nike and Fanatics are getting their asses handed to them on all fronts.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
SoSH Member
Feb 22, 2004
13,749
The Paris of the 80s
It’s amazing to me how much mileage this story is getting. Nike and Fanatics are getting their asses handed to them on all fronts.
Well, the whole "hey look we can see every player's junk now!" thing was destined to get traction.

But these uniforms really do look like the cheap knockoff garbage you usually see in a place like TJ Maxx. I know Fanatics is a lightning rod because they're apparently actively averse to quality but people seem to be catching on to Nike making inferior products in recent years too.
 

nattysez

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 30, 2010
9,384

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
25,455
I honestly can’t believe how bad Nike shit the bed with these things. Up until this year, the MLB uniforms looked great. Now, every week there seems to be an issue.

And while I like uniforms and all that stuff, I’m not the typical UniWatch poster who hates every single new uniform because of pedantic reason. But this rollout has been a complete disaster from day one. I don’t expect MLB to do anything about it, but man, these things don’t look professional at all.
 

YTF

Member
SoSH Member
I honestly can’t believe how bad Nike shit the bed with these things. Up until this year, the MLB uniforms looked great. Now, every week there seems to be an issue.

And while I like uniforms and all that stuff, I’m not the typical UniWatch poster who hates every single new uniform because of pedantic reason. But this rollout has been a complete disaster from day one. I don’t expect MLB to do anything about it, but man, these things don’t look professional at all.
Yeah, there was a time when you could tell the real deal from a replica or cheap knock off. Now, not so much.