I’ve ventured down this road before, enduring your praise and your ridicule, when I ranked major league ballparks from worst to first.
This time, I’m ranking Major League Baseball’s City Connect uniforms. The first seven were unveiled last season, with seven more revealed this year.
Nike teamed up with each MLB team with a goal to create a thematic uniform that captured the spirit and personality of each team’s home city (or state). Some of the uniforms are inventive and terrific, some colorful, some safe and blah.
Without further ado, here’s my list, from worst to first.
14. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have one of the best uniforms in all of sport, but that doesn’t mean you have to repeat them here. “Los Dodgers” honors the 40th anniversary of “Fernandomania,” the historic 1981 season when pitcher Fernando Valenzuela became a baseball sensation. Plus, “Los Dodgers” connects the team to its huge support in the Latin community. That’s great. But when it came to ingenuity and creativity, La La Land struck out.
13. San Francisco Giants
Oh, what could have been! The Golden Gate Bridge is silhouetted on the sleeves, rather than blazed across the front. The simple orange-and-white color scheme is very tame and the way it fades out says more about Silicon Valley than the streets of San Francisco.
12. Chicago Cubs
I’ve never been a fan of the Cubs’ regular uniforms and these don’t do much for me, either. The wide “Wrigleyville” across the front matches the font on the ballpark’s marquee. That’s kind of cool. But the Cubs were outshined by their Southside rivals.
11. Houston Astros
I realize that the Astros couldn’t simply go back to the iconic rainbow uniforms of the 1970s (although the socks give a nod to them). But there is something blah about the dark blue informs. Rather than spell out “SPACE CITY” in a NASA font, I would rather have seen “Astros” in a unique way.
10. Kansas City Royals
Fountains are an iconic symbol of Kansas City and I love the logo on the front of the jersey. The dark top and white pants are a good combo, but this still looks like a softball jersey. The navy blue color works, however, and it recognizes K.C.’s rich baseball past with the Monarchs, Blue Sox, Athletics, Packers and Blues.
9. Boston Red Sox
I have mixed feeling about the BoSox “experimental” uniforms. I give the team props for its outside-the-box thinking but the yellow and blue colors are not that attractive. Boston featured blue as its primary color through 1907 but has been red since 1908. The Boston Marathon and Patriots’ Day are recognized by the uniforms, which is a nice touch.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks
I like the D-backs’ alternative uniforms better than their regular ones, which is kind of a backhanded compliment. The uniforms are either pale gold or khaki, depending on whether the game is indoors or outdoors, or whether it’s a night game or day game. The color is a nod to the Sonoran Desert and the state’s Hispanic culture, with “Serpientes” slithering across the front. There is also an Arizona state flag patch on one of the sleeves. Overall, a pretty good look.
7. Los Angeles Angels
I look at these uniforms and think of The Beach Boys and my childhood summer vacations to SoCal. The basic cream-colored jersey looks vintage and the team said that the “Angels” script across the jersey is inspired by surf brands. This is by no means a risky uniform, just a very good-looking one.
6. Milwaukee Brewers
When I first saw these uniforms I didn’t like them much. But after seeing them during a Rockies-Brewers game after the all-star break, they grew on me. They’re fun and colorful. I like “Brew Crew” on the jersey. The design was inspired by Milwaukee’s summer skies, and by grilling/tailgating, and Lake Michigan. The MKE on the hat is the abbreviation for Mitchell International Airport.
5. Washington Nationals
A tip of the cap to the Nats for not taking the easy road by putting the U.S. Capital on the jersey. Using the signature cherry blossoms was genius and the typeface is an ode to D.C.’s neoclassical architecture. I like the dark-gray jersey teamed with the cream pants. The block-lettered “WHS” is bold and unique.
4. San Diego Padres
If this was the Friars’ full-time uniform I wouldn’t like them, but as an alternative look, they rock. They are a nod to the beach and Southern California’s Latin culture. The accent colors of pink, yellow and mint conjure up Baja and make me yearn for fish tacos.
3. Miami Marlins
The jersey pays homage to the Sugar Kings, a Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds that played in Cuba from 1946 through 1960. The bright-red pinstriped uniform is striking. I love the “Miami” script across the front. A terrific tribute to South Florida’s Cuban influence.
2. Colorado Rockies
Many of my colleagues at The Denver Post trashed the uniforms, including assistant editor Matt Schubert, who wrote: “Leave it to the Rockies to answer the question nobody was asking. What would it look like if we turned the Colorado license plate into a baseball uniform?”
Mr. Schubert was so far off base he got picked off by 10 feet. So what if the uniform was inspired by Colorado’s license plate? It’s a cool plate that stands out when you drive cross-country. The Rockies’ City Connect is bold and colorful. I love the dark-green color scheme. I also love the yellow patch on the sleeve with the team’s shortened “Rox” name and two black diamonds, representing a double-diamond ski run. I do think the uniform looks better with white pants.
1. Chicago White Sox
The first time I saw the jersey was in an airport when a teenager was wearing it proudly. I was blown away by how classically cool it looked.
The jersey features “Southside” in gray Gothic font, with a large number on the front. The dark gray pinstriped pants make me think of the movie “Chicago.” Nike and the White Sox also said that the design was inspired by the team’s influence in hip-hop culture. I don’t know anything about hip hop, but I love these uniforms.
