Inspired by Honorificus - Fashion of the Baseball Uniform

[dlgood]

I'm not just into sports for the athleticism, or the drama. Much like Jerry Seinfeld, I root for the uniforms. I read Paul Lukas' blog Uni Watch on ESPN.com. (Also published in Slate and the Village Voice)


And so, I post this review and comment on a fine website I've recently come across:

Dressed to the Nines: A History of the Baseball Uniform

It's an adjunct of the Baseball hall of fame, and one of my favorite exhibits. The site covers pretty much every aspect of the baseball uniform, and it's historical evolution. From desgins, the development of jerseys and knitting, the caps, and even stirrups and socks. That stuff fascinates me.

But the topper, of course, is the exhaustive database of every Major League team's uniform from every season, including variants. (The database from the last few years seems to be incomplete...)

Including the bad fashion statements of baseball history - even worse than the 1916 season when the Dodgers and Giants both wore checkerboard pattern uniforms. Worse than Houston's rainbow sunburst pattern, or the San Diego Padres taco uniforms or the 1979 Pirates.

The 1976 Chicago White Sox



The Shorts. The collars. Ack.

Comments

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

I usually don't like single color uniforms

Sorry, I meant in the pants-same-as-jersey sense, not in the one-color-plus white sense (I like the one-color-plus-white thing).

And I think I remember the old (from Friedgen's first few years) Maryland uniforms; I think I liked them. I suppose that's one saving grace about the piping, that at least there's no "dopey line." I think I'd have to see them in person before I figure out what I think.

(And I forgot Miami (Ohio) in the block-M sweepstakes, but you're right: mostly, it's Michigan.)

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

It's funny how Kentucky's block K isn't nearly as played. You could have a block "Q" or "Z" and it might make you cool...

I meant in the pants-same-as-jersey sense, not in the one-color-plus white sense

That's what I meant too... I probably should have clarified. It's like how lame Clemson and North Carolina look when they go all orange or all powder blue. Both have third colors and the white pants break up monotony - plus Clemson has those alternate purple jerseys. I'm still waiting for UNC to wear a Navy jersey (their third color) but it'll probably never happen.

I like some of the single-color plus whites. Oklahoma, Alabama, and Penn State seem classic to me. One caveat - after hearing Nebraksa's Defensive team referred to as "black shirts" by TV announcers for so many years, I actually want to see Nebraska break out a black jersey.