Kicking It Old School: Part 4
April 14, 2009
| Kevin
Zdancewicz
Throwback
jerseys have become a huge hit in sports in recent years,
both on the field and in the streets where old school gear has become a
major
fashion trend. There are plentiful examples of retro uniforms from all
of the
major sports leagues and in the fourth installment of JOTW’s Throwback
Series
we take a look at baseball.
The long, 162-game schedule
that
Major League Baseball teams play lends itself especially well to the
incorporation of throwbacks, as well as other special uniforms (like
San
Diego’s annual camo jerseys) and various alternate jerseys.
Some
teams
have taken to implementing throwback uniforms as yearlong alternates,
such as
this Minnesota Twins look and powder blue-based
designs
for the Toronto Blue Jays (full-scale) and the Kansas City Royals (just a jersey, which I think
looks really
cool as an alternate with the darker blue hats).
The feature photo comes from
the
Oakland A’s, who possess a ton of possible throwback options given
their unique
colors and unique designs historically. The highlight, of
course, is
the green-stirrups-with-yellow-sanitaries combination that the team still uses (at least when players actually show
their
socks). The Houston Astros are always a throwback staple with their “tequila
sunrise” jerseys (Yup, they really wore that uniform). Other personal favorites include
the
solid-mustard San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers as the Washington Senators. Here’s a small gallery of
some other designs.
Because of the baseball’s
longevity
as a professional sport, major league franchises have the ability to
wear throwbacks
from as far back as the early 1900s. Another unique option is honoring Negro League teams with throwbacks. These examples bring up an important
aspect of
wearing retro uniforms on the diamond. More than in any other sport,
the key to
pulling off a throwback in baseball is getting the historical details
correct.
Throwbacks should include correct logos, striping, piping, and patches.
Jersey
styles matter: early 1900s jerseys were baggy, 1970s and 80s uniforms
were not.
Most importantly, socks and stirrups should be correct and worn in such
a way
that accurately reflects the style of the time period. As nice as these Negro League throwbacks are, it doesn’t
feel
right
without the pants hiked up to the knees and without some of the socks showing. I love these St. Petersburg Pelicans jerseys (especially that
awesome
chest insignia) that the Tampa Bay Rays wore, but the
pants-draping-over-the-cleats look is a modern style that takes away
from the
throwback concept. It seems retro uniforms are here to
stay, so let’s hope teams pay attention to the little things in order
to make each
throwback a true homage to teams of the past.
Photo Courtesy
of SI.com
Jersey of the Week Archive
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