The temperature in Houston for the Astros’ Opening Day game against the New York Yankees Thursday didn’t climb past 65 degrees.
And yet, players were sweating through their new uniforms.
How about we take this to the next level?
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During Spring Training, we covered the controversy over MLB’s new jerseys, which the players uniformly dislike. The material is supposed to be lighter and more breathable; but instead, it just looks cheap.
Most appallingly, the pants are also see-through. Pitchers could be in for a rude awakening this season, considering every hitter seems poised to start each at-bat with a one-ball advantage 😉.
The blame for this mess falls on Fanatics, the now-ubiquitous sports apparel company that manufactures the jerseys. Founder Michael Rubin insists his company is just following orders from Nike, the uniform designer, and is being unfairly maligned.
But few are buying it.
“We’re purely doing exactly as we’ve been told, and we’ve been told we’re doing everything exactly right,” he said earlier this month. “And we’re getting the sh*t kicked out of us. So that’s not fun.”
Related:
MLB’s scandalous see-through pants are continuing to cause problems at spring training
The controversy over MLB’s new, lighter uniforms is reaching a breaking point.
If Rubin thought the uproar would dissipate once the season began, it seems like he was sorely mistaken. The Yankees, known for their classic home pinstripes and road grays, looked like they were entering a wet t-shirt contest Thursday.
Players were drenched, and not in a good way. As gay men, we recognize that musk and sweat can release pheromones and lead to attraction. But there’s a clear limit.
Hulking outfielder Aaron Judge, who stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 282 pounds, was way past that point. The pit stains on pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga weren’t cute, either, just like catcher Jose Trevino’s back sweat.
Gonna need more wipes
— DUDE Wipes (@DUDEwipes) March 29, 2024
With declining national popularity and few star players, MLB is at a turning point. The league is trying to make the product more entertaining, with advents such as the pitch clock and a ban on extreme defensive shifts.
But the new jerseys distract from those initiatives, and make the sport look like an amateur operation. In addition to flimsy material, player names on the back of jerseys are now extremely small.
For a league that’s trying to better market its players, that’s not a positive development. Young Boston Red Sox ace Brayan Bello is occasionally compared to Pedro Martinez, the Hall of Fame hurler whose iconic No. 45 jersey stands in sports lore.
But on Thursday, fans were forced to squint if they wanted to make out Bello’s name. His uniform looked like it belongs in a low-graphic video game from the early 2000s…
I cannot believe that major league baseball allowed these ridiculous jerseys to actually be worn in a real game.
— chris simoneau (@chris_simoneau) March 29, 2024
But hey, at least the Red Sox’ tops match with their bottoms (always important). The Los Angeles Angels, however, aren’t as lucky.
Since most of the MLB season is played in the sweltering summer heat, the Yankees probably won’t be the only team whose players look like they showered in their uni’s before stepping onto the field.
Fans may not be able to see their favorite players’ names, but they’ll be able to see everything else.
Play ball!
Related: Meet the 12 out gay players in Major League and minor league baseball history
Diplomat
Baseball butts: my fatal attraction.
still_onthemark
Imagine being a highly-paid, UNIONIZED worker, maybe even a millionaire, the only problem is you have to wear an extremely uncomfortable uniform that looks ridiculous. Does MLB seriously think they’ll all just get used to it and stop complaining?
Man About Town
If they’re uncomfortable in these uniforms, it’s pretty much guaranteed that it will affect their ability to focus and subsequently affect their performance on the field. You’d think the admins would know this and at least try to address it!
abfab
Ha! Tell that to a stewardess, or rather the airline CEOs.
Fahd
Nike just got the contract to make the uniforms for the German national football team. They doubled the price offered by Adidas, a German company. Can’t wait to see what fabric Fanatics use there. Lots of people are already upset that the German company wasn’t chosen (money makes the world go around…)
linedrive
I’m a huge baseball fan and watch MLB religiously. I have no idea what all the fuss is about. I see no difference. Certainly, I don’t have to wear the uniforms but they don’t look like the big fail I keep reading about on here. Some players wear their uniforms tighter than others. It’s up to them.
DeaconMac
Time for baseball fans to take control. Start a “Take It OFF!” chant at every game.
SDR94103
I don’t see anything about these uniforms that are revealing.