For one third of the MLB clubs this season, it’s going
to be easy to identify what were 2012 jerseys in the years ahead.10 of the 30 teams are wearing commemorative
patches including the newly named Miami Marlins, and as usual when it comes to
jersey patches, the now 20-year old Marlins are in a league of their own.
Debuting snazzy Marlins Park is certainly reason
enough to celebrate with a jersey patch in the current era of MLB marketing,
but as is their history, the Marlins have two versions; an orange background
for home jerseys and the black alternate, and a black background for the road
jerseys and orange alternate.
When the then Florida Marlins became the first team to
wear a World Series champions patch in 2004 for winning the title over the
Yankees the previous fall, no…they weren’t content with one patch style, they
had to have two; both white and gray versions for home/away jerseys.
Back in 1997 when all (then) 28 clubs wore the Jackie
Robinson commemorative patch honoring the 50th anniversary of trailblazing
Brooklyn Dodgers' MLB debut, while it was understandable there was a French
version for the Expos, and the adding of the Dodgers name on top of the version
they wore that season, it was the Marlins who insisted on a customized Robinson
patch that incorporated their team colors, better to match the teal and black with orange trim.
(Side note: the Florida Marlins wore the Robinson patch in the
1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, instead of a World Series patch.)
