In honor of the nation's birthday on July 4 we'll take a patriotic uniform slant. The U.S. flag and baseball uniforms have a long history, dating back to the 1917 Chicago White Sox who wore a flag on their left sleeve showing support for American forces in World War I.
During World War II, teams wore the "Health" patch in 1942, then the patriotic shield from 1943-45.
In the fall of 1990, U.S. forces were involved in the beginning of the Gulf War conflict in the Middle East. That year’s World Series saw the Reds and A’s both have U.S. flag patches affixed to the front of their jerseys.
The next season, all players wore an American (and Canadian) flag decals on their batting helmets as the Gulf War continued.
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, again all players wore the flag on the neck back of the jerseys sewn over the MLB logo, and added the flag on the left side of all caps (New Era stitched a 1” X 1 ½” flag patch onto some 1000 on-field hats).
This lasted through the end of that season’s thrilling World Series finale between the Diamondbacks and Yankees.
Ten years later in 2011, MLB jerseys again featured the neck back flag patch, and on the left side of the caps on Sept. 11. The Blue Jays actually wore both the U.S. and Canadian flags on their hat.
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Authentic Store Buzz: Please join us on Thursday, July 19 from 11:30-12:30 as we welcome former Philadelphia Atoms soccer goalie, and current Philadelphia Union broadcaster Bob Rigby to our Center City Philly store meeting with fans and signing autographs.
Rigby, a Philadelphia-area native, helped lead the Atoms to the 1973 North American Soccer league Championship in his and the team’s rookie season, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, as the Atoms were the first U.S. team in any sports to win a professional championship in its first season.
We’ll have a reprint of the SI cover for Bob to sign. Hope to see you there as soccer will be in the Philadelphia air with the MLS All Star Game the following week.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: What year did the NBA require teams to put a player's last name on the back of the jerseys? Answer, Thursday.
Monday's Answer: The Indians Sandy Alomar Jr. in the 1997 All Star Game at his home park in Cleveland.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
(Editor's Note: Philadelphia area sports writer Ben Horrow contributes weekly to Authentically Speaking.)
By Ben Horrow
The National and American League lineups for the 2012 MLB All-Star game in Kansas City, Missouri were announced Sunday. In the last month on Authentically Speaking, we've been posting images of the jerseys and caps to be worn by both sides around this year’s midsummer classic. Both jerseys are predominantly a shade of blue with white near the side abdominals and the neck region.
Interestingly, the first MLB All-Star game occurred in 1933. That year, the National League wore jerseys inscribed with their league title while the members of the American League team wore their team’s jerseys. For the second All-Star game in 1934, both leagues wore jerseys that represented the teams for which they played during the regular season.
Today, jerseys are created for the National League and American League squads, but they are not worn during the All-Star game itself. In comparison, the NBA, NHL, and NFL equivalents use league specific jerseys. During the events leading up to the All-Star game, like the Home Run Derby, players wear their official All-Star game uniforms designated for either the NL or AL.
Interesting note for Phillies fans, Johnny Callison won the 1964 All Star game for the National League with a home run in the 9th inning, but did it wearing a New York Mets batting helmet.
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It Was 1979 At The Tropicana: No, not some flashback to a scene at a late '70s disco hotspot somewhere on a Florida beach, but rather the Tigers and Rays donning '79 attire Saturday at Tropicana Field somewhat near a Florida beach, the Tigers for real, the 15 year old Rays had fun with the make believe attire.
But we think they pulled it off nicely, especially the "canary" colored "sanis" under the blue hosiery.
Oh, and the Tigers won the game 6-2.
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Our Next Authentic Store Event: We’re pleased to announce that former Philadelphia Atoms soccer goalie, and current Philadelphia Union broadcaster Bob Rigby will be our next in-store guest on Thursday, July 19 from 11:30-12:30, signing autographs and meeting folks.
Rigby, a Philadelphia-area native, helped lead the Atoms to the 1973 North American Soccer League Championship in his and the team’s rookie season, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, as the Atoms were the first U.S. team in any sports to win a professional championship in its first season.
Last week, that green '73 goalie's jersey you see on the SI cover arrived at Pro League Authentics. It's a nicely constructed jersey (pictured above) with a select few available at the store, please call for details.
One Other Note: Pro League Authentics is proud to work with Miller-Coors Brewery supplying the beer company with the 1980 Road Phillies Jerseys for its "Throwback a Throwback" campaign.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Which catcher wore two different sets of catching gear in an All-Star game? Answer Tuesday.
Friday's Answer: In the 2007 season opener at Lincoln Financial Field.against Detroit, a 56-21 Eagles victory.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
They're a popular marketing tool and spectacle among us uniform devotees, the MLB throwback game, the rare occasion to see the game's most popular players, some of whom will be in the Hall of Fame one day, wear something different on the field than what we're used to seeing.
This weekend, we get the treat in St. Petersburg with Tampa Bay and Detroit throwing back to 1979, and on July 5 the Nationals and Giants go back to 1924, the year the Washington Senators won the World Series, when they meet at Nationals Park.
The first week of August, the Cardinals will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1982 World Series championship, donning the belt-less style common in that era.
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Authentic Store Buzz: We’re pleased to announce that former Philadelphia Atoms soccer goalie, and current Philadelphia Union broadcaster Bob Rigby will be our next in-store guest on Thursday, July 19 from 11:30-12:30, signing autographs and meeting folks.
Rigby, a Philadelphia-area native, helped lead the Atoms to the 1973 North American Soccer League Championship in his and the team’s rookie season, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, as the Atoms were the first U.S. team in any sports to win a professional championship in its first season.
For the ladies, new ’47 Brand Phillies hats (above) are proving popular, and they’re pictured above.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: When the last time the Philadelphia Eagles did not wear green of any sort in a game? Answer on Monday.
Thursday's Answer: The Chicago White Sox in 1960.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
(Editor's Note: Longtime baseball uniform expert and author Morris Levin writes weekly for Authentically Speaking.)
By Morris Levin
The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park here in Philadelphia this week. The Phillies wore their white pinstripe uniforms and the Pirates their road grays with Pittsburgh across the front. For today’s series finale, the Phils will wear their home day game alternates.
The Pirates have worn black and gold since 1948, and the Phillies, red and white since 1950. Through Forbes Field, Shibe Park, Three Rivers Stadium, Veterans Stadium, PNC Park, and Citizens Bank Park, and Spring Training games in Bradenton and Clearwater, the Phillies and Pirates are recognizable – red-white (and sometimes blue) versus black-gold.
More than a state, the two teams share the legacy of their great rivalry for the ten year period 1974 and 1983. The Pirates won the National League East in 1974, 1975, and 1979, and the Phillies won it in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1983. David Parker, Bill Madlock, and Willie Stargell wore black and gold. Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, and Pete Rose wore red and white.
Just like the teams continue to do today.
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In memoriam: The San Diego Padres are honoring 11-year bullpen coach Darrel Ackerfelds, who died of pancreatic cancer this past Sunday, for the rest of the season by wearing his number 48 as a patch (above) on their left sleeves The Padres began wearing the patch Tuesday night in Houston.
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Authentically
Speaking Trivia Time: What MLB team was the first to put the player's name on the back of the uniform? Answer on Friday.
Wednesday’s answer: The San Diego Chargers in 1974.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
1972 was a watershed year in many ways for MLB team uniforms. Double knit fabric jerseys were replacing hot wool on a team-by-team basis, and it was colors galore everywhere you looked around baseball clubhouses.
None more so than in San Diego.
After entering the league in 1969 with what many Padre diehards still think is the team’s all-time best uniform, San Diego shook up MLB’s fashion protocol like no other since Charlie Finley debuted gold uniforms for the Kansas City A’s in 1963.
The Padres also wore all gold (or mustard as they were known at the time) in 1972, with the only difference being the home uniform said “PADRES” and the road uniform said “SAN DIEGO.”
San Diego wore the same combination in 1973, before resorting to more traditional white and gray uniforms for 1974-75.
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Authentic Store Buzz: The Phillies and their fans are pushing catcher Carlos Ruiz for an all-star spot next month in Kansas City, and why not? After another three hits including his career-best 10th homerun Tuesday night in a win over the Pirates, Ruiz’s .361 batting average leads the big leagues.
His National League all star batting practice jersey is on order, call the store for details.
Also of note for Phillies fans are the 1980’s style maroon caps, and the 2008 World Series patch hats.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Who was the first NFL team to wear a color (non gray) facemask, and in which season did they make the change? Answer on Thursday.
Tuesday’s answer: Houston’s
Don
Wilson was honored in memoriam in 1975 after he died of carbon monoxide
poisoning at his Houston area home in Jan. 1975. The Astros wore a number 40 patch
on their left sleeve during
the season.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
The multiple throwback looks in the MLB season continues this weekend with not only the “1979” Tampa Bay Rays against Detroit, but also at Target Field where the Twins host Kansas City in a day/night doubleheader Saturday.
In the evening game they’ll
honor one of the greatest baseball legacies in the state’s history, the American Association Minneapolis Millers
who played almost completely uninterrupted from 1894-1960, the year before the Washington
Senators moved to Minnesota bringing major league baseball and the Twins to Minneapolis-St. Paul.
The Twins will wear 1951 Millers uniforms, complete with snazzy looking hosiery, while the Royals will transform into the Kansas City Blues.
The Blues uniforms were common for the era they were simple, gray with black lettering.
Both uniforms feature the 1951 “Golden Jubilee” patch worn by all American Association teams honoring the league’s 50th anniversary celebration.
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Authentically Speaking trivia time: In 1973, the Pittsburgh Pirates honored the memory of Roberto Clemente, who died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972 while on an aid mission to Nicaragua, by wearing his number 21 as a jersey patch for the season. This was the first time a team wore a player’s number in memoriam.
Who was the second MLB player to have his number worn in a similar fashion? Answer on Wednesday.
Monday’s answer: Nov.
20, 1967 vs. New Orleans at Franklin Field.
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A reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
