(Editor's Note: Thank you for the compliment and comment from one of our readers named Jim (bottom of story) concerning the original non-nameplate Manny Ramirez jersey we used as a story illustration. As he pointed out it was a fake jersey, and we don't promote fake jerseys at PLA so we replaced the photo with David Wright's jersey (above). Our appreciation to Jim for correcting a mistake.)
We have always felt when it comes to putting players names on the back of jerseys; the only sport where nameplates make sense is football.
We could see the argument for hockey, but nameplate-less would look better. And, for basketball and baseball, it’s a no-brainer, names sewn directly onto the jersey.
It simply looks cleaner on the back of a major league jersey to see a nice font, and multi-colored letter sewn on, not with the extra clutter of more cloth.
Currently, teams such as the previously pictured Braves, Rays and Indians still go with ‘plates, but it doesn’t look like a “major league” uniform.
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Patch news: In addition to the Steelers and Redskins celebrating 80th anniversary seasons in 2012, the Houston Texans, believe it or not, are celebrating a 10th anniversary (11th season) and will wear a commemorative patch as well.
When MLB and New York City officials announced Wednesday that the Mets will host the all star game at Citi Field in 2013, there was no unveiling of a logo to be worn as a patch on Mets uniforms, although that could happen around this year’s game in Kansas City July 10.
Of course, the Mets are wearing both a 50th anniversary patch and Gary Carter memorial patch this season.
Also, shouldn’t the jersey Bud Selig was holding at the city hall press conference in this photo been the number “20?”
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and musings on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, follow us @PLAphilly, and check out our flickr photos.
(Editor's Note: Longtime baseball uniform expert and author Morris Levin writes weekly for Authentically Speaking.)
By Morris Levin
New Era manufactures and supplies all of the official on-field pro-model caps worn by all thirty Major League teams. The Cardboard Connection recently posted the top ten caps sold by New Era. It's an interesting list and well worth taking a look at here.
(1) New York Yankees. The Yankees first wore a version of this style in 1913, and have worn it at home and on the road since 1922. The Yankees cap is a global brand, perhaps a better known icon than the MLB logo itself.
(2) Atlanta Braves. While traveling in Holland in 2006, I saw many local Dutch guys wearing Braves cap. I couldn’t figure out the connection. I finally stopped a guy – about 20 years old – wearing Braves cap. I told him I was from the U.S., and why was he wearing a Braves cap? He looked kind of puzzled and said, “Braves? A is for Amsterdam!”. Which is to suggest that all of these sales are Dutch driven.
(3) Boston Red Sox. Like the Yankees, this is pure baseball cap goodness. The Red Sox started with a two-color felt version of this cap in the 1930s, and switched to the embroidered B in the 1950s. The club switched to a red crown in the 1970s, but returned to this one in 1979.
(4) Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have made this wishbone-C their baseball own. Yes, the Cubs, and Cleveland have worn versions of the wishbone-C since World War II. But this now belongs to the Reds. Now if only they would just drop the black, and bring back one of the most clean and straight-forward caps in baseball.
(5) Los Angeles Dodgers. There have been tweaks to the boldness of the letter-strokes, but this cap traces its origin to the club’s first year in 1958.
(6) Chicago White Sox. The White Sox introduced this cap in September 1990, ahead of their move into New Comiskey in 1991. The White Sox were the lone team at the time to claim black as their color. They applied black to a classic club uniform template. I would be happy if the White Sox never change their cap again. This is perfect for the club.
(7) Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates changed their colors from navy blue and red, to black and gold in 1948. Black and gold are the colors of the city of Pittsburgh’s flag. The Steelers wear black and gold. The Penguins wear black and gold. The Pirates wore this cap until 1970, and then returned to it in 1987 and have worn it since.
(8) Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies have won the National League East since 2007, and have sold out more than 200 straight games. I wear this cap myself. Phillies fans buy a lot of merchandise.
(9) San Francisco Giants. San Francisco has worn only orange and black, and have worn an orange SF on a black cap, since their first season in 1958. It’s a beautiful and classic cap. And winning the World Series doesn’t hurt.
(10) St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals win the World Series every few years, play in front of adoring fans, and wear one of the top three unis in the National League.
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The 76ers fever is down: A little bit of disappointment in Philadelphia today after hosting a conference semi-final playoff game for the first time since 2003 last night, only to watch the veteran Celtics play tremendous defense to win handily by 16 points and take a 2-1 lead in the series.
That being said, there's the opportunity to tie things up Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center, with another playoff, sell-out crowd expected, and fans in Center City Philly are stopping by the store to talk a little hoops and check out the "Junk Food T's," Adidas track jackets and snapback caps (pictured above), and Banner 47 snapbacks as well.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and
musings on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page and follow us @PLAphilly.
(Editor's Note: Longtime uniform industry expert at first Mitchell & Ness and now as president of Pro League Authentics, Ray Jannelli shares his personal, inside story on the creation of the nostalgia NHL and WHA jerseys, which eventually led to Ray developing the "Vintage Hockey" series honoring the Original Six NHL clubs.
In the two previous installments, Ray wrote about the successful re-creation of 1970s NHL jerseys, and today shares his tale of the long gone, but certainly not forgotten to hockey purists, World Hockey Association…)
By Ray Jannelli
After the Casey's shipment of 1970s era NHL jerseys sold out at the 129 Walnut St. (Center City Philadelphia) retail store, my attention turned to the World Hockey Association.
The WHA was a major hockey league that functioned from 1972 to 1979, ending when four teams merged into the NHL in '79, the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets.
Good teams, great players, and very good games.
WHA jerseys in 1989 were almost as rare as vintage NHL jerseys. I say "almost" because there was one company manufacturing a limited selection of the WHA league sweaters, ProJoy Ltd.
ProJoy was owned by the DeForest brothers and their company was located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. ProJoy specialized in International hockey team jerseys as well as the aforementioned WHA line.
The Deforest brothers were characters; they reminded me of SCTV's Bob and Doug McKenzie. I thought if I ever visited their jersey manufacturing facility, I imagined it would be strewn with jelly donuts and Canadian beer, with Rush (the band) blasting in the background.
Approximately 12 WHA team jerseys were made, and they were very nice quality sweaters constructed with a heavy polyester mesh, double elbows, and shoulders with cover stitching.
The ProJoy "cut" was more of a street cut as opposed to a pro cut (made for pads). Jerseys came blank but included the front jersey cresting. The actual WHA crests were tackle twill and/or embroidered. ProJoy offered tackle twill and screen-printed crests.
I purchased all 12 teams ProJoy made available. There were 26 teams in the WHA's existence. All 14 styles sold within two months. Again, it was instant market validation.
Do customers remember the league and teams? Or, are the jerseys so obscure and striking that they just sell themselves?
The teams I brought in were the Houston Aeros, Michigan Stags, Toronto Toros, Ottawa Nationals, Philadelphia Blazers, Chicago Cougars, Minnesota Fighting Saints, Phoenix Roadrunners, Denver Spurs, Cincinnati Stingers, New York Golden Blades and Raiders, and WHA All-Star jerseys for the eastern and western conferences.
As I look back, the WHA jerseys attracted and generated a base of hockey clientele that frequents Pro League Authentics to this day.
I thought that I could spec out and design a better quality WHA jersey at that time, complete with the proper cresting and with player’s names and numbers. I had researched that Pederson's in Minnesota used to manufacture WHA jerseys, and the company actually supplied teams directly including the near-by Fighting Saints.
Was Pederson's still operating in 1989-90? And, if they were, would they still have the original specs and patterns?
In the next installment: The conclusion of the WHA jersey development, and the beginning of The Lord Stanley Closet Collection. Look for Ray’s next piece in early June only on Authentically Speaking.
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(Photo credit: Screen shot of Fox Sports Florida)
Hallelujah: And for the 36th game, the team shall wear orange caps. On a nondescript Tuesday night, mid May home game against the Pirates, the Miami Marlins finally wore their much- buzzed-about-when-they-were-introduced last November, orange on-field caps.
Regular readers know we’re been calling for orange caps almost daily for a couple of weeks now, so imagine our surprise when we went to check last evening and finally saw the team take the new field in orange accessories.
And, the hats looked great with the all-white uniform and orange version of the Marlins Park inaugural season patch. What didn’t look so good, staying with the black batting helmet.
Thanks for listening, Marlins!
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and musings on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page and follow us @PLAphilly.
(New Era 5950 MLB cap selection at Pro League Authentics Philadelphia store)
Quick, name the seven major league teams that do not wear more than one cap on a regular basis (excluding throwbacks/Stars & Stripes)?
It’s the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, White Sox, Angels, Rays, and Blue Jays.
The Red Sox have an alternate cap with the traditional sox logo, even though they rarely have worn it on the field of play, and the Brewers regularly wear the 1978-93 home hat on Friday nights at Miller Park, so it’s only those seven teams with one on-field cap.
As for the alternates, our favorites are the Padres camouflage, the Diamondbacks black, the Mariners teal, and the Giants orange; along with a bird on the bat in St. Louis (more on the Cardinals below).
How about
you? Let us know at info@proleagueauthentics.com. We’re going to publish our clientele’s
thoughts in the coming weeks, and Thursday on Authentically Speaking, Morris Levin will have more on sales of MLB hats.
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Speaking of on field caps: At a ho-hum 18-17 and just 8-7 at new home Marlins Park following a loss to the Pirates Monday night, we have just the recipe for the Marlins to go on a winning streak: Orange hats. Try them, Ozzie. You’ll like them.
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Cardinal is gold: A little birdie at the store (no pun
intended) tells us that there are just a couple of special edition St. Louis Cardinals jerseys left
in stock, so if you’re a Cardinals fan or jersey hobbyist thinking about adding this one-of-a-kind style World Series
commemorative jersey to your collection, now's the time.
The double-knit Majestic authentic jerseys (pictured above), featuring special gold sparkle chain stitch embroidery with the 2011 World Series champions patch, were worn in April for the opening home series versus the archrival Cubs.
The players available are Matt Holliday and Chris Carpenter, with three sizes, 44-48-52, and Pro League Authentics is taking $30 off the retail price. Please contact the store for more details.
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We have a date: Please note early evening Saturday, July 28 (exact time TBD) for the third of PLA’s four part series “Jerseys as Art.” This will be a much anticipated event featuring MLB Game Worn Jerseys of the Double Knit Era author Bill Henderson.
Bill will be on hand to celebrate the release of the latest (2012) edition of his must-have, painstakingly detailed compilation of modern MLB baseball jersey information.
The last release of Bill’s work was in 2009, so we’re looking forward to his presenting this update to our attendees in July. More details coming soon.
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Tomorrow on Authentically Speaking: PLA president Ray Jannelli has part three of "Jannelli's Jersey Journal" chronicling jerseys of the long gone, but not forgotten, World Hockey Association.
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A reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and musings on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PLAphilly.
(Photo credit: camdenchat.com)
It’s amazing with all of the jerseys MLB teams have at their disposal, tied in with the fact that some teams have weekly rituals when it comes to specific jerseys worn on specific days, it’s not surprising that in the 15 weekend series played the past three days, only two series had both teams wearing the same jerseys in all three games.
Only two match-ups! Any guesses?
Believe it or not, Cubs at Brewers and Rockies at Dodgers are the only series. The Cubs wore gray and the Brewers their blue “Brewers” alternate all weekend at Miller Park, and the Rockies wore gray (with the same black hat with purple bill) and the Dodgers, of course, white, at Dodger Stadium.
Other weekend notables; the Red Sox wore red, and so did the White Sox (with the recently added Moose Skowron memorial patch). The Giants wore their ‘80s road throwbacks, and of course the beautiful throwback game in Arlington, Tex. Saturday as the Angels and Rangers went 1972, in this the 40th anniversary of the franchise in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
And, don’t remind us, even though the Marlins had two chances to wear the orange hat over the weekend, wearing orange jerseys twice against the Mets, they remain all-black cap, all the time after 34 games.
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Authentic Store Buzz: Speaking of the aforementioned White Sox in red, as they’re wearing 1972 home throwbacks this season, there’s a “scarlet” version of matching batting practice shirts and light jackets in which orders can be taken by contacting the store directly.
The Nationals will be wearing 1924 Senators throwbacks in a game against the Giants who will also be wearing throwbacks over the July 4 holiday. Again, please contact the store for more details.
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We Have a Date: Please note Saturday, July 28 (exact time TBD-early evening) for the third of PLA’s four part series “Jerseys as Art.” This will be a much anticipated event featuring MLB Game Worn Jerseys of the Double Knit Era author Bill Henderson.
Bill will be on hand to celebrate the release of the latest (2012) edition of his must-have, painstakingly detailed compilation of modern MLB baseball jersey information. The last release of Bill’s work was in 2009, so we’re looking forward to his presenting this update to our attendees in July.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and musings on the world of uniforms, Like our Facebook page and follow us @PLAphilly.
We wrote Monday how the Redskins only basically removed the “75” and replaced it with “80” for their anniversary patch this season, and now they’ve unveiled Nike’s, “innovative uniform system (showcasing) a modern interpretation of the Redskins 1937 uniform,” to go along with it.
In layman’s terms it’s a 1937 throwback, pictured above. It’s plain and simple, not too bad looking, with the gold-shaded helmet, and it's supposed to harken back to a season in which Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh led the ‘Skins to the NFL title over Chicago.
We still can’t believe the team taking the pains to mark an 80th anniversary season to begin with, didn’t at least design a new commemorative logo.
At least the Steelers did for their 80th anniversary this season.
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Too many “A” in Angels: We had filed this away after watching the Angels play last week. The addition of the “1961” patch to the left side of the jersey replacing the “A” halo is a nice addition as a regularly worn team logo patch.
But why then move the “A” halo to the right side of the jersey to clutter everything up?
The right side should be kept patch-free, that is until the Angels celebrate the 50th anniversary of “The Big A” in their 55th anniversary season of 2016.
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When will it happen-an update: The Miami Marlins did not play Thursday. Game 32 is tonight at Marlins Park against the Mets. Do we sense an orange cap to kick off the three-game weekend series after going all-black cap, all season? Yes!
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Fun night: The store was getting crowded at times during last evening’s second “Jerseys as Art” program at PLA’s Center City Philly location, and we appreciated seeing everyone who turned out.
Former Mitchell & Ness honcho Peter Capolino (below) always dazzles with his stories of the history of baseball uniforms and how M & N came to make their universally popular throwbacks.
Philadelphia architect Rich Villa (below) had some impressive renderings and a compelling story to tell about his vision of what two Philly baseball parks could look like; one for the Phillies along the Delaware River just to the north of the Ben Franklin Bridge, the other if the A’s ever came back to town along lower North Broad Street.
And, it’s always fun to see commemorative patches (hard-to-find Blue Jays "Toronto's 150th Birthday Celebration" patch from the 1984 season, below) that MLB teams have worn over the years.
We figure we’ll be moving some stock out of the way to fit folks in for our next event this summer. It will be a “can’t miss” date, and tentatively we’re looking at Thursday, July 19.
MLB Game Worn Jerseys of the Double Knit Era author Bill Henderson will be with us to celebrate the release of the latest (2012) edition of his must-have, painstakingly detailed compilation of modern MLB baseball jersey information. The last release of Bill’s work was in 2009, so we’re looking forward to his presenting an update to our attendees in July.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and musings on the world of uniforms, Like our Facebook page and follow us @PLAphilly.
(Editor's Note: Longtime baseball uniform expert and sports author Morris Levin writes weekly for Authentically Speaking.)
By Morris Levin
I am a Phillies fan, and as it goes against the Mets, I like to see the Phillies finish above the Mets. I take some satisfaction in seeing the Mets not win. This is my Philly perspective looking up the turnpike to Queens and Manhattan, and this is what is fun about being a sports fan.
I also care deeply about how teams look on the field. The Mets are one team with what I consider to be a perfect, let’s call it an “archetypal uniform”. Think Red Sox home, Yankees home and road, Royals home, Cubs home, Cardinals home and road. It is the paradigmatic expression of a team’s on-field uniform.
I love the Mets uniforms, and I am delighted to see the Mets return their primary colors to blue and orange, from blue, orange, and black. In 2012, the Mets are wearing their classic uniforms which are outstanding and classic. They fit the team both historically and phenomenologically.
The Mets entrance into the National League in 1962 was predicated on the absence left in the New York market by the 1957 departure of the Brooklyn Dodgers, from Flatbush, and the New York Giants from the northern tip of Manhattan, across the Bronx River from Yankee Stadium.
Mets blue is the Dodgers, and Mets orange is the Giants. The script Mets wordmark across the home is the Dodgers home script, and the arched New York across the road jersey is the road Giants jersey. The Mets cap is the Giants cap with the black changed to Dodger blue.
The Mets played their first two seasons at the Polo Grounds, the Giants’ ballpark from 1890 to 1957. The team signed former Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants players. Gil Hodges managed the team to its first World Series in 1969. Like Ruth returning to Boston in 1935 with the Braves; Willie Mays finished his career in New York with the Mets.
The Mets wore this uniform when they lost, and when they won. They wore a version of it when they won the 1969 World Series, and won their second championship in 1986. The uniform is the Mets history, and it is New York baseball history.
In 1998, the Mets went Black-For- Black’s-Sake (“BFBS”). I did not care for black accents and unis, and it saddened me when they made the World Series in 2000 against the Yankees. This was the first Mets-Yankees New York World Series, and I wanted the visuals to look right. They didn’t. Here was Mike Piazza, one of the greatest catchers of all time, in a New York World Series, wearing black censor blocks over his blues and oranges.
The Mets are celebrating the team’s 50th birthday this year. Since the mid-1990s, it has been the current trend in Major League Baseball to wear a season-long patch on one’s sleeve for any multiple-of-five anniversary, and for any significant organizational death. More so, the team has retained a lone black jersey as an official and approved alternate. And it would be wonderful if they removed the names from the back, as the Mets did from 1962 to 1978, and in 1999. But these complaints are trifling compared to the regular beauty of these unis in game action.
PLA offers the team’s 2012 primary home jersey here. The team first introduced an all-white home uniform in 1997, added black trim during the horrid black-out years, and now wear this jersey in 2012. The team is slowly decommissioning a last black alternate jersey which is still available in 2012 here. Once again, the classic Mets road jersey is available. It’s a good time to be a fan of the Mets’ visuals!
Yesterday was Terence Kearn’s birthday; Happy big Rick Aguilera, good buddy.
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When will it happen-an update: Still no Marlins orange cap Wednesday night against Houston , as the team has hit the 31-games played ledger.
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Tonight's the night: We’re looking forward to welcoming you to this evening's second installment of Pro League Authentics “Jersey as Art” four-part series. On the agenda are rare and unique flannel baseball jerseys, a look at baseball’s history in Philadelphia, and an interesting display of virtually all of the commemorative patches worn by the 30 MLB teams.
An unusual patch shown below is the 1995 Coors Field inaugural season patch worn on the Rockies home uniforms only. It is a rare example of a commercial brand name, "COORS," for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colo., to appear on a patch worn on the field of play during MLB games in the U.S. or Canada, something, that unfortunately, has become standard operating procedure when MLB teams open the season in Japan.
The event is from 6-8 pm at the store located at 137. S. 13th Street (between Walnut/Sansom) in Center City Philadelphia. You’re invited to stop by, enjoy the uniform talk, light refreshments, and a discount on all in-store MLB authentic merchandise.
Our next event this summer will be a “can’t miss” date, and tentatively we’re looking at Thursday July 19. MLB Game Worn Jerseys of the Double Knit Era author Bill Henderson will be with us to celebrate the release of the latest (2012) edition of his must-have, Bible of modern baseball jersey information. The last release of Bill’s work was in 2009, so we’re looking forward to the update.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and musings on the world of uniforms, Like our Facebook page and follow us @PLAphilly.
