If you read the February 26th issue of Sports Illustrated, you may have seen the photo displayed at right. Taken in 1965, it shows several Dodgers taking part in spring training drills in Vero Beach. The version printed in the magazine was pretty small — almost exactly the same size as the one shown here on the screen, in fact — so even if you did see it, you probably didn’t pay much attention to it (except maybe to think, “Whoa, now that’s how stirrups should look!”).
But reader Bob Jaye looked a little closer, and he found something veeeeery interesting — something, in fact, that has developed into quite a mystery. To get a better view of what he discovered, check out a larger version of the photo.
As you can see, it appears that at least two of the guys in the foreground have the letter S where their uniform number would normally be. The guy on the left probably has an S too, although it could conceivably be a 5 or a 9. What’s up with that? As Jaye wrote to me, “It’s rough enough to be given a high number like 87 in spring training, but having to share an alphabetical character with at least two other players must have been downright deflating.”
I’m figuring the S stands for spring training (although it clearly wasn’t a team-wide thing, because the guy in the background of the photo has a regular 7). Wondering if maybe it was something I’d just missed before, and I went back and looked at lots of old Dodgers spring training photos. Came up with loads of really great shots (as seen here, here, here, here, here, here, and — my favorite — here), but nothing like the “S” photo.
I had the nagging feeling that this might be one of those things that everyone knew about except me, so I showed the photo to a few friends, none of whom could explain it. Then I forwarded it to uniform designer Todd Radom and Hall of Fame researcher Tom Shieber, and was surprised when they were both stumped. So then I queried the Society for American Baseball Research’s membership — again, no dice.
Shieber, who loves investigating stuff like this, decided to consult some higher authorities, starting with former Dodgers GM and legendary baseball soothsayer Buzzie Bavasi, who’s now, like, a million years old (actually 91). Then he contacted more recent Dodgers GM Fred Claire, who immediately began consulting some of his contacts (”He’s like a bulldog, hot on the trail,” says Shieber). For now, the best guess from this brain trust is that the “S” may have referred to the Dodgers’ Spokane or Santa Barbara farm clubs, which trained at Vero Beach along with the big league team in those days, although nobody seems completely satisfied with that explanation. The wheels are still turning on this one — stay tuned.
Help Wanted: Several readers — most recently Oswaldo Perez — have suggested that I write something about the uniform modifications that can executed in video games like NBA Live and MVP 05 Baseball. I don’t play video games myself, but apparently you can create old-school uni designs (sometimes really old-school), complete with period details.
I agree that this is a worthwhile topic. But since I’m not a gamer, I’m not the right guy to write this piece. So if any of you out there are (a) well-versed in this phenomenon, (b) reasonably literate, and (c) willing to contribute a blog entry, please get in touch.
Raffle Reminder: As of this writing, only seven people — seven! — have bought virtual raffle tickets for the authentic Tracy McGrady All-Star jersey that I’m giving away (additional pics here, here, and here). So if you want to get in on this, you may not have much competition. The terms: $3 for one virtual raffle ticket, or two for $5, five for $10, a dozen for $20, or fifty for $50. PayPal your ticket purchases to me at paul_lukas at earthlink dot net (or, if you don’t like PayPal, mail payment to Paul Lukas, 671 DeGraw St., Brooklyn, NY 11217 and e-mail me so I know it’s on the way). Tickets will be sold until this Friday, 5pm eastern. I’ll announce the winner on Monday the 26th.
Radio Free Uni Watch: I’ll be talking uniforms on Springfield, Missouri’s KADI this Friday at 9 a.m. eastern time. It’ll be streamable here.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Nice little slideshow on the state of NFL uniforms here (with thanks to Ronnie Poore). … Perfection. … Matt Lozar notes that Butler has some major typography issues for player names on jerseys. Sometimes they use small type, sometimes large, and at least one player has a bit of an arc. … I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Dice-K’s jersey insignia is riding mighty low. … Manny appears to have switched to a white snood. … Maybe I just missed it before, but have those blue stripes always been there on Ryan Howard’s shoes? … There’s something really weird about seeing Don Zimmer wearing modern wraparound shades. … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: The Giants are doing a rally cap giveaway on April 20th. I’ve never really cared for rally caps, but there’s something particularly fucked up about a cap designed to be inside-out. Like, is everyone really too lazy to do this themselves? And shouldn’t the logo be backwards, and the brim curling the other way? This is the very definition of a failed concept. … Also from the comments: I thought Eric Gagne was wearing one long sleeve and one sleeve cut off. But it turns out he’s actually wearing a compression sleeve. … Bluffton University will play baseball despite their fatal bus crash, and will wear all-black uniforms in memory of those who died. … The Hagerstown Suns have unveiled a new alternate uniform (with thanks to Uni Watch minor league empress Kora Manheimer). … Latest bit of NHL uni “news” that doesn’t really say anything new here. … I’ll be off the grid most of today (spending my birthday with the parentals), so talk amongst yourselves. Back tomorrow.
#1 by Joe on 03.21.07 7:38 am |
From yesterday for Jason….
Jason said:
Jason, Here is a link to your Indians shirt request…hurry up though because I’m sure they’ll pull that design down quickly!
Jon in SLC , I use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop…on a Mac!
#2 by Brian on 03.21.07 7:39 am |
Happy Birthday!
#3 by dgc on 03.21.07 7:41 am |
Alex Ovechkin might wear the jaw cage with his visor against the Sabres tonight. He needed some stitches after a high-stick in the Tampa game.
#4 by Chad S. on 03.21.07 7:43 am |
After reading yesterday’s ESPN post I was pretty sure that Mark Clayton, of the Dolphins and Packers wore sunglasses on the field. I was able to find four old football card images that you can see him with the glasses, but I cannot be sure they are during actual game action and not warm-ups.
Dolphins
Dolphins
Packers
Dolphins
I am not sure why I remember this, because I am not a Dolphins fan. I suppose it is because I found it odd (even as a kid) that he would play with sunglasses on.
#5 by Matt B on 03.21.07 7:57 am |
That seattle pilots uni screencap actually has the Brewers’ ball-in-glove logo on the helmet. So it’s a Milwaukee throwback kit?
#6 by Timmy D on 03.21.07 8:05 am |
Happy Birthday
I do have to say that I like the idea of the rallycap, except I would never wear it after attending that one game. I would say I would look like an idiot. So I guess it is a failed concept (because of the throwawayability of it, but I like the effort.
Also, the Clayton pics all look like it is during warmups except for the last one where it looks like someone is reaching to grab him. The first one he is just jogging and the second one has his chinstrap unstrapped…it is up in the air about the third one, but great find anyways.
I am always amazed at the great finds us commenters get. Good work all.
Donny and the Dude
#7 by Richard on 03.21.07 8:16 am |
Happy Birthday, Paul!
Hope you get lots of Uni related gifts to share with us all.
#8 by Billy on 03.21.07 8:26 am |
Nice to see my Gophers pulling off perfection with their stirrups.
Happy Birthday Paul. Your site is the first one I visit every morning.
#9 by Mark in Shiga on 03.21.07 8:29 am |
That’s a great find on the Dodgers picture — my brain is so hard-wired to see numerals and not letters below the word “Dodgers” that my first thought was “Why are three people wearing #9?”
I’m not so sure that the guy behind them is wearing #7. I think it might be a “T” — the top bar isnt long enough and the vertical bar seems a bit too straight.
(For the record, the ‘65 Dodgers didn’t have a #7. In 1964 it was Lee Walls, who certainly isn’t the guy in the photo, because Walls is white and our #7/letter-T guy is black.)
I’m looking for a Dodger affiliate from that era beginning with T, but can’t find anything. Did they have a farm club in Tacoma or Tuscon?
And as for Dice-K’s low-riding jersey lettering, I’m standing by my theory that everything is low-riding if you’re under about 6′3″ since Majestic tailors their jerseys for massive players. Check out the low positioning of the number on Akinori Otsuka’s jersey, #37 Ron Washington, and Grady Little’s #2. Raise the lettering about two inches on everybody!
#10 by Madd Matt on 03.21.07 8:51 am |
happy birthday paul…
#11 by JL on 03.21.07 8:53 am |
Matt B said:
The Pilots moved to Milwauke, so it very well could be.
#12 by Mike on 03.21.07 8:57 am |
Mike Nelms who played for the Redskins back in the early 80’s wore sunglasses on the field, but I cannot find a pic.
#13 by Anthony Verna on 03.21.07 9:01 am |
Happy Birthday, Paul.
#14 by Luther Mahoney on 03.21.07 9:02 am |
When Duke Snider was the color voice of the
Montreal Expos in the 1970s and early 1980s he
used to tell many stories about sping training
in Cuba and later in Vero Beach. From what I can
remember,he said that Branch Rickey,and later,
Walter O’Malley,would bring in so many players
from the major league roster and from the dozen
or so minor league teams to sping training. Because there were so many players in camp,only
the major leagers and the high minor leagers would
wear the blue numbers on the back and the red
numbers on the front. The other players would
wear numbers or letters of a different color,
depending on what minor league level that they would be assigned to that season. I am guessing
that the players in the picture with the “S” are
probably destined to lowest minor league club in
the Dodger organization.
#15 by Shaftman on 03.21.07 9:05 am |
Happy Birthday Paul.
#16 by Mike on 03.21.07 9:06 am |
I like the rally cap. It’s better than than damn flat brim, crooked hat, urban look that’s big right now.
#17 by Joey Guns on 03.21.07 9:08 am |
This is sad, a MLB player selling his own stuff on Ebay to make a few bucks? And this MLB player isn’t poor either!!!
Obviously Yankees fans have messed with his auction. Oh well….
http://cgi.ebay.com/...
http://mlb.mlb.com/n...
#18 by JohnBoy on 03.21.07 9:09 am |
Anyone else think that Lee Walls looks like a young George Costanza?
#19 by Dave from Indy on 03.21.07 9:09 am |
Happy Birthday
#20 by Mark in Shiga on 03.21.07 9:11 am |
Didn’t even see that! Happy birthday, Paul!
(One more thought on that 7-or-T jersey in the Dodgers spring training photo: it’s bigger than normal size, compared to this photo here. The single digits seem to butt up against the “g” in “Dodgers” (i. e. left-justified), which I was surprised to see. So that doesn’t help us. But the proportions of the S and 7/T characters seem to be a little off.
#21 by Andrew on 03.21.07 9:19 am |
Nice to see my Gophers pulling off perfection with their stirrups.
Yeah… stirrup perfection maybe, but how about the adidas logos plastered on the pants and jersey, the hat logo, not to mention the fact that they play in the Metrodome. Blah!
#22 by Big L on 03.21.07 9:19 am |
Several readers — most recently Oswaldo Perez — have suggested that I write something about the uniform modifications that can executed in video games like NBA Live and MVP 05 Baseball.
Madden does something similar. You can modify jerseys or create new ones. In the 2004 version, I had the Titans and created a red alternate uniform, the baby blue alternate and the dreaded all blue. I also tinkered with the equipment and gave every RB in the game dark tinted visors!!!
When I get home, I will post pics.
ALSO, World Series Baseball 2k3 had a boat load of throwbacks. Too bad I sold the game before I could take pics.
#23 by Tom on 03.21.07 9:29 am |
http://www.usatoday....
Another reason to love USA Today. The perfect symmetry of great research and fast facts. I also love this as a great presentation tool for futre branding assignments. Well done.
Hey USA Today, how about the same for MLB, NBA and NBA team identity changes. Make my day.
Perfect.
#24 by Mike on 03.21.07 9:30 am |
I know its not him, but the Dodger on the right looks a lot like Mickey Mantle to me.
#25 by Kenny on 03.21.07 9:31 am |
Big L said:
Yeah and if you do it in franchise mode and if they look like crap they tell you about it…it’s actually pretty funny
#26 by Dave on 03.21.07 9:32 am |
ATTACK OF THE NON-BELIEVERS!
Paul et al.,
Long time listener, first time caller!
I just have to express my uni-related outrage here. I’m a huge New York Giants fan (or like to think I am, anyway), and have been adding to the Giants Wikipedia entry about the rich history of their unis for months. I’ve learned a tremendous amount – like what kind of road socks they wore in 1953 and when the facemask went from gray to white and then to gray again! – but some hack Wikipedian came through and excised 95% of the section, calling it “massive and trivial.”
Now, as Paul or anyone who comes to this site knows, UNIFORMS ARE NOT TRIVIAL.
I moved the section to a new page, http://en.wikipedia.... but damn, folks, there’s some prejudice out there against knowing your uni history and wanting to share it with others!
Fellow Giants fans, feel free to add to the knowledge!
Oh, and based off of other comments, happy birthday, Paul. Do you think the Giant’s stripe-happy socks from 1975-1979 were a good thing, or just stupid?
Peace!
#27 by anthony on 03.21.07 9:32 am |
It makes me sad to see that the Chargers have changed the “iconic” powder blue uniform. the new one is lackluster compared to the traditional one. It must be “cheaper” (based on the pattern) to make the new one reflect the standard home and away uniforms. Also, the bolt design on the shoulder is much “weaker” compared to the original design.
overall score: 5 out of 10 (booo!!!)
#28 by Judd on 03.21.07 9:34 am |
Joey Guns said:
That’s not Man Ram’s grill – he is only listing it as a favor for a neighbor. The Boston Globe has the full story.
#29 by Mark Sutton on 03.21.07 9:47 am |
Paul:
Dice-K isn’t the only one. If you look at the photos, all of the front elements on the new BP jerseys are placed too low. And, all the single element, left breast designs are too big. All in all, a very weak set.
Enjoy the birthday. Many happy returns.
#30 by Eriq Jaffe on 03.21.07 9:58 am |
Matt B said:
The picture Paul linked to was from a “work in progress” thread, the finished product has an accurate helmet.
#31 by Dave A on 03.21.07 10:03 am |
Mark in Shiga said:
I couldn’t find any reference to a Dodgers farm team in a T city in 1965, but from 1966-68, their farm team in the Northwest League was the Tri-City Atoms.
#32 by Proud Canuck on 03.21.07 10:06 am |
HBD, Paul.
That USA Today collection was very interesting. Almost without exception, the old uni styles topped the updated/alternate version. I might make an exception for the Bengals alt, but that just moves it from gawdawful to merely bad.
#33 by jesse on 03.21.07 10:09 am |
Dave said:
What a chunk of shit. I thought the whole purpose of Wikipedia was to amass all possible knowlege in one location. To redact the information you provided, assuming its correct (which I have no reason to doubt), seems to defeat the entire purpose. 99% of what is on wikipedia is trivial, I doubt your uniform opus really added too much to that problem. Thats just crap.
#34 by Dave on 03.21.07 10:15 am |
Thanks, Jesse. I think uni-related knowledge for sports teams is sadly, sadly underdone at Wikipedia – not to mention some sports team’s own sites. The whole reason I started my NYG uni opus is the Giants don’t even have a freaking half page devoted to their unis on their official site, and the wiki lets whoever with good knowledge contribute.
Funny Onion links, too.
#35 by Jason on 03.21.07 10:36 am |
Joe said:
Joe, done and done!
It will make it’s way to The Jake many times this year.
#36 by David T on 03.21.07 10:41 am |
Indeed, happy birthday to Paul. I suggest we show our appreciation by buying some raffle tickets!
#37 by Tim D on 03.21.07 10:48 am |
I’m sure it’s just the lighting…but did anyone else think it looked like Ryan Howard was wearing some sort of stomach padding in that picture?
#38 by hot rodd on 03.21.07 11:06 am |
it definitely looks like something is there
#39 by Jeff F. on 03.21.07 11:33 am |
If you flip the SF Giants rally cap inside-out does it look just like a regular Giants cap? If so, it’s much cooler than it first seems.
If not, then does it look exactly the same on both sides?
Someone go to this game and get one of these hats and share the pics with Paul.
Happy Birthday, Paul.
#40 by John on 03.21.07 11:47 am |
My theory with the dodgers picture is their position. The 55 left fielder was sandy amoros, a cuban with a darker complexion. The 55 dodgers did not have a number 7. The S could designate the starting pitchers….Just a theory
#41 by John on 03.21.07 11:52 am |
oops….65 not 55….ignore my theory then
#42 by DRob on 03.21.07 11:55 am |
The new US Men’s Soccer Jersey has been released. It’s pinstriped.
I’m a little underwhelmed. The two jerseys for the World Cup were both solid kits. This just seems….busy.
#43 by Kyle at IU on 03.21.07 12:13 pm |
Andrew said:
The Metrodome (god-awful place) thing aside, I’ve really got no problem with the branding on the uniforms, though the hat logo does seem out of place. I recently caught a match between Indiana and Butler and both teams looked great despite the branding. The IU uniforms had “Indiana” scripted across the front and had crimson placket striping, while Butler’s uniforms looked straight out of any old baseball newsreel. True, IU had Adidas logos and Butler had Nike logos, but they did not detract from the overall value of the uniforms for me.
#44 by Kyle at IU on 03.21.07 12:14 pm |
for the last post, that pic is from last year. IU has added a crimson adidas logo to the right-front of the pants.
#45 by mg12 on 03.21.07 12:15 pm |
DRob said:
I agree. That is just a step above these.
http://cgi.ebay.com/...
#46 by Philly Bill on 03.21.07 12:20 pm |
My research indicates Ryan Howard has always worn Adidas spikes (even in the minors), but the various models he’s worn did not have blue stripes.
The new model appears to be a signature model or signature colorway that isn’t available yet, at least on eastbay.
Um, can I look up more photos of Ryan Howard? I love that guy.
#47 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 12:29 pm |
Kyle at IU said:
All the Indiana talk reminded me that the uni game of the tournament had to be UCLA v. IU. The only thing better would have been a color v. color but I would bet that’s a tourney no-no. I like that logo creep on the jersey is not allowed in b-ball. Football should adopt the same rule.
#48 by C.N. on 03.21.07 12:55 pm |
Hershiser on ESPN’s Spring Training coverage of the Red Sox and the Pirates:
“Manny must be prepping his hair for Opening Day with that net thing.”
#49 by BWach$ on 03.21.07 12:56 pm |
The Giants want all of the people to have the rally cap because they will need it alot this season.
#50 by Jason on 03.21.07 1:00 pm |
Matt B said:
They’re called uniforms in baseball.
#51 by C.N. on 03.21.07 1:03 pm |
Andrew said:
They don’t play home games in the Metrodome, only some, kind of like St. John’s basketball and MSG, or Villanova and the Wachovia Center.
#52 by Chad G on 03.21.07 1:17 pm |
Metsfan AZ said:
There actually was a color on color game this weekend in the NCAA Tourney, Oregon vs Winthrop.
It was the first thing I noticed when I turned on the TV.
#53 by Matthew H on 03.21.07 1:23 pm |
For more Dodgers history and pics, check out:
http://www.walteroma...
#54 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 1:24 pm |
Chad G said:
hmmm, interesting, i’m sure Oregon has a white uni too. Maybe it’s a case by case thing. Anyone know who gets to choose unis in the Final Four? or the rest of the tourney for that matter? is it by seed? what happens when the same number seeds meet in the FF?
#55 by nico on 03.21.07 1:27 pm |
mg12 said:
Man, pinstripes don’t belong in soccer, they’re just wrong, leave them to baseball. They look ok up close, but awful from a distance and on tv.
I agree. That is just a step above these.
#56 by nico on 03.21.07 1:28 pm |
agh I messed up the quote…
sorry
#57 by sully on 03.21.07 1:36 pm |
Metsfan AZ said:
The higher seed wears the home uni. I believe all 65 teams are “sub-seeded” prior to the tournament (i.e. All four #1’s are seeded 1 through 4…see the discussion about Florida being the “top” #1 seed), and if two same-seeded teams meet the higher “sub-seeded” team wears the home uni.
#58 by jesse on 03.21.07 1:39 pm |
Metsfan AZ said:
It is by seed. Also all of the number #1 seeds are seeded 1-4, So the higher seed would control. Florida is the overall number one, they will wear white throughout (much ado about nothing with the blue gator prints). Followed by, I think Kansas, Ohio State, and UNC. I would imagine that the lower seeded teams (ex 3 versus 3) would wear white or color depending on their pre-tournament rank.
I really just made alot of that up, but it is consistent with my recollection. I wonder how they actually do it.
#59 by Kings33 on 03.21.07 1:43 pm |
Interesting article today in the Sporting News on what equipment managers pack for Spring training…
Particularly of Uniwatch note in the Dodgers trucks:
240 pair of blue socks
24 pairs of 2 in one socks (Socks with stirrup stripes on them)
10 pairs of stirrups – “They used to be in, went out, came back in, now they’re out again” according to equip mgr Poole.
180 game hats + 180 BP hats + 96 St Patrick’s hats
50 “sleeves” no mention if they were attached to shirts.
#60 by Kerry on 03.21.07 1:46 pm |
DRob said:
I’m surprised that no one has mentioned this, but the royal blue totally clashes with the navy blue in the “US” shield logo on the left breast of the jersey. Looks BAD. At least use the same shade of blue.
#61 by todd krevanchi on 03.21.07 2:00 pm |
jesse said:
white pic
http://assets.espn.g...
#62 by Austin Gray on 03.21.07 2:09 pm |
I would be surprised if the new US jersey lasts for that long. Typically, Nike releases new jerseys for teams every two years. This one was just released a few months prior to the 2006 World Cup. Under normal circumstances, they’d only get a new kit for the summer competitions of 2008, and for those competitions, Nike usually creates a new template to use on all jerseys it releases. Since this is the same basic template from the 2006 World Cup, it makes me wonder whether this is just going to be a one-year jersey, and the US will get a new one in a year.
#63 by Steve on 03.21.07 2:13 pm |
Timmy D said:
There’s a chance that all of those Mark Clayton cards could be during pre-game. Even the last card, that shows someone’s hands. That could be either a DB’s hands (if they were doing WR-DB drills), or possibly even the wide receiver’s hands.
#64 by Kieran K. on 03.21.07 2:14 pm |
I was watching season one of The Office last night and I was reminded that one of the characters is named Ryan Howard.
He is named after the baseball player of the same name who was playing minor league ball in Scranton, Pa, where the show is set.
http://en.wikipedia....(US_TV_series)#Trivia
#65 by Mark in Shiga on 03.21.07 2:18 pm |
Kings33 said:
24 and 96 are unusual numbers; are some of these items packed in dozens and not in round numbers like 10 and 50?
#66 by NickNH on 03.21.07 2:19 pm |
The US Soccer website says it’s a third jersey, which means hopefully we’ll only have to see it a couple times.
I agree though, with the royal and the pinstripes it’s a pretty awful jersey. I would’ve loved to see a red jersey based on the home jersey (I love the offset double vertical stripes on the home kit).
#67 by Miguel on 03.21.07 2:25 pm |
Kerry said:
Aren’t 3rd or alternate kits in soccer supposed to look kind of funky or at least deviate from the normal colors?
Barcelona 3rd kit
Chelski 3rd kit
#68 by Matt B on 03.21.07 2:26 pm |
Third jerseys are traditionally awful. Their purpose is to provide a color scheme that will not be similar to whatever colors the home team might wear. As a result, they generally do not contain any colors that any team would *even want* to wear.
>Maybe it’s a case by case thing. Anyone know who gets to choose unis … or the rest of the tourney for that matter? is it by seed?
Pop quiz: what’s the lowest seed that’s instructed to pack its home unis for the opening weekend?
A: The twelve seeds, as they might play the thirteen seed in the second round. A rare occurrence, but better to be safe than sorry.
#69 by Kerry on 03.21.07 2:26 pm |
THIS GUY knows how to wear pants, too bad there are no stirrups to complete the look.
And, personally, I think that THIS is a gorgeous uniform.
#70 by Jonathon on 03.21.07 2:29 pm |
I’m not an Angels fan, but I respect their decision not to give in to the stupid designs for the BP jerseys and caps from Majestic and New Era. No side stripes on the jerseys, and they stuck with the ‘06 BP caps, rather than wear the bush-league ‘07 model. Other teams need to step up and let those manufacturers know that their designs stunk this year.
http://sportsillustr...
#71 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 2:30 pm |
Kerry said:
i never looked at the shield before this. isn’t it compeltely backward. stars on a red field and navy and white stripes? does the shield change very often? sorry, i’m soccer clueless…
#72 by Kerry on 03.21.07 2:32 pm |
Also found some pictures of a game between two teams with pretty nice looking unis:
LOYOLA MARAMOUNT
TULANE
#73 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 2:33 pm |
Kerry said:
2nd pic – DITCH THE BLACK
#74 by BCrisp on 03.21.07 2:33 pm |
Like most of you at work I was bored an doing a little reasearch. I was trying to find picutres of the Houston Buffs, the minor league team that preceded the Colt .45s and Astros. I found a few good ones:
Buffs in shorts!
Nice stripes
Not sure what’s going on here.
#75 by Kerry on 03.21.07 2:34 pm |
I also found pics of a game between the University of New Orleans and Tulane University, two schools with traditional unis that decided to wear THESE MONSTROCITIES!!
#76 by Kerry on 03.21.07 2:34 pm |
Metsfan AZ said:
I agree, the solid green hats are WORLDS better than the black.
#77 by patrick on 03.21.07 2:35 pm |
DRob said:
In all ym years of following the USMNT that is, without a doubt the worst jersey they’ve ever produced. Lets forget for a second that the team has NEVER used that shade of blue and focus on the A) massive size of the patch B) utter lack of originality. This makes the 94 stars and stripes jersey look classic. If you ask me, and no one did, they should stick with the tread on me kit (Red jersey worn in the last game before the WC) an an alternate to the Blue and white Nike kits. Does anyone know what shorts/socks theyll be wearing? I’m speechless….. its a complete shocker. Now I know the MNT switches jerseys more often than anyone so it probably won’t be around for long but even one game is too much.
#78 by Ryan B. on 03.21.07 2:40 pm |
Matt B said:
The last time it happened was in 2001. 12-seed Gonzaga played 13-seed Indiana State in the second round. Gonzaga beat 5-seed Virginia and Indiana State beat 4-seed Oklahoma.
#79 by Jeff E. on 03.21.07 2:50 pm |
nico said:
Also, pinstripes only work when the uniform is white and the stripes are colored. The opposite usually turns out looking busy and ugly. I’m too lazy to find a picture, but the Cubs did this in the 80s (blue uniform w/ white pinstripes), and I personally thought they looked bad.
#80 by Matthew S. on 03.21.07 3:04 pm |
BCrisp said:
BCrisp, those are awesome pictures. Is this part of a whole album? If so, can you put the link up? Those shorts actually make more sense to wear in the Houston summers than it did for the White Sox to wear shorts in the Windy City.
#81 by JMC on 03.21.07 3:04 pm |
Happy Birthday big guy!
#82 by ACC (the Brain) on 03.21.07 3:07 pm |
jesse said:
This must be recent.
Heavily-favored Duke wore blue in the ‘99 title vs Connecticut.
#83 by BCrisp on 03.21.07 3:07 pm |
Jeff E. said:
You thinking of these? 1979 Cubs 1Cubs 2
#84 by Steve on 03.21.07 3:07 pm |
Kieran K. said:
Did I miss where it said they named the guy on the office after the baseball player? I mean, I’m sure they did, but all I could find was:
“Ryan shares a name with Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, the 2005 National League Rookie of the Year, and 2006 National League MVP. Coincidentally, the Phillies AAA affiliate was the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in Scranton, PA, where the Phillies’ Howard spent time playing in 2004 and 2005 and where The Office is set.”
#85 by BCrisp on 03.21.07 3:09 pm |
Matthew S. said:
This is the album. Good photos in here. I just linked to some of the better uniform ones.
Buffs
#86 by Heaps on 03.21.07 3:10 pm |
Happy Birthday…
and keep up the good work!!
#87 by BCrisp on 03.21.07 3:13 pm |
Fixing the links I posted for the Cubs blue uniforms with white pinstripes …
1979 Cubs 1, 78-81 Cubs 2
#88 by Matthew S. on 03.21.07 3:13 pm |
BCrisp said:
Excellent album. Been trying to learn about the Buffs for awhile, but they kinda get washed away by the onset of the Colt .45s in the early 1960s and the Astrodome opening in 1965.
#89 by Kerry on 03.21.07 3:21 pm |
OK, while browsing through an album of pictures at WAVE BASEBALL.COM, I noticed that Tulane has a large number of jerseys. Also, I know that LSU has several jerseys as well (but not quite as many as Tulane). Is this common in other parts of the country?
Here are the Tulane jerseys worn THIS YEAR that I know of:
HOME – SCRIPT TULANE 1 | BLOCK TULANE 1 | BLOCK TULANE 2 | SCRIPT TULANE 2 | BLOCK TULANE 3
AWAY – BLOCK TULANE 4 | I also know of a gray version of the SCRIPT TULANE 2 that has been worn this season already.
That’s 7 different jerseys altogether, with 2 different hats (solid green and black with green bill) and 2 pairs of pants (white and gray).
I also noticed that we can add Tulane to the list of teams with a MANUFACTURER’S LOGO on the REAR BELT LOOP. However, there are a few PLAYERS and COACHES wearing different pants that just have the Rawlings “R” on the back left pocket.
#90 by Kieran K. on 03.21.07 3:27 pm |
In this article on wikipedia, it says that Ryan Howard on The Office was named after Ryan Howard the baseball player.
http://en.wikipedia....(US_TV_series)#Trivia
#91 by Kieran K. on 03.21.07 3:27 pm |
http://en.wikipedia....(US_TV_series)#Trivia
#92 by Kieran K. on 03.21.07 3:28 pm |
The Office Article on WIkipedia
Sorry, I really can’t figure out these links today.
#93 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 3:33 pm |
Kerry said:
I think the ASU scumdevils just up I-10 from here have a similar situation.
#94 by BCrisp on 03.21.07 3:48 pm |
Matthew S. said:
My grandfather’s best friend played for the Buffs and some of his photos are up in the museum. I’ve always had a lot of interest in them too.
#95 by Jeff B on 03.21.07 3:54 pm |
Kerry said:
First of all high pants like that are always amazing and make you a faster player. Second, How could you say those uniforms are gorgeous when the number is Chargers blue and the lettering is dark green? The number matches the ad behind him.
#96 by Brian from Short Island on 03.21.07 3:54 pm |
Chelski and Spain look fine in stripes. I had my money ready to buy this jersey, but I’m going to hold off. It’s LOUD!
I wish I got one of these when they available.
This new royal blue jersey will likely only be worn against Ecuador and Guatemala next week, and for that I say good. It’ll be cool to see them wear something different.
#97 by RC on 03.21.07 3:54 pm |
patrick said:
Patrick, I have to disagree about the shade of jersey. the USMNT has used a royal blue version previously, when Adidas was the manufacturer (here: http://www.soccermem... and here: http://www.sams-army...). Although it is slightly different in tone, it is definatly not navy blue. Nike changed the color scheme and logo once they took over from Adidas. I think the royal blue is a good color, but they have to find a better design than this.
I do agree that this new “3rd Jersey” is one hideous shirt, and probably won’t be around for long, and I would also like to see Red introduced back into the fold as it was for the 98 World Cup in France (actually, maybe that is the reason we WON’T see red back in the picture)
#98 by BCrisp on 03.21.07 4:03 pm |
More Cubs blue with white pinstripes.
Kingman
Sutter
#99 by Kerry on 03.21.07 4:05 pm |
Jeff B said:
Is there a point that I’m missing regarding the numbers and letters being a different color?
#100 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 4:07 pm |
Jeff B said:
Two different colors for name and number works for some teams.
#101 by Kerry on 03.21.07 4:08 pm |
Metsfan AZ said:
I was thinking EXACTLY that!
#102 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 4:10 pm |
Kerry said:
Great minds think alike, and so do ours!
#103 by My Name is Not Earl on 03.21.07 4:10 pm |
I thought that Minnesota’s baseball stadium was falling apart, and because of that they moved to the Metrodome. At least the Gopher football team will be moving out in a few years.
#104 by Jeff B on 03.21.07 4:12 pm |
Two different colors for name and number works for some teams.
I was thinking EXACTLY that!
It doesn’t work for that team.
Also I don’t know if everyone is aware but here is a website where you can design all kinds of uniforms. It’s kinda limited in its choices but still cool to play around with.
#105 by Chad G on 03.21.07 4:12 pm |
RC said:
Has anyone realized that back before the 90’s most of the US national teams wore uniforms that were Royal blue and Scarlet(rich bright red), but now most teams use more of a Navy and Cardinal (A darker red seen here on USC football jerseys.
So technically now the colors we use are more correct(the Navy and Cardinal) because those are the colors of the American Flag
#106 by Tim on 03.21.07 4:19 pm |
I would like to make it known that i am officially starting a new campaign. DITCH THE NAVY BLUE!! I hate teams who darken their original color schemes and in the process make their team colors the same as every other freakin team in their respecive leagues.
examples of teams who have darkened their uniforms
nfl
bills
patriots
eagles
chargers
niners
lions
seahawks
mlb
mariners
brewers
mets
padrews
marlins
college: too many to mention
iowa state
The last straw came with the United States. Look at our american flag. Any navy on there? Stick with the red white, and royal blue please.
#107 by Tyler on 03.21.07 4:20 pm |
I liked that slides how about the NFL uniforms, but one gripe. At the end,they showed classic uniforms that haven’t changed much over the years, well they left out the Chiefs. Now those are classic.
#108 by Tim on 03.21.07 4:29 pm |
Kansas City minus 2 years with the black royals mistake has been lucky with uniforms. Bring back powder blue!
#109 by Chad G on 03.21.07 4:34 pm |
Tim said:
Dude, the blue in the flag is Navy!
Here is a good example, George W is wearing a Royal blue tie and you can clearly see that the blue in the flag in the background is Navy. You may see a flag every once in a while that has the wrong blue, but those were produced incorrectly.
#110 by hot rodd on 03.21.07 4:36 pm |
Metsfan AZ said:
Metsfan you were a cool guy til that last comment…
:-p
#111 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 4:38 pm |
hot rodd said:
BEAR DOWN!! :-p
#112 by hot rodd on 03.21.07 4:43 pm |
yeah bear down on this pitch fork right up…. hey has anyone else noticed that there are some funky BP hats this year?
:-D
#113 by Matthew S. on 03.21.07 4:48 pm |
Chad G said:
I agree with you Chad. The flag that flew over Ft. McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812 (and which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the “Star Spangled Banner”) is now in the Smithsonian…looks navy to me: http://images.chron....
#114 by Matthew S. on 03.21.07 4:49 pm |
But then again, look at it here: http://www.washingto...
Hmmm, could this just be fading over time?
#115 by Jeff B on 03.21.07 4:56 pm |
All this flag debate is mute because every example given has the effect of lighting and shadows. Doesn’t matter, go look at a flag in person and decide for yourself.
#116 by Matthew S. on 03.21.07 5:02 pm |
Jeff B said:
That’s true, but certainly there are three colors that are supposed to be the colors of the U.S. flag…official pantone colors perhaps? Anyone have any idea?
#117 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 5:04 pm |
Matthew S. said:
Wiki has them. Tried looking them up but with IE here at work I can’t see the pics on Wiki
#118 by Chad G on 03.21.07 5:08 pm |
This Wikipedia entry actually lists the Pantone colors for the flag, 281 for the blue, 193 for the red. They are called old glory blue, and old glory red. However that doesn’t really help much unless you see the colors in person as Jeff B. suggested.
#119 by Matthew S. on 03.21.07 5:17 pm |
Chad G said:
Here’s a pantone color chart: http://www.mfa-uk.co...
The red (193) is almost like brick red, but the blue (281) is definitely closer to navy than royal.
#120 by Lake on 03.21.07 5:18 pm |
In Boston’s ST game v. Pittsburgh, I noticed Jason Varitek wearing a QB-like “wrist coach” wristband. It may have Japanese phrases on it so he can communicate with Matsuzaka and Okajima if necessary.
#121 by NMK on 03.21.07 5:22 pm |
That Wikipedia page is interesting. I notice that this year, the 50-star flag will take over the 48-star flag’s place as the version used for the longest period of time.
#122 by Chad G on 03.21.07 5:28 pm |
Here is the pantone color chart, you can compare the 281 blue to the other blues. Personally I consider that Navy, but you may beg to differ
#123 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 5:29 pm |
NMK said:
I thought this part was interesting
“”According to the book, “Our Flag” published by the House of Representatives, “The colors red, white, and blue did not have meanings for The Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 1777.” It goes on to say, on page 41 (page 47 of the PDF version)[9] that the colors of the Great Seal of the United States, when it was adopted in 1782, were defined thus: “White signifies Purity and Innocence; Red, Hardiness and Valor; Blue signifies Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.”[10]“”
Kind of weird to choose the colors randomly and then assign meaning to the colors after the fact.
#124 by Jeff B on 03.21.07 5:30 pm |
Matthew S. said:
That’s cool to check out. I imagine there are multiple overlapping reasons for this. Not being a coloring expert or historian, I suspect it would be easier to produce the more dark, rich colors in the 1770’s than it would be to produce bright red and royal blue, especially in higher volumes. Further, these colors depict more strength and solidarity, which would be preferred in war and nation building I imagine. Although, we may feel this way only because those were the colors used when such actions were taken.
On a side note fwiw, brick red fits well into conspiracy theories about the Free Masons and our founding fathers.
#125 by ACC (the Brain) on 03.21.07 5:30 pm |
Tim said:
Darkened unis are not always “the same as every other freakin team in their respecive leagues”
Seahawks, Niners, Eagles main colors are unique in NFL. I do wish there was less navy blue – especially in MLB there is way too much (SEA,MIN,CLE,DET,NY,BOS,SD,StL,Atl)
#126 by Jeff B on 03.21.07 5:33 pm |
Metsfan AZ said:
Not completely random given this and this.
#127 by Metsfan AZ on 03.21.07 5:37 pm |
#128 by Jeff B on 03.21.07 5:43 pm |
#129 by Metsfan2 on 03.21.07 6:55 pm |
someone show me how to make one of those shirts please!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i know how to make the shirt but want to learn how to make the imae that goes on the shirt
#130 by Tony on 03.21.07 7:55 pm |
Dick Vitale in these (cough) “discussion starters”
#131 by DRob on 03.21.07 8:42 pm |
Today has been the greatest day for comments.
First there is much discussion on the USMNT third jersey (which I’ve decided not to buy, unless it looks damn good on TV against Ecuador, which I highly highly doubt).
Second there is a ton of discussion about the Tulane baseball team, a school and team that I grew up with. I’m pretty sure baby blue is a color used pretty commonly in Tulane athletics, as is the multiple jerseys. I’m pretty sure the bball team had a white, gray, black, and green jersey.
I tried to dig up some more pictures but thier website is terrible.
#132 by Jeff B on 03.21.07 8:44 pm |
Tony said:
…Made all the worse by the red tee under the black shirt. Combining obnoxious with obnoxious, says I.
#133 by Stuby on 03.21.07 9:06 pm |
Chad G said:
281 is not navy in my opinion. Navy is the color of a Navy uniform. Dark, dark blue
#134 by Jon in SLC on 03.21.07 9:06 pm |
Joe said:
Joe, Thanks. A friend of mine who creates images for commercials and print ads uses the same programs (on a Mac) also. I wondered if you used the same. And I like the Brewers design.
#135 by Bob A on 03.21.07 9:19 pm |
Tony said:
Hideous is every way possible (and then some)
#136 by Stuby on 03.21.07 9:30 pm |
Bob A said:
Almost like when you change the color scheme in Windows and things just don’t look quite right.
#137 by Brian from Short Island on 03.21.07 9:50 pm |
Stuby said:
Nothing in Windows looks quite right ^_^
#138 by Zac on 03.21.07 10:26 pm |
Tim said:
Nonsense. I really like some of the redone uniforms with darker colors. Call me crazy, but I’m a big fan of the Eagles colors along with the old Chargers’ uniforms, I also like the scheme the Seahawks adopted. The thing I like about the Seahawks set is that they strayed away from the traditional over-saturated colors a bit.
The USA Today link posted earlier gave me some solace. It said that the Chargers plan on using the powder blue uniforms we all love, the throwback ones, once or twice during the season. Maybe it’ll take some getting used to, but I’m still not digging those new unis. The old ones had a simplicity to them that was still somewhat unique, I liked that.
#139 by Minna H. on 03.21.07 10:49 pm |
Tulane unis: I don’t like them. The script ones are ok, I guess, but the block ones are hideous with the armpit/shoulder stains. A confession that will get me kicked off Paul’s Christmas card list: I don’t like green in unis for the most part unless it’s a really dark green. I know, I tknow, the Tulane green is pretty dark, but I don’t like the gestalt of the unis. The baby blue one is unspeakable.
What I DO like, however, is the way Kerry sets up his links with the dividers in between. Thanks!
Oh, and I do like the black lids of Tulane—to nobody’s surprise, I’m sure.
#140 by Burrill on 03.21.07 10:59 pm |
Minna H. said:
Minna, would the Wild!’s unis be an example of a green you do like?
Also, I am shocked that you like the black hats. And when I say “shocked” I mean “glad to see all is right with the world.”
Oh, and I have been absent from the site for a couple weeks. I got into the routine of checking the site at work, and now I’m no longer at work. It screwed up my routine.
#141 by Minna H. on 03.21.07 11:06 pm |
Burrill said:
Yay! I was wondering where you went, Burrill. Glad to see you back with us. Don’t go MIA for too long, here?
Ha. You caught me. Yes, I think the Wild! have excellent unis (despite the ludicrous logo), and the green isn’t that dark. What can I say? I’m a MN gal through and through.
However, I prefer the red unis of the Wild! (which also have green) than the mostly green ones. I am so glad the Wild! are keeping the red ones next year.
#142 by Mike on 03.22.07 12:22 pm |
Kerry said:
It loses points for the white shoes.
#143 by Ken Lynch on 07.05.07 6:06 pm |
With respect to the Dodger spring training “S”, I would vote that it would indeed have something to do with either the players being spring training ‘invitees’ either as walk-ons, or from one of the minor league affiliates. If you notice, the three guys appear to be younger and ‘hoofing it’, while the guy in back with the number 5 appears to be out for more of a leisurely jog…