Paul here, making a rare weekend appearance because we have another MLB update.
So: Someone snapped this shot of an Atlanta replica jersey rendered in Nike’s new tailoring template (see above). And how does the placket break compare with the old version? Let’s take a look:
Again, the new version is a replica jersey, so we can’t yet be 100% sure that this is how it will look on-field. But it looks like they’ve repositioned and/or resized the script. The placket break still runs through the “a,” but in a different spot. More importantly, the headspoon piping runs directly behind the eye of the “a” so that the eye is now filled in, which looks like shite. Looks like the yellow band on the tomahawk handle has also been clipped, which likewise looks like shite. (Simple solution: Scrap the tomahawk already.)
In addition, the sleeve piping has been moved down to the end of the cuff:
Again, that’s a feature of the new template — all sleeve trim is now attached to the cuffs.
Update: My bad for not realizing that the photo at the top of the page was requested from the MLB Shop by Mitchell Barbee. He’s written his own detailed article about all this.
(My thanks to Twitter-er @pyrolord314 for alerting me to the replica jersey photo.)
The sleeve trim is a step down.
Nope, nope, nope… the TEAM dictates where the cuff braid goes, not some pushy supplier. DOUBLEPLUSBAD.
From Paul, “Again, that’s a feature of the new template — all sleeve trim is now attached to the cuffs.”
So, was it Nike or MLB that ruined that little feature…?
Migrating sleeve stripes to the cuff looks pretty bad to me on the teams I’ve seen so far. I wonder if teams had the option to reject the new template and stick with the current ones, like the Yankees who never went for the side vents on the current template. Not to mention Green Bay who has stuck with their Ripon template since before Nike took over the NFL. Forcing teams to adopt an inferior template that causes them to alter their look doesn’t sit well with me.
“Inferior?!!! Pish-posh and poppycock! Our new Nike Platinum Lightning Vapor XC template has been proven to wick moisture 0.57% better than the competition, adding up to 0.2 mph on throws and 0.15 m/sec on swings. Top that!”
– some mid level Nike executive, probably
Well, the ‘a’ is filled in with red now, but on the other hand, the ‘v’ now has some white inside. That’s a wash for me.
With the slight cream color being featured on the new jerseys (and pants), is there any word if teams that currently utilize white panel caps and helmets will be recoloring to match the rest of the uniform?
Great question. IMO they won’t, since the cream probably won’t be *that* different from the current white.
It seems to me the replica jerseys we’re seeing tend to either be (or at least appear) more cream than the on-field authentics will be.
Shohei Ohtani was sporting the new template during his intro presser, and it looked pretty white (link). I’m gonna guess we might not even be able to tell the difference, but I could be wrong.
This was a perfect opportunity to ditch the tomahawk, shift the word mark over, and have the split between the R and A. They’d be 3-0 before throwing the first pitch.
Gosh, I forgot about the sleeve stripe thing. You know it’s a great template when it forces teams to make design changes to their jerseys!
“Sorry, Yankees, but we can’t do pinstripes with this exciting new extra-light, moisture-wicking fabric which makes your athletes .05% faster. Better luck with the next supplier.”
They should listen to Costanza and make them wear cotton.
How many teams have a three-color stripe that was raised away from the end of the sleeve? Seems like those teams are the only ones who can’t just add a white stripe at the bottom of the sleeve to mimic the old style.
This may be semantics, but the old sleeve piping was really a soutache braid sewn on top of the fabric. The newer version looks an attached cuff, like what the Yankees have on their road jersey.
link
I guess it is a matter of preference which looks better. For the Braves, I think the soutache matches the headspoon piping better. What I really can’t stand are templates that now dictate all teams have similar elements. For example, I used to love the Reds large NOB lettering in the 70s. That would not be possible now.
I’m trying to imagine if the Majestic template had the attached cuff and new Nike template had the sewed-on braid.
Would people be saying that the braid looked cheap and Nike was just sewing a ribbon on as an afterthought?
Yes, because regardless of the starting point of the jersey, and Nike’s ending point, they would inevitably find a way to make things look worse.
Can’t even refer to them as the Braves. Why? You are not hurting anyone with that word
Back when Ted Turner changed the road jerseys to read “Atlanta” the capital A was rendered in cursive. Though it doesn’t match the cap, I wish the Braves would switch back to the cursive A. Actually I wish they’d switch back to wearing “Braves” on the road jerseys, like they wore until the mid-1970’s in the days of Aaron & co.
At least with the Brewers, ever since Nike took over there have been significant differences between on-field and replica jerseys. Namely, the location of the placket break and the continuation of lettering under the placket. So I’m hesitant to draw conclusions about the on-field appearance of lettering based on replica retail products.
However, the location indicated here suggests to me that Atlanta has changed neither the size nor the location of the jersey script. The placket witch and headspoon location appear to have shifted beneath unchanged script lettering.
I wonder why Nike seems to have adopted the model that piping must be exactly adjacent to the placket edge. Sure, it used to be on jerseys with the thicker plackets. But that was also a good distance between centered vertical piping. Whereas when zipper-front jerseys had headspoon piping, the piping wasn’t squeezed together adjacent to the zipper inset seams. Instead it was separated as if by a wide button placket. Since the piping is not structurally integral to the jersey or to any seams, why not just keep the piping roughly where it was for teams that have headspoon piping?
It seems as every jersey we get a leaked look is worse than the one before. MLB needs to go back to Majestic. It’s amazing how terrible some are looking. The Braves jersey is pretty iconic, but the white stripe across the name, come one nike. And love the tomahawk, certainly can’t get rid of that.
Majestic as we know it is gone. It’s just part of Fanatics these days
Hope there is a difference between official on field and retail replica, but all of the jerseys in the new template so far look cheap and carelessly designed.
I totally get why Paul is retiring…..I can’t remember the last time I saw a new uniform or a uniform change that I considered positive. A big part of why I chose to be a Braves fan was these beautiful uniforms, and now I wouldn’t buy a new jersey with these weird sleeves that don’t even match the rest of the jersey…even the thickness of the Navy versus the thickness of the Scarlett on the sleeves is different from the “same” piping on the headspoon. Very very disappointing.