The Orioles are currently holding their Birdland Caravan, an annual fan-fest event, and a local radio station that’s broadcasting live from the event has helpfully tweeted a bunch of photos of Baltimore players wearing jerseys in the new Nike template. Even better, those photos also include some of the radio station’s own personnel wearing jerseys in the old template, so we can compare. Let’s start with this photo:
The two guys on the left are players, wearing the new template; the other guys are from the radio station, wearing the old template. Here are the major takeaways:
- The placket break is essentially unchanged (which is a bit disappointing, because I think the connector between the “i” and the “o” is too long).
- As we’ve seen with other teams, the sleeve trim has moved down to the base of the cuff (I’ll provide a better look at this in a sec).
- Most importantly, at least for me, this is the first photo I’ve seen that really shows the difference between the old shade of white and the new off-white that Nike is using MLB-wide.
Here’s another shot, which provides a slightly better view of the new sleeve trim:
Again, the color distinction is pretty clear to see (although in this case the radio guys are closer to the camera, so that may also be having a slight effect on what we’re seeing here).
It’s not clear to me why Nike has chosen to go off-white. I don’t really mind it, but it’s puzzling.
(My thanks to Brad Fair for bringing these photos to my attention.)
The conspiracy in me thinks that the off-white color reduces more of the new thinner material’s transparency than the usual white color.
I still think the Orioles script on the front of the jerseys is a tad too large.
Agree…it is also a bit grotesque compared to the elegant script from my youth.
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That new sleeve trim reminds me of the 1989 redesign.
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Perhaps the off-white was used to make the diehards feel they have to buy a new jersey because this one is different.
Paul, would it be incorrect to say the old trim was a soutache braid on top of the jersey and the new trim is a ribbed striping added to the end of the jersey? That is what is looks like to me.
Yes.
If the white jersey is now off-white, did Nike also change the base color for the Giants, who wear cream or off white at home?
I believe the Giants’ cream is a bit less white (or more off-white, or however you’d like to describe it) than the new off-white and will therefore remain the same.
Ditto for the M’s retro alternates.
I’ve always thought dem O’s could go with a cream uni. This brings me a tad closer to my dream
I love the cream colored unis, but also a big fan of the bright, crisp, whites as well.
Maybe the new material doesn’t clean up as well, so the off white is used to reduce the amount of replacement jerseys needed to replace stained ones?
Are the Orioles planning a 70th anniversary logo?
Not that I’m aware of.
I’m so tired of Nike messing with things that aren’t “broke”, just to squeeze new merch sales out of it. There was no need to go off-white, or to move the trim to the base of the cuff. Not that I’m naive enough to think Nike notices or cares, but I’m proud to still be wearing my Majestic O’s jerseys.
Still can’t get over how thin and cheap that material looks. As many have pointed out, looks like a stadium giveaway. How long is MLB stuck with Nike?
Seconded
If you listen to Nike, the lighter fabric increased bat speed by 0.478%, which is totally worth using shoddy looking fabric.
The off-white doesn’t look terribly off, just not as “clean” as a white jersey. But the other jerseys (and the woman’s white sweater) are poor comparisons.
Wouldn’t the lighter weight fabric also increase the speed and/or movement of pitches? And if so doesn’t that negate the potential positive impact to bat speed?
It’s all nonsense and corporate speak, and it absolutely cancels itself out when used by everyone. It’s Nike being Nike.
It looks like the front numbers are changed as well. They are no longer designed with their own proportions but instead look to be smaller versions of the back numbers. 
And they posted another image that shows the sleeve patch and it looks smaller. Nike did this with some of the NFL teams sleeve patches too.
Do MLB teams have the right to say “nah, we can go with the new fabric. But, we want to keep the same trim as the old jersey? You know, like when Nike went with that crazy collar and one year later the Bills said “not for us. give us our old collar back”. Although they finally caved and now their collars look horrible with the latest template.
If teams were able to do that, all of this would be solved.
I don’t mind an off white alternate. But to switch almost everyone’s home white to off white is a head scratcher to me. The white home just looks better to me.
I think Nike is had so much leftover “bone” fabric from unsold and unwanted Rams jerseys so they had to use it for all the new MLB jerseys.
And now everyone gets boned.
Exactly my thought, this has the same dishwater vibe.
The Nike logo is much “fatter” and distinct.
The whole concept for the change is that some folks have too much time on their hands!
Who are the Oriobes ?!? There’s too much separation in the middle of the name, and the script looks like a “b”where the “l” and “e” meet. Other than that it doesn’t look like much or a change or a necessary one.
Two thoughts:
1 – I honestly think this sleeve trim is an upgrade. For Nike, even a blind squirrel finds a nut.
2 – I am interested to see how this off-white will look during games under natural light. Every photo this far seems to be indoors at events, bars, etc.
Looks like the end of the sleeve is tapered (elasticized even?) & trim color is now thicker black vs thinner orange. And less similar to the letter font because of the change. It’s almost invisible when the person is wearing ls black tee. I might rather no trim vs this new style. The only change that was needed was the letter spacing between the i & o and they couldn’t manage to fix that. FAIL.
What the Orioles desperately need to do is revive the 1999 script (but make the “oles” slightly smaller and have it run in the same direction as the “Ori” does). They also need to go back to three-color script and numbers on the black jersey, and to restore the front numbers they’ve worn since 1989.
Nike is going through all the trouble of putting those stupid pinholes in the front numbers (to “foil the jersey fakers”) but can’t be bothered to use proper front number fonts…just like the jersey fakers. Strange world we live in.
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I like old school creamy white vs. bright white personally.
With that, bring back old school BLOCK letters!
Isn’t cursive dying within our school systems anyway, lol.
I just prefer the classic look – add in an orange ‘B’ hat like they wore in 1963, even if it’s an alternate hat to replace the “O’s” hat.
Nike has officially ruined MLB with these cheap/knockoff looking jerseys please return properties back to Majestic and loose the buttons for a while ✌