As you can see above, MLB has just announced that nine teams will be getting new City Connect uniforms for 2024 (and has also committed an egregious apostrophe catastrophe). Here are the big takeaways:
- The Yankees are not on the list. That aligns with earlier hints and reports.
- The A’s are also not on the list. That makes sense, given that they don’t even know which city they’ll be calling home over the next couple of years.
- The other eight teams that do not yet have CC uniforms — the Blue Jays, Cardinals, Guardians, Mets, Phillies, Rays, Tigers, and Twins — are all on the list.
- The biggest surprise is that the Dodgers, who were part of the first wave of CC uniforms back in 2021, are on the list, so they’re apparently going to be the first MLB team to be on board for CC 2.0 (and the only team to be doing so this season).
The Dodgers situation is particularly surprising because their original CC design was a totally half-assed job that basically said, “Yeah, okay, we’ll be part of this program if we have to be, but we don’t really care about it.”
They wore their original CC uniform only four times in 2021, which tells you what they thought of it. The following year, they changed the cap design.
They wore that one only five times in 2022.
Last year they changed the uniform yet again, swapping out the blue pants for white.
The funny thing about this is that when the CC program was announced in 2021, the plan was for every team to be part of the program by 2023 and for uniforms to cycle in and out on a three-year rotation. So the Dodgers are actually doing it the way the program was originally planned — but they’re the only ones doing so. The other 2021 CC teams (the Cubs, Diamondbacks, Giants, Marlins, Red Sox, and White Sox) are apparently sticking with their original CC uniforms for a fourth season, or are at least not getting new ones this season.
As for this year’s CC designs: We know that the Mets are planning for their CC uni to make its on-field debut on April 26. To my knowledge, we have no word yet on unveiling or on-field dates for any of the other teams.
(My thanks to Adam Hainsfurther for bringing MLB’s tweet to my attention.)
Good opportunity for the “Doyers” uniforms.
No Yankees or A’s.
Not really a surprise.
Tired of the Yankees continually getting special treatment. The Dodgers and Red Sox have equally iconic uni sets, but they’re both taking part of the CC program. It’s time for the Yanks to quit putting themselves above the rest of the league and be team players.
Both teams have iconic uniforms yes, but I wouldn’t say they equal the Yankees’. They’ve both messed with their standard home and away sets and worn many alternates over the years, especially Boston.
Special treatment would be if the Dodgers and Red Sox both said no and the MLB forced them to it. With them both being part of the first to do it, it would seem they were both in to it.
“but I wouldn’t say they equal the Yankees’”
I would. The Dodgers have a better uniform than the Yankees. I said it. The Red Sox, too, depending on what year we’re talking about. The only reason the Yanks always place so high on best uniforms lists is that they feel like something out of a museum.
I should have been more clear in that I wasn’t really referring to the quality of the uniforms – I personally prefer the Dodgers’ the most out of the three. I was referring to the fact that the Yankees have stuck to tradition more consistently over the years.
Better yet, the ownerships of the Dodgers and Red Sox should just refuse to participate as the Yankees have done. Hell, that’s what every ownership group should have done! I hate the Yankees but I don’t hate them for getting this one thing right.
Agree with this. I hate the Yankees, but commend them for their response, or lack there of.
Tigers should reverse the blue D on white to white D on blue and incorporate the Joe Louis fist on a sleeve
I could also see the Tigers incorporate the Spirit of Detroit statue in some way
I am excited about detroit cc because there is so much art, history, and culture that could be utilized but I have a small feeling that it will be a classic let down and it wipp be like mono softball uniforms with a car.
The cynic in me wonders, re: the three year cycle, if the Dodgers and/or MLB were unhappy with the merchandise sales of the Dodgers stuff vs the other teams with previous CC-designs being happy enough with said sales to keep their current designs. Anecdotally it seemed that Dodgers were the CC design that went down worst. Even the others that didn’t get great overall reaction had elements that seemed to be embraced and may have been trail successful (caps, etc.).
Glad the Yankees told MLB, Nike, and Fanatics to kick rocks on this. Other teams should have followed suit.
I have maintained that if they were forced into doing it, they should come up with a NY Black Yankees Negro League tribute as their CC uniform, tied it to some celebrations at the renovated Hinchcliffe Stadium in Patterson, NJ, and had CC Sabathia, who is very passionate about black baseball players getting their due, be heavily involved in whatever program they did. There is a way to do this and make it meaningful and not just another cash grab by the league and its merchandise vendor.
Bringing the orange “Los Mets” jerseys back for CC would be great. Doubt it will happen.
Paul and Phil, you should hold a “Design a City Connect uniform for the Yankees” contest. I’m interested to see what others would come up with and I’d be tempted to participate myself.
I maintain that this didn’t have to be a “mandatory” program with bizarre designs a go go. Much like the nba city editions, a few of these hit on something that could have simply been a part of a full uni set redesign. Arizona and Texas, with some tweaks, could have nice unis if they did a home and away based on their CCs. But a team like the dodgers (or giants) should be allowed to just use their Los dodgers (or gigantes) unis as is and not have to scrap them for a stupid rule or make them into an overdesigned novelty, because fans love the original versions. Then you’ve got teams like the rays who have such great faux-back and throw-back looks that those should be their “special unis” not some forced marketing tripe. there’s teams that typically throw back to their local negro league teams each season (Seattle and Atlanta come to mind), if that counts against the 4+1 rule then make it their special uni. Seattle also comes to mind along with the braves, astros, padres, and white Sox, as teams that have a beloved and gorgeous uni history to call on for a throwback and not-as was the case with Atlanta and Pittsburgh’s CCs-some phony “homage” that just ruins a classic team look.
My own conspiratorial theory for the Braves laughably bad CC uniform is that the “feathers” on the sleeve of the 1974 throwback, that Hank Aaron wore when he broke Ruth’s career HR record, did not leave room on the garish “Quikrete” uni ad.
So, they had to come up with a Hank Aaron “Lite” uni that left enough real estate on the shoulder for the ugly uni ad patch.
I’m not looking forward to any of them.
any connections of this being the order of release?
It appears to be alphabetical by city, Carson.
thank you Paul.
Oh great, so the Blue Jays will become the black Jays once again.
So predictable
I’d be into something for the Dodgers that referenced Hollywood and their rad celebrity All-Star game uniforms.
I think it would be impossible for the A’s/Athletics to have a “City Connect” uniform, as they can’t seem to be able to connect to a city (Philadelphia, Kansas City, Oakland, Las Vegas). They average a city about every 31 years.
I didn’t know teams could get 2 different ones. It’s really odd the Dodgers get another. Yankees should be forced to have one too if they’re going to put some sleazy insurance company on the sleeve.
Can’t wait to see how many ways they can shoehorn a guitar into the Cleveland CC.
This Dodger fans says, “Noooooo!!!!!!”
As if ruining NBA unis wasn’t enough……
This will be my first real test of if these are classy or assy. I live in Cleveland, a new transplant, and i lives for YEARS in the Tampa Bay area before moving. If ANY of these ugly jerseys have appeal to me, it will be these. Lets just say, I dont have high hopes. Can we PLEASE just stick to the team color scheme across ALL sports? Especially MLB and College football? Remember, we literally root for LAUNDRY, so stop changing your damn clothes!
MLB money grab. Completely stupid idea.