The MLB “City Connect” program began in 2021, with seven teams receiving the new merch dump uniforms. The CC program was originally supposed to encompass all 30 teams, all of whom would receive CCs spread out over three seasons. After that, teams were to get a new CC edition after three seasons.
It didn’t quite work out that way, as the program was delayed and not every team got its own CC. It took four full years for 28 teams to receive a CC (the Yankees refused, and the Athletics — who are spending their last season in Oakland — weren’t given one, as the A’s won’t really have a city to connect to after this season). Only one team, the LA Dodgers actually got a new CC (they were one of the seven teams who were outfitted with CC’s in 2021). The other six teams who were part of the 2021 inaugural CC class continued wearing them in 2024, which marked their fourth season in the CCs.
When the San Francisco Giants CCs were unveiled, they were mostly panned, and in my original 2021 City Connect rankings, I ranked the Giants’ CC’s dead last, almost entirely due to number legibility issues. They didn’t fare much better in the final CC rankings of every CC uniform, coming in at No. 26 out of the 29 total CC uniforms released to that point.
Again, the team ranked so low almost entirely due to number legibility issues.
But I won’t have the Giants’ CC to kick around anymore. The team wore the uniforms for the final time yesterday night. The team has confirmed they will not wear the CC’s in 2025. But fear not, fans of MLB’s City Connect Program, the Giants will be getting new CC’s next year.
I won’t be sad to see them go. I did like the concept: The designs take inspiration from the defining characteristics of a team’s hometown, and designers focused on San Francisco’s famous fog, incorporating gradients meant to represent the marine layer on their numbers and the logo on their chest. The problem was in the execution. By making the numbers look like they were being enveloped by fog, they became largely illegible, and therefore failing in a uniform’s most basic duty: to identify the player. It was one that could be improved greatly by one simple fix: Simply outlining the bottom portion of the number in orange, thereby making them easier to read.
San Francisco Giants fans may not be as happy as I that the program is ending. The team ended up sporting a 30-16 record while wearing them a total of 46 times over four seasons. However, the team only went 4-6 this season while wearing them, so perhaps they won’t be that sad they’re now gone.
Different teams have different protocols for when they wear their CC’s. The Giants wore them for Tuesday home games. Since yesterday was the team’s last Tuesday home game, it marked the final time the uniform would be worn.
Not everyone connected with the Giants disliked the uniforms — but much of that could be attributed to the .652 winning percentage the Giants had while wearing them.
“Most of the city connects, I find, are a little unique wherever I’ve been,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “But I think the winning percentage has been pretty good in it, right? So there’s always that risk.”
Will the other six teams who received CC’s in 2021 also be getting new ones for 2025? I believe many (if not all) will, although nothing has been confirmed by MLB. But apparently the Miami Marlins will also be retiring their CC’s this weekend, and will receive new ones next season. We’ll keep an eye peeled to see if other CC retirement announcements are forthcoming.
The seven teams who received CC’s in 2021 were: Boston, Miami, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Arizona, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Dodgers already have a new CC, with SF and now Miami also confirmed to have new CCs in 2025.
White lower half portions of logos and numbers under the orange parts. White home uniform base. Make one of those charcoal to evoke the fog but still have basic legibility, and call it a day.
No I don’t love gray at home and yes I think the whole City Connect idea is stupid (I also hate alternate jerseys in principle, but that ship has sailed), but if the Mets can have charcoal at home then let the Giants use charcoal gray to fix their problems
The Nationals announced at STH event before the season started that they’re retiring the CCs after this season. Haven’t heard if new ones are in the works.
I thought the Nationals’ were great.
Agreed. I loved that they managed to find something that was recognizable as a Washington trademark without having to conjur up some 10-page “story” to explain it. But best of all, I loved that didn’t fall back on a lazy military or government reference.
As much as the Giants CC has been critically panned, the Marlins CC has been praised, almost exclusively ranked in the top 5. Just as the Marlins management is committed to trading away the players we grow to love, they are doing the same with the uniforms. Why am I surprised.
Maybe the new marlins CC will be the same as the old one but they’ll fix the damn pinstripes so it doesn’t look like cheap crap.
I’m fine with that!
#BringBackTheTeal
Absolutely!
As a Giants fan, there were things I liked and things I disliked. I really like the shade of orange used. It’s bright and vibrant, and looks really good on the cap. I definitely disliked the Golden Gate Bridge on the side of the cap. It was way to large and garish. I found a CC cap without the bridge and wear it often. The numbers were also a fail here. But hey, at least they didn’t look as bad as the Padres.
The Nationals are reportedly retiring their cherry blossom city connect uniforms at the end of the 2024 season. No word on when their new city connect
On the mlb shop website all of the current city connect themed items are discounted.
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They should ‘city connect’ by using their Montreal identity more often.
No thanks
Leave Montreal in Montreal. There is over 70 years of DC MLB before the Nats arrived, so that is what should be celebrated.
I’m of the complete opposite mindset—history should stay with franchises, not cities. It’s the only way to keep a direct thru line.
This is one of those city that was just frustrating because it had 50-75% of a good concept and Nike’s designers just made some bizarre choices. The illegiblity was a massive issue which as mentioned could have been solved with Orange outlines. The G logo makes no sense either as it’s a “City Connect” so wouldn’t the classic SF monogram make far more sense. You could basically variation on their road alternate and it probably would have been great.
The Astros are getting rid of the current CC and getting new ones next year. They announced it on the local TV broadcast last week and the current CC gear is on sale at the team shop.
I’m praying that the Reds get rid of their black-for-black-sake, monochrome CC uniforms.
At least wear white pants if they decide to continue with those hideous concoctions.
Nothing says Cincinnati Reds and The Big Red Machine like an all black uniform.
The Marlins eliminating their CC uniform is a shame. Their best look by a lot.
As for the other 2021 CCs, I would think most of them would be eliminated. I would be surprised if Boston doesn’t keep the marathon one though.
As a UK-based Giants fan living off the MLB free game of the day in normal hours, so the games I catch are Sunday games or road games – so haven’t had the same exposure to seeing these on TV (or the legibility frustrations!).
But I liked them. With a colour palate of white, orange and black, eliminating the black gave a different look, but still “on brand” and the fog and the bridge were a good City element.
My fear is what they replace them with. The CCs have got more off-brand or more lazy as the programme has gone on, so while I’m happy for them to go for a new look after 4 years, I just hope we’re not harking back to this set a couple of months into next season!
Just end the city connect. I wish more teams would say “no thanks,” like the Yankees did.
Agreed. I would love to see the sales numbers nationwide and by team for the whole CC project. Because the only way this ends is if it isn’t resonating at the cash registers.
My sample size is Philadelphia, and for as much as there is/was much more hate than love for the Phillies’ CC v1.0, I see a decent amount of it in the stands at CBP, so somebody is buying it. (Not me.)
I hope the cubs and Rockies retire theirs, not because I dislike them, but because I want those hats, but won’t pay full price
I think they should have made the unis a heather grey look (a shade or two darker than standard roadies so it’s distinct, but not as dark as the Mets CC). That would invoke the fog a bit better. And then add an orange or black outline to the characters on the uni so it outlines the white parts. Then, embroider the bridge on the sleeve instead of crummy looking sublimation. Then, move the bridge to the front of the hat like the Mets had. Now it’s a decent looking uni.
The Giants’ flagship radio station KNBR just posted a memorial video to the CC unis.
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Were the Giants’ CC jerseys made with this year’s new template or did they keep wearing last year’s template/chassis?
“Again, the team ranked so low almost entirely due to number legibility issues.”
For me they ranked low because they look like cheap giveaway jerseys.
Someone really needs to get rid of the acid they take at Nike to come up with BS like this.
Nothing says “we have a good connection with our city” like having to try to connect to your city again. This whole idea has been dumb.
This program was never intended for fans like me (old, European, not easily influenced by peers, more than a casual fan) so having a strong opinion about them does not really make sense, but I will not shed a tear when this program will be discontinued. So many ugly or mediocre uniforms. I did like the Washington cherry blossom ones. This one of the Giants was totally forgettable and I will not miss it.
Restore all of the remaining Negro League ballparks, have four or five games a year where two teams play at one of those parks and the other 28 teams play in their regular stadiums but all 30 teams wear faithful Negro League throwbacks from their rough geographic area, and end this CC nonsense.
Phew. The Giants CC unis were an abomination. The fog did not look like fog and the orange was not Golden Gate Bridge orange. Both fog and orange are SF trademarks, even if screamingly obvious. It really seems like the took the first idea they had and then failed miserably at implementing their near-thoughtless concept.
On the SFGiants subreddit, someone commented that the rumor is next years CC unis will be Grateful Dead themed. Take that for what it’s worth.
This would be on par. As long as I can remember, the Giants have sold small quantities of Grateful Dead merch.
Here is the thread on the Grateful Dead rumor.
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