History of Baseball Jerseys

A lot of teams change their jerseys for a lot of different reasons. Some teams might change them for a fancier design so more people come to the ballpark. Another reason is because their team name might change, like the Montreal Expos changed to the Washington Nationals, and they are changed jerseys. It’s more likely that teams who are below .500 winning percentage and teams that have low attendance will change jerseys. Sometimes, if the team gets a new owner the owner will change the jerseys. Teams that are in the playoffs probably won’t change their jerseys because people will want winning teams jerseys.

Some teams change jerseys a lot like the Oakland Athletics. This might be because not too many people are buying the jersey, and so they make jerseys to profit from them. Other teams don’t change that often like the New York Yankees who have only changed uniforms once since 1920. The Yankees uniform is a very popular uniform, so they don’t change it.

Baseball jerseys have changed a lot since the early 1900s. The jerseys then were usually way too big for the players. Now the jerseys are made to fit perfectly on the players. A lot of the old jerseys only had a logo on the front, and most teams these days have the players number and team name.

Each team has two regular home and away jerseys. Some teams have alternate home and away jerseys. Sometimes teams wear throw backs, throwbacks are jerseys that players used to wear when they played. Baseball tradition is for the home team to wear white and the away team to wear gray.

All of the players on the fields jersey has to be the same color, trim, and style. The sleeves can’t be slit and all sleeves have to be the same length. No player can add tape or anything else.

In 1960 Bill Veeck was the person who put last names on the back of the jerseys. Ted Turner was the first person to put nicknames on the back of jerseys (you can’t do that now). The first team to ever wear a baseball jersey was the New York Knickerbockers in 1849. The first time a number was on a jersey was in 1916.

Retired Jersey Numbers

Every team has #42 retired (Jackie Robinson)

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Jim Fregosi #11 Number Retired in 1998 Player/Manager

Gene Autry # 26 Number Retired in 1982 Owner

Rod Carew #29 Number Retired in 1986 Player

Jimmie Reese #50 Number Retired in 1995 Player

Nolan Ryan #30 Number Retired in 1992 Player

Oakland Athletics

Rollie Fingers #34 Number Retired in 1993 Player

Jim " Catfish " Hunter #27 Number Retired in 1993 Player

San Diego Padres

No jersey has been retired yet.

Angels Vladimir Guerrerro 2004 road jersey

Angels Darin Erstad 2004 Home jersey

AngelsNolan Ryan 1979 Cooperstown Jersey

Angels Alternate Home jersey

Angels Rod Carew 1979 Jersey

Athletics Reggie Jackson 1971 Road Jersey

Athletics Barry Zito 2004 Alternate Road Jersey

Athletics 2004 Home Jersey

Athletics 2004 Road Jersey

Athletics 1927 Home Jersey

Links

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