MLB's new Nike design, uniform tops made by Fanatics, sparked a huge backlash from fans and players when it first debuted earlier this month.
Pants could be worse.
As spring training games begin and official photos are taken, it's revealed that Fanatics has chosen a thinner material for the pants, which is an issue when the pants are white. The pants are almost see-through, allowing you to see the hem of the tucked-in shirt and the player's compression shorts.
This material can also outline what should not be shown in a family-friendly environment. You have been warned about the photos below.
The situation is so bad that Shohei Ohtani, the world's most famous baseball player, appears to be wearing baggy, tight white shoes in an official photo with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
MLBPA Secretary Tony Clark commented on the matter Thursday via ESPN, saying he has heard “universal” concerns from players about the pants.
“A lot of the rhetoric is based on the fact that the pants are see-through,” Clark said. “It's been an ongoing conversation, and every day something new has come up, but it doesn't seem to be as meaningful as you'd like.”
The problem is not limited to quality, as Clark claimed teams are also having trouble procuring enough uniforms for spring training.
“Some teams have pants and jerseys,” Clark said. “Some teams don't have pants on. There are other teams that are supposed to receive something before the year starts. Just in case there's a problem with the pants and a player needs new pants. Some players don’t have anything in reserve.”
All of this is clearly a huge failure for MLB, as well as for Nike and Fanatics. The blame game has largely focused on Fanatics, whose quality of apparel has been vilified by fans for years, but the real blame may lie with Nike. As Uni Watch points out, Fanatics has been manufacturing MLB uniforms for four years at the Pennsylvania factory Majestic used when it was the league's manufacturer.
What has changed is that Nike has introduced what it calls the Nike Vapor Premier Jersey. The jersey uses a material hailed in a news release as a high-performance fabric that is breathable, lightweight, and 25% more stretchy, and is almost certainly cheaper to manufacture. Nike also moved the MLB logo from his collar to just below it, which made the text smaller at the top and fans didn't like it.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred I defended the uniform last week.claiming that fans and players will get used to them:
“The jersey is different. It's designed as performance wear. It's been tested more extensively than any sports jersey. Once people wear it a little bit, it'll become popular right away.”
Manfred points out that there is at least one group that is happy with the revealing uniforms. According to Caroline Meansis married to Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means.
“That's fine with your wife.”
