Wednesday, June 10, 2009

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A Plan For Neo-Retro New York Mets Uniforms

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Today's lead-off spot is a another great guest column from Carlo .

So as Mets fans (and announcers) continue to complain about the black uniforms, and rumors are swirling of changes coming next year, I thought I'd give my two cents on how the Mets can make new alternate jerseys, and still keep baseball traditionalists happy (and even buying them!)

In order to not make it seem gimmicky (As the blacks do. Do we really want to seem as desperate as the Marlins, A's or Blue Jays?) keep the uniforms as an homage to New York's baseball past, as the Phillies and Indians pay homage to their past. This will show that New York has a rich National League baseball history, AND make everyone want to buy one.

So what to do? Here's my suggestion:

Since our home uniforms (since we wear them the most, I'll refer to our home uniforms as the "snow" whites with blue caps, script lettering) seem to pay homage to the Dodgers of old, and the away uniforms (greys with black caps, "old style" lettering) seem to pay homage to the Giants, switch them up a bit. Make an alternate home that pays homage to the Giants, and an alternate away that pays homage to the Dodgers. The trick is to make them both more "Mets" than Giants or Brooklyn.

Let's start with the homes. Since the Giants still wear the same uniform that they have since the 50's the Mets can't go back and wear those. So I suggest we go back even further to the blue and red New York Giants uniform, which they wore in the 1940's .

Keep the same font, but change "Giants" to "Mets" and it will still remain Mets enough (everyone today associates that NY logo with the Mets, not Giants anymore) and yet pay tribute to New York's first (sorta, sorry Mutual of New York) National League baseball team. Obviously, we put no numbers in front, no names on the back. 

Pair them up with the 1940's New York Giants caps.  And boy, oh boy, will you have a winner.

I promise you these will FLY off of shelves, with young and old alike buying them. And everyone, from announcers to baseball purists, will talk about how great the Mets look.





Now, for the aways. Here, I take the old Brooklyn Dodgers grey aways before the red numbers on the front and keep them basically the same, including the same material, with one big exception. In place of the "Brooklyn" script, use "Queens" in the same font. Same with the hat , keep the old style white lettering on the blue hat, but take the "B" and make it a "Q".

Can you imagine? The entire borough of Queens, New York city's most populace, will want to buy these uniforms. They'll be a huge hit, and again, they'll keep baseball's traditional fans happy (and buying).

Now the key is to wear these as alternates, that is, one day a week. Have "Throwback Sundays" wear the Mets wear these only on that day, home and away.

I think it'd be a rousing success, widely popular, and show everyone the Mets care about history and tradition. (Because right now, everyone is really doubting that)

(Stick the Citi field concessions staff in the black hats and unis, and they'll still sell.)

I think these will make everyone happy, and do the opposite of the black uniforms do, which make us look like an expansion team: gimmicky and without any history or tradition. These alternates will do the opposite. Mets fans can wear them, glance over at their buddys in Yankee pinstripes and say, "Hey guys, don't forget, National League baseball was in New York long before you guys came along."

So what does everyone think?


I think he's on to something with the home uniforms.  I wouldn't want to introduce red as a new color, but maybe a dark orange would work.   As for the roads, I'm not sure "Queens" or a "Q"  would work but maybe something similarly themed with "New York" - and like Carlo said, only on Sunday.


I will also throw out there that the Mets are selling Mr. Met caps (see the sticking cap left which is not a cap but all I could find.) that might make for an interesting Sunday alt-logo, like how Boston is using the double-socks cap.




Forgive me if this article doesn't look so pretty.  The formatting was tough with several pictures.


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@metspolice
9 Responses to "A Plan For Neo-Retro New York Mets Uniforms"
Vegas Rich said :
June 10, 2009 at 9:42 AM
I can't for the life of me figure out why there's even a discussion about uniforms. Who cares if it's Red, white, black and blue. Makes no sense to me. So what. They all look fine especially when they hit and pitch well, play good defense and manufacture runs. If the Mets went let's say 45-4 in their black uniforms, trust me there would be no fuss. Let's fuss about something worthwhile like the overall play on the field and stop wasting time on what the stupid uniform looks like.
Chris said :
June 10, 2009 at 10:33 AM
I love the Giants home uniform idea, not so keen on the Queens one. How about these to pay homage to the Dodgers:

http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/detail_page.asp?fileName=nl_1916_brooklyn.gif&Entryid=250

I'm kidding. Oh God I'm kidding. No, but how about these, only replace the B with the interlocking NY:

http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/detail_page.asp?fileName=nl_1923_brooklyn.gif&Entryid=362
Unknown said :
June 10, 2009 at 11:19 AM
This is a fantastic idea. Any way to forward this to Fred Wilpon ASAP?
Greg said :
June 10, 2009 at 12:52 PM
I LOVE the 1940's Giants uni's... in fact I own the blue hat you picture above and I wear it pretty much every day. I would also be for replacing the red with a darker orange to keep it Metsie, but I think that is the best idea.

I would also be thrilled to see a royal blue alternate jersey with orange and white striping come back. I think we had one in the 80's, in fact I see one right next to the comment box here... that is so much nicer than the black.

I don't hate the black shirts as much as some others, but I DESPISE the black hats with the blue bills... what a freakin retarded combo. You would think the designers would ask someone who knows a thing or two about fashion - someone who knows that you NEVER match blue and black... its so ugly.
Anonymous said :
June 10, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Vegas Rich: I think people care about the uniforms in baseball so much more than in any other sport, because its representative of the history of the game (which I understand, not everyone cares about).

We've been playing National League baseball in New York since 1875! That's before Colorado was even a state, two world wars, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and many, many other fads. The same way my grandfather went to the ballpark on Sundays in the 1930's, I go today. I think that's pretty amazing.

So I think wearing the traditional uniforms adds an extra touch to that. When you see your players, today, dressed the same was old newsreels from the 1940's, it makes us really feel like, hey, we're keeping something special alive here. Fashion trends have come and gone, but good old baseball means something more than that, and doesn't change.

Yeah, that's probably a bit too much from me. But hey, if you like baseball, you're probably already the nostalgic type.
Anonymous said :
June 10, 2009 at 3:11 PM
I LOVE the idea of a Mr. Met alternate logo. I mean, how can you NOT love anything that guy is on?
Anonymous said :
June 11, 2009 at 9:41 AM
The Mets take a beating enough without a uniform with "Queens" written in large letters across their chest. It would be a disaster similar to when the Islanders came out with the fisherman logos.

That said, anything is better than the current black ones. Bring back the 86' uni's and everyone will be happy. Lets honor the METS, not the dodgers or Giants.
Anonymous said :
June 11, 2009 at 2:55 PM
For the love of God please make sure the uniforms have names on them. I despise the Yankees style of just numbers. The Mets will always be the new as the Yankees are to the old. We should embrace the fact that the Mets are the youngest "New York" baseball team. Even if you borrow from the past; any new uniform needs show it belongs in the 2000s.
Anonymous said :
June 19, 2009 at 4:20 PM
I sort of like the ideas for the uniforms (we shouldn't put a Q on the hat but rather leave it as it is,) but I don't want to see the gray roadie get replaced (we know how the Wilpons get crazy when they introduce an alternate uniform.)
I think what the Mets need to do, above all, is get rid of the shadow drop behind the words on their unis. It makes them look like an AFL team, and it makes the font too jumbled up and busy.

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