They keep talking about see-through baseball pants; Fans and brands look for the culprits

Later this month, Major League Baseball (MLB) will officially begin its 2024 season, and with spring training already in full swing, the conversation between hardcore fans and casual observers has been unusually lively. In theory, it would be great for this mlb, The effort to expand its reach comes amid a long-running decline in the game’s popularity and cultural prestige, which was offset somewhat by a series of popular rule changes last year.

Unfortunately, the discussion has not been about the New York Yankees acquiring Juan Soto or the Los Angeles Dodgers signing Shohei Ohtani. Instead, people haven’t been able to stop talking about the league’s new uniforms, especially the pants, which leave little room for the imagination.

The clothing issue was so transparent that it arose in late February when photos of players in spring training began to surface, giving fans – and some players – the first look at the new MLB uniforms, which were designed and manufactured by Nike Fanatics. By, the giant sporting goods manufacturer.

“Fanatics are going to hell,” said one user, in reference to X, formerly known as Twitter. A particularly candid photo of a San Diego Padres player prone on the field.The see-through pants quickly became an online sensation.

“I’m going to buy Fanatics baseball pants instead of lingerie for my wife,” reads a post with more than 33,000 likes on Platform X. Another person joked, “Whenever I’m nervous about speaking in public, I just pretend the attendees are wearing Fanatics baseball pants.”

The problems with the new MLB uniforms go beyond ugly pants. The league signed a 10-year, $1 billion deal with Nike and Fanatics to design and manufacture its uniforms in 2020, but it wasn’t until this year that the uniforms received a significant new look with less intricate details and updated fabrics. Format was given.

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“We worked closely with players, teams and the league to create the most advanced uniforms in MLB history that are lighter and more flexible,” Nike told The New York Times in a statement. “We will continue to work with MLB, the players and our manufacturing partner to get the uniforms right for the players.”

It should be noted that the pants are made of the same material as last season. A popular theory online is that the transparency was probably increased by the bright lights used on team photo shoot days. But even if that were the case, there’s one big difference this year: The pants are no longer customized for each player. In return players are provided with Four cuts to choose from: fitted, standard, athletic and muscular, (Nike scanned the bodies of 300 Major League players to create different options.)

However, the general perception is that the new uniforms represent a great A shock in terms of quality. Some issues may be resolved by the time the regular season begins, but complaints abound: One social media user pointed out that two players on the same team were wearing jerseys with different sleeve cuffs.

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard said in a phone interview that when he first joined the league in 2009, the uniform he was given was the best uniform he had ever worn. “You can literally fit it perfectly to your body,” he said. “They were almost perfect.”

It’s not like that.

“It’s a different material. It’s not that simple,” Bard said. “They changed the names. They look strange: very small and very curved. The spots on the arms look like iron hoes.”

Bard is intrigued by the idea that the uniform was redesigned for performance reasons. “Removing 50 or 80 grams from the uniform will not make a big difference in our performance,” he said. “No player asked for this. “We’re not Olympic runners.”

Although Nike was responsible for the new uniform design and MLB approved it, baseball fans have overwhelmingly blamed the fanatics., This is despite the fact that the league’s uniforms have been manufactured in the same factory since the early 2000s and no problems were ever reported before this year.

“We’re doing exactly what we’re told and we’re doing everything right,” Fanatics founder Michael Rubin said during a sports analytics conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this month. He said that despite this the company is receiving the most criticism. He added, “It hasn’t been fun.”

Radicalism has become a target of criticism To many because it manufactures and sells on-field apparel and officially licensed merchandise for most of the major professional sports leagues in the United States. The company has been sued numerous times, and many say it has Monopoly on sports memorabilia. MLB gear, which Nike Designs and Fanatics makes and sells, isn’t cheap either: A 2024 jersey costs about $175, but some versions go for nearly $400. Prices for Nike/Fanatics replica NFL and NBA jerseys are equally high.

The uniform debacle is also indicative of how sportswear is changing to become more performance-oriented, sometimes at the expense of aesthetics and quality. Nike isn’t the only sportswear company battling a scandal over see-through pants. In 2013, a group of investors filed a class-action lawsuit against Lululemon, whose stock price collapsed following the recall of its black yoga pants.

“Clothing has evolved,” said Todd Radom, who wrote the book “Winning Ugly: A Visual History of the Most Bizarre Baseball Uniforms Ever Worn” and personally designed the logos and uniforms of several MLB teams. “They moved to synthetic fabrics in the early 1970s. There’s been kind of a change Arms race to make them lighter and cooler,

“Nike around the world have their own products they want to launch,” Radom said. “Move the product.”

Despite all the jokes and all the complaints, MLB’s best approach may be to remain patient.

“It’s happening in every sport,” said Chris Creamer, who wrote a book with Radom and has operated a website about sports logos and uniforms since 1997. “In basketball, when Nike first introduced its new uniforms, people were outraged. Ultimately, what happens is that there’s a huge stir when it’s first revealed. And then, a few weeks Or within months, everyone forgets the change ever happened.”

c.2024 New York Times Company

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