2012 Uniform Change: Kansas City Royals Become the Blues

Yesterday we looked at how the Twins will become the Millers in a throwback game, and now today we will look at how the Royals are getting in on the action to, breaking out the Blues uniform. Again, image via Uni Watch Blog.

This brings up an interesting pattern this year. It seems that Majestic has been making a heavy effort to make sure the away team this year is also dressed up for Turned Back the Clock nights. In the past it was done sometimes, but it feels like an often event this season. It is nice in the sense that it makes the whole game authentic, but it also shows (and I don’t know if this is a good or a bad thing) how centralized baseball is becoming, but I guess I’ll digress on that at some other point in time.

Posted in Main Page, Uniform Changes | Leave a comment

2012 Uniform Change Update: The Actual Look at the Diamondbacks and Brewers Italian Heritage Uniforms

Earlier in June we looked at the concept designs for the Brewers’ Birrai and Diamondbacks’ iBacks uniform designs for the Italian Heritage day in Milwaukee. It was pretty clear back then that this would be a messy uniform match up, and we got to see the fruition of that today. As always you can look at the ESPN gallery of the game here.

In a not at all surprising move, you can also purchase the uniforms at the Major League shop (actually I can’t think of a special uniform that cannot be purchased in 2012). Here are some pics of those:

 

Before I continue to break down these uniforms, I appreciate how with these uniforms, and the Tampa Bay Fauxbacks, the little amount of effort that was used to photo shop the team name and player name/number on them. Especially the Upton one, it just looks really tacky, which hopefully will discourage people from getting these jerseys.

My comments hold constant since last time. It is still odd to me that the Diamondbacks have this odd two different color underarm design. It is even odder to me why the Brewers would have their patch and especially the MLB patch in the normal team colors. As bad as their uniform looks, it would look a lot better without Brewer Gold and Blue.

Posted in Main Page, Uniform Changes | Leave a comment

Game Preview: Mets @ Dodgers

The Mets go for the four game sweep this afternoon against the Dodgers! This series has proved to be critical for the Mets as they have inched closer to the Nationals and by virtue of playing the Dodgers, have dragged LA into a three way tie for 2 Wild Card Spots (Mets, Pirates). Yesterday, Santana went out and dazzled the Dodgers and Dillon Gee looks to continue that stretch as he takes on Clayton Kershaw.

Dillon Gee is 5-6 on the year with a 4.42 ERA over 15 starts and 95.2 innings of work. He made 5 starts in the month of June with a 1-3 record and a 3.90 ERA. His two starts against the Dodgers last year were rough as he totaled 12 innings of work, 8 runs, 7 earned. The Dodgers have the following numbers against Gee:

Loney 1-5
Uribe 1-5, 2B
Gwynn 2-3
Ethier 0-4

Clayton Kershaw on the season is 5-4 with a 2.74 ERA over 108.1 innings of work and 103 K’s. He went 1-1 over 5 starts in June with a 3.44 ERA. Last season Clayton was brilliant against the Mets, as he allowed only one earned run over 14.1 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against Kershaw:

Torres 2-19
Hairston 7-17, 2B
Wright 1-9, 2B
Turner 1-7
Murphy 1-3

Let’s Go Mets!

Posted in Main Page | Leave a comment

2012 Uniform Change Update: Rays Fauxback’s

The Rays wore their 1979 throwbacks yesterday to a team that didn’t exist (thus Fauxback) and they looked fantastic, as you can see in this ESPN Gallery.

In a not so surprising move, the Rays are now selling the uniforms on their website. In an actual surprising move, one of the uniforms you can purchase is the manager’s:

Posted in Main Page, Uniform Changes | Leave a comment

2012 Uniform Change: Minnesota Twins become the Millers

The throwback barrage throughout the league continues as the Twins will become the Millers in these really nice uniforms, which you can see via Uni Watch Blog.

I really hope that Twins wear those socks up, because they look awesome.

Posted in Main Page, Uniform Changes | Leave a comment

Game Preview: Mets @ Dodgers

The Mets go for the series win in the city of Angels tonight as they take on Dodgers. Last night the Dodgers drew R.A. Dickey on his normal game as he diced up the lineup. The Mets bats reclaimed their thunder and rocked the Dodgers pitching staff for 9 runs. Johan Santana looks to make it four games in a row for the Mets as he takes on Nathan Eovaldi.

Johan Santana is 5-4 on the season with a 3.00 ERA over 15 starts and 90 innings of work. In his last two starts he has pitched 12 innings, allowing 2 ER, which gives him an ERA of 1.50. In 2010, Johan made two starts against the Dodgers where he allowed 1 ER in 13.0 innings (ERA of 0.69). The Dodgers have the following numbers against Santana:

Uribe 9-62, 4 2B, HR
Kennedy 5-22, 2B, HR
Hairston 0-15
Rivera 2-14, 2B
Abreu 3-7, 2B
Loney 1-9
Gwynn 1-6

Nathan Eovaldi, 22 years old, will look to quiet the Mets bats. On the season he is 0-4 with a 4.04 ERA over six starts and 35.2 innings of work. He has been better than quality all season with the exception of his last two starts where he allowed 3 ER over 6 innings, and then 8 ER over 5 innings. In his young career, he has never faced the Mets organization or anyone currently on the team.

Let’s Go Mets!

Posted in Main Page | Leave a comment

2012 Uniform Change: Washington Nationals Become the 1924 Senators

The Nationals will be turning back the clocks next week as they honor the 1924 Washington Senators, according to this article in the Washington Post. Like all of the throwbacks this year, the uniforms look quite good:

If I was a Nationals fan, I would purchase this uniform. I know the fan base, living in DC for 4 years, is obsessed with the curly “w”, but I have always found this version so much cleaner, modern (in that retro sense of modern). Plus that clean front with sleeve patch, it is just an all around classy uniform. Good job Majestic!

Posted in Main Page, Uniform Changes | Leave a comment

Game Preview: Mets @ Dodgers

It is hard to understate the importance of last night’s game as the Mets won a game where the bullpen played a pivotal roll. The Mets look to build off that momentum as they take on the Dodgers for game two tonight as the Mets send out ace R.A. Dickey to take on Aaron Harang.

Dickey had a rough start his last time out, but looks to go back to pitching his game tonight as his performance tonight (although I’m not thoroughly convinced how much this is on the forefront of Dickey’s mind) will play a roll in him being named the starting pitcher for the National League. On the season he still leads the league in wins with 11  with his 11-1 record and he has a 2.31 ERA over 105.0 innings of work. Last season against the Dodgers he allowed 4 runs, 3 earned over 7 innings and 10 hits in one start. The Dodgers have the following numbers against Dickey:

Kennedy 4-18, 2B, HR
Uribe 2-10, 2B
Rivera 2-7, 2 2B
Ethier 3-6, 2B, HR
Hairston 2-4
Loney 1-5

The Mets bats will get a crack at Aaron Harang tonight who is 5-4 on the season with a 3.81 ERA over 87.1 innings of work. In his last two starts he has allowed 6 ER over 9.2 innings of work (or an ERA of 5.59). Against the Mets last season he allowed 7 ER over 10.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Harang:

Cedeno 7-23, 2 2B, HR
Wright 10-18, 4 2B, HR
Hairston 2-10, 2B
Torres 3-9
Duda 1-5, HR
Thole 6-6, 2B, HR (Seriously)
Murphy 2-5, 2B, HR

Let’s Go Mets!

Posted in Main Page | Leave a comment

2012 Uniform Changes: Toronto Blue Jays Celebrate Canada Day

The Blue Jays celebrate Canada Day!

On a side note, I think that all teams in baseball should be required to wear hats with Canadian Flags in them, since we force Canada to celebrate in our American Holidays across baseball. But I guess since a lot their stars and stripes hat have the Canadian Flag in them, we wear our American Flag? Anyway its another opportunity to pander the crowds! (If you don’t read this site so much, this is a very sarcastic statement as to my opinion about conflating politics and baseball)

All joking aside, being the only international team in the MLB comes with the responsibility to recognize the home country on it’s special day, so the Blue Jays will be wearing red versions of their awesome new 2012 uni’s:

Yes, all of their uniforms will say Canada on the back.

I like these uniforms. The color makes sense (obviously) and the base of the uniform is a nice look anyway, so changing the color doesn’t really take away too much.

Good work, America’s Hat, good work.

Posted in Main Page, Uniform Changes | Leave a comment

Game Preview: Mets @ Dodgers

The Mets finally scored a bunch of runs against the Cubs! To celebrate, they start a series with the Dodgers tonight. In an odd pitching match-up of coincidence, Chris Young will take on Chris Capuano tonight, as both pitchers were supposed to be saving grace in the form of an experiment forthe rotation a year ago for the Amazin’s.

Chris Young is 1-1 on the season over 23.2 innings and 4 starts with a 3.42 ERA. On the road this season, he has pitched two starts over 10.2 innings with a 3.38 ERA. The last time he faced the Dodgers was back in 2009 as he made three starts over 18.0 innings with a 1-1 record and a 4.00 ERA. The Dodgers have the following numbers against Young:

Ethier 12-29, 2 2B, 6 HR
Loney 6-17, 2 2B
Kennedy 3-13, 2B
Uribe 2-11, 2B
Hairston 1-7

Chris Capuano has had a tremendous season so far as he is 9-2 with a 2.60 ERA over 15 starts and 93.1 innings this season. He is 2-1 over five starts in June with a 3.56 ERA, however he has rebounded in his last two starts as he has a 1.20 ERA over 15 innings. In his career against the Mets he is 0-4 with a 6.35 ERA over 28.1 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against Chris:

Cedeno 3-23, 2B, HR
Wright 4-12, 2B, HR
Hairston 1-6
Quintanilla 0-3
Torres 0-1

Let’s Go Mets!

Posted in Main Page | Leave a comment