Welcome to this website’s off-season sports sartorial content. We are counting down the world’s top 50 most iconic sports uniforms. Only current uniforms apply, we are not including one-off or alternate uniforms. Let’s stick to the basics.
#50
Boston Red Sox
In many Major League Baseball uniform lists you may see the Red Sox among the top third, maybe inching closer to top 5 in the league, but rarely in the discussion among the very best in the sport. That is nonsense.
We cannot deny that winning usually helps how a uniform is perceived and ever since Boston’s mid-2000’s renaissance their crisp look has entered the spotlight and revived a classic baseball color scheme.
The bones of this home uniform came into existence in 1932 when Boston first added “Red Sox” across the chest (except for 1912, briefly) with a white cap in red trim. Two years later in 1933, the more familiar blue hat made its debut and one season further on the road uniform added “Boston” across the gray uniforms to complete the standard that is still alive today.
The home white has gone through several minor tweaks through the years. In 1972, the pullover jerseys showed up and from 1975-78 the red caps were worn exclusively. In 1979, the blue hats returned and after decades of red/white/blue stripes socks the plain red socks came into fashion which the team has worn the majority of the time over the last 40+ years.
If you stare at it for too long, the wide gap between “Red” and “Sox” on the jersey does look odd. I also liked the 1970’s pullover jersey that didn’t feature the red piping. However, the decision to stick with the blue hats has pulled this home uniform together nicely. The white and red dominated uniform has a very classic look with the blue hats offering an interesting contrast. Importantly, the players wearing either red or blue accessories fits well into the uniform.
The gap that you noted between “Red” and “Sox” is just too stupid to make this an elite baseball uniform. On some players, parts of the R and the X end up under their armpits. I would prefer a mashup of this uniform and their Patriots Day uniform, which says “Boston” across the chest, but unfortunately doesn’t have the same color of piping as this uniform.
That’s fair, I’d be interested in that mashup too.
As a sox fan, I am always torn between the jerseys. The home whites look beautiful. They are so white on the field in a day game. So sharp.
BUT no names on the back sucks, especially these days where I watch so few games I can absolutely not keep track of who wears what number. The road grays are blah, but have names.
I was going to bring up the NNOB….definitely a points deduction lol.
Boston on the front of that jersey is not balanced, like the two words Red Sox are. Looking at about 100 pictures, besides the bat boy seeing the R & X is not really an issue. You really use/need the names on the back to identify the players ? On TV or at the game ?
Both. And in stores that sell jerseys.
While shopping for the Jersey of the player who’s number you don’t know ?
Pink hat ?
While shopping at a store, seeing a sox jersey and having no idea who it is. I just don’t know anyone’s number anymore.
I’d bet most of the jerseys in the stores do have names on them.
Fun Fact: The American League is not real
That’s right
I’ll spoil #1 for everyone:
Ehhh, pretty basic and ineligible too.
That’s a terrible painting, why is Junior’s number and logo so low.
(I actually didn’t realize it was a painting, I posted that from my phone & just assumed it was a bad picture)
Also, purely from a business standpoint, what a terrible idea the vest jerseys were/are. I don’t remember anyone buying & wearing a vest jersey.