Anytime I turn on the TV to watch a game or look at a Baseball card, the first thing that I instantly take notice of is the uniform that the players are wearing. In some cases, the jersey being worn by the player can either make or break the card itself.
Nowadays, respective home jerseys and road uniforms begin to blend together and not stand out as much as they used to. Even the road and home alternates, intended to be colorful and unique, aren't eye-catchers either.
Rather, it's the bold and outlandish jerseys of the 70s and 80s that continue to be my favorites to this day. The bright-colored uniforms of that era easily outshine the pedestrian jerseys of today, making me all the more excited for the rare days in which old-school uniforms are worn.
Moreover, it doesn't help that throwback jerseys and retired players are starting to become short-printed in Baseball card sets. 5-6 years ago, I'd have no problem pulling a card featuring a retired legend or a 70s/80s uniform.
Unfortunately, Topps' monopoly on the MLB license has made it increasingly difficult to come across these once fairly common cards.
Even though there are some memorable jerseys worn in Baseball today, the majority of them can be traced back to previous decades, something I'll be exploring across this post.
I started off by featuring the classic Boston Red Sox home uniform at the very top of this post. Now, I'm moving onto a separate iconic uniform that's still worn today; the New York Yankees' home jerseys. When referring to pinstripes, the Yankees are likely the first team that'll come to the mind of any Baseball fan, an immediate sign of how recognizable their home unis are.
I'm not certain of the exact timeline, but the Yankees have had their pinstripes for decades now, and this uniform has since established itself as one of the most famous jerseys in Baseball history. As special as they are, I typically prefer something a bit more colorful.
I doubt that most MLB clubs have sported a wider variety of uniforms over the course of their team's history than the Chicago White Sox. Though they've had their current home uniforms for ages now, the 70s-90s have seen this team introduce an unprecedented number of different jerseys.
I could seriously dedicate an entire post just for different White Sox unis; we've had the red stripes, powder blue, shorts, etc. I've selected a couple for my post, one of them being the black White Sox shirts and pants, introduced in the late 1970s.
Introduced roughly a decade later was the next iconic White Sox jersey. Only this time, there was a logo that matched part of the uniform as well. Encompassing white, red, and a very dark blue, it was this uniform,
included in yesterday's post, that inspired me to develop this very idea in the first place.
Worn my greats like Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, and Harold Baines, these White Sox unis didn't last as long as I would've liked. However, they are often brought back as throwback jerseys for a couple White Sox games every season.
The Montreal Expos may not exist any longer, but it's their powder blue uniforms that have cemented their legacy as a fan-favorite team, even to this day. Worn by Hall of Famers like Dawson, Carter, and Raines, the Expos wore a few different jerseys across their team history, but none as memorable as the original powder blues.
Even though they've always been one of my favorite teams, an MLB documentary titled "The Colorful Montreal Expos" gave me a whole new appreciation for the Canadian club, especially their eye-catching uniforms.
The final 3 teams featured represent not only some of my favorite jerseys in Baseball history but 3 of the most iconic unis of all-time as well. Everything about the 1970s was colorful when it came to Baseball, from the card sets to the logos. Still, it was the uniforms worn by a few teams in particular that truly stood out.
Before their bold black and gold shirts and pants became a staple for the franchise over the course of an entire decade, the Pittsburgh Pirates sported traditional-looking home and road jerseys as shown above.
The simplicity is what I admire most about these cards, but I'm more of a stickler for more colorful jerseys
Whether the shirts and pants were all-black, all-gold or a combination of both, the mid to late 1970s sparked a major change in the Pirates uniforms. Over the course of just a few years, the team strayed away from more traditional and basic unis and ventured towards something far more exciting.
The result; one of the most dynamic uniforms this game has ever seen and a World Series title for Pittsburgh in 1979.
The same thing could definitely be said regarding the "Swingin'" Oakland A's, but their change occurred a few years earlier than the Pirates'. Because of the unique nature of their owner, Charlie Finley, the A's were an odd team for a number of reasons.
The names, the antics, and of course, the jerseys helped make them one of the craziest teams Baseball has ever seen, a perfect representation of the 1970s. With that being said, this crazy club went on to win 3 Fall Classics, all back-to-back, from 1972-1974.
And even though I left out a few possible candidates (powder blue Brewers, brown and gold Padres), my decision remains unchanged; the "rainbow" Houston Astros uniforms are undoubtedly the greatest jerseys in the history of Major League Baseball, and maybe even all of the professional sports.
Yes, teams had certainly introduced crazy and colorful uniforms before Houston, but no jersey remains as memorable in the present day as the Astros' rainbow unis. Cesar Cedeno, J.R. Richard, and of course, Nolan Ryan wore these out of this world uniforms while also playing at the equally-revolutionary Astrodome.
The combination of these jerseys with the venue in which they were worn in made for something Baseball hasn't really seen before or since. And if you take a trip to Minute Maid Park today, you're bound to see at least a few fans wearing these unbelievable uniforms.
