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Football’s lockout drags on. After an immensely successful season, the NBA might be in a coma until January. Yet Major League Baseball is experiencing rare labor peace and a surge in attendance. While the #1 with a bullet NFL and the well dressed NBA sit on the shelf, now’s as good a time as ever for Baseball to try and regain some of its lost style & charisma. Y’know, that stuff that was on display during innings 1-8 in Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns
Above Photo Credit – Andrew Malone
1. Encourage Managers to lose the uniforms
The Marlins recently brought 80-year-old Jack McKeon back as their skip. The man is not going to pinch hit. Let him wear a suit. Baseball managers have been stuck wearing the same getup as their athletes ever since coat and tie favoring Connie Mack (who started managing in the 19th century) finally hung up his oxfords. Let the managers wear business attire like their NHL and NBA counterparts. Besides, who wouldn’t want to see what linen blend two-piece Joe Maddon wears with his specs? (Suggestion: Swap out the heavy black frames for horn rimmed.)
2. Make the stadiums look more nostalgic and less like amusement parks.
For all the bright plastic, bounce houses, and ever present souvenir stands, kids just aren’t taking to baseball like they used to. One of the few things baseball has is its ties to a time when things were classic and rarely trend driven or disposable. Ball parks should look like brick and mortar shrines. Not like a Chuck-E-Cheese.
3. Embrace the Throwbacks. Eliminate the solid color alternate jersey
Baseball went through a period in the 90s – early 2000s where half the teams looked like their uniforms were designed by No Fear. Less is more. Mute the colors (unless they’re awesomely bright throwbacks), look to the early 20th century for inspiration. Ditch those blocky contrast solid color jerseys as a team’s alternate.
4. Turn Back the Clock Night = Dress the part
Fans who shows up on turn-back-the-clock-night dressed at the same level of how fans used to dress when going to the park should get to enjoy similar period pricing on food and beer. Flying used to be glamorous. So did going to the ballpark. Don’t wear a costume, but it’s not a bad excuse to get your date in a set of pearls and you in a jacket.
5. Get Bud a Stylist
It’s no shocker that Commissioner Selig was at one time a used car salesman whose team played in a corrugated aluminum stadium. It’s never too late Bud. Lose the pleats, go down (at least) one size in the jackets, and drop the waist on those trousers below your navel. Maybe stop sharing a barber with Bill Gates. If Bud wants to embrace the aged look? Get that man a couple of bow ties.
Any other suggestions for how America’s Pastime can step up their style game? Leave those below…