I don’t watch much baseball apart from playoffs. I just popped out for lunch and was watching the replays on the big screen at a local joint. I noticed all teams seemed to have actual pants! Not the old 3/4 length with socks, but actual pants!
Wow, I don’t watch baseball and I’m amazed to learn this.
I second question number one. When did they start wearing full pants again?
I think some of it’s personal choice. I was watching the All-Star game and the commentators noted one pitcher (I don’t remember which one) wore the older-style long socks with shorter pants.
I also noticed the Pirates uniform top was sleeveless with a tighter sleeved shirt underneath. It looked neat. (I still like the old flat-top cap the used to have.)
I think it’s part of the fad begun with basketball players with the long(er) shorts. Personally, I hate the full baseball pants, but do like the fact some of the players are starting to wear the 3/4 length pants again.
They all wear long pants with long socks these days, but sometimes they tuck the pants into their socks to create the “high socks” look. The old-style knickerbocker pants went out decades ago.
Ted Williams may have started the long pants thing.
He wore 'em longish to hide his skinny legs.
The history of baseball pants according to the Baseball Hall of Fame:
http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/pants.htm
I agree, baseball is pants, much like cricket only pantier
Personal preference. On the Red Sox alone, Ramirez wears his pants down to the ground - and if you look closely, you’ll see the slots cut in the cuffs for him to lace his shoes through, to keep them down. Mike Timlin looks like he’s wearing knickers - his barely cover his knees, and from there down he epitomizes the team’s name.
You think Manny’s hair looks bad? Check out his batting helmet, with the B covered with pine tar. He’s almost as dirty-looking there as Trot Nixon.
Players aren’t supposed to wear their pants as low as Manny Ramirez does where one cuff goes over the heel of the shoe. Violators are supposed to be warned and then fined.
Unless they’re stars.
Too bad there’s no ugly helmet/cap rule.
Yeah, the ugly dirty pine-tarred smeared helmets bother me much more than the pants business. I think some teams might be more strict about it then others? Not sure.
I was surprised to learn from BobT’s link that the 2002 collective bargaining agreement was the first one to even address the appearance of the pants.