# Baseball Pants - When the Change? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681 "2007-07-13T18:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/1 "2007-07-13T18:04:52Z")
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! 1. When did this happen? 2. Who’s the Rastafarian on the Red Sox? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/2 "2007-07-13T19:31:17Z")
1. Manny Ramirez, he of the dreadlocks and extra-baggy pants. I don’t know how he runs in those things. Often heard refrain in Red Sox Nation: “That’s just Manny being… Manny.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/3 "2007-07-13T20:44:40Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/4 "2007-07-13T20:53:05Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![melvin\_coznowski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@melvin\_coznowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melvin_coznowski)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/5 "2007-07-13T20:56:29Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/6 "2007-07-13T20:58:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/7 "2007-07-14T03:49:34Z")
Ted Williams may have started the long pants thing. He wore 'em longish to hide his skinny legs. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/8 "2007-07-14T05:51:34Z")
The history of baseball pants according to the Baseball Hall of Fame: [http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed\_to\_the\_nines/pants.htm](http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/pants.htm) ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/9 "2007-07-14T09:44:48Z")
I agree, baseball is pants, much like cricket only pantier ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/10 "2007-07-14T15:06:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/11 "2007-07-14T17:43:29Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/12 "2007-07-14T18:16:47Z")
Unless they’re stars. Too bad there’s no ugly helmet/cap rule. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-pants-when-the-change/411681/13 "2007-07-14T18:27:00Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] … Too bad there’s no ugly helmet/cap rule. [/QUOTE] 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.