Question about baseball uniforms and caps

General Questions
#1

OK. Die-hard Cubs fan here, but one who seldom gets to see a game because I live in California and my cable system doesn’t carry WGN. So…a question for those who live in Chicago, or otherwise would know:

I always thought that the Cubs had home jerseys and away jerseys, just like every other team in baseball. So how come in the first game of the NLCS, they are wearing the blue jerseys, playing at Wrigley, and in the second game, they are wearing the pinstriped jerseys, but still playing in Wrigley???

Did I miss a memo?

And while we are on the subject, what’s with the red brims on the caps? When did they start doing that? And why? The caps were the regulation blue for the NLCS, so why were they red the previous game?
I hate being out of the loop…

“The Turtle Moves!”

#2

Some teams have two different “home” uniforms, often one with a colored top, plus a more traditional “white” uniform. I believe tne NY Mets do this as well.

#3

The convention of a single home and a single away uniform has been pretty much done away with. This has been developing over the last few years as a marketing tool – the more different uniforms a club has, the more licensed merchandise they can sell. Clubs now have multiple uniforms, including “Sunday” and “batting practice” jerseys, which are often now used for actual games.

#4

Cubs home uniform

Cubs alternate home uniform

Cubs away uniform

Cubs alternate away uniform

The NY Mets have five uniforms: A plain white home, a black-jersey alternate home, a pinstripe alternate home, a gray away, and a black-jersey away.

#5

Congratulations! You experienced the marketing wonder that is the third jersey! The third jersey is usually the team’s color and can be worn at home or on the road. By doing this the team is able to squeeze any extra $149 out of the true fans that must have the home, road, and alternate jerseys. For example the A’s third jersey is green. The White Sox third jersey is, fittingly, black. The Twins third jersey is navy. Giants: black; Rockies: purple; Mets: black; Diamondbacks: purple, black.

All teams have the usual home whites, and road grays. I don’t think the Yankees have a third jersey. They do have batting practice jerseys, but those are an enitrely different matter.

As for the hats: The red brimmed hat is the road hat. I have only ever seen the all blue hat worn at home. There is also a batting practice cap with the bear cub in the “C” which is not worn during the game. I think the Cubs actually did have red brimmed hats in the 50’s with a more stylized “C” (think Cincinnati Reds) as opposed to the more rounded “C” they have now. This as well is another marketing gimmick.

#6

I should add that I believe the jersey the team wears for a game is usually a decision left up to the starting pitcher.

#7

Now is as good a time as any to point you to the National Uniform Database.

#8

Mullinator -

Thanks! That site is wonderful!

As for the marketing ploy…I should have known money had something to do with it. Got to make the fans spend…it’s the American pastime!

#9

That is a wonderful site, Mulinator.

I feel like I’m playing a spot-the-difference game in Highlights, though: the 1975 San Diego Padres had two road uniforms. How are they different?

#10

I think they’re slightly different colours.

#11

Wow, that’s a great site. Now I feel ripped off that I paid $50 for that in book form about 10 years ago…

As for the '75 Padres uniforms, look at the waistband of the pants.

#12

Check out the San Diego 1972 uniforms - all yellow, all the time!