On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox introduced the first Nike City Connect uniform in Major League Baseball. The “City Connect” uniforms are new alternate uniforms that are meant to “push the boundaries of uniform design.”
Boston’s new uniform doesn’t have any red but instead features a design inspired by Patriots’ Day and the Boston Marathon. On the front of the yellow jersey is “Boston” in a stencil font that mimics the finish line font at the marathon. The left sleeve has a marathon bib patch with 617, Fenway Park’s area code.
When the Red Sox learned of Nike’s plan to start the City Connect series, Red Sox chief marketing officer Adam Grossman told Nike that they wanted to lead the charge with these new out-of-box uniforms.
“We wanted to be at the front of the line. We told them that we would love to collaborate in any way you see fit,” Grossman said. “That was two years ago, and that point, they said they were going to do the City Connect program that if we’re going to do this, we are all-in, and even though we are a traditional historic franchise, we want to do something completely different. We want to push the envelope and be bold in this.”
Grossman also noted that these new City Connect uniforms aren’t designed for the traditionalist.
“We understand that for traditionalists, this may not work for them and we’re OK with that,” Grossman said. “We get it. This is not meant to replace our crisp whites. That’s not what this is about, but it’s about connecting and having other people look at us differently, especially younger more diverse crowds. We embrace that, and it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate that, and that’s what this represents.”
Nike’s City Connect uniform will begin with only seven teams in the 2021 season, which reveals will be scattered through the season. The Boston Red Sox (April 17), Miami Marlins (May 21), Chicago White Sox (June 5), Chicago Cubs (June 12), Arizona Diamondbacks (June 18), San Francisco Giants (July 9) and Los Angeles Dodgers (late August) are all scheduled to wear City Connect uniforms this season. By the end of the 2023 season, every MLB is expected to have a City Connect uniform.
