The Boston Red Sox Just Got a Cool Upgrade, Courtesy of Nike

Major League Baseball just got a major makeover with the recent redesign of the Boston Red Sox uniforms, part of the MLB and Nike City Connect Series. The Red Sox debuted their blue and yellow uniforms on April 7th and are the first of seven clubs set to unveil new uniforms during the 2021 baseball season.

The uniform change-up has certainly created a stir with sports and fashion critics divided. But as the old adage goes, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

The collaboration with Nike may be just the kick (or home run) that Major League Baseball needs, with viewership trending downward and attendance down over 7% since 2015, according to Forbes.

Major League Baseball's television audience is also reported to be the oldest in professional sports, with the average age of baseball viewers sitting at 57, according to Market Watch. With just 7% of the MLB's audience under 18, there is a definite need to attract younger viewers to help sustain the sport in years to come. Safe to say, Gen Z and millennials love a collaboration, so perhaps MLB's partnership with Nike is just the ticket.

The Inspiration

The City Connect series was created to celebrate the bond between each club and its city. The staggered unveiling throughout the season is to allow each team the opportunity to celebrate their cities and what makes them unique.

In the case of the Boston Red Sox, the uniforms were designed to capture the spirit of Patriots' Day weekend, with a colour scheme inspired by the Boston Marathon—an event which binds the city together. Red Sox EVP Adam Grossman said, "the departure from our traditional style pays homage to that iconic weekend and recognises Boston's boldness, culture and creativity."

The Uniforms

The Patriots' Day inspired yellow and sky-blue uniforms are in sharp contrast to the club's iconic red and white. The jersey features 'Boston' boldly stencilled in blue to pay tribute to the Boylston Street finish line and includes a marathon racing bib on the sleeve with the number 617, a nod to Fenway Park's postcode.

The club's cap comes in matching light blue and features the team's iconic 'B' embroidered in the centre.

According to a recent MLB press release, "the new uniforms will be worn on April 17 and 18 when the team plays the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox will continue to wear the white B Strong jerseys on Monday, April 19th, worn annually since 2013."

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