More Rangers Uniforms Opinion

316 visits to the blog Monday, and 286 yesterday, and again the overwhelming majority come to read Southern Brother's "Texas Rangers Batting Helmets Inside Industry Scoop" post, maybe partly b/c Rangers 2009 Batting Helmets are creating a huge stir.

People who like sports uniforms are fascinating human beings who can hang with me anytime. If they also appreciate good mascots, we can be friends forever.

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I've let the Rangers new uniforms sink in for a couple of days. They're not horrible or anything (except the batting helmets?). They are fine; presentable. But I don't love them.

Gone: Small Numbers on the Bottom Left of the Fronts of the Jerseys
I loved those numbers. Think of the 11 year old boy from Abilene who is in the stands high above the first base dugout and is studying a program roster and is trying to learn the name of the left fielder. The left fielder never turns around, thus the boy cannot figure out who he is. Should the boy wait until the beginning of the bottom of the following inning, so as to watch the left fielder run from the dugout to LF so as to see the number on his back? Waiting that long is a lifetime for an 11 year old boy. He'll be in the concourse studying the Hebrew National Hot Dog cart by then, and still will not know who the LF is. I liked the numbers on the front.

New Red Jersey
The best effect of this is the side effect: return of the red caps(!), which are more fun for me to wear than the blue caps. Hoorah! Beyond that, as for the red jerseys themselves: meh. I would've loved white uniforms w/ red trim. Red jerseys = okay, I guess. Nothing wonderful.

<== photo courtesy Joe Siegler

Gone: White Vests with Rangers "T" on the Breast
In use since 2004 - these had grown on me. I will miss them. The "T" on the breast of the vest was distinctive to the Texas Rangers; and was very baseball kitschy; very Americana. I liked it. I mourn this loss, as I mourn the way Laynce Nix has yet to fulfill his potential. Laynce has talent. I loved watching him throw. I loved watching line drives scream off his bat.


New Two-Tone Batting Helmets
Before declaring disaster, I'd like to see them in action on one batter and on one baserunner. Until then, I am reserving judgment. I still suspect the design is inspired by the pine tar buildup on major league helmets. By the end of May, we won't be able to tell the difference between Vlad Guerrerro's helmet and the Ranger helmets. Both will look identical.

Black Belts
Letting these marinate.

Black Spikes (Cleats?)
Love em. In truth, I also loved the blue spikes. Most footwear is excellently designed - far better designed than most uniforms.


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Related: My people, i.e. uniform nerds, get together and party. We are not at all like adult women who collect and play with elaborate dolls. Not at all.