MLBPA head Tony Clark ‘hopeful’ that MLB uniform concerns will be addressed before Opening Day
Spring training is underway and the talk about MLB’s new uniforms has quieted. The reason for that, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark believes, is that those in charge are at work fixing the problem.
“It’s calm because the commentary that’s being offered suggests that the powers that be are paying attention to the concerns that are there and are engaging how best to address them moving forward.” Clark told reporters from Newsday and The Associated Press. “And so the tension that was drawn early, the concerns still exist. We’re hopeful that as we sprint toward opening day over the course of the next month or so that we don’t have a second batch of commentary around the pants when the lights come on. …
“You just don’t expect to have conversations about uniforms. And so having them, I’m hopeful, and this goes back to what we suggested before, in picking up the phone and talking to all the folks involved, having some appreciation for folks paying attention to it now perhaps more so than they were before spring started yet.”
You can tell that Clark is over the topic and focusing on collective bargaining issues or the Oakland A‘s future would seem welcomed at this point.
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Complaints about the Nike-designed, Fanatics-manufactured uniforms have been well-documented, with negative first impressions from players regarding a clear downgrade from what MLB previously offered. They’ve been described as “cheap” looking, featuring see-through pants — not to mention how the fit is different than in years’ past.
The feedback Clark has received has been universal, and now that concerns have been voiced — loudly — there is hope change is coming.
“Everyone is aware of the concerns,” Clark told The Athletic. “So whether it’s the league or it’s Nike, everyone is aware of those concerns. And [MLB and Nike] have suggested in public statements, and otherwise, that they’re engaged with an eye on correcting what can be corrected.”
As for the poorly received lettering on the jerseys, it appears the solution is to just ask if you can use what you had in the past. The Kansas City Royals were granted permission this week to retain their old lettering, and the St. Louis Cardinals were allowed to retain their chain-stitched chest script after team president Bill DeWitt III lobbied for it.
Fanatics founder defends company
Fanatics founder Michael Rubin addressed the uniform fiasco on Friday during the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
Rubin feels the company is being unfairly blamed and that the uniforms were made to the specifications set by MLB and Nike.
“A difficult position for us,” Rubin said. “We’re doing everything as we’ve been told and we’re getting the s*** kicked out of us. So that’s not fun.”
“Nike designs everything. Hands us a spec and says, ‘Make this.’ We have made everything exactly to the spec, And Nike and baseball would say ‘Yes, you’ve done everything we’ve asked you do to.’”
Rubin also spoke about player concerns, saying that similar issues that came up in the NFL and NBA went away once players got used to the new threads.
“Biggest thing I probably learned is if we’re involved in something, we need to make sure that everybody better be on board,” he added. “They got certain players on board, not all players on board.”
