Red Sox Nike jerseys tied to Boston Marathon Patriots Day have 0 red

In a move that will have baseball purists clutching their pearls (and reaching for their sunglasses), the Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball on Tuesday unveiled new yellow and powder blue uniforms that contain no red in them.

The first version of Nike’s new “City Connect†series, the uniforms pay homage to the Boston Marathon and Patriots Day with a marathon patch featuring the city’s 617 area code on the left sleeve.

Wearing “Boston” on the front in a font reminiscent of the finish line of the marathon held in the city each April, the jerseys are certainly “daring”, according to the communications manager of the Reds. Sox, Bryan Almonte. Corn, as he explained to The Boston Globe, they were intentionally designed to be non-traditional, recognizing the often muffled voices of Boston’s black and brown communities, and recognizing the city’s historic racial divide.

“We should use this uniform to unite the communities of Boston,†Almonte, who is Dominican, told the newspaper. “So [it was about] try to find those black and brown voices that are not being heard. It was an opportunity to be the kind, let’s empower those voices and identify who can tell the story of Boston in a way that has never been told before.

The Red Sox will wear the yellow and blue uniforms for the first time on April 17-18 against the White Sox, but will revert to the traditional “B Strong” jerseys they have worn since the 2013 Boston Marathon attacks on the Patriots’ Le. day itself.

“We understand that for traditionalists this may not work for them and we are okay with that,†said Adam Grossman, director of marketing for the Red Sox. says ESPN. “We got it. This isn’t meant to replace our crisp whites. That’s not what it is, but it’s about connecting and having other people watching us. differently, especially younger and more diverse crowds We accept that, and it’s important to recognize and celebrate it, and that’s what it stands for.

Get ready for more City Connect uniforms as Nike launches new looks for the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins and Chicago Giants. San Francisco later this year. The rest of the league’s franchises are working individually with Nike to create uniforms tied to their city’s personality and community, and every MLB team is expected to have a City Connect Series jersey by the end of the 2023 season. .