Angels hit the waves with their City Connect unis
ANAHEIM -- The Angels unveiled their MLB Nike City Connect Series uniform on Monday, and fittingly, the theme invokes the Southern California beach scene. The Angels are scheduled to wear them for the first time on Saturday against the Mets at Angel Stadium.
The uniforms feature “Angels” across the front in the club’s signature red, while the sand color of the uniforms signifies the nearby beaches and that culture many fans identity with. There’s a halo above the "A" in the Angels, while the "S" ends in the shape of a "fish" tail of a surfboard to honor Angels legends Mike Trout and Tim Salmon.
“In Southern California, there are few things more synonymous with summer than days at the beach and nights at the ballpark,” Angels president John Carpino said. “Our City Connect uniforms look to celebrate those traditions by bringing the local beach culture to the Big A.”
The front of the jerseys also feature the players' numbers in a font that is an ode to lifeguard towers. The color of the numbers on both the front and back are a deep blue that's supposed to represent the ocean. The number on the front of the jersey is surrounded by a diamond, which represents both a baseball diamond and early surfboard logos.
There's also a patch on the right sleeve that is made to look like a railroad sign to pay tribute to the early railway that connected to the area. The left sleeve has two asymmetrical stripes that are inspired by the look of retro surfboards. There's also a surfboard with an Angels halo above it as part of the jock tag at the bottom of the jersey.
The cap is two-toned with red and sand, with the red signifying a sunset and the signature halo above the A. The socks have a wave pattern to them, which fits in with the ocean theme.
“I think they’re the best City Connect jerseys so far,” said Michael Lorenzen, a Southern California native who took part in the beach photoshoot. “I think we’re all excited about it. I think it’s pretty classic. It’s almost retro-y. It has, like, the SoCal, Cali vibe to it, and yeah, it’s great. We all love it.”
The Angels also released a video to highlight the new uniforms that features several local athletes such as Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and retiring Ducks legend Ryan Getzlaf. Actor John Stamos, a native of nearby Cypress, is the video's narrator.
Fans can purchase City Connect merchandise beginning on Monday at the Angel Stadium team store behind home plate.