Spirit, colors of Pacific Northwest come alive in Mariners' City Connect unis
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Past, present and future have collided in an eclectic new fit as the Mariners unveiled their Nike City Connect uniforms on Friday.
They’ll don the new unis for the first time a week from tonight when they host Houston and will wear them for every Friday home game for the next three years, establishing a new tradition for baseball in the Pacific Northwest that in so many ways honors its history.
The uniform, for which planning began two years ago, also represents Seattle’s innovative spirit as the Mariners and the region move into an extraordinary era, the club said in a release.
“There was a lot of excitement,” Mariners director of marketing Mandy Lincoln said. “The team was going places right as we tried to come up with what the story that we wanted to tell. This is exciting. This is a new era of Mariners baseball and baseball in the Pacific Northwest, and we'd be remiss if we didn't tip our caps to the over a century of baseball here.”
Uniform features include:
The colors of Amarillo, Rush Blue and Sundown capture the essence of the Mariners' inaugural colors, but they also honor Seattle’s original MLB team, the Pilots, which departed after just one season in 1969 and became the Brewers. “Seattle” is stitched across the chest of the jersey, with the lettering style evocative of the Pilots while featuring a black drop shadow, paying homage to a similar one used by the 1955 Pacific Coast League champion Rainiers. The infusion of black on the pants is a nod to the primary color of the uniforms of the 1940s Seattle Steelheads, whom the Mariners recognize with a separate uniform each year.
Within the patch on the jersey sleeve, Mount Rainer is front and center, representing the Pacific Coast League’s Seattle Rainiers. “PNW” is donned in sundown gold to signify the energy and exuberance of the region’s great outdoors. The leaf embellishments, which memorably appeared on the Pilots caps, are incorporated on the edge of the patch to honor the region’s maritime and aviation industries.
On the bottom front of the jersey above the jock tag reads the phrase “My Oh My” as a nod to Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus’ famous phrase, which he echoed for more than three decades.
Stitched inside the jersey collar is the phrase “Sodo Mojo” as a celebration of the neighborhood that the Mariners always have called home. Within the stitching, there are two tridents pointing skyward forming “Ws” -- the first “W” signifying the state of Washington and the second “W” representing the word “wins,” which is evocative of the blue “W” lit on the T-Mobile Park roof after each victory.
The cap, which features a modernized Mariners trident, consists of a royal blue crown and black visor, the first time this color combination has been used for an on-field cap in Seattle baseball history.
Players got a sneak preview of them in a top secret meeting in Spring Training.
“Once they threw it on, they were like, 'Oh, this is a vibe,’” Lincoln said. “They were feeling themselves a little bit when they put these things on. It just gave them this attitude. They grew up literally once they put them on.”
Here are some events surrounding the release:
Friday, April 28 through Thursday, May 4: City Connect jerseys are revealed and available for purchase at the Mariners Team Stores -- at T-Mobile Park and downtown -- which will be the exclusive Seattle retail locations for the merchandise until May 5. Both stores will open early on Friday, with the ballpark location opening at 9 a.m. PT and downtown location at 10 a.m. PT.
Friday, May 5: The Mariners host the Astros for the first time this season in a much-anticipated rematch of their tense postseason series last year, and they’ll do so wearing their City Connect uniforms for the first time. At the game, fans will have the opportunity to take their photo in front of a custom Mariners City Connect backdrop that will be at the ballpark for the entirety of the homestand, located on the lower concourse. Those participating fans will also have the chance to enter to win a custom replica Nike Seattle Mariners City Connect Jersey.
Saturday, May 6: The Mariners will participate in the Opening Day of boating season parade on the Montlake Cut with a Mariners City Connect-themed vessel featuring Harold Reynolds, the Mariner Moose and Mariners Navigators. Also that afternoon, the club will host an event on Pier 62 downtown in partnership with Fanatics, beginning at 11 a.m. PT to celebrate the launch. It will run through the end of that night’s Mariners game, which will be shown on a massive videoboard. There, fans will be able to purchase their own City Connect gear, enjoy food trucks, giveaways, photo opportunities, hear live beats spun by a local DJ and more. The Mariner Moose and Reynolds will be on-site throughout the day, as well.
The Nike MLB City Connect program was created in 2021 to celebrate the bond between each club and its city. This uniform series explores the personality, values and customs that make each community and their residents unique. Nike and MLB clubs partnered to design jerseys inspired by their cities to invigorate longtime baseball fans and invite more people into the game, expanding the future of the sport.
The Mariners joined the Braves and Rangers to unveil City Connect jerseys for the first time this year, and the Reds, Pirates and Orioles will join them.