HOUSTON -- The Astros on Saturday unveiled a new game jersey that will be worn during Sunday games this season at Minute Maid Park.
Mike Acosta, the Astros' authentication manager, said the jersey will mark the first time since the 1970s the team will have "Astros" across their chests in orange. The side panels of the jersey feature the original pattern of the iconic Astros "rainbow" uniform worn from 1975-86. This jersey will be worn with a new hat that has an orange crown and a blue visor.
Acosta said the idea for a new jersey originated in 2014 when the players stopped wearing a navy blue batting-practice jersey with rainbow stripes down the side because they couldn't be tailored properly.
"It wasn't built like a game jersey," Acosta said of the old BP jerseys. "It's totally different material than a game uniform. Once they voted to stop wearing it on the field, we had a discussion behind the scenes and said, 'It was really a shame we can't have that on the field anymore,' so why don't we try to come up with a new jersey that is designed to be on the field, constructed to where you can tailor it and guys will feel comfortable in it?"
The new jersey design maintains the consistency of the Astros brand while embracing the history of the franchise, Acosta said.
"We decided to not only put the rainbow colors, but put the rainbow jersey we had for so many years [down the side]," he said. "It became the iconic look for the Astros, back to the years of Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott and Jose Cruz -- some of the glory days of this franchise is where it originated from."
Acosta said the Astros will wear the jersey in Spring Training with two-tone lettering on the back featuring palm trees. The team will wear a Spring Training patch as well.
Houston will still have the orange alternate tops that are worn on Friday night home games. The club wore those on the road last year as well.