Baseball Swag 101

Welcome, class. This is Baseball Swag 101. Sure, it’s a 101 class, but you will learn a ton of new information in an incredibly short amount of time. So get your pencils and papers out, class is about to begin.

There is nothing better than looking good on a baseball field. It’s something that players take pride in. When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you play good. This phenomenon is called “Baseball Swag.” I would call it science, but it’s not. It’s art.

The first lesson is that there are many different ways to have some baseball swag. For example, accessories can earn you some swag, but at the same time no accessories can give you some baseball swag too. White batting gloves? That’s baseball swag. Not wearing batting gloves? That’s baseball swag. While I don’t have enough time to break every aspect of baseball swag down, I’m going to give you my three favorite types of baseball swag, complete with examples.

Old School Baseball Swag Class

This is my favorite type of baseball swag, by far. Why, you ask? Because these guys aren’t changing just because some new swag became popular. They’re sticking to what they know. It’s tried and true. It’s reliable. You can’t even really call it swag. It’s class. I absolutely love Jamie Moyer rocking stirrups with the tweeners. When he pitched, his hair was never dry. Other examples to study for homework: Greg Maddux, Vladimir Guerrero, Andy Pettitte, Lance Berkman. Berkman and Pettitte have salt and pepper swag working for them too.

New School Baseball Swag

Let’s get one thing straight. Nobody is going to ever confuse Old School Baseball Class with New School Baseball Swag. It shows how versatile this can be. This particular type of baseball swag is very flashy. Accessories everywhere. Baggy pants. Usually just one arm sleeve. At least one accessory is used to promote balance. These guys usually have grey cleats for away games. Looking as good as possible to play as good as possible, and you absolutely cannot knock the hustle. Prime example is Brandon Phillips. Other examples to study: Justin Sellers, Matt Kemp, 90% of the Miami Marlins, Brandon Crawford, Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey is sort of the founder of new school baseball swag. Swag until next Thursday.

“Just Another Day at the Yard” Baseball Swag

This baseball swag is subtle, but it’s on purpose. It’s been carefully crafted. Any changes to their uniform comes with tons of thought and discussion amongst their teammates. Their gloves are usually flared. Flat brims. Batting gloves hanging out the back pocket. Wrist tape. Flip up shades are not uncommon. The attention to detail is phenomenal. Prime example is Troy Tulowitzki. Other examples include: Evan Longoria, Mike Trout, Dexter Fowler, Bryce Harper, Jose Reyes.

Quick self-indulgent story because teachers do that from time to time: I had less than no baseball swag. I went high socks because of my awkward body. If I went pants down, I would look like a stick figure that a first grader drew. Just awkwardly proportioned.