Phillies to Discontinue Red Jerseys in 2024
The Philadelphia Phillies will no longer wear their red jerseys starting in 2024, according to Phillies Nation.
Retirement of the Red Jerseys
It has been confirmed that the Philadelphia Phillies will be bidding farewell to their red jerseys in 2024. The decision comes as Nike, the team's uniform supplier, implements a '4+1' rule, meaning they will produce four jerseys per team, with an additional City Connect uniform as the fifth option. Since the Phillies already have five uniforms in rotation--pinstripes, cream, powder blue, gray, and red--one needed to be discontinued to make way for the City Connect uniform.
Originally introduced in 2016, the red jerseys served as the team's Spring Training attire as well as an alternate for weekday games at Citizens Bank Park. However, they only lasted two years in regular season play before being replaced. They made a comeback in June 2021, being worn for the final game of road series and on 'getaway' days. Despite this revival, the red jerseys will now be hanging up for good.
Changes to Spring Training Uniforms
In addition to not being a part of the regular season rotation, the red jerseys will also no longer be worn during Spring Training. Nike's decision to only produce five uniforms for the Phillies includes both regular season and Spring Training attire. This means that the team will have a different look during Grapefruit League play in 2024.
The exact uniform rotation for Spring Training has not yet been announced, but it is likely that one or two of the remaining four uniforms will be used. It is possible that the pinstripes will be worn at BayCare Ballpark, while the gray uniform will be reserved for road games. However, one thing is for certain--red will not be a part of the Spring Training uniform lineup.
Impact on Home and Road Uniform Rotations
The discontinuation of the red jerseys also presents some challenges for the Phillies when it comes to their home and road uniform rotations. Previously, the red jerseys were brought back in 2021 to serve as a road alternate option when paired with the gray uniforms. With the reds no longer in the mix, the team finds itself in the same position as before.
At home, the Phillies already have a crowded rotation. In addition to the City Connect uniforms, the cream alternates are worn for weekday games (excluding Thursdays), while the powder blue throwbacks are reserved for Thursday home games. The red pinstripes remain the primary home uniforms. On the road, it becomes more complex to incorporate the powder blue uniforms, as they require separate pants, hats, and cleats. This means that the team would need to bring multiple uniform sets on every trip for the powder blue uniform to be a part of the road rotation. Overall, the retirement of the red jerseys will have a significant impact on the Phillies' uniform lineup.
The Phillies' decision to discontinue the red jerseys reflects the changing landscape of uniform designs in Major League Baseball. As teams introduce new uniforms and adopt different alternate options, traditional jerseys may have to be retired to make way for these changes. While the red jerseys may be missed by some fans, the excitement surrounding the upcoming City Connect uniform and the team's other iconic jerseys will surely continue to captivate Phillies supporters.
