In 2004 the Orioles, mired in losing following a huge drop off from the peak in 1997 that had built through the 90’s, signed big free agents Miguel Tejada and Javy Lopez.  A uniform change to go along with this commitment to winning ways took place.  A return to winning (beyond a strong period at the end of ‘04 and the beginning of ‘05) did not.

But anyway, as redundant as it may sound by now, no major changes took place, but the little details took a swing. The caps, as it were, stayed unchanged.  Orange brims at home, black on the road.  Indeed the road uniforms incurred no fundamental changes at all.

The big change came with the home uniforms, where the placket piping was removed and the script was once again changed from black on orange to orange on black.  Likewise for the number and name on the back of the uniform.  Everything else remained the same, the arm piping, the typeface.  The uniforms were nothing if not simple.  The ’04 jersey featured a 50 year anniversary patch, but all other patches were gone (despite the database showing otherwise). Read the full story

In 1988 the Orioles played horrendously terrible baseball.  On the cusp of a new decade, it was apparent that some changes were needed.  The uniform that the O’s had stuck with for nearly the entirety of the 70’s and 80’s was dated.  The elastic waistbands, the big fat tri-color stripes, even that lovable fellow the cartoon bird on the hat were all going out of style and fast.

1989 brought rejuvenation.  New uniforms don’t bring automatic new success, but based on the swift turn around the team had in the first year in their new duds, it was clear that they had been spinning their wheels for far too long. Read the full story

By Stephen Turk

New uniforms. Is there anything so exciting as that? The prospect that maybe, just maybe, the perfect design will be unveiled. In the 70’s a big change in the way ball players dressed themselves took place. In came the era of the double knit. Polyester replaced flannel, but much more than just material changed.

Many teams took the chance to streamline and reinvent just what a baseball uniform was. Troublesome things like buttons and belts gave way to pull-over style jerseys and elastic snap waistbands. Polyester also gave way to bold new colors, exhibited by the prevalence of the baby blue road uni several teams had, and the greens, golds, and blacks of the A’s and Pirates. Read the full story

By Stephen Turk

Uniforms are pretty subjective.  I think most people, sports fans and non-sports fans alike, can agree on a handful of basic generalities when it comes to what is nice, what looks good, and what works when it comes to uniforms.  But those little details, the nitty-gritty things can really draw some deep division lines.

And so the discussion on the recently revamped Orioles uniforms inspires a good bit of healthy discussion amongst fans.  Everyone has a perfect uniform in their head, that dream look that goes woefully unfulfilled.  Indeed, I’ve spent many a worrisome hour thinking “why can’t the team just know what I want and do it?”

My perfect idea is a combination of some older designs and some things pulled from other places.  I think most people have a similar situation, never feeling like any one set was ever absolutely perfect.

So here is a brief uniform history of the Baltimore Orioles.  Oddly enough, though they’ve changed uniforms a good number of times, their basic design has yet in the 54, going on 55, year history of the team to really change drastically. Read the full story