Spring training is underway and the discussion about the new MLB jerseys has died down. According to MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark, the reason for this is that those responsible are working to fix the problem.
“It's quiet because the comments being offered suggest that those in power are paying attention to existing concerns and considering how best to address them in the future,” Clark told reporters from Newsday and The Associated Press. “And so the tensions that arose early on and the concerns continue. We're confident that as we move toward opening day over the next month, we won't have a second batch of comments behind us when the lights come on. …
“You just don’t expect to have conversations about uniforms. That's why I'm confident that we have it, and that goes back to what we suggested earlier, which was to pick up the phone and talk to everyone involved, giving one to the people who might be paying more attention to the issue now show some appreciation, perhaps more than before. Spring has already begun.”
It's clear that Clark has read up on the issue and would at this point focus on issues of collective bargaining or the future of the Oakland A's.
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Complaints about the Nike-designed and Fanatics-manufactured jerseys are well-documented, with players' initial negative impressions being a significant downgrade from the previous MLB offering. They've been described as “cheap” and feature see-through pants – not to mention the fit is different than in years past.
The feedback Clark received was universal, and now that concerns have been raised loudly, there is hope that change is on the way.
“Everyone is aware of the concerns,” Clark told The Athletic. “Whether it’s the league or Nike, everyone is aware of these concerns. And [MLB and Nike] have indicated in public statements and otherwise that they are interested in correcting what can be corrected.”
As for the poorly received lettering on the jerseys, the solution seems to be to simply ask if you can use what you've had in the past. The Kansas City Royals were granted permission this week to keep their old lettering and the St. Louis Cardinals were allowed to keep their chain-stitched lettering on their chest after team president Bill DeWitt III advocated for it.
Fanatics founder defends company
Fanatics founder Michael Rubin spoke about the uniform fiasco during the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on Friday.
Rubin believes the company is being unfairly accused and that the jerseys were manufactured to specifications set by MLB and Nike.
“A difficult situation for us,” said Rubin. “We do everything we're told and we get the hell kicked out of us.” So that's no fun.
“Nike designs everything. Gives us a spec and says, “Do this.” We did everything exactly as specified, and Nike and Baseball would say, “Yes, you did everything we asked you to do.”
Rubin also spoke about players' concerns, saying that similar issues that occurred in the NFL and NBA disappeared once players got used to the new threads.
“Probably the most important thing I learned is that when we get involved in something, we better make sure everyone is on board,” he added. “They have certain players on board, not all players on board.”