Softball uniforms: an unresearched (brief) history

Fish pointed out that the womens softball College World Series was starting this weekend. So I replied with what Fish feels is my "sickness" -- a treatise on softball uniforms in my lifetime. Just indulge me.

It’s interesting to me but it seems that the college softball uniforms have evolved over time. I remember as a kid when it was all UCLA v Arizona every year they wore basically scaled down versions of baseball uniforms without the hat: the short sleeve t-shirt top, the polyester baseball pants cuffed around the knee, and stirrups or socks. They basically looked like girls wearing baseball uniforms.

Then in the 90’s there was this transition to a softball-unique uniform combination: either short sleeve or banded sleeve shirts (almost tank tops), shorts, and socks. You still see this uniform combination in most youth leagues and high schools, likely because it’s cheaper to buy shorts than baseball pants. I don’t know for sure, but it’s like softball was trying to create an identity of it’s own with this uniform combination.

But then in the last ten years there has been this visual backlash and a pseudo-throwback revolution where most teams now wear baseball uniforms. I prefer the baseball uniforms myself. To me it adds legitimacy to the game they are playing, but that’s a personal opinion. And to be honest, the tight pants are one of the main reasons I end up watching the games.

Wearing white pants on the road: Why do some baseball teams do it?

College and high school teams will routinely wear white pants on the road. Watch the CWS this year and you’re bound to see at least one occurrence of both teams wearing white pants. I’m not sure why exactly, but I think rules only require they wear a different color top than the home team and it is at the home team’s discretion what color to wear. My guess is it is a cost saving measure. Get two different tops, one white, one solid color, and then only one pair of pants and you just saved outfitting your entire team with two completely different uniforms.

While generally a high school/college occurrence it isn’t unprecedented in major league baseball. The best example off the top of my head is the Astros. Throughout the last half of the 70s the Astros had only one uniform that they wore at home and one the road: the classic tequila sunrise uniform:

No other team had a combination like this so they were guaranteed to always be different no matter at home or on the road. Things got weirder in the 80s as the Astros added a different away uniform, but instead of being gray, it was cream. So at home they wore white and on the road cream.



For a better visual comparison than the pictures think the Dodgers crisp home whites versus the color the Giants wear at home, that more retro, cream color. As a kid I always thought this to be weird and I’ve never heard a good explanation (I mean the Astros played in the Astrodome for pete’s sake so it’s not like they were trying to avoid wearing dark colors during the heat of the summer). They had this lack of a true “away gray” jersey up until 1994 when they switched to their current logo (albeit without the color red which was added in 2000).

On a side note, I actually had a replica tequila sunrise Astros jersey as a kid. I’m not exactly sure why, but my dad, as noted earlier, had eclectic uniform tastes so he probably bought it for me because it was so strange looking. I outgrew the jersey by the time I left for junior high and it is probably long since given away to Goodwill, but it’s hard not to remember it. In fact, I was pretty well decked out as a kid in the baseball jersey department. I also remember having a replica home Cubs jersey and a green A’s jersey. Probably a good reason I’m uniform obsessed today.

So there is your baseball uniform history lesson for the day.

(Drawings courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame's Dressed to the Nines)

Little Help?

Can anyone tell me why ESPN is showing College Football Live right now? It's fucking May. Spring ball is over right now. The draft is long since gone. What the hell is the point?

Oh, I see......it's Notre Dame week. Besides Regis and Lou Holtz, does anybody give a shit about ND football? I don't, and because I don't I will now change the channel.

ggrrrrr

Three Thursday "What the Fucks?"

Here's the first of what may never be a series of installments I like to call "What the fucks?" Without further adieu.....

1. A couple nights ago ESPN 2 was showing Super Bowl XXX2. Nope, I don't know why, and I didn't watch it.

2. The St. Louis Cardinals have like 8 outfielders........but no closer. Here's an idea: trade one of those 8 outfielders, so you can give the guys deserving of 450-600 ABs ABs, for a closer. So then you have a closer, cause those are good. And shit....throw in Skip Shumaker too so that you can get a real second baseman. Oh, and call up Joe Mather out of sheer principle (I went to middle school with him and his dad was a bit too "friendly" with the 7th grade girls he taught, if you know what I mean). He's got power, and a sicko dad who never taught again and had to move to Arizona after that all went down. Although his dad said that it would be good to have me (a tall, lanky, left hander) pitching for the high school team (he was the coach). Unfortunately my coaches never taught me how to throw a breaking ball, or even how to grip a changeup. Thus....my complete shelling at the hands of the Bonners Ferry High School Badgers during my freshman year. Yep, never pitched again. You could say I was effectively wild, but there was nothing effective about it. Would have helped to have a curveball that was also non-effectively wild.

3. Todd Bertuzzi is in the NHL? Didn't fucking kill a guy on the ice? Or maybe paralyze the dude? Oh well, him and the Flames won last night, so I'm down with that.

Girls of March Madness

With the NCAA men’s basketball tournament concluding last night with another yawn-fest of a game (it seems like the championship game has become the biggest blowout of the tournament the last couple years, last year’s Memphis collapse withstanding) I thought it would be important to reflect on the most important aspects of the tournament.

Hottest girls of March Madness:

4. Girl from the Lowe’s commercial. There’s something about the way those khaki pants fit her in the back, if you know what I mean.



3. USC Song Girl cheerleaders. Thank God Tim Floyd remained at SC if only to keep the Trojans tournament regulars for years to come.















2. UCLA cheerleaders. The Song Girls may be tops in football, but when it comes to the hardcourt no one does it better (heh heh, he said hard).















1. The redhead from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car commercials. That look she gives when she asks, “Red or black (lingerie)?” is mesmerizing. Unfortunately her dolt of a husband gives the wrong answer. The correct answer is “Neither because we’re not going to need clothes where we’re going.” Then just bring one of your baseball jerseys or a button up shirt and that’s all that’s needed for a sexy weekend with the misses.















Who am I missing?

Stupid Clark Kellogg Quote of the Night

These two beauties courtesy of legendary CBS basketball colorman Clark Kellogg from tonight's NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game:

1. North Carolina is a great example of team spurtability.

2. Tyler Hansbrough just gave that guy a lower body root canal.

God, Clark Kellogg's a dumbass.

Suck on it Memphis and Kentucky

Looks like the #1 high school basketball prospect Xavier Henry, who had signed with Memphis, will now almost certainly sign with KU next year as a result of Calipari taking the Kentucky job. Damn, we are going to be awesome next year.