The uniforms that were worn by the American League and National League during the 2022 All-Star Game on Tuesday didn’t exactly wow fans. The charcoal grey of the AL and white and gold look for the NL seemed to underwhelm many who would love to see a return to the days of each player wearing their specific team’s home or away uniform.
One person who wasn’t bothered by the look was MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who told New York Times baseball columnist Tyler Kepner that not only did he love the uniforms, which were designed by Nike, but he was not a big fan of players wearing their usual uniforms as had been done for decades prior.
If you’re bummed about the All-Stars not wearing their actual uniforms again, I asked Rob Manfred about it today. He praised Nike and added: “I never thought that a baseball team wearing different jerseys in a game was a particularly appealing look for us.”
— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) July 19, 2022
“I never thought that a baseball team wearing different jerseys in a game was a particularly appealing look for us,” said Manfred.
Of course, Manfred also has a billion reasons to say he loves the new uniforms, designed by Nike as part of their 10-year deal with MLB. But regardless of whether or not Manfred truly cares about the authenticity of All-Star uniforms, it was seen as just the latest in a long line of answers that seem to paint the very disliked commissioner as someone who doesn’t seem to appreciate baseball’s history, tradition, or even the game itself.
Hence, there were some extremely pointed reactions from around the MLB world.
Rob Manfred really wishes everyone was wearing limited edition uniforms with corporate logos when they were gathered around Ted Williams in Fenway https://t.co/fDzanKLMJm
— Jaymes (@JaymesL) July 20, 2022
I still wonder what exactly about baseball Rob Manfred does find appealing. https://t.co/51ArgYwbJH
— Mo Egger (@MoEgger) July 20, 2022
More evidence that Manfred doesn’t get it. He’s not a fan. https://t.co/vkeMWRi7vr
— Glen Macnow (@RealGlenMacnow) July 20, 2022
Well, see, in an all-star game, when players from many different teams are present, the different uniforms kind of celebrate the whole idea of…oh the hell with i. https://t.co/1g9nE97nER
— Jeff Greenfield (@greenfield64) July 20, 2022
I don't hate what they're doing this year, but let's not pretend they solved some kind of problem. It'll sell more merchandise.
The old way was kind of great. https://t.co/ETjiQtRqXp pic.twitter.com/nfrAu2GcLc
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) July 20, 2022
Complaining won’t get us anywhere, however, as the Nike deal ensures the All-Star Game uniforms, amongst many other uniforms changes, are here to stay.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.