MLB to consider returning to club uniforms for All-Star Game

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Major League Baseball is considering allowing its players to wear their team uniforms again for the All-Star Game.

Club uniforms were used by the American League from 1933 to 2019 and by the National League from 1934 to 2019. When play resumed in 2021 after the pandemic-related cancellation in 2020, MLB had entered into a uniform deal with Nike and Fanatics, and the All-Stars wore specially designed league uniforms that drew criticism from traditionalists.

This year’s AL uniforms had a sand base with red sleeves and lettering and the NL had a navy base with light blue sleeves and lettering.

“I’m aware of the opinion on this,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “I think it’s something we’re going to have a conversation about after the All-Star Game. We have a lot of things to do with uniforms. And obviously the discussions have to involve the players first and foremost, but also Nike and some of our partners. But I’m aware of the opinion and I know why people like this tradition.”

MLB and Nike have been criticized for the clubs’ uniforms this year and said in May that The 2025 club kits will have larger letters on the back of the jerseys and individual customization of the pantsPlayers have complained this year that the white pants worn by some teams are sheer enough to show tucked-in jersey tops.

Regional sports networks

Manfred said a national streaming bouquet of local television shows is a future possibility.

“I could imagine a situation where we would move towards a 30-club model. It could start with the digital side, where you would have 14 or 15 clubs, and you would start with a digital product as the first alternative,” he said.

“I was in Sun Valley last week and I was speed dating everybody who’s ever streamed anything. When you talk to people in the streaming industry, they’re not really interested in buying the state of Wisconsin and two counties in Michigan,” Manfred added. “They want to be able to stream, quite frankly, all over the United States and Canada, but more broadly internationally. So I think those conversations are a product of owners saying, ‘Oh my gosh, the RSN business is really going downhill. We know the future is going to be streaming.’ What we’re hearing from streamers is they want a more national product, and we have to be responsive to what people want to buy.”

MLB took over Arizona production And San Diego Local TV Shows Last year, after Diamond Sports subsidiary Bally went bankrupt, he said MLB would be available as an option for teams looking for new deals. He said Padres games were approaching 40,000 subscribers, which he called a good number.

“That said, in terms of revenue, it doesn’t generate as much revenue as RSNs,” Manfred said. “RSNs were a great business. A lot of people were paying for programs they didn’t necessarily want. And it’s hard to replicate that type of revenue without this type of bundling concept.”

Offense

Although the attack is near its lowest level in half a century, it has picked up since the start of the season.

“The decline in offense is something we’re paying a lot of attention to and we’ll continue to monitor to make a decision as to whether we think we need to do something. You hear a lot about pitching dominance in the game. That’s absolutely true.”

BIRMINGHAM

After the success of the match of June 20 between San Francisco and St. Louis at Rickwood Field, Manfred said MLB would return to the stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, but the “exact form” had not been determined.

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AP Major League Baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb