Tampa Bay Rays Throwback Uniforms; The Back Story

 

Rays Manager Joe Madden

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Tampa Bay didn't have a team in 1979 so they invented old uniforms to wear June 30th as part of throwback game where teams wear earlier incarnations of their uniforms.

I don't like to be a hater, but come on.  That's the best you can do.  It's not even ugly enough to be outrageous.  It's corny.  That's the worse thing you can be when you're part of entertainment for the whole family.  CORNY.   Mom's won't like it.  Kids won't either. Won't appeal to dads.

THE BACK STORY

Who designed this uniform?  If I had to guess I would say it was a hetero-sexual graphic designer.

I'm sure one of the owners wife had a real strong opinion as well.  And lastly, this wreaks of uniform by committee.

Normally I would say this is a cash grab by MLB and the team in expanding their product line but not this time.   This uniform is weak and will only be purchased by wives who's husband love the Rays and he already has all the other jersey.  So what's that? 122 jerseys.  Maybe sell a few to a wealthy guy who doesn't follow baseball but he has his son for the weekend and figures a ball game should kill about 5 hours.   That still puts you at around 200 jerseys.

I don't see Flo Rida or any of his posse rockin' this jersey.  The only black guy I can see wearing this is a very ironic gay guy. 

HERE'S WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE

The team didn't exist yet so the door is wide open.  First, you should have called me.  I got a bunch of ideas.

If they were a team in 1979, they still would have been the Devil Rays right?

Well I want to see a devil on the jersey.

Here's Aquaman on a manta ray.  Photo shop the devil's head on him and put a pitchfork in his hand and you got a kick ass uniform.  Kids love Aquaman, women like sea creatures and pitchforks are cool.  You would sell out of this jersey on day one.

Next up is so simple most people wouldn't even think about it.

Draw devil horns on Ray Charles.

Today something like this would be considered political incorrect and would never fly, but this is the uniform from 1979 back when things like this were okay.  So let's do it.

One last question...

Is the guy who designed the uniforms for Tampa the same person who built that jack-ass statue in Miami's new stadium.  If not, I bet those two guys know each other.

Have a good day.