Fenway Park yesterday saw the opening game of a doubleheader between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. However, the MLB match’s middle game was interrupted by rain last night, which has led to today’s day and night session.
As the Red Sox won the opening game at Fenway Park 6-2, what caught some fans’ attention is the team making headlines with their new outfit. As some fans sent disapproval over the team’s decision of swapping the uniform temporarily, fans that were aware of the greater cause behind it knew that it was the team’s usual ritual to honor the iconic sports tradition.
If you are also confused with the team sporting yellow and blue jerseys against their iconic red and navy blue uniforms, keep on reading!
Why Are Boston Red Sox Wearing Yellow and Blue?
The team’s move is in line with Nike’s MLB “City Connect Series,” launching the set for the 2021 season, becoming the first of seven teams to do so. The jerseys accurately represent the color palette of the Boston Marathon, which is run there every year on Patriots’ Day.
For the unversed, the third Monday in April is when the renowned Boston Marathon is run, which ties the yellow and blue City Connect jerseys to the MLB team. Undeniably, the team looks at the City Connect partnership with Nike as a chance to highlight the spirit of a weekend that is distinctly Boston. “The break from our customary look honours that legendary weekend and celebrates Boston’s audacity, culture, and inventiveness,” Red Sox chief marketing officer Adam Grossman stated.
“The City Connect uniform adopts colours that honour the spirit of Patriots’ Day weekend, and features ‘Boston’ in a stencil font across the chest paying tribute to the Boylston Street finish line.”
The Red Sox
The team also shared that on the left sleeve, the digits “617” are accentuated in honor of Boston and Fenway Park’s area code. “In recognition of one of the most recognisable yearly sporting traditions in the city, the numbers are displayed inside a racing bib,” added Red Sox in a statement.
Why Does Red Sox Pay Tribute On Patriot’s Day?
For the uninitiated, Patriots’ Day is an annual celebration that honors the Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy fights, some of the earliest engagements in the American Revolutionary War and is recognized as a legal holiday or a special observation day in six states.
The only morning game in all of Major League Baseball is hosted by the Red Sox every year on the third Monday in April. The annual Patriots’ Day celebrations in Massachusetts include the 11:05 a.m. game at Fenway Park, which is a nationally recognized holiday.
In 1903, the Red Sox’s third year of existence, they established the custom of playing a morning baseball game on Patriots’ Day. 8,376 spectators came up for the 10:00 a.m. start at the Huntington Avenue Grounds to witness the team (then known as the Americans) defeat the Philadelphia A’s 9-4.
Boston had two baseball teams at the time, and the National League’s Braves arranged an afternoon game that only attracted 1,800 spectators (or cranks, as they were known then).
Not many are aware that the Red Sox stopped playing doubleheaders on Patriots’ Day in the 1970s due to an increase in Patriots’ Day attendance at Fenway Park. However, they continued to play a single morning game that often started at 11:05.
It is also revealed that the Red Sox’s new Boston marathon-inspired Sox uniform costs a whopping $435.
Would you pay the sum to own yourself a uniform too? Do you think the team looks better in their usual fit, or are you a fan of the new uniform? Do let us know down below!
