It’s a tough time to be a San Diego Padres fan. The team finished with just 68 wins in 2016, and things don’t look great for 2017. Our experts actually picked San Diego as the least likely team to win the 2017 World Series at the start of the offseason.
The on-field product seems destined to struggle in 2017, but that doesn’t mean the Padres have to look bad doing it. For years now, fans have urged the team to embrace the brown and yellow uniforms of Padres past. Even Tony Gwynn, the man known as Mr. Padre, was in favor of the change.
So when the Padres announced changes to their uniforms Tuesday, there was potential for excitement. Instead, fans got this:
Introducing the 2017 #Padres uniform lineup! pic.twitter.com/mDyUO7pMiX— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 22, 2016
If we had to pick three words to describe the team’s new uniforms, we would go with lame, generic and forgettable. There’s nothing special here. Maybe that’s fitting, considering we would say the same thing about the Padres team right now.
“Wait a minute, didn’t the Padres just change their uniforms last offseason,” you might say. Yes. Last December, the club showed off new home and road jersey that featured yellow piping to commemorate the All-Star game. Somehow, they took the only exciting part of the 2016 jerseys away in 2017.
Last year’s unveil also introduced retro brown and yellow jersey, which the team wore during Friday home games. At the time, team CEO Mike Dee suggested the brown and yellow could take on a more prominent role in 2017. That won’t be the case. The club will still wear those jerseys during Friday home games in 2017, but that’s it. There are 13 Friday home games on the team’s schedule for next year. Get tickets while you can!
Last January, a fan re-imaged new Padres uniforms that embraced the brown and yellow as primary colors. They were received extremely well by the baseball-loving public.
New-Look Padres, Back in Brown. http://t.co/7GZVRYMZil @Padres @PadresMikeDee @gaslampball @LobShots pic.twitter.com/zEuYJmR78F
— John Brubaker (@johnbrubaker) January 8, 2015
That’s what could have been, Padres fans. Instead, someone looked at last year’s jerseys, said “make us even more boring” and then signed off on it.
Let’s face it, the Padres don’t get a ton of national attention. The team isn’t good, and there’s nothing particularly exciting about the franchise. There’s not a rich history, and while Petco Park is nice, it’s not historic or state of the art. There’s no draw with this team.
The yellow and brown jerseys are the one thing that make the Padres unique. They are well-received by fans, and would give the club some much-needed identity. They would at least provide a way for the team to stand out and be recognized for once.
In fairness, the Padres are getting plenty of attention following Tuesday’s unveil, it’s just not the type you typically want to see if you follow the club.
This is the most attention the Padres will get this offseason pic.twitter.com/eQ8W00khMM— Marc Normandin (@Marc_Normandin) November 22, 2016
Yep. That sums things up pretty well. Enjoy your one offseason post, Padres fans. Given recent history, we can’t imagine the team will do anything more exciting than this terrible uniform unveil for the next few months.
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