Earlier this year I wrote a post about how several Major League Baseball teams were opting for a retro look with their alternate uniforms. This week we saw several teams turn back the clock and wear uniforms specially designed to match the ones from the old days.

Chicago Cubs



The Cubs commemorated the 60th anniversary of their first broadcast on WGN with these pinstripe-less threads. You can see that the Cubs' current design has been around in some incarnation for many years.

Atlanta Braves



The Braves opposed the Cubs in these uniforms from 1948, which also happens to be the last year the Braves won the pennant in Boston. It was the second of only two they won in Beantown, but that Billy Southworth-helmed team featuring star third baseman Bob Elliott and the "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain" pitching staff was a special one.

Baltimore Orioles



They did it! They did just what I suggested on this blog! They celebrated the 25th anniversary of their last World Series title by wearing throwbacks with elastic waistbands! The Orioles organization has made a lot of mistakes in recent years, but this is one thing they definitely got right.

San Francisco Giants



The 70's was not a good decade for the Giants, but the 1978 team that these uniforms are a tribute to was memorable for being in first place most of the year until tailing off in August and finishing in third. Like the Orioles, it's good to see a team that doesn't ignore the elastic waistbands in their uniform history.

San Diego Padres



The Padres remembered the 30th anniversary of the first squad in franchise history to finish with a winning record by donning these throwbacks that actually feature the full team name. The Padres prove why I keep bringing up the elastic waistbands though, because these uniforms would be more accurate if they had them.

Cleveland Indians



Unlike the alternates that only had a retro feel to them, these are actual replicas of the 1978 Indians' uniforms (minus, all together now, the elastic waistbands). Why they'd want to honor that sixth-place team led by Andre Thornton I'm not sure, but the uniforms themselves don't look half bad.

Why do I love throwbacks so much? Why am I such a stickler for accuracy? Why do I want to remind everyone that the goofy elastic waistband uniforms ever existed? I guess it's just the sports history buff in me. No matter how ugly some teams' uniforms used to be, there's something about seeing them that stirs up my romanticism for baseball. That's another reason America's Pastime is my favorite sport; it's the only one that has that effect on me. Here's to the future and the eternal remembrance of baseball's rich history.

We're only two weeks into baseball season and already several teams have unveiled new alternate uniforms that have an old-school feel to them.

Cleveland Indians



The cap has a "C" on it, the front has block lettering, and the jersey and pants have a cream color rather than pure white. While this exact design was never actually worn by the Indians in past seasons, it has similarities to some of the team's more simple designs of yesteryear.

Toronto Blue Jays



This powder blue thing was actually the team's away uniform from 1979-1988, but it looks pretty darn cool these days in the Rogers Centre. As I have previously opined on this blog, the Blue Jays should go back to this design. It's way better than the boring togs they wear now.

Philadelphia Phillies



This style with no pinstripes, no sleeve numbers, a blue cap, piping on the sides and a cream-#### tint was worn by the Phils from 1946-1949. While the Phillies' regular uniforms are already some of the best in baseball, these look pretty sharp as well.

Kansas City Royals



Like the Indians, this exact design was never worn by the Royals, but their road uniforms were this same powder blue color from 1973-1991 and the jersey said "Royals" in white letters like these from 1983-1991. This modernization of an old design really works.

From what I hear, the Orioles are also planning to don throwbacks later this summer to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1983 World Series Champions. Perhaps they'll be the first team to get the 70's-80's-era throwbacks completely right and have elastic waistbands on the pants.



I love throwback uniforms. They remind us that our favorite sports wouldn't be what they are today if it hadn't been for the teams and players of bygone eras. It's interesting to think that someday teams could be wearing the uniform designs of today as throwbacks. Oh, the memories that will be sparked.

After my last post listing the top ten teams whose old uniforms were better than their current ones, I thought I'd do another post along the same lines. This time it's the top 10 teams whose uniforms I hope never change. Some of these uniforms probably will be changed someday, but one can always hope not. All the teams on my list are ones whose uniforms I think potentially could be changed someday. I didn't include any teams whose uniforms have so much history that they'll probably never have any major changes made to them. Like the last list, baseball, basketball and football are the only sports represented and photos are included.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers made one of the best uniform changes in history when they switched from those terrible light orange jerseys to the cool red ones they have now in 1997. They fit the team's pirate theme and the colors are bold but well-balanced. I don't see any way they could do better than these.

9. Portland Trail Blazers

While they've made some slight changes in recent years (such as adding a border to the letters and making the road jerseys say "PORTLAND"), the basic design has stayed the same since 1991. I've always liked this uniform. I hope they don't make the mistake of trying to revamp it.

8. Kansas City Chiefs

I don't think the Chiefs have ever had a different uniform. That's a good thing. These yellow and red threads are a nice throwback to the old days of the AFL.

7. Detroit Pistons

The Pistons made a good move in 2002 when they got rid of those teal uniforms and returned to the look of their classic jerseys with a modern touch. It seems that it isn't uncommon for a team to make a uniform change only to realize years later that their classic look was better.

6. Washington Wizards

Ever since the Bullets changed their name to the Wizards they've had the uniforms they currently sport. I had a scare (for lack of a better word) earlier this season when I turned on the TV and saw the Wizards wearing an ugly gold version of this uniform, but was relieved to discover later that it was only an alternate and that the team still has the one pictured.

5. Detroit Lions

They've had these uniforms for a long time. That cool lion silhouette on the helmet and the "Hawaii blue" jerseys are a winner in my book.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are another example of a team returning to an old look after years of wearing something different. The red, white and blue color scheme is good for the team that plays in our nation's original capital, and the stars that dot the i's are a nice touch. I hope they're smart enough to stick with this design, as they have been for the past 15 years.

3. San Diego Chargers

All those lightning bolts are awesome. I was disappointed when the Chargers were eliminated in the Playoffs this year because I was pulling for them, but another minor reason to be disappointed was that we wouldn't get to see their great uniforms anymore this season.

2. Atlanta Braves

They've had the same basic uniforms since 1987, though a few alternate caps and jerseys have been added along the way. They wore a similar uniform back in the old days, but for about 20 years they experimented with different ones. This uniform has stood the test of time, so I doubt they plan to change it anytime soon, but I wouldn't put anything past Ted Turner.

1. tie-Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears

I'm not going to lie. These are three of my teams, and I have a strong attachment to each of their uniforms.

The White Sox have had their old-fashioned look with the pinstripes and chest logo since the 1991 season. I think they're the most likely team on this list to make a uniform change, but I also think that many of us fans have embraced the Sox' look the way it is over the years.

I'm almost inclined to put the Bulls in the class of teams whose uniforms have so much history that they'll never change, but I think a slight chance exists that the team would want something new someday.

Some people might think it impossible that the Bears could ever change their classic uniforms, but years ago I remember reading some columnist in the Chicago Tribune making suggestions to the Bears franchise, and one thing he said was (paraphrased) "Get new uniforms. The Broncos finally won a Super Bowl after they changed theirs." I read recently that Ron Wolf had planned to change the Packers' famous uniforms early on in his tenure as GM, but he changed his mind at the last minute. You never know.

If any executive from any of these teams ever reads this, I can sum up my post in a simple statement. Your uniforms look great. Don't try to mess with a good thing.

I was reading bgalella's blog entries about the worst NBA throwback jerseys (a must-read if you like old basketball uniforms and obscure NBA players) and I got to thinking about how many uniforms in sports today I don't really like. For some teams it's not so much that their current uniforms are terrible, just that their old ones were so much better. I feel that many of today's sports uniforms are either too dull or try too hard to look "modern." Sometimes it seems to be a combination of both. With that in mind, I've come up with a list of the top ten pro sports teams whose old uniforms I wouldn't mind seeing brought back. Because baseball, basketball and football are the only sports I follow very closely, those are the only ones that will be represented on this list. I've included photos for anyone who needs visual proof.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers

When I think of the Steelers I think of a tough, blue-collar team. Their old uniforms reflected that.

Their current uniforms, however, replaced the old varsity block numbers with these skinny, rounded-edged, slightly slanted numerals. They don't look nearly as intimidating as the old ones did.

See what I mean?

9. Utah Jazz

I'll admit that those old uniforms with the J in "JAZZ" shaped like a musical note would probably look outdated in today's NBA, but what was so bad about the ones with the mountain in the background?

They weren't the best, but look at the ones they have now.

They're so...boring. They have no personality. I'd rather see the original with the musical note than these.

8. Houston Astros

Their current uniforms are OK, I suppose, but the Astros don't seem like a "pinstripe" team to me, if that makes any sense.

I thought the ones they had before looked good though.

I honestly don't know why they felt they needed to change these.

7. Minnesota Vikings

I'd always liked the Vikings' old uniforms.

They weren't spectacular, but they looked like you'd expect a traditional football uniform to look. For some reason they decided to "update" them.

Same basic design, but the rounder edges on the numbers and the white stripes on the sides and sleeves make them look more like the run-of-the-mill "modern" uniforms we're seeing more and more of these days. Their originals just looked better.

6. Denver Nuggets

Powder blue is not a tough-looking color, though some try to make it so.

Their previous uniforms seemed more appropriate for a bunch of guys representing the mile-high city. The N and S were big, while the "UGGET" in the middle was shaped like a mountain. Their colors weren't wimpy either.

I had a hard time finding a good photo of a player wearing this uniform. I guess when a team is perennially one of the worst in the NBA it tends not to get as much media coverage.

5. Buffalo Bills

The Bills had some classy uniforms back in the day. The colors were vibrant and the numbers were distinctive.

The ones they have now are too complex and the colors have been dulled.

How does a team actually look at this design and consider it an improvement?

4. San Diego Padres

I liked the Padres' uniforms in the 90's. The one with pinstripes and no numbers on the front is still the ultimate Padre uniform to me.

After wearing a butchered version of that uniform for a few years they changed to this thing they wear now:

Boooooring.

3. Houston Rockets

The Rockets' current uniforms have sort of an "Eastern" flavor, probably because one of their star players is from China.

While these current ones are better than the ones they had in the late 90's, they still don't compare to the ones they'd had for about 20 years before that.

Simple but effective. They changed them after winning the second of their back-to-back championships. They haven't won one since.

2. Toronto Blue Jays

I always loved the old Blue Jays uniforms. They had unique lettering, and that logo that combined a blue jay head, a baseball and a maple leaf was pretty cool.

Now they have uniforms that are just ordinary.

You never really appreciate a good uniform until it's gone.

Finally, the uniform I miss the most...

1. Sacramento Kings

I don't care what anyone says, those old Kings uniforms were awesome.

I even own a Mitch Richmond jersey in that design. Now their road uniforms have purple as the main color.

I know that purple is a "royal" color, which fits with the name of the team, but it just doesn't have the same edge. Neither does the lettering.

Yes, change is inevitable in life. That doesn't mean I have to like it. If any of these teams decided to go back to their old look you wouldn't hear me complain. Can you think of any uniforms that you wish were still being worn today?