Good morning! Yesterday was media day in Fort Myers. That’s at all times been one of many extra low-key enjoyable days of spring coaching, a chance for players to show some personality and for followers to see new faces within the dwelling whites for the primary time.
However as the primary photographs from media day began circulating, the fan response wasn’t precisely “enjoyable.” As an alternative, followers had been indignant. And so they had been proper to be, as a result of the 2026 Crimson Sox uniforms seem like absolute rubbish. Enshittification has come for probably the most traditional uniforms in all of world sports activities:
In case you’re not aware of the corporate that’s Fanatics and the monopoly in sports apparel it’s constructed over the past decade or so, the lengthy and wanting it’s this: the corporate makes cheap-looking jerseys with little care or high quality management, but it surely dominates the market as a result of it allows the billionaire house owners who signal unique offers with it to make a teeny-tiny bit extra money than they used to.
Possibly you don’t suppose it’s a giant deal that the Crimson Sox are going to take the sphere this 12 months wanting like they’re carrying knock-off jerseys from Constructing #19. In spite of everything, it’s only a shirt. However that’s exactly why it’s a huge deal to me. It isn’t exhausting to get this proper. All Main League Baseball must do is settle for rather less cash to be able to look good, do proper by gamers and followers, and protect the traditional look of a jersey that has existed for nearly a century now. And but they only can’t. They’re constitutionally incapable of doing something that doesn’t make them probably the most cash potential, irrespective of how a lot cash they have already got.
I do know that a whole lot of followers simply gained’t care. Nevertheless it’s exhausting for me to take a look at these jerseys and never see them as emblematic of a few of the bigger forces of cultural and social degradation which might be being heaped upon all of us on this hyper-exploitative section of human historical past. Repair the goddamn jerseys, John Henry.
Speak about that, no matter else you need, and, as at all times, be good to at least one one other.
