1962 Original uniform design:
Team Colors: Royal Blue and Orange
HOME UNIFORM
Jersey:
Design Description: Original design combines aspects of the uniforms of the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants. White button-down jersey with royal blue pinstripes (pinstripes based on the Yankees), with “Mets” in script across front on an upward slant (layout style based on that of the Dodgers). “Mets” script is royal blue (taken from the Dodgers) outlined in orange (taken from the Giants). Royal blue undersweater.
Numbering Style: Block, 2-color (royal blue with orange outline), 8-inch numbers. Block style is same as the style used by the Yankees at the time, although the Yankees were using 1-color numbers; the Mets use 2-color.
Pants & Other:
Design Description: White belted pants with royal blue pinstripes. Royal blue belt. Solid royal blue stirrups with white sanitaries.
Cap: Same for home and road uniforms.
Cap Description: Solid royal blue cap.
Logo Description: Orange Interlocking “NY”, based on the logo of the New York Giants.
ROAD UNIFORM
Jersey:
Design Description: Gray button-down jersey with royal blue piping, “New York” in fancy print, all capitals, arched across the front (taken from the Giants). Letters are royal blue with an orange outline. Mets “skyline” logo patch on left sleeve. Royal blue undersweater.
Numbering Style: Full-block, 2-color (royal blue with orange outline), 8-inch numbers. Full block style is in contrast to the numbering style on the home uniform, which is block.
Pants & Other:
Design Description: Gray belted pants with royal blue piping down the sides. Royal blue belt. Solid royal blue stirrups with white sanitaries.
1964: A patch commemorating the 1964-1965 Worlds Fair is added to the left sleeve of the home jersey. The Worlds Fair patch is also added to the road jersey, but on the right sleeve. (Honig, Donald, New York Mets: The First Quarter Century, page 36, 39).
1965: Worlds Fair patch remains on left sleeve of home jersey and right sleeve of road jersey for second and final season. (Topps 1966 Baseball Cards).
Numbers are added to the front of the uniform. Placed at the lower left, the numbers are 2-color (royal blue with orange outline), 4-inch; and are block on the home jersey and full block on the road jersey, consistent with the respective numbering styles on the back.
1966: Mets “skyline” logo patch, which has always been on the left sleeve of the road jersey, is added to left sleeve of the home jersey. Worlds Fair patch is removed from uniform.
1969: A patch commemorating 100th Anniversary of Major League Baseball is worn, for this season only, by all teams. The Mets wear it on the left sleeve of both home and road uniforms, temporarily removing the Mets “skyline” logo from the jersey during the regular season and playoffs. But for the World Series, the 100th Anniversary patch is moved to the right sleeve of the home uniform and the Mets “skyline” logo patch returns to the left sleeve. The 100th Anniversary patch remains on the left sleeve of the road jerseys during the World Series and no patch is worn on the right sleeve of the road jersey (as during the regular season).
1972: Switch is made from flannel uniforms with tackle-twill and felt lettering to double-knit uniforms with all tackle-twill lettering. The most visible change in the double-knit uniform is the change to more pronounced, “zigzag” pinstripes.
A black armband is worn on the left sleeve of both home and road uniforms in honor of Mets manager Gil Hodges. Hodges died of a heart attack on April 2, 1972 and was replaced by coach Yogi Berra.
1974: “New York” on front of road jersey is replaced with “Mets” in script across front on an upward slant.
Full-block numbers are changed to a different style full-block number that more closely resembles, in style, the block numbering on the home jersey. The new full-block style numbers are still 2-color (royal blue with orange outline), still 4 inches on the front, 8 inches on the back. They are used on the road jersey through the end of the 1977 season.
1976: A patch commemorating the National League’s centennial is worn, for this season only, on the right sleeve of both home and road uniforms. (Topps 1977 Baseball Cards).
Alternate “pillbox” style cape commemorating Anerica’s bicentennial, is used only this season and only for selected games. Besides the pillbox style, the only other difference from the regular cap is three orange stripes that go around the circular cap.
A black armband is worn on the left sleeve of both home and road uniforms in honor of the Mets’ first owner, Joan Payson, and first manager, Casey Stengel, both of whom died during the off season. (“Past Time,” New York Mets 1993 Official Yearbook, p. 71).
1978: Home jersey changes from a button-down to a pullover with a 2-button, crew-neck collar. Three equal-width stripes (royal blue-orange-royal blue) are added to collar and sleeve edges. Mets “skyline” logo patch remains on left sleeve.
Road jersey changes from a button-down with piping to a pullover with a 2-button, crew-neck collar. Three equal-width stripes (royal blue-orange-royal blue) are added to collar and sleeve edges. Mets “skyline” logo patch remains on left sleeve.
Block numbers, identical to the style of numbers used on the front and back of the home jersey replace full-block numbers on the road jersey.
Royal blue piping down the sides of the road pants is replaced with a thin triple stripe (royal blue-orange-royal blue) down the sides.
1979: Names are added to the back of the road jersey. (The National League passed a rule in 1979 requiring all teams to wear names on their road uniforms) Placed in an arch on a nameplate, the pro-block letters are 2-color (royal blue with an orange outline), 3-inch; and are not vertical arch. Players with long names have pro-block letters that are slightly thinner.
Names are also added to the back of the home jersey. Placed in an arch on a plain white (no pinstripes) nameplate, the letters are 2-color (royal blue with an orange outline), 3-inch; and are not vertical arch. Players with long names had letters that were slightly thinner.
1981: The Mets begin to use “batting practice jerseys,” also referred to at the time as “warmups.” (“Batting practice jerseys” will not be extensively documented, as they are not part of the “game” uniform, and there have been so many variations over the years that it would take up an undue amount of space to document each variation and design. Nevertheless, it is significant to note when teams began using them regularly).
1982: While the home uniform remains the same, changes are made to the road uniform. Road jersey changes from a pullover with a 2-button, crew-neck collar to a pullover v-neck. Mets “skyline” logo sleeve patch is removed. Stripes around the sleeve edges are removed. A thick, triple-color (orange-royal blue-orange) “racing stripe” runs vertically from the collar to the end of each sleeve. It also runs down the sides of the jersey, from the armpits down. The v-neck collar is gray. The only change to the road pants is the addition of the “racing stripe” down the sides, matching the sides of the jersey. This road uniform is used through the end of the 1986 season.
The Mets also add an alternate road jersey, only used in 1982. This jersey is a royal blue v-neck pullover with “Mets” in script (orange with gray outline) across the front on an upward slant. The jersey has three equal-width stripes (orange-blue-orange) at the collar and sleeve edges. This alternate road jersey has often been mistaken for the batting practice jersey the Mets were using at the time. The main factor that differentiates the two is the trim at the collar and sleeve edges: The batting practice jersey has an orange-white-orange triple stripe around the collar and sleeve edges, while the alternate road jersey has an orange-blue-orange triple stripe around the collar and sleeve edges.
1983: Changes are made to the home uniform. Home jersey changes from a 2-button, crew-neck collar to a pullover v-neck. Mets “skyline” logo sleeve patch is removed. Stripes around the sleeve edges are removed. A thick, triple-color (orange-royal blue-orange) “racing stripe” runs vertically from the collar to the end of each sleeve. It also runs down the sides of the jersey, from the armpits down. The v-neck collar is royal blue, the jersey is still white with royal blue “zigzag” pinstripes. The only change to the home pants is the addition of the “racing stripe” down the sides, matching the sides of the jersey. This home uniform is used through the end of the 1990 season.
Pro-block lettering of names on back of jersey becomes slightly thinner, with still a thinner variety for players with longer names.
1986: A patch commemorating the New York Mets’ 25th Anniversary is worn, for this season only, on the left sleeve.
1987: “Mets” on front of road jersey is replaced with “New York” in large script across front on an upward slant. This road jersey is used only in 1987.
The v-neck collar of the road jersey, which had been gray since 1982, is changed to a blue v-neck collar.
Rawlings becomes the official uniform manufacturer for all Major League Baseball teams. The Rawlings logo is embroidered onto the right sleeve of all jerseys. This is the first time a manufacturer’s logo is visible on a Major League Baseball team uniform.
1988: “New York” on front of road jersey is changed to pro-block lettering, laid out in an arch. A white outline is also added to all lettering and numbering of the road jersey, including the player name. A white outline is also added to the “racing stripe” down the side of the road uniform.
Numbers are removed from the front of the road jersey. This road uniform is used through the end of the 1990 season.
1991: A white outline is added to all lettering and numbering of the home jersey, including the player name.
Both home and road jerseys are changed from pullover to button-down.
1992: A patch is worn, for this season only, on the left sleeve in honor of “longtime friend and benefactor of the New York Mets” William Shea, who died on October 2, 1991. The round patch is white with a black border, has black pinstripes, and features a full-block letter “S” (for “Shea”) in the center. The “S” is black with a double outline of white and black. (New York Mets 1992 Official Yearbook, p. 7).
Russell Athletic becomes the official uniform manufacturer for all Major League Baseball teams. Rawlings had been the official manufacturer from 1987 through 1991. The Russell Athletic logo is embroidered onto the right sleeve of all jerseys.
1993: Changes are made to both the home and road uniforms. The “racing stripe” down the side of both the home and road uniforms are removed. Mets “skyline” logo is returned to the left sleeve of both the home and road uniforms.
A new style script is used for the word “Mets” across the front of the home jersey. This is the first change ever made to the lettering style of the script “Mets” on the front of the home uniform. Although the new script is similar in style to the one that had been in use since 1962, they are two distinctly different patterns. The most significant (but not the only) difference between the two lettering styles is that the new style script has a tail that extends to underline the word “Mets.” All lettering is still royal blue with a double outline of orange (inner) and white (outer).
The “zigzag” pinstripes, that had been on the home uniform since 1972 when the Mets began using double-knit uniforms, are changed to straight pinstripes.
The pro-block lettering of “New York” on the front of the road jersey is replaced with script lettering that goes across the front on an upward slant and has a tail that extends to underline the words “New York.” This lettering is smaller than and a different style script than the script lettering that was used on the road uniform in 1987. All lettering is royal blue with a double outline of orange (inner) and white (outer).
Three thin equal-width stripes (royal blue-orange-royal blue) are added to sleeve edges.
The road pants have a new, thinner, royal blue-orange-royal blue stripe running down the sides in place of the “racing stripe.” The new pants are similar to the road pants that were worn from 1978 through 1981. (Saunders, Craig, “The Shirts Off Their Backs”, Mets Official Scorebook Magazine, June, 1993, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 44-50.).
All teams add the official Major League Baseball logo to the back of their caps, in the center.
1994: A patch commemorating 125th Anniversary of Major League Baseball is worn, for this season only, by all teams. It is similar to the patch worn by all teams in 1969 commemorating Major League Baseball’s 100th Anniversary. The Mets wear the 125th Anniversary patch on the right sleeve of both home and road uniforms. (personal photographs, July 1994).
Numbers are added to the front of the road uniform for the first time since the 1987 season. Placed at the lower left, the numbers are 3-color (royal blue with orange outline and white outline), 4-inch; and are block.
Another slight change to the road jersey: The three thin equal-width stripes (royal blue-orange-royal blue) are removed from sleeve edges.
Mets “skyline” logo patch on left sleeve of both home and road jerseys is replaced, for this season only, with a patch commemorating the Mets’ 1969 World Series victory. The patch is rectangular: The words “25th Anniversary” are embroidered in bridge lettering above the centered Mets “skyline” logo, and the words “Miracle Mets” embroidered in reverse bridge lettering below the logo. (New York Mets 1994 Official Yearbook, cover).
1995: Mets “skyline” logo is returned to the left sleeve of both the home and road uniforms.
The lettering of the word “Mets” on the front of the home jersey is changed back to the style script that had been used on the home jersey from 1962 through 1992. It is still on an upward slant and all lettering is still is royal blue with a double outline of orange (inner) and white (outer).
The lettering of the words “New York” on the front of the road jersey is changed back to the fancy style that had been used on the road jersey from 1962 through 1973. All lettering on the road uniform continues to be royal blue with an orange outline. The white outline, which remains on the home uniform lettering, is gone from the road jersey.
The royal blue piping from that era that ran down the front of the jersey and down the sides of the pants also returns. Royal blue piping also replaces the three thin equal-width stripes (royal blue-orange-royal blue) at sleeve edges. This blue piping around the sleeve edges was not present on any of the previous (1962-1973) versions of the road uniform.
Although the road uniforms from 1962 through 1973, on whose design this uniform is based, had full-block numbers, the numbers on this jersey are block.
A slight change is made to the cap. The color of the button on top of the cap is changed to orange. It had previously been royal blue, the color of the cap.
1996:A logo is worn, for this season only, on the right sleeve of both the home and road uniforms in honor of National League umpire John McSherry, who died of a heart attack in Cincinnati on the field during a game on the opening day of the season.
The logo is not a patch, but is embroidered in black directly onto the right sleeve of both the home and road uniforms. The design depicts a home plate with two baseball bats cris-crossing behind it. “J. M., N.L. Umpire, 10” is printed on the logo in Times New Roman. The logo was designed by Russ Gompers. Gompers’s company, Stitches of Whitestone, NY does all of the lettering on the New York Mets’ jerseys.
1997: An alternate home uniform is added. The lettering and numbering is the same as the regular home uniform, but the alternate uniform is all white (no pinstripes), referred to by the team as “snow-white,” with royal blue piping down the front of the button-down jersey, around the sleeve edges and down the sides of the pants. The Mets “skyline” logo is on the left sleeve.
An alternate cap is added. The alternate cap is white, with a royal blue brim, and a royal blue button on top. The orange interlocking “NY” that appears on the regular cap also appears on the alternate cap, but with a new royal blue outline. This cap, sometimes referred to as the “ice cream-man” cap, is only used in the 1997 season.
A patch commemorating 50th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s Major League debut is worn, for this season only, by all teams. The Mets wear it on the right sleeve of both home and road uniforms.
1998: Black is added to royal blue and orange as a third official team color.
The alternate cap is changed. The new alternate cap is black, with a royal blue brim, and a royal blue button on top. The interlocking “NY” that appears on this cap is royal blue with an orange outline.
A slight change is made to the snow-white home alternate jersey. The white (outer) outline on all lettering and numbering is replaced with a black drop-shadow.
A slight change is made to the road gray jersey, the one that has “New York” across the front in fancy letters. A black drop-shadow is added to all lettering and numbering on this jersey.
A second alternate jersey is added, which is worn both at home and on the road. It is a black button-down jersey with “Mets” in script across front on an upward slant and 4-inch block numbers at the lower left. All lettering and numbering is royal blue with a white outline and an orange drop-shadow. There is royal blue piping down the front and around the sleeve edges, and the Mets “skyline” logo appears on the left sleeve.
The Mets now have four uniform jerseys: Home pinstripe jersey, home “snow-white” alternate jersey, road gray jersey and black alternate jersey, used both at home and on the road.
A black undersweater and black stirrups begin to be used, alternated with the regular royal blue undersweater and royal blue stirrups.
1999: A second, all-black, alternate cap is added. The interlocking “NY” logo appears on the front in royal blue, outlined in white with an orange drop-shadow.
Player names are removed from the back of the three jerseys worn at home: The pinstripe jersey, the “snow-white” jersey and the home black alternate jersey. This is the first time since 1977 that the Mets use a jersey that does not have player names on the back.
A black drop-shadow is added to all lettering on the home pinstripe jersey. This black drop-shadow replaces the white outline that had been on the lettering of the home pinstripe jersey since 1991.
Black undersweaters and black stirrups begin to be worn with the home pinstripe uniform for the first time.
An alternate black road jersey is added. It is a black button-down jersey with “New York” in fancy lettering across the front and 4-inch block numbers at the lower left. All lettering and numbering is royal blue with a white outline and an orange drop-shadow. There is royal blue piping down the front and around the sleeve edges.
The Mets “skyline” logo appears on the left sleeve, with alternate coloring: The alternate color of the skyline part of the logo is black (normally royal blue), and the alternate color of the lettering of the word “Mets” within the logo is royal blue with a white outline and an orange drop-shadow (normally orange with a white outline). This alternate coloring of the Mets “skyline” logo appears only on the two black alternate jerseys; the logo has its regular coloring on the road gray, home “snow-white” and home pinstripe jerseys.
According to a New York Mets press release, “The Mets have not abandoned their traditional pinstripe uniform. Blue pinstripes are still the official home uniform along with the blue cap. The snow-white uniform also remains a popular home alternate. All home and road uniforms will be rotated along with the team’s three caps.” (Mets press release, Monday, November 2, 1998, “Mets Add a New Black Road Jersey and Second Black Alternate Cap for the 1999 Season”).
A slight change is made to the Mets “skyline” logo sleeve patch. The small, interlocking “NY” that had always been to the right of the word “Mets” is removed.
The “NY” had previously appeared on both the original “skyline” patch, which had been unchanged since 1962, and the alternately-colored “skyline” sleeve patch that was introduced in 1999.
From www.villagevoice.com: “Amid all the hoopla recently generated by the possibility of a Subway Series, nobody’s noticed that the Mets appear to have conceded a small aspect of the battle for New York. The team’s interlocking ‘NY’ insignia, which appears on the club’s caps and had also appeared on the left side of the Amazins’ skyline logo design since the franchise’s 1962 inception, was quietly removed from the logo at the beginning of this season.
Are the Mets, who’ve always drawn a hefty percentage of their fans from Long Island, trying to downplay their urban identity? Not according to Mark Bingham, the team’s senior vice president of marketing, who says, ‘Of course we’re proud to be from New York.’ So why alter the logo? ‘The ‘NY’ on the logo never matched the one on the caps,’ Bingham explains. ‘The one on the logo was more primitive-looking, sort of a stick-figure “NY.” At the end of last year we wanted to dress it up and have it match the “NY” on the caps, but then we said to ourselves, “Why do we need it on the logo anyway?”‘”
Interestingly, many media outlets either unmindful of or indifferent to the subtle change have continued to use the old ‘NY’-inclusive logo design. Does this bug Bingham and his staff? ‘Nah. The truth is, the old logo is probably still featured on a lot of the signs here at the stadium,’ he says. ‘We try not to go crazy about it.'” (“Jockbeat: Uni Watch: Mets Concede,” Paul Lukas, Village Voice, October 13 – 19, 1999)
All teams begin to use “batting practice caps” in spring training and before games. (“batting practice caps” will not be extensively documented, as they are not part of the “game” uniform. Nevertheless, it is significant to note when teams began using them regularly).
2000: All teams add the official Major League Baseball logo to the back of their home, road and batting practice jerseys. It is small and in the center, above the number and name.
Rawlings becomes the Mets’ official uniform manufacturer, and the Rawlings logo is embroidered onto the left sleeve of all jerseys. Up until now, manufacturer logos had appeared on the right sleeve. The Rawlings logo also appears on the pants, just above the left back pocket. From 1992 through 1999, Russell Athletic had been the official uniform manufacturer for all Major League teams. Rawlings had previously been the official uniform manufacturer for all Major League teams from 1987 through 1991. Incidentally, the appearance of the Rawlings logo on uniforms in 1987 marked the first time a manufacturer’s logo appeared on the outside of a Major League Baseball team uniform. Unlike the 1987 Rawlings logo, which consisted of the entire word “Rawlings,” this new Rawlings logo was simply the Rawlings “R” in a circle.
The Mets open the 2000 season at the Tokyo Dome in Japan with a two-game series against the Chicago Cubs. For these games, a patch is worn on the right sleeve of both Mets and Cubs jerseys commemorating the first Major League baseball games to be played in Tokyo, Japan. There is also a logo commemorating the Japan trip embroidered onto the left side of both teams’ caps. The Mets are the “home” team for game one this series and the “away” team for game two. They wear the following uniform combinations: Game One: The Mets wear their home “snow-white” alternate uniforms, with black undersweaters, and the black and blue alternate cap. This is the alternate cap with a royal blue brim, and a royal blue button on top. The interlocking “NY” that appears on the black and blue alternate cap is royal blue with an orange outline.
Game Two: The Mets wear their road gray uniforms, with black undersweaters, and the black and blue alternate cap.
Player names are returned to the back of the three jerseys worn at home: The pinstripe jersey, the “snow-white” jersey and the home black alternate jersey. Player names had been removed for the 1999 season in an effort to give the home uniform a more traditional, old-fashioned look. So much for tradition.
During the World Series, the Mets have the official 2000 World Series logo embroidered onto the left side of all their caps. It had been common practice since the 1996 World Series for both of the year’s participating teams to feature the current year’s World Series logo in this fashion.
2001: Rawlings is the manufacturer of the Mets 2001 uniforms. The manufacturer’s logo, an “R” in a circle, appears on the left sleeve of the jersey, just below the Mets “skyline” logo. The logo also appears on the pants, just above the left back pocket. Incidentally, this Rawlings logo is different than the one that appeared on uniforms from 1987-1991, when the company was the official supplier to all Major League teams.
A patch is worn, for one game only, on the right sleeve of the snow white uniform in honor of both former Met player Tommy Agee and prospect Brian Cole. Agee died of a heart attack January 22, 2001 and Cole was killed in an automobile accident March 31, 2001. The round patch is white with a black border, has red stitches across the top and bottom of it (to make the circular patch look like a baseball), and has “20/60” embroidered across the center in a font most closely resembling Arial.
The Mets had opened the season on the road and did not wear the patch for the first six road games. Its first and only appearance on the uniform is at the Mets home opener on April 9, 2001, where Agee is honored as part of the pre-game ceremonies.
It is surprising that the Mets chose to honor a player of Agee’s stature with a patch that is only worn for one game, considering his importance to the team’s history. The Braves, who were the Mets opponent that opening day, were honoring the recently-deceased Eddie Matthews with a similar patch on their uniform. By contrast, the Braves wore their patch for the entire season, both at home and on the road.
From www.mets.com: “Maxcine Agee, Tommie’s widow, was escorted to the mound by her husband’s teammate, and former Mets great, Tom Seaver. She threw out the first pitch to a standing ovation. Her husband and Cole were also honored with a patch worn on the right sleeve of the Mets’ uniforms. The patch featured the 20 and 60, the numbers worn by Agee and Cole.” (“Home Opener Thick With Emotions,” Kevin T. Czerwinski, www.mets.com, April 9, 2001)
Although “batting practice caps” will not be documented in any great detail here, it is significant to note one development that occurred this season to the spring training “batting practice cap.” The “batting practice caps” of several teams, the Mets among them, featured an embroidered palm tree logo on the back center of the cap, just above the Major League Baseball logo.
In response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., a slight change is made to the uniforms, caps and helmets of the Mets and, in fact all, Major League teams on Monday, Septermber 17, 2001.
The following description of the change is made up of excerpts from an article posted to www.mlb.com, the official web site of Major League Baseball:
“To show support of America during this time of crisis, every MLB player, manager and coach will wear an American flag patch on his cap and jersey for the rest of the season. A patch of the American flag will be sewn on the back of the jerseys, just above the letters [covering the MLB logo that was added to all uniforms at the beginning of the 2000 season (see 2000 entry)]. It will replace the MLB logo because MLB wanted a meaningful symbolic gesture. ‘The symbolism is important,’ said MLB Senior Vice President Howard Smith. ‘This thing is much bigger than the game… and the best way to portray that is cover up the MLB logo with the flag.’
“A 1 x 1/2 inch flag will also be stitched on the left side of every cap, which takes about an hour to do 20-25 hats. The work is being completed by the New Era Cap Co. They figure ‘there are about 1000 hats to do, so they have a lot of work to do,’ according to Smith. The MLB logo on the side of all the bases also will be covered by a flag, and batting helmets will also be adorned with the symbol. [The flag appears on the helmet on whichever side of the helmet has the ear-flap. Also, the American flag on Piazza’s catcher’s helmet is placed on the right, so that when the catcher wears his helmet backwards the flag will appear on the same side as it does on the caps.]” (“MLB Players To Wear Flags For Rest Of Season,” Jim Molony, MLB.com, September 15, 2001)
Additionally, the Mets make a temporary change in their game uniform for their September 18th and 19th games in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. To honor New York City’s Fire, Police and EMS (Emergency Medial Service) Departments, the Mets replace their game caps with caps featuring various logos from those three agencies. Catcher Mike Piazza, who wears a helmet under his catcher’s mask, wears a black helmet with a blue brim with “NYPD” replacing the Mets “NY” logo. This is notable because it is the only helmet that features any logo other than the Mets “NY”.
They had also worn these caps on September 17 during batting practice and pre-game ceremonies, switching to their game caps for the actual game (except for Mets manager Bobby Valentine, who continued to wear his NYPD cap throughout the game on the 17th as well).
On Friday, September 21, 2001, the Mets play their first home game since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. The game is preceded and overshadowed by a ceremony honoring the victims and fallen heroes of the tragedy. In keeping with the occasion, the Mets wear, for one last time, the caps of the various New York agencies, now including caps featuring the logos of the Port Authority Police and New York State Court Officers.
Originally, The Mets were only supposed to wear the caps for their September 18th game in Pittsburgh; sportswriter T.J. Quinn describes how the unexpected extension came about:
“What was supposed to be a brief gesture is turning into a movement. Monday night, the Mets took baseball caps bearing police, fire and EMS logos onto the field during the pre-game ceremony.
Tuesday night, after getting permission from Major League Baseball, the Mets wore the caps during the game.
Yesterday they were supposed to return to their regular ‘NY’ lids, but no one on the team wanted to. Rey Ordoñez grabbed a ‘FDNY’ cap, put it on his head and said to his teammates, ‘I’m going to wear it.’
The rest of the team followed suit, and although it was awkward for Mets brass, no one protested.
The Mets will wear the caps for the last time tomorrow [September 21st] at Shea, and will add caps from the Port Authority Police and court reporters. Both groups asked that the Mets help honor their fallen as well and sent caps to Shea.
‘I just wanted to do something for New York, the Cuban-born Ordoñez said. ‘I’ve lived here 10 years. I’m not an American, but I’m a New Yorker.'” (“One More Game For Hero Caps,” T.J. Quinn, New York Daily News, September 20, 2001)
The Mets eventually decide, and are granted permission by Major League Baseball, to simply wear the various caps for the remainder of the season.
A logo is worn on the right sleeve of both the home and road uniforms in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. It first appears on September 21, 2001, on the Mets “snow-white” uniform, for a game at Shea Stadium against the Braves, and is seen on the right sleeve of all of their uniforms for the remainder of the season.
The logo is not a patch, but is embroidered directly onto the right sleeve of both the home and road uniforms. The design features a black embroidered “9-11-01,” in what can be best-described as the Country font, with a waving American flag on either end.
2002: Rawlings is the manufacturer of the Mets 2002 uniforms. The manufacturer’s logo, an “R” in a circle, appears on the left sleeve of the jersey, just below the Mets “skyline” logo. The logo also appears on the pants, just above the left back pocket. Incidentally, this Rawlings logo is different than the one that appeared on uniforms from 1987-1991, when the company was the official supplier to all Major League teams.
A patch commemorating the New York Mets’ 40th Anniversary is worn, for this season only, on the right sleeve. Beneath the patch, also on the right sleeve, remains the embroidered “9-11-01” that was added during the 2001 season in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
The American flag patch covering the MLB logo that is on the back of all jerseys that was added in 2001 after the terrorist attacks is gone; the MLB logo above the player name is uncovered in 2002.
An American flag is worn on all teams’ caps only for games on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. From www.villagevoice.com: “Baseball’s post-9-11 display of patriotism is carrying over from last fall, but in a more muted fashion. American flag patches will be worn on dugout jackets instead of jerseys, and caps will carry the flag only on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.” (“Uni Watch: Socks Finally Win One,” Paul Lukas, Village Voice, April 3 – 9, 2002)
On Memorial Day, May 27, 2002, the Mets (and all MLB teams) wear caps with a 1 x 1/2 inch flag stitched onto the left side. The Mets are at home on this date, playing the Florida Marlins, and they wear their “snow white” alternate uniform with black undershirt and blue and black cap.
On Independence Day, July 4, 2002, the Mets (and all MLB teams) wear caps with a 1 x 1/2 inch flag stitched onto the left side. The Mets are on the road on this date, playing the Florida Marlins. They wear their gray uniform with black undershirt and blue and black cap.
On July 15, 2002, the Mets wear their 1986 home uniforms as part of a “Turn Back The Clock” promotion for their home game against the Florida Marlins.
The left sleeve does not have the Mets’ 25th Anniversary patch, which was worn during the 1986 season. It does, however, feature the Rawlings logo, which is the current (2002) manufacturer of Mets’ uniforms. (Manufacturer logos first appeared on Major League uniforms in 1987. The manufacturer of Mets uniforms in 1986 was likely Medalist Sand Knit.)
Another difference between the actual 1986 uniform and this recreation: The orange-blue-orange “racing stripe” that goes down the side of the 1986 uniform shirt and pants was also included on the side belt loops of the pants. The recreations worn on July 15, 2002 had belt loops which did not have the stripe, interrupting the stripe down the sides of the shirt and the stripe down the sides of the pants.
Incidentally, the Marlins also wear retro uniforms, even though they did not yet exist in 1986 and since coming into the league in 1993, have never had a change in uniform design. According to Mets’ broadcasters on Fox Sports New York, the Marlins’ uniforms are recreations of the 1955 AAA Miami Marlins.
2003: The right sleeve of all jerseys is once again empty. The 40th Anniversary patch from 2002 is gone, as is the embroidered “9-11-01,” which had remained on the right sleeve through the 2002 season. Other than the above changes to the right sleeve, there are no changes in the game uniform from 2002 to 2003.
All teams begin to use batting practice jerseys and caps (in spring training and before games) the design of which has been standardized (and heavily marketed) by Major League Baseball. The Mets finally use the last of their colors that has not previously been the main color of a jersey: orange.
Note: “Batting practice jerseys” and “batting practice caps” will not be extensively documented, as they are not part of the “game” uniform. Nevertheless, they may be mentioned occasionally if there is a development that is believed to be significant or worth noting.
On Memorial Day and Independence Day, the Mets (and all MLB teams) wear caps with a 1 x 1/2 inch flag stitched onto the left side.
The Mets also wear caps with a 1 x 1/2 inch flag stitched onto the left side on Labor Day, although it is not done throughout the major leagues. On Labor Day, the Mets wear their “snow white” uniforms with their “main” (blue) cap.
Although the pinstripe uniform is still technically the “official” home uniform, it continues to be used very sparingly. Most of the time, the Mets wear one of their home “alternate” variations.
On 9/10/03, the Mets wear NYFD and NYPD caps to commemorate 9/11. Since they were not scheduled to play on 9/11/03, the Mets commemorate the anniversary by wearing the caps during their 9/10/03 game, a home game versus the Florida Marlins.
2004: Majestic is the manufacturer of the Mets 2004 uniforms. The manufacturer’s logo appears on the left sleeve of the jersey, just below the Mets “skyline” logo. The logo also appears on the pants, just above the left back pocket.
A patch commemorating Shea Stadium’s 40th Anniversary is worn, for this season only, on the right sleeve. The patch is designed to be reminiscent of the World’s Fair patch worn by the Mets in 1964.
The patch also incorporates two of the neon sculpture figures that were added to the outside of the stadium in the 1980’s.
Beneath the patch, also on the right sleeve, there is an embroidered inscription in a font closely resembling Arial which reads, “Ya Gotta Believe” followed by “TUG,” in honor of former Met player Tug McGraw. McGraw died on January 5, 2004 of brain cancer at age 59. The lettering is white on the black alternate jerseys and black on all other jerseys. Incidentally, McGraw is also memorialized this season on the uniforms of the Phillies, for whom he played during the latter half of his career.
From Paul Lukas’ column, Uni Watch, on slate.msn.com, May 17, 2004:
“You’re Dead. Here’s your uniform tribute.”
“It’s unusual for an athlete to have such an impact on two franchises that they both memorialize him upon his passing. But Tug McGraw, the key character on both the Mets’ pennant-winning team in 1973 and the Phillies’ 1980 world championship team, was a special guy. With McGraw having passed away last winter, the Mets have honored him by embroidering his signature rallying cry, ‘Ya Gotta Believe,’ onto their right sleeves (it’s hard to see, but look beneath that huge, garish patch they’re wearing to celebrate Shea Stadium’s 40th anniversary), while the Phillies have drawn on McGraw’s Irish heritage by wearing a shamrock sleeve patch inscribed with ‘Tug.’”
From April 14, 2004 to April 22, 2004, the Mets wear an “Opening Day” cap logo on the left side of their caps. It is unusual that the logo does not appear on the Mets’ caps until the 14th because their home opener took place two days earlier, April 12, 2004. Nevertheless, the logo does not appear on the caps until April 14, 2004, which was the first annual Jackie Robinson Day. Since the logo is so small and made its first appearance on Jackie Robinson Day, there was a misconception that the logo was a Jackie Robinson Day logo and not an Opening Day logo. However, the logo that appeared on the caps from April 14-22, 2004 is the same Opening Day logo that was painted on the field on April 12 (the actual home opener). The logo was also used by other teams on opening day.
The Mets did not wear their blue caps between April 14th and April 22nd, so the 2004 Opening Day cap logo never appeared on a blue cap in game use.
2004 OPENING DAT CAP LOGO DATES
Date——————-Cap Worn——————–Uniform Worn
Wednesday, April 14, 2004—– Black & Blue—– Snow White
Thursday, April 15, 2004—– Black & Blue—– Pinstripes
Friday, April 16, 2004—– Black—–Black Top, White Pants
Saturday, April 17, 2004—– Black & Blue—– Pinstripes
Sunday, April 18, 2004—– Black & Blue—– Snow White
Monday, April 19, 2004—– Black—– Black Top, White Pants
Tuesday, April 20, 2004—– Black—– Black Top, White Pants
Wednesday, April 21, 2004—– Black—– Black Top, White Pants
Thursday, April 22, 2004—– Black & Blue—– Snow White
On Sunday, June 27, 2004, two Mets players, Tom Wilson and Jose Parra, appear in a road game against the Yankees wearing a different jersey than the rest of the team. While the Mets wear their black alternate road jerseys, which read “New York” in fancy lettering across the front, Wilson and Parra are wearing the black alternate home jersey, which is identical except for the lettering on the front of the jersey. The front of the black alternate home jersey has the word “Mets” on it in the same script lettering that appears in the official team logo.
The mistake occurred during the second game of a day-night doubleheader and was reported on by the Associated Press. From www.espn.com, June 27, 2004:
“Uniform blunder: 2 Mets wear wrong jerseys.”
“Wilson, Parra out of step for nightcap” – Associated Press
“NEW YORK — If the clothes make the man, the New York Mets were in trouble Sunday night.
Catcher Tom Wilson and reliever Jose Parra were forced to wear different jerseys than their teammates for the second game of a day-night doubleheader against the Yankees because the Mets didn’t bring along the correct ones.
The Mets wore gray uniforms for the opener, an 8-1 loss. For the night game, they wore black jerseys with ‘New York’ across the chest. Wilson and Parra wore jerseys in the night game that had ‘Mets’ on it in script, a shirt used for home games.
Even after the game, Wilson was unaware he had been dressed differently.
‘I had no idea,’ he said.”
Tom Glavine and Mike Piazza are the lone Mets representatives at the 2004 All-Star game, and appear in the “snow white” alternate home jersey. On each player’s game uniform, the Shea Stadium 40th Anniversary patch on the right sleeve is replaced by the 2004 All-Star Game logo. The Tug McGraw memorial, however, remains on the sleeve, just below the All-Star logo.
Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News reports on the uniform change in the “Mets Notebook” column of the Sunday, July 11, 2004 issue. In his report, he refers to this uniform as the “white home uniform.” The Mets still consider the snow-white jersey to which Rubin refers as one of the “alternate” home uniforms. The pinstripe uniform, despite its infrequent use, is still the “official” home uniform.
Even when the Mets pinstripe home uniform makes a rare appearance, it is often paired with one of the black alternate caps instead of the more traditional all-blue cap.
It has been speculated that the reason for the scarcity of appearances of the all-blue cap is that the dugout jacket is black and as such does not go well with the all-blue cap. In order to minimize instances of players wearing the all-blue hat with the black jacket, it is rumored that the Mets try not to wear the all-blue hat in any weather except the hottest of temperatures, since almost no one will be wearing the jacket on an extremely hot day. (Statements to this effect were made periodically in 2004 by Mets broadcaster, Howie Rose, and attributed to Mets Equipment Manager Charlie Samuels).
On Tuesday, August 10, 2004, the Mets add an element to their 2004 uniform: A memorial honoring longtime broadcaster Bob Murphy, who had died of lung cancer on August 3, 2004. The tribute to Murphy, who had retired at the end of the 2003 season, appears on the left sleeve above the Mets “skyline” logo patch. The name “Bob Murphy” is embroidered in arched, all capital lettering above the “skyline” patch on the right sleeve, The embroidered lettering of the name is in a font closely resembling Modern No. 20. The lettering is white on the black alternate jerseys and black on all other jerseys.
Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News reports on the uniform change on page 62 of the paper’s Wednesday, August, July 11, 2004 issue.
On 9/11/04, the Mets wear NYFD and NYPD caps to commemorate 9/11 along with thier “snow white” home alternate uniform. They are at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.
2005: Majestic is the manufacturer of the Mets 2005 uniforms. The manufacturer’s logo appears on the left sleeve of the jersey, just below the Mets “skyline” logo. The logo also appears on the pants, just above the left back pocket.
A pink ribbon is worn by all teams, on Mothers’ Day, Sunday, May 8, 2005. The Mets, who are in Milwaukee wearing their black road alternate jerseys, wear the pink ribbon on the front left of the jersey above the wordmark. From the New York Daily News, page 16, Monday, May 9, 2005:
“Pink takes field against cancer
“Big league ballplayers wore pink wristbands yesterday to honor Mothers’ Day and help fight breast cancer.
“The players also wore pink ribbons on their uniforms – and pink-ribbon logos dotted bases.
“It capped a week-long effort by professional baseball to tip its cap to moms and raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
“People across the country pledged money to the foundation for each strikeout hurled from May 1 until yesterday.” (Heidi Evans, Daily News Staff Writer)
The first 2005 pairing of the pinstriped, “official,” home uniform with the regular, all-blue cap, undersweaters and socks occurs on Sunday, May 15, 2005. Early in the radio broadcast of this game, Howie Rose mentions once again that Equipment Manager Charlie Samuels only schedules the blue caps for use when the weather is warm and use of the dugout jackets is scarce. Rose again states Samuels’ reasoning, that the blue hats clash with the black jackets.
QUESTIONS TO RESEARCH
-Did the 1982 Alternate (blue) road jersey have block or full-block numbers?
(I say full-block.)
-When did they stop using nameplates for names on back? (1987 or 1988?)
-Did left sleeve of 1994 road jersey have Mets “skyline” logo or “Miracle Mets” logo?
-In 1997, did the Mets use a white & blue alternate batting helmet too?
(I say no, but a special one was used in the field by John Olerud.)
-Coloring of belt? Always royal blue or black then switched (if so, when?) to royal blue?
by Mike Cesarano (516-338-5881)
For futher information: http://ultimatemets.com/uniforms.html