On Friday, the Miami Marlins debuted their beautifully crisp teal 1993 throwback uniforms to rave reviews. However, there was one glaring issue, according to fans.
Everyone is mostly on board for the Marlins' retro look, even supporters of other teams. However, fans on social media have universally panned the jersey's ad patch.
How to ruin a classic throwback uniform with one sleeve patch... pic.twitter.com/rhVvkwN7ix
— Chris Creamer (@sportslogosnet) March 31, 2023
The ADT patches on the #Marlins uniforms are an infamnia
— Mark C. Healey (@MarkCHealey) March 30, 2023
There's nobody going to games at their home? Why do they need @ADT ? @Marlins https://t.co/SHEso6ZYrK
— William deVry (@WilliamdeVry1) March 30, 2023
This season marks the first year MLB teams are allowed to wear an ad patch on their jerseys. But for some, the maximum 4" x 4" size is a little too big.
For visibility's sake, the ads on most jerseys are on the right arm, which is an issue for the Marlins' throwbacks, which usually have the team's logo on that sleeve.
Luzardo’s uniform has the Florida #Marlins logo on the right arm sleeve which is not true to the original uniforms thanks to the ADT ad needing to be on the most visible sleeve. #MLB #MakeItMiami https://t.co/ytLsA0xguJ
— Florida Marlins Historian (@MarlinsHistory) March 31, 2023
Furthermore, as Chris Creamer of sportslogos.net recently pointed out, some teams are swapping the patch on players' uniforms, depending on if they're a left-hander or right-hander, to ensure they're on the side facing the camera most.
Ads on professional sports jerseys are only beginning to surge, and it seems they are, unfortunately, here to stay. MLB has already begun selling ad space on helmets, a practice that started during last year's postseason.
The only question that remains is, where's the limit? The latest decision to include ads on jerseys and helmets could only be the beginning. There's a lot of blank space on jerseys. Hopefully, baseball will resist the temptation to fill it.
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