INFORMED ABOUT UNIFORMS
CUBS GIVE NIKE REPS THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL NEW APPAREL
MESA, Ariz. — Three Nike representatives made their rounds in the Cubs’ clubhouse Thursday, speaking with players who have endorsement deals with the company but also with team leaders and clubhouse staff. They gathered feedback on the new uniforms, which have caused quite a stir this spring.
‘‘When it comes to material and a lot of their focus around the performance fabric and trying to make it a little bit more breathable and all that kind of stuff, I feel like they did a pretty good job,’’ said shortstop Dansby Swanson, who has a Nike endorsement deal. ‘‘I think that the mark that was missed was just all the aesthetic parts of it, some of the coloring and all that kind of stuff.
‘‘So I know that they’re obviously very aware of those things and are going to hopefully be able to make the necessary changes for when that time comes.’’
Swanson preferred to keep the details of his conversations with Nike private. But complaints about the uniforms, which Nike designed and Fanatics manufactured, have popped up all over MLB. The MLB Players Association has weighed in. Fans on social media have posted side-by-side screen shots of the old jerseys compared to the 2024 jerseys to back up their dismay.
‘‘The important thing is that when we play in these things, they’re comfortable,’’ left fielder Ian Happ, a member of the MLBPA executive subcommittee, told the Sun-Times last week. ‘‘The other part of it is that when fans come to the team shop and want to buy a jersey, they feel like they’re getting the value for what they’re spending on it. So it’ll be an ongoing conversation. Hopefully there’s some resolution that makes everybody happy.’’
The Nike Vapor Premier jersey was engineered to be more breathable. Some players have noticed the difference. Others are more skeptical.
The fit of the pants has been a point of contention. It’s not customizable, as it was in previous years, with players now sorted into set body types or ‘‘buckets.’’ The length of the jerseys has come up in conversation. And, when tucked in, the long front can be seen clearly through some teams’ white pants.
Some players are lucky. Either the pants fit their body type well, or they don’t have a strong preference in fit. Second baseman Nico Hoerner and left-hander Justin Steele, both Nike athletes, said they didn’t have many complaints.
‘‘I’m such a bad person to ask for this kind of stuff because I literally do not care what I look like,’’ Steele said he told the representatives from Nike. ‘‘For me, the less swag I have, the better. I don’t want to be swaggy out there because I don’t want to draw attention to myself . . . . I was like, ‘Look, y’all should probably ask everybody else because I’m going to give you a very complacent answer.’ ’’
Said Hoerner: ‘‘They feel good, and I haven’t thought about them while I was playing. That’s mainly what we care about. Some of the stuff is different with the pants, as far as the sizing. People are just very used to things being the same way for a long time, so there was a little adjustment with that.’’
Hoerner said he did bring up the small lettering on the back of the jersey. That has been a common concern. Players’ last names are smaller, and there have been spacing issues on some jerseys.
For the Cubs, the blue of the logo is too dark; it’s not the Cubbie blue associated with the brand.
Though Nike is gathering players’ perspectives, the scale and timing might be significant hurdles to making widespread changes this season. Players aren’t counting on immediate action.
‘‘It’s nice to be able to talk through all of it with them, the whole process and everything,’’ Swanson said. ‘‘So it was definitely a good conversation, and definitely my biggest takeaway is that they’re wanting to, obviously, get everything dialed in and right, the way everybody else does.’’ ✶