Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies wore their red alternate jerseys for the first time since 2017, donning this installment of red tops on the road for the first time ever.
Just like they did in 2016 and 2017 – when worn on weekday games at Citizens Bank Park – the red jerseys drew, at best, mixed reviews Wednesday.
Still, the Phillies won while playing in the tops Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They plan to wear them again on Sunday in San Francisco, and perhaps just better results on the road in the red jerseys will make them a fan-favorite.
That said, when you’ve been around since 1883, you have a ton of past uniforms to pick through as potential alternates. Whether it would be as a full-time road alternate – which the Phillies don’t currently have – or a one-off, we asked our staff what throwbacks they’d like to see the Phillies wear soon.
Tim Kelly, Editorial Director: 1969 Road Grays
As much as we appreciate the home version of this uniform – one that the Phillies wore a few times in 2015 – they currently have three different uniforms that they wear at home, so we’re more interested in the road versions.
Though they aren’t especially different than the Phillies current road uniforms, there’s just a different level of crispness to these road grays. Perhaps that’s because they’re most associated with Dick Allen, arguably the coolest baseball player that ever lived.
The script on these uniforms – along with the more cartoonish P on the hat – is a look that’s aged very well. It’s past time to show some love to a vintage road uniform other than the powder blues. We insist on the 1969 version of these road grays – which were worn for away games from 1950-1969 – because it was the only year that the MLB patch was featured on the left sleeve.
A side note: The Phillies should absolutely bring their interleague play caps, last seen in 2006.
Embed from Getty ImagesDestiny Lugardo, Deputy Editorial Director: 1948-49 Road Grays
In honor of the team’s 125th anniversary in 2008, the Phillies unveiled their new cream alternate uniforms inspired by the ones they wore in the 1940s. It’s not the singular reason why the Phillies won their second World Series that year, but the new uniforms certainly didn’t hurt. They clinched their second-consecutive division title in the creams.
The 1948-1949 grays are basically the road version of the creams. The creams should replace the pinstripes as the main uniform, but that’s a conversation for another day. We do agree with Bryce Harper to a certain extent: Road grays are boring, but they don’t have to be. The Phillies should make a conscious effort to incorporate more blue into their look and an alternate road gray honoring the uniforms worn by a young Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts is the way to do it.
If you remember, Rhys Hoskins represented the Phillies in an MLB the Show tournament during baseball’s pandemic-related work stoppage in April of last season. When he played as the Phillies on the road, he usually chose the 1948 uniforms and made a comment about how the current team should find a way to wear them. Harper was able to advocate for the return of solid reds during the regular season, so the idea of the 1948-49 road greys making a comeback isn’t as far-fetched.
Ty Daubert, Staff Writer: Saturday Night Specials
This one’s an easy choice: Saturday Night Specials. A burgundy jersey matched with burgundy pants, this uniform combination is undoubtedly the boldest that the Phillies have ever worn. The zippered front and thick white stripe going down each side are the perfect accents to this specific uniform.
Some may argue that the Saturday Night Specials are ugly, and I’m not sure I even disagree with that. There’s just something about this uniform’s unapologetic gaudiness that makes it so great.
The team has worn the Saturday Night Special twice — once in 1979 and 40 years later in 2019 — and lost in them both times by a combined 15 runs, but that doesn’t matter. The Phillies might as well chalk that up to small sample size, because it’s time for them to put the most ridiculous uniform in team history back on the field.
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