I’m a huge fan of baseball and have played and loved the game since I was 7. Growing up, I always wanted to be like Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. I wanted to be the highest home run-scorer in the world. Anyways I couldn’t become a pro and became an accountant instead.
I still play baseball and follow it. Recently I purchased a baseball rule-book for my son. And I was just going through it and read a few things that I didn’t know, and they boggled my mind. So I read a few more things, and I didn’t know them either. I actually got to know that all my life, I’ve been wearing my baseball uniform the wrong way.
My coach wore his uniform the wrong way, and I see professional MLB (Major League Baseball) players wearing their uniforms the wrong way.
It’s actually quite embarrassing. So I decided to write down and tell people the right way of wearing a baseball uniform.
- Did you know that baseball caps need to have a slightly curved brim? They should always be worn right way with the brim forward. Only catchers are allowed to wear the cap in reverse, that too so that the catcher’s mask can fit properly.
- There are only two right ways of wearing baseball pants. First is with the hem tucked in, and the second is with the hem hanging straight and loose. Both options are acceptable, but there’s a catch. The complete team should be wearing them the same way. If you go for the hem tucked in option, everyone on the field, in the dugout, and even the coaches will have to have their hem tucked in. Likewise, if the team decides to keep them untucked, everyone will have to keep them untucked.
- The spikes under the shoes of each and every player, including the coaching staff, have to be the same. The players are open to select any brand of baseball shoe that they want, but the color scheme has to match. Everyone should have similar shoes, with the spikes underneath to be precisely the same.
- Only Laced shoes are allowed. No stick-on, no nothing allowed. They have to be fully laced.
- Wearing sleeves underneath the baseball jersey is allowed. But if one player wears it, everyone will have to wear them. Plus, everyone, including the staff, has to wear them in the same color. White and gray colors are unacceptable. The color of the sleeves of every player needs to be exactly the same.
- The players have to wear their complete uniform following all the rules when they step foot on the field. Whether it’s a practice session or the world series final, the attire should always be the same and uniform. Even when practicing, you have to follow the rules. No jackets, sweaters, and pullovers over the baseball uniform are allowed. All the dressing up rules must be followed.
- Baseball jerseys should always be tucked in properly. Untucked jerseys or semi-tucked jerseys are not allowed. Each player and all the coaching staff have to look prim and proper.
- Wearing wristbands is allowed. But if a player decides to wear wristbands, they should wear ones that are in the team’s colors so that it matched the uniform. Lucky bracelets, Livestrong bands, and other bands of these sorts are prohibited.
- The coach, facilities manager, or any other staff member serving on the field are not allowed to wear outerwear (pullovers, sweatshirts, jackets, hoodies, etc.). This dressing up rule is not very staunchly followed in high school or varsity competitions, but the Major Baseball League (MLB) strictly follows it. This keeps the uniformity going, and everyone looks the same.
- If the team uniform has an official belt, each player and staff member should wear them. Simple rule, If it’s a part of the baseball team uniform it has to be worn.
We might think all these rules and regulation regarding the baseball uniform is just too much. There’s no relaxation and ease, and it is just so strict, right? I thought of it the same way, but when I read the reasoning, I decided that the people making these uniform rules are right.
The three keywords are equality, respect, and unity. When everyone from the players to the coaching staff all wears the exact same thing, it creates equality among everyone. When everyone thinks of their team member as an equal no matter where they are from, the respect each other and when everyone respects each other, the team is united.
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