batting practice jerseys

[sylbry]

Anyone know the history of batting practice and spring training jerseys? When were they first used and who was the first team to use them?

[kingjammy24]

not sure about spring training jerseys; some teams wear bp shirts in spring training, some wear game jerseys. don't believe theres a different beast called a "spring training jersey".

as for bp shirts, i'll take a stab at it; i'll say they were first used in the mid-70s by the white sox. by the late 70s, a number of teams started using them including the angels, astros, braves, & phillies. the other teams started to trickle in by the early-mid 80s.

i await someone providing proof of "mesh-like, pre-game wraps" worn by the 1802 rhode island marmots.

rudy.

[Birdbats]

Rudy,

Actually, there is a beast called a spring training jersey. I know the Cardinals use a different set of jerseys for spring training than they use during the regular season. They don't look any different than regular-season jerseys (except that sleeve patches have been worn during the season and not during ST), but it is a distinct set. Cardinals Care has auctioned off these spring jerseys the past couple of years. The Cardinals have had a separate spring jersey since at least 2003 when they switched to Majestic.

Not sure when the Cards started wearing the mesh pullover BP jerseys. Probably around 1984-85 when they had a navy mesh. I do know they had red mesh jerseys in 1986 made by Sand-Knit. Seems they were kind of late to the party.

[kingjammy24]

jeff,

i stand corrected. incidentally, aren't the cards spring training jerseys void of any front numbers, unlike the regular season game jerseys?

there's a pic on getty of the cards in spring training 1999 and they're wearing white, game jerseys void of any front numbers.

rudy.

[Birdbats]

The Cards dropped the numbers from the front of their jerseys in 1997 and 1998. They were back in 1999, though about 1/2" shorter than the numbers used in 1996 and earlier. The photo you saw probably was a 1998 jersey being recycled for 1999 spring training. They've had numbers on the front since 1999.

[cjw]

Hey Rudy,

The Jays have used distinct spring training jerseys...I am almost positive. I remember a blue mesh in the late 1990's or ealy 2000's that had an ann. patch celebrating 20 or 25 years in Dunedin. This patch didn't make it up to regular season jerseys. Hartel sports had some of these jerseys for sale, didn't they? chris

[metsbats]

The Mets started using batting practice or pre-game warm up jerseys in 1981.

David