In honor of the start of the Major League Baseball season on Thursday, I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane and rank my favorite baseball uniforms of the 1980s.
I don’t know what it is, perhaps it is just human nature to be nostalgic about the past, but pro baseball uniforms sure looked a lot cooler when I was a kid. Today, it seems many teams all wear something similar. Just about half the teams I watch these days wear the same red, white and blue combinations.
I long for the days of my youth that had so many great designs and colors.
Here are my top five baseball uniforms of the 1980s.
5. Houston Astros (rainbow uniforms)
Sure they are tacky, but they are also magnificent. According to legend, the Astros were looking to do something to draw attention to the team at a time when the team was terrible, both on the field and financially. They certainly drew some attention with these beauties!
4. New York Yankees
The Yankee pinstripe is iconic in any decade, and those traditional uniforms will always be near the top of any list.
3. The San Diego Padres
The Padres of the Dave Winfield and Ozzie Smith era (I know it is the the late 70s, but they still qualify) wore brown and yellow and made it look good. Some people may think the Padres of that era looked like they worked at McDonalds. I say they looked like stylish baseball gods.
2. Philadelphia Phillies (dark maroon)
I am biased here because the Phillies were my favorite team growing up as a kid. In my opinion, the Phillies should always wear dark maroon, and should do away with the boring old red that they wear today.
1. Montreal Expos
I wish the Expos would come back just so I can see these awesome uniforms again. The revolutionary tri-colored caps are the best part about the outfit. They just don’t make them as good as this anymore.
David W. Healy is sports editor of the Delta Democrat-Times. He can be reached at dhealy@ddtonline.com
