The Royals’ New City Connect Uniforms: A Mixed Bag Review
The Kansas City Royals' 2022 season hasn't gotten off to a great start, and the vibes surrounding the team have been mixed over the course of the first few weeks. With a new uniform release, that isn't set to change one bit.
After they were leaked in mildly-defined images days beforehand, the club officially revealed crisp, official shots of its Nike City Connect uniforms on Monday. Models include the trio of Whit Merrifield, Bobby Witt Jr. and Nicky Lopez in one frame, as well as individual features of Andrew Benintendi, Salvador Perez and Michael A. Taylor.
The uniform, which features multiple tones of blue throughout, alludes to Kansas City's reputation as the 'City of Fountains.' That's evident in the patch on the chest of the jersey, as well as the logo on the players' hats. The artwork patch on the sleeve pays homage to the club's 1969 logo, and there are a couple of other intricate and symbolistic features throughout the multifaceted uniform as well.
The Royals are slated to debut their City Connect uniforms on April 30 against the New York Yankees. How did Kansas City do with these new uniforms? The Inside the Royals crew gathered for a quick roundtable review.
Mark Van Sickle: I dig the way the team utilized the old city fountain logo intertwined with the KC on the hat and on the left breast of the jersey. The crown inside of the KC on the jersey is a nice touch. Adding the old-school “R” on the right arm is an enjoyable throwback as well. The slogan “Hey Hey Hey Hey” resides on the inside of the collar, an ode to the song “Kansas City” by Little Richard, but popularly covered by The Beatles which is the version that is played in the stadium after a Royals win.
The powder blue numbers and stripes on the sleeves add a variation that is appreciated, although some would have liked to see full powder blue uniforms. Overall, I think this is a winning uniform combo for the City Connect alternates.
Apr 19, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny (22) celebrates with designated hitter Salvador Perez (13) after the win over the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Jerry Edwards: My initial, unofficial reaction: Meh.
It's like they scrapped last year's blue alternate and made them navy blue, then replaced the font and mailed the rest in. They're not terrible, but they feel like a carbon copy template of the Cubs' City Connects, especially since they use the exact same color palette. With all the Negro League history in town, you would've thought that they would've used that for inspiration instead of the played-out “City of Fountains” slogan.
Trevor Hahn: I really like them. The City Connect jerseys are supposed to be a different look the team has never tried and this is definitely that, which is why opinions will be mixed to start. These are clean, though, and incorporate the fountain look with hints of the historic powder blue. The thick stripes on the sleeves are very different and I'm a huge fan. All of the city jerseys look better on the field than they do in pictures and I am super excited to see these at The K!
Jul 16, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Nicky Lopez (8) is congratulated after the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Christopher Tenpenny: These uniforms are clean. The navy blue does a good job of popping the powder blue without overdoing it. The logo is subtle but portrays the fountains well. I’m also a fan of the white pants and powder blue belt. Too many of the connect uniforms are one solid color. Glad to see the Royals went a different route. Would not mind seeing these a couple of times a year in the future.
Jordan Foote: To take a page out of Jerry's book, "meh" would be the term I'd use to review these as well. I'm a big fan of powder blue and not huge on navy so naturally, navy is the prominent color and the oh-so sweet-looking powder blue is an accent. The City of Fountains theme is good in principle, but this look reminds me of the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft hat. Maybe it's the sour taste in my mouth from those caps making me feel lukewarm on the Royals' new uniforms but either way, I'm not a huge fan. They absolutely could have been worse, however, and that does count for something.
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