White Sox Unveil Nike City Connect Uniforms

It’s always fun when a team unveils new jerseys. With Nike leading the charge, this has become more common over the past year or two. Now, it’s the White Sox turn to get a new jersey.

If you’re an NBA fan, you’re likely familiar with their yearly Nike City Edition jerseys. With Nike now the official sponsor of MLB jerseys, they are bringing this concept to MLB – and so far, they look incredible.

In case you’re unfamiliar, Nike announced this year that 2021 Nike MLB City Connect Series . The designs are meant to continue to explore a franchise’s connection to its city and its fanbase, each with distinct personalities, values, customs and traditions.

From Nike’s website:

“Developed in collaboration with seven inaugural clubs (Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, San Francisco Giants), Nike MLB City Connect Series honors the history that binds club, fan, city, and culture. In later seasons, the City Connect Series will appear league-wide.“

Nike on “City Connect” Jerseys

So far, we had only seen the Miami Marlins and Boston Red Sox jerseys this year. This morning, the White Sox released their version: classic black and white, because why would it be anything else?

“The White Sox’ identity – black and white, gothic script and pinstripes – is so strong that it has resonated beyond the game of baseball,” said Wil Green, Nike Sr. Creative Director – MLB. “Their uniforms speak to the strength and hardworking nature of the Southside of Chicago — without saying a word. We wanted to harness the Southside’s personality for the Nike MLB City Connect Series and introduce its attitude to newer, younger fans.”

“Every aspect of this collaboration is meant to connect with people who understand what the ‘Southside’ represents. It’s not just about where our ballpark is located or where people from the city or suburbs live. It’s a mentality and a culture shared by many who love the White Sox,” said Brooks Boyer, White Sox chief revenue and marketing officer. “The Nike MLB City Connect Series created a rare opportunity to transform a concept for all people who understand what it means to represent the ‘Southside’ into an on-field look and style. We are grateful to Nike who helped us create a uniform that embodies the team’s historic legacy and connections to our fans and the mentality.”

We don’t know about you, but these are just absolutely beautiful. The vintage black and white just screams “South Side,” and it’s hard not to absolutely love it. Over the past 10 years or so, there has been an absolute epidemic of uniform fails, but this is not one of them. In fact, this might be one of the best alternate uniforms in all of baseball right now. We really can’t put into words how badly we want to keep this uniform in our rotation for years to come.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the uniform’s fine details:

• “Southside” written in the iconic Old English font variation, dubbed “White Sox Gothic script,” has been a staple for the team since their last game at Old Comiskey in 1990. The team states, “the graphic nods to the organization’s storied history of the ballpark’s Chicago location that transformed over a century into a team identity.”

• The white on dark grey pinstripes, has similarities to the Chicago Bulls alternates from the late 90’s. The team says, “The dark grey uniform draws inspiration from Chicago’s well-known Greystone architectural style. Providing a fresh take on the iconic White Sox pinstripes, the color scheme and pattern create texture to symbolize the team’s brand identity and pay tribute to the look that has permeated through Hip Hop and youth culture.”

• Keeping the diamond Sox logo is a nod to what this jersey represents. Staying true to the city, which in turn means staying true to the uniform.

• Finally, the jersey size and manufactured tag. The bottom left of the jersey reads “CHICAGO engineered to the exact specifications of championship athletes.” Nike didn’t make this jersey, CHICAGO did.

The White Sox will be debuting these uniforms against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, June 5th. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CDT.

To celebrate the launch of the “Southside” jersey, the White Sox and Fanatics will also hold a White Sox Watch Party on Saturday, June 5 from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. at Navy Pier. The event, which is located in the Polk Bros Park Promenade near the west main entrance of the Pier, will feature a Nike/Fanatics merchandise trailer, speed pitch, live DJ set, giveaways and broadcast of the White Sox game on a large LED screen.

For the replica jerseys and all the gear, check out the MLB Shop by clicking here! They will also be available at the Chicago Sports Depot beginning today, May 28th.

Featured Photo: MLB/Twitter