When you think of Major League Baseball, you don’t necessarily think of a sports league that’s fashion forward. Baseball fashion, like the game itself, is often steeped in tradition. Anything that’s new and different is often looked at with skepticism by baseball fans. The Arizona Diamondbacks and their new boundary-pushing uniforms can tell you that.
That’s why it’s both surprising and encouraging that baseball has taken a cue from the NBA and added stylish sock-maker Stance as the official sock of MLB. The league announced the partnership on Monday, unveiling new-look socks that will be worn during the Home Run Derby and All-Star game this July in San Diego.
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From there, Stance will take over as the official on-field sock of MLB. This year, that won’t look too different. Stance plans to offer players solid colors and stripes that match their uniform colors. But next season, Stance will unveil more stylish offerings that players can choose to wear.
Stance, which was founded five years ago in California, became the official sock of the NBA last year. It launched a consumer-facing MLB collection last year too, which offered some pretty fly options — like legends of the game, classic stadiums and a series of designs devoted to Jackie Robinson. (Click through the slideshow above for a sampling of Stance’s MLB products).
There’s a pair with the Houston Astrodome. A pair with Ozzie Smith doing flips. A pair with Lou Gehrig. Things like that. And fans seemed to dig them. More of these fan-centered casual styles will be debuting in the next year, as Stance ramps up its MLB offerings.
As for players: San Diego Padres outfielder Jon Jay has been wearing the Tony Gwynn socks this season as a tribute to the Padres icon, which also proves that players might be ready for a change. In their announcement, MLB and Stance both alluded to that:
“With Stance we have the unique opportunity to do something that’s very authentic to our sport in a way that’s extremely current,” said Noah Garden, MLB Executive Vice President, Business. “This deal will bring something fresh to our fans and our players through a product that still respects our roots.”
“There is nothing as prolific as the Major League Baseball uniform and we have been eyeing it for years as a potential canvas for the unique style Stance can bring,” said Clarke Miyasaki, EVP of Business Development at Stance. “It’s extremely rare for any brand to have such an impactful and unique opportunity, so we can’t wait to work with the league to bring an incredible performance sock to the best players in the world.”
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There’s been a lot of talk this year about injecting baseball with more personality and this seems like a no-lose way to do it. Many baseball players wear their pants low, not showing off their socks. So if they’re not interested in adding a little bit of Stance pizzazz to their uniform, there’s an easy enough remedy.
But if players are looking for ways to add some modern flair and style, they’re about to be able to step up their sock game in a major way.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
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