Pirates reveal Nike City Connect uniforms

After nearly three months, the Pittsburgh Pirates unveiled their Nike City Connect uniforms on Wednesday with a video narrated by Wiz Khalifa.

Analysis

The uniform features a gold cap and jersey with “PGH” sprawled across the torso in black lettering. Black pants reminiscent to the 1970s Pirates round out the combination.

What’s fascinating about the uniforms, specifically the jerseys, are the embedded symbols that show different unique points about Pittsburgh. One is the upside-down “Y” that represents the three rivers:

“This shape is a nod to the Allegheny and Monongahela meeting the Ohio River. This was a point of inspiration for the print because aside from being iconic to the city, it’s the riverfronts that have truly evolved during this time of innovation and technology, and shaped a new look for Pittsburgh. Water as one of the key components to life serves as a showcase of the revitalization of our city along its riverfronts.”

Another is a square with four panels containing either a circle or octagon inside. This is to represent windows on the pillars of the Clemente Bridge:

“The pattern inside the PGH on the front of the jersey pays homage to the circular grates built into the windows of the pillars on the Clemente bridge, named after the man who truly exemplified the Pittsburgh spirit. It’s a reference to the city of bridges and how they are the vital arteries of our city, connecting the people of Pittsburgh to each other and the Pirates.”

Find more on the symbols by heading to the Pirates’ City Connect webpage. The uniforms will debut Friday, June 30, and be worn each Friday home game for the rest of the season.

The Verdict

This is a simple, yet creative uniform. Could they have done more, specifically putting in a black silhouette of a bridge across the jersey? Sure. Did they need to? No.

The embedded designs strike as a unique way to display the characteristics of Pittsburgh without going over the top, like the Colorado Rockies did with the Rocky Mountains on theirs.

Then again, the uniforms aren’t bland like the Baltimore Orioles’, which featured a black top with a white “BALTIMORE” on the chest.

Boring.

Overall, fans seem to like the design, but let us know what you think using the poll below.