A look at the Miami Marlins’ City Connect series jersey and the story behind it
A new Miami Marlins jersey is here, and there’s a story behind it.
The Marlins on Monday unveiled their City Connect series uniform combination in partnership with Nike. They will make their on-field debut Friday when the Marlins host the New York Mets at loanDepot park.
In general, the concept represents Latin America’s contribution to baseball’s rich history. Specifically, it pays homage to the Cuban Sugar Kings, a former minor-league baseball team that opened the door for future Latin American baseball players in the majors.
Marlins-centric design concepts are incorporated throughout to connect the remembrance of the past with the present and future.
“The hope is that it’s bold, that it’s elegant and energetic,” Mike Shaw, the Marlins’ vice president of experience and innovation, told the Miami Herald, “so that you can wear it wherever you are.”
The design:
▪ A legacy red jersey with thick white pinstripes. Until now, red has been mainly an accent color since the Marlins unveiled their current design and color scheme concept before the 2019 season. Now, it’s at the forefront.
The word “Miami” is written in script across the chest utilizing the hand-painted style of the city’s Little Havana neighborhood, where the Marlins’ home ballpark is located. The left sleeve has a redesigned Cuban Sugar Kings logo patch. On the left sleeve is the Marlins’ logo.
▪ The caps are Miami blue with legacy red bill that matches the jersey. The crest features the traditional Sugar Kings logo, a crown stenciled in the center with the same legacy red. The letters “MM,” for “Miami Marlins,” are inside the crown in white. The Marlins’ single fish logo is on the side.
▪ The pants are white with a thin blue piping.
“These stories don’t just belong to the club — they also belong to the city,” said Wil Green, senior creative director with Nike. “The Marlins’ jersey captures the essence of the Latin American influence on Miami and creates a new expression that’s uniquely authentic to the city and its people.”
And it revolves around the Sugar Kings’ story. The club was a Triple A affiliate for the final seven years of its existence, 1954-1960, with the hopes of becoming the first MLB franchise based outside the United States.
Their motto: Un Paso mas y llegamos! (“One more step and we arrive!”)
In 1959, they won the Triple A championship and the Junior World Series with a roster that included players such as Tony Gonzalez, Leo Cardenas and Cookie Rojas.
The Sugar Kings were one of the first to field a multi-national team with players from all over Latin America along with African American ballplayers and played with a passion that inspired the love and growth for baseball throughout the world.
“It’s about pursuing a dream, and aren’t we all doing that?” Shaw said. “We all have a dream. I think we all can identify with it. I think our fans in Miami can identify with what it looks like to pursue a dream, to honor the legacy of the past and then look forward to the new legacy we’re building.”
The Marlins plan to wear the uniform combination multiple times this season, timing the usage with their previously announced Heritage Celebrations that honor various nationalities.
The first is Cuban Heritage Celebration on Saturday.
“That’s part of this being something that’s authentic and organic to us,” Shaw said. “We as an organization want to always honor traditions and honor legacies. We also think it’s important to be diverse and inclusive and talk about how we honor other heritage. This should not be — and this will not be — a one-weekend event. ... The idea is not to highlight only one heritage. We’re highlighting the diversity across South Florida, the Latin community. There’s so many different heritages in the Caribbean we want to highlight. We think the jersey can be a great way to be a centerpiece to highlight them.”
What is City Connect?
According to Nike, the City Connect series “celebrates the bond between each club and its city. The uniform series explores the personality, values and customs that make each community and their residents unique.”
Think the NBA’s City Edition Series — the one that brought us the Miami Heat’s Vice jerseys — except for baseball.
Seven MLB teams are participating this year: The Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers
“We want to leaders and want to be innovators, this organization,” Shaw said, “so to be to be part of the initial rollout, I think is something that our organization is extremely excited about. We want t be leaders in all areas on and off the field. The opportunity to give this to our community, to get the journey, to get the uniform, for them to see this with us and with our team, I think is extremely exciting and also speaks to where we continue to hope to lead and to continue to bring something fresh to the fans.”
The Red Sox were the first to unveiled their uniform design, a yellow jersey with powder blue caps paying homage to the Boston Marathon. They debuted on April 17.
Every MLB team is expected to have a City Connect uniform by the 2023 season.
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