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View Full Version : Every jersey style every worn by a team, all by one player?



gingi79
01-24-2013, 06:08 PM
The aesthetic history pro sports teams has always been of great interest to me. Recently, I've been doing some research on the 4 major sports to determine which player has worn the most number of different styles for each team since their inception. My end goal is to figure out whether or not any player has ever suited up in every style ever worn by a team from their inception (meaning if the team was moved to a new city, the old cities unis would count). Additionally, the team would need to be at least 10 years old. The influx of throwback and TBTC jerseys may have actually made this possible.

Before I share what I have found so far, does anyone know if the feat has ever been accomplished in MLB, NBA or NFL? To the best of my knowledge only one NHLer has done it.

I could not discover a single MLB player, even with throwbacks as every team seems to have at least one style that has been closeted. The Turn Ahead the Clock teams have no players who still play therefore all but eliminating them due to more recent Alternates. Can any of our numerous team collectors dispel this research if I missed something?

The NBA has had so many alternates, throwbacks and just plain weird jerseys that I only took a passing glance at the teams who seemed to stay true to the original uniforms. With Boston's Black Alternate and I believe one other one game style, I couldn't find a player who wore each style. Am I wrong? Is there another team who has worn each of their previous styles during one players career on the team?

The NFL's love affair with Alternates and throwbacks gave me the most hope initially. The hope has been sadly dashed to the best of my research. Admittedly I am still looking up certain teams but for the info I have, I think it is a lost cause.

The NHL gave me my first pleasant surprise. Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes came with the team when they moved from Winnipeg. He has worn both the home and away original cubism jersey, the outlandish green coyote head alternate, the new brick and white jerseys and their black alternates. Add the fact he wore the Jets last blue and white jerseys and I thought I found the winner. However, he is missing 4 different Winnipeg Jets jersey styles. Damn it.

Rick Nash however has worn every style the Columbus Blue Jackets have suited up in. He came into the league for their third season when Columbus were still wearing their initial jerseys. He was their captain and wore every style since up until the end of last season. What is more impressive is that this little tidbit will become permanent if the flailing Blue Jackets fold (which is more than possible) Then again if they trot out a uniform change (something they have done 3 times in only 12 seasons) then he loses the "honor".

xpress34
01-24-2013, 10:44 PM
I could not discover a single MLB player, even with throwbacks as every team seems to have at least one style that has been closeted. The Turn Ahead the Clock teams have no players who still play therefore all but eliminating them due to more recent Alternates. Can any of our numerous team collectors dispel this research if I missed something?

I can dispel the statement in bold at least. One player (who may have a shot at come back player of the year if he's as healthy as they say) is still playing for the Colorado Rockies - Todd Helton.

I'll do a little research and let you know, but Helton may have worn every style the Rockies have had - if you include Spring Training - as well since he was drafted in '93 - their 1st year. It's possible he was given a jersey with he Inaugural Season Patch. Now, if you mean active on the MLB roster, then no, but Helton would be the closest to doing it for the Rockies.

- Smitty

genius
01-24-2013, 11:10 PM
this is a very cool subject to research. As an aside, the Blue Jackets have the worst uniform history I can think of. I lived there when the Columbus Chill ECHL hockey team had 100 straight sellouts or more in the old Fairgrounds Coliseum which was literally a Cow Palace. They used to have a promotion where for one game the Chill became the "Mad Cows". When they announced that the NHL team was being called the Blue Jackets, the Columbus Dispatch gave it a headline of "Lime Green Bug in Civil War garb is Team Mascot". They quickly "dispatched" Stinger (mascot's name) to the shoulders and came up with the ridiculous "CBJ" ribbon, soon to be replaced with the nothing-to-do-with-"Blue Jackets" Star and Ohio flag logo, then another nothing-to-do-with-"Blue Jackets" Cannon alternate logo. The name was inspired by a local American Indian legend named "Blue Jacket", much like "Black Hawk" if I'm not mistaken. The possibilities for cool imagery were endless but I understand that they didn't want to "go there" with Native American imagery. But it begs the question why did they go ahead and name the team Blue Jackets anyway. The original owner soon lamented that "it should have been Mad Cows". I'm not sure if that would have flown either (no pun intended) but it would have been better and would have inspired some cool uni ideas. The name Chill is a bit generic for hockey obviously but it had a lot of built in goodwill had it been transferred and I always liked the Chill logo. They also could have brought back "Seals" to the NHL which was my favorite name possibility especially considering Columbus used to have a minor league team in the Seals organization. Or, "Columbus Owls" which was my second favorite. Bottom line--bad name, bad logo concept, bad team. It just never worked.

pietraynor
01-25-2013, 09:19 AM
Genius, you are mistaken about the "Blue Jackets" team name history. Granted, original jersey needed work, but the stars, flag & cannon all have to do with the name. Jay

genius
01-25-2013, 01:44 PM
If the Ohio representatives of the Union army in the Civil War were really known as the "Blue Jackets", then I guess you are right. My take was that the name was more "inspired" by the Civil War rather than an actual historic term but I could be wrong as always.

jake33
01-25-2013, 04:21 PM
I was thinking about this a while back for the Tampa Bay Rays. A couple guys come close.

1) Rocco Baldelli/Carl Crawford. Baldelli is featured wearing the old Rays colors on a few of his 2000 rookie card, For the green logo, he was there for most of those years, wearing green alternate, road sleevless, road sleeved, 2007 10th year patches. For the new logo, he covered that in his return to the team in 2010 with the home,road, navy and powder blue alternates. He wore the 05, 06, 07, 08 and 2010 throwback uniforms (even though not always on the active roster for those games).
Baldelli never wore these styles: Throwback jerseys: 2011,2012, Devil Rays black alternate, Crawford is missing the same ones.

2) Dave Martinez. Now he is very close to pulling this off. He was with the team from 98-00 to cover all the original uniforms and patches. He came back to the team in 2007 as a fill in coach, so he wore all the green styles including the 10 year patches. He has been a full time bench coach since 2008 to cover all the new uniforms.
He is missing wearing the 2005 (u of tampa) and 2006 (tarpons) throwback uniforms, which is splitting hairs between the other Tarpons throwback jersey he wore in 2010. The U of tampa 2005 is nothing remarkable just a plain pinstripe jersey, with tampa small on the left chest.

3) Tom Foley - he's been there since 2001. Covers them all except the black alternate and the devil rays road grey.

4) Bullpen catcher Scott Cursi - has been with the Rays orginzation since the 1990's. He likely has covered the most of uniforms.

Other active Rays players to wear all the regular styles:
Dan Wheeler
JP Howell - the rays 2009 TB uniform was the Devil rays 1990's throwback style
Ben Zobrist - the rays 2009 TB Uniform was the devil rays 90's throwback

orioles03
01-25-2013, 10:35 PM
Ray Lewis wore every style of the ravens given there has not been many but only nfl guy currently I can think of

MikeSharon
01-26-2013, 02:41 AM
Biggio would qualify for the Astros as of today but when the season starts with the new unis he will no longer qualify he wore every style of Astros uniform in his 20 years with the club if you count the throwbacks in the mix

joelsabi
01-26-2013, 01:06 PM
I was thinking about this a while back for the Tampa Bay Rays. A couple guys come close.


Baldelli never wore these styles: Throwback jerseys: 2011,2012, Devil Rays black alternate, Crawford is missing the same ones.



I dont blame Baldelli or Crawford not wanting to look like this.