Black and grey going away?

[The Man in Blue]

I'm seeing several good clearance sales on the "MLB" black with grey side panel shirts . . . 

Are they making way for new materials, or is this style going away?   I know @DerekGDS has some interesting new materials, but I didn't know if this was across the board.

Just wondering if I should stock up.

[DerekGDS]

If traditional navy hasn't gone anywhere, the side panels won't either, but there is more adoption of the new MLB style. For example SWAC, Big South, ACC, CUSA have all switched to the new MLB style for 2025 and I'm sure we'll see more follow suit.

[cgroom]

I think the new style looks better after being skeptical for a long time. The material...has fewer ridges(?)/less waffle-like(?)/flatter(?). The horrid Smitty logo on the back has been removed. But for me the number one improvement is the removal of the gray bottom trim which looks like underwear on the rise if the plate umpire doesn't have shirt stays.

I think it will grow in popularity with the conference changes like @DerekGDS said and so many assigners having a "just match" policy for other levels.

[Richvee]

Everyone I work for is black/ grey, blue/black. (Except for high school who is hopelessly behind …and special order logoed anyway) ).  I’m happy I have enough shirts to get though this coming season. I can see a switch to the new MLB look, especially in college within a year or two. 

[grayhawk]

Haven't heard what the conferences I work for are doing yet, but if I had to guess, it would be the paneled shirts and the new MLB shirts as long as we match our partners.

[bluetick48]

For anyone who is having to buy new uniforms or just updating what you already wear, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the new Gerry Davis shirts. Light years ahead of any Smitty shirt I’ve owned. @DerekGDS and those guys have put out a great product with those shirts!!!

[834k3r]

3 hours ago, bluetick48 said:

For anyone who is having to buy new uniforms or just updating what you already wear, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the new Gerry Davis shirts. Light years ahead of any Smitty shirt I’ve owned. @DerekGDS and those guys have put out a great product with those shirts!!!

Seconded. I had never worn a GD shirt before last year when I worked the state championship for LL. We were given GD shirts--and I won't go back.

Note:  I wasn't compensated for this post but if Derek wants to, I won't complain. 😎🤣

[Richvee]

12 hours ago, grayhawk said:

Haven't heard what the conferences I work for are doing yet, but if I had to guess, it would be the paneled shirts and the new MLB shirts as long as we match our partners.

That's usually the way our college group works too. There will be a year transition where the old style or new will both be acceptable. It wouldn't surprise me if it was this year. If not, I  100% expect it to be next year

[MadMax]

On 1/1/2025 at 9:49 PM, Richvee said:

I can see a switch to the new MLB look, especially in college within a year or two. 

Let's qualify this – "TV college" vs. "plain-ol' college". 

The coordinators (and umpires, to be fair) want a look that is really, really sharp and clean for TV. It should look like this (game you the umpire are calling) is the best-&-only game you've got. The "best look in town" (subjective) is the MLBU standard. All their uniforms are provided. The next best is MiLBU, and their uniforms are on a stipend. By making it on a stipend vs. outright provision, TPTB are disciplining Umpires to take care of their uniforms. The expectation, nay mandate, is they do not wear their MiLB uniforms when doing a non-MiLB game. 

Here's where we get into the grey area... NCAA, ie. "College". 
I think you see where this is going... 

So, these coordinators do not want guys wearing old, faded, wore-out uniforms on games in which "look" or "style" is called into question. So how do you direct umpires to have new, bold, clean uniforms? You compel them to buy the newest, latest style. 
Then, you impress upon and reinforce (whenever possible) that your umpires don't use those new shirts for doing other game-types. 
The real wrench in the works is when you've got amateur umpires, working (occasional) college games, who wear their for-collegiate uniforms for tournaments and local leagues (hats, especially); or, high-school association heads who carve out their own particular "fiefdom", and impose navy as the "official" shirt color. It's always navy. Notice, it's not that it's an elder version of black, such as "traditional black" (the two-stripe one), or 2010 Vertical Stripe black. No no no, it's navy. And it's not even a newer version of navy! It's that wretched, tired, outdated navy with the red and white trim. Why? Because they're in charge, and this is the way they've done it for 30 years, and we ain't changing! 

[834k3r]

On 12/31/2024 at 1:38 PM, DerekGDS said:

If traditional navy hasn't gone anywhere, the side panels won't either, but there is more adoption of the new MLB style. For example SWAC, Big South, ACC, CUSA have all switched to the new MLB style for 2025 and I'm sure we'll see more follow suit.

Our FED association is saying the MLB style will be acceptable for this year (after years of black/gray only).