Back in Black: Mets Announce Black Uniforms Returning in 2021

They’re doing it, they’re really doing it. The New York Mets will be back in black uniforms during the 2021 Major League Baseball season.

But first, hands up… who here remembers how happy most everyone was when the New York Mets finally ditched all traces of black from their uniform set? Anyone?!

Well, it seems enough time has passed for the “black for black’s sake” Mets uniform to now be missed and fondly remembered. Over the course of the last 2-3 years, many-a-Mets fan has been Twittering away, pushing for the team to return to the once unpopular uniform, worn originally by the likes of Mike Piazza and John Franco between the 1998 and 2012 seasons. I’ll admit, while I disliked the black uniforms at the time and celebrated their demise, I’ll still be enjoying all the warm and fuzzy retro feels when I see Lindor et al trotting out in the throwback threads.

Yes, today, the New York Mets announced black is back, for a bit, to be worn in “a limited number of games later this summer”.

We have worked with and thank MLB and NIKE for their help in the return of black jerseys for a limited number of games later this summer; replica jerseys will be available at retail in time for the holidays. We’ll have further information in the weeks ahead.
— x – New York Mets (@Mets) March 29, 2021

The Mets thanked Major League Baseball and Nike for their assistance in making the return of black jerseys a reality, it seems as though this may have been a last minute decision as, according to the Tweet above, they won’t be available at retail until closer to the holidays.

THROWBACK POST: Mets Ditch Black, Tweak Unis (Nov 2011)
LINK: New York Mets logo and uniform history

As the Tweet continues, more details are to follow in the next few weeks. I’m assuming that will include a photo of the actual uniform they’ll wear in 2021 as well as a list of games they’ll be worn in. One date they absolutely need to include in this slate, in my opinion, is the game on September 11th against the New York Yankees, held on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Even though the club originally wore white uniforms in their first game back in Queens after September 11, 2001, the black colour scheme is largely associated with that era of Mets baseball as well as Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza who famously homered in that game at Shea Stadium.

Al Leiter’s game worn 2000 World Series jersey (greyflannelauctions.com)

The Mets used this black version of their primary logo as a sleeve patch from 1998-2012

The New York Mets wore black for 15 seasons during which the team made three appearances in the postseason including a National League pennant in 2000 and the NL East title in 2006. The final four seasons of the black era saw the Mets finish no higher than fourth place in the five-team East, finishing well below .500 in each of those seasons, which, in all seriousness, was likely the reason why the team got rid of the black when they did.