Baltimore Orioles Reveal Black & White City Connect Uniform with Surprise Inside

What’s black and white on the outside and just about every other colour imaginable on the inside?

Why, naturally, it’s the Baltimore Orioles City Connect uniforms… what else could it be?

It’s an overall theme revolving around the basic idea of “this is how you see us, but here is what we really are.” The design features an all-black jersey with a matching black cap and (of course) black pants. Across the jersey is “BALTIMORE” in a white, bold typeface with subtle speckled details. A scripted “B” patch on the sleeve matches the logo on the cap. The Nike swoosh stands out in orange as the only splash of colour on the front of the jersey, the player’s name on the back is also in orange – arched above their number in white.

SHOP: Baltimore Orioles City Connect caps, jerseys and more!

The uniform’s simple black and white look is based on how those not from Baltimore perceive the city, “the greyscale exterior represents the surface level view people have of the city,” reads a graphic provided by the Orioles.

It’s quite the concept, but let’s keep rolling with it. In a first for a Major League Baseball uniform, it’s the inside of the jersey where we see a little more character in the design. Reminiscent of what the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs did with their black alternate sweaters last March, the interior of the jersey has an entirely new look, a multi-coloured patchwork representing the many neighbourhoods that shape the City of Baltimore.

“From the outside, it looks all black and white. But there’s always more to our story. In art, black doesn’t exist without colour. You can’t see what you’re not looking for,” continues the graphic from the team. “The palette is like our people: colourful, vibrant and quirky. Whether it’s our iconic rowhomes, egg custard or skylite snowballs, steamed crabs, lemon sticks or salt boxes, Fifi the poodle or pink flamingos, the Ravens or the O’s, our colours run deep here in Baltimore.”

Photos provided by the team show some players with their sleeves rolled up and the first few buttons undone, revealing the colourful inside and perhaps giving a preview of how these will be worn on the field. When worn regularly, the sleeves end with a pattern similar to that seen inside the shirt but instead presented in greyscale rather than multi-coloured.

The Baltimore wordmark, white in a bold typeface, is a nod to the Globe posters designed and printed in Baltimore, famously used by bands to promote their shows for decades. The speckled bits “and imperfections” on the logo “represent the shared grit the Orioles and the Baltimore community possess.”

The cap is all black with a white scripted “B” on the crown — the “B” is recycled from the first letter of the Orioles’ road “Baltimore” jersey script logo. The undervisor of the cap is the same pattern as the interior but just like the sleeve stripes, in greyscale. Inside the cap, again, it’s the same story as the jersey, with the multicoloured neighbourhood patterning.

“This O’s uniform celebrates the vision this hometown and hometown team share of a colourful and colour blind, vibrant, and open community that celebrates our differences and defends equal access to our fundamental American freedoms. There is no ‘quit’ in this place, and when adversity comes, we just start another rally.”
Baltimore Orioles

Moving down to the lower half of the uniform — the pants are black and worn with a white belt. A single vertical stripe is down the side of each pant leg, again, in that same greyscale pattern. Socks, when exposed, give us a rare look at some colour on the exterior of this set, as the colourful pattern is displayed on the outside of the design.

***Orioles City Connect uniform with sleeves presented in their natural state***

SHOP: Baltimore Orioles City Connect caps, jerseys and more!

“It’s colourful, it’s fun,” said Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander in the release. “The black and grey with the bright colours, it’s clean. It’s the city. I love Baltimore. I love the fans. We want to represent them and make them proud with these jerseys.”

“This’ll be the first time I’ve actually worn Baltimore on the front of my uniform in Baltimore,” outfielder Austin Hays noted incorrectly (Hays and the O’s wore their “Baltimore” road greys at Camden Yards previously on August 14, 2020). “It’s going to be special to put that jersey on for the first time and step out in front of the Camden Yards crowd. It’s an honour to be able to represent this city and its people like this.”

On the jock tag, tucked into the pants while being worn on-field but visible when worn by fans, is the slogan “You Can’t Clip These Wings,” a poem written by Baltimore-based poet Kondwani Fidel. The team describes the work as “a breathing rhythm that exemplifies the city’s perseverance.” This slogan is presented in orange and placed next to the white scripted “B” from the sleeve and cap.

Even though sometimes Baltimore is a wired jaw,
We still smile
With our chins held high
We still cheer
“You can’t clip these wings”
Forever we are here
– Kondwani Fidel, “You Can’t Clip These Wings” (excerpt)

The Orioles will debut their new City Connect set against the Texas Rangers on Friday, May 26, and then again on Saturday, May 27. From that point on they will be worn for every Friday home game throughout the rest of the season Fans can get their hands on the new gear right now online at MLBShop.com here.

Baltimore becomes the 5th team to unveil their new City Connect set during the 2023 season and the 19th team overall. The Orioles follow the Braves, Rangers, Mariners, and Reds thus far this season — the Pirates will tie a ribbon on this year’s campaign when they reveal their design next month.

Here’s an all-in-one graphic showing all City Connect uniforms thus far and what’s still to come: