Texas Rangers unveil meaning behind "City Connect" uniforms
ARLINGTON (CBSNewsTexas.com) — If you've been watching this season, you've probably noticed a new uniform in the Rangers' rotation.
It is called "City Connect," and was created as a way to tie together the team's past with its present.
When the MLB and Nike decided to create an alternate line of uniforms celebrating teams' home cities, the Rangers knew just where to start: their own history. And not just baseball history, but Texas'.
April 21 marked date of the Battle of San Jacinto, the first championship baseball game played in Texas, and the first Texas Rangers home game. They also drew from the logos of three former Minor League teams in DFW that preceded the Rangers to create a supernatural creature known as a "Peagle."
The fonts, typography, and colors also have historical roots. The idea is that Arlington literally and figuratively connects Dallas and Fort Worth through baseball. And, based on sales of the City Connect merchandise—which they've had to restock and expand throughout the season—it's resonating with fans.
"We've seen fans of all ages wearing the City Connect gear, which for me is a huge win," said senior vice president of marketing Travis Dillon. "And I think, for a lot of the older fans, it's because we've told that origin story that they appreciate so much that they want to wear something that they can help tell the story."
For the younger fans, Dillon said it just looks different and that "it's got something that maybe they can claim as like their version of the Texas Rangers that they can wear."
Fans will see the City Connect uniform for the next two seasons, then there will be another one, which they'll start to create in the next few months.
