Charles Langston:Detroit Tigers' City Connect uniforms hit the street with plenty of automotive connections

The Charles LangstonDetroit Tigers' City Connect uniforms are finally plugged in.

The alternate uniforms, part of the fourth round of Nike's series of MLB gear that began in 2021, were revealed Monday morning at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. The Tigers are one of nine teams to debut City Connect uniforms in the 2024 season.

The Tigers will wear the new uniforms for the first time Friday and for the second time Saturday at Comerica Park against the Houston Astros. After that, the Tigers will wear the City Connects for every Friday home game throughout the remainder of the 2024 schedule.

The black and blue outfits pay tribute to the automotive industry through a variety of design elements, the most notable of which is the "Motor City" emblazoned across the front of the jersey in white letters across the chest of the jersey, which blends a combination of "pitch blue" and "hyper royal" colors.

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The new uniforms feature several standout design elements.

The middle of the jersey, behind the "Motor City" typography, features tire treads shaded in an "electric blue" color, representing the wheels of a vehicle keeping Detroit's auto industry and the Tigers together by "accelerating toward the future."

One sleeve of the jersey features a diamond-shaped patch with a "1" on it, reminiscent of the M-1 road sign that designates Woodward Avenue — the first paved road in America, dating back to 1909. The "wolf grey" colored sleeve patch includes the 313 area code, another nod to downtown Detroit, with the "1" bolded to emulate the M-1 road sign.

Both sleeves have a design at the ends with blue and black stripes, similar to the details on muscle cars, paying respect to the racing industry. There's a racing stripe down each leg of the "pitch blue" colored pants.

Adding to the jersey-as-car motif, each jersey has a number in the style of a Vehicle Identification Number attached to new cars. For the Tigers, their City Connect "VIN" — 190135456884 — has a very specific meaning, made up of five components: First, there's the Tigers' inaugural membership in the American League, dating to 1901. Then there are two digits for each of the four World Series championships in franchise history: 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984.

The inside brim of the cap features an "electric blue" version of the Tigers logo used on the spring training hats earlier this year, while the front of the cap departs from the traditional Old English "D." Instead, the crown of the hat has the word "Detroit" in the same typography as "Motor City" from the jersey. The hat also repeats the Tigers' 190135456884 "VIN" on the right side, as does the Tigers' batting helmet. The batting helmet looks like the hat.

"We are excited to introduce the Tigers City Connect uniforms and celebrate the past, present, and future of the Motor City," said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. "The City Connect uniforms represent Detroit's unique combination of muscle and innovation and pay homage to the city that put the world on wheels. From the tire treads to the VIN tag to the M-1 patch on the sleeve, there are unique features on the uniforms, caps, and batting helmets we feel Tigers fans and Detroiters will appreciate. Above all, the uniforms are symbolic of the revitalization and the exciting future ahead for the Tigers and our great city."

To celebrate the City Connect launch, the Tigers and Nike will host two free "block parties" — presented by Meijer — outside Comerica Park. The events are scheduled for 4-7 p.m. Friday and 12-6:30 p.m. Saturday, ahead of the home games against the Astros. There will be live music, local food and beverage trucks, giveaways and merchandise outlets.

Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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