Antiquated Phillies garb

Greg's post about his Clemens' jersey reminded me of the story about my first Phillies jersey. It was December 1991, and I wanted a jersey for Christmas. So my mom and I went to a specialty sports store - remember, this was nearly 20 years ago. Sports paraphernalia and stores weren't as ubiquitous as they are today.

At first I wanted a Lenny Dykstra jersey, but I opted for a plain jersey instead. Not a replica - I didn't save my pennies like Greg did - but I was happy with it. However, the clerk hedged a bit.

"I heard the Phillies might be coming out with a new jersey next year. You might want to wait."

But I didn't want to wait. I got the jersey. And I loved it. But sure enough, four months later, it was out of date when the Phils unveiled their new uniforms on Opening Day 1992 - the same uniforms that they are still using today.

The thing that strikes me most about this story is the fact that the Phillies kept their new uniforms a secret. If I remember correctly, they wouldn't even officially confirm that they were getting new uniforms. Compare that with today, when there are fashion shows and big announcements about new gear - all formally introduced before the holiday shopping season.