KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — The MLB All-Star Game has been around for almost a century, starting in 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
There have been plenty of changes to the “Midsummer Classic” over the years, but have you ever wondered why players don’t wear their own team’s jersey anymore?
In the very first All-Star Game, the National League team wore specially made gray uniforms with navy blue caps with the words “National League” across the front, while the American League players wore their own team jerseys.
Every year after that, players wore their own team jerseys. That remained the case up until 2021 when the MLB partnered with Nike to create All-Star jerseys specifically for the game.
It wasn’t necessarily a new idea. In 1997, specific jerseys were made for players to wear during the Home Run Derby, usually representing the host team’s colors.
For example, when the 2012 All-Star Game was held in Kansas City, the uniforms were blue, white and gold, matching the Royals’ color scheme.
Since the 2023 All-Star Game is in Seattle, the colors will correspond with the Seattle Mariners. As a nod to the city, the uniforms include elements of the ocean, forests, topography, and movement of air, MLB explains. The American League players will don light teal jerseys while the National League will sport dark navy jerseys.
The game-specific jerseys have received backlash from fans in the past.
The MLB All-Star Game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.