St. Louis Cardinals: The return of the powder blues to St. Louis

The announcement of the St. Louis Cardinals’ new alternate uniforms with an old twist was dramatized by Cardinals social media for several weeks. While the return of the powder blue color scheme is exciting for many fans, the reveal was met with mixed opinions.

It all started when the St. Louis Cardinals official Twitter page posted a picture on November 9. The photo, paired with the caption “A big announcement is coming soon… you’re gonna flip!”, was of iconic St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith preforming his iconic flip in a classic powder blue jersey with the date “11-19-18” at the bottom.

There was speculation, but most people didn’t need to think too hard to figure out what it was. This was all but confirmed when user @CardinalsRant_ on Twitter realized 9 hours later that Smith was wearing a white jersey in the original image that they pulled his flip from.

This all but confirmed that the announcement was going to be the return of the powder blues, so much of the anticipation and speculation fizzled out as quickly as it was lit.

November 19 came, and lo and behold, Smith and current St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader appeared with blue jerseys in tow.

I think the circumstances surrounding the way it was handled had something to do with the mixed reception of the reveal itself. While there are a group of people that simply don’t like the color scheme and another that believes it was all just a cash grab, a sizable portion of the disdain came from the idea that it wasn’t something that needed to be announced before a major move was made.

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I think that St. Louis Cardinals fans are simply anxious as the days pass in arguably the franchise’s most important offseason ever without a move. The fact that the Cardinals made sure these jerseys were released just as the holiday season is rolling in is an obvious strategical move, but a logical one too. I personally see as smart and reasonable, and not something that should be seen as a money grab to the detriment of fans.

Like many fans, I personally adore this color scheme. There is something about the contrast between the brightness of the powder blue and the boldness of the Cardinals’ trademark red hue is a combination that is both visually striking and aesthetically pleasing, and I am thankful that the pairing is making a return.

If you are a St. Louis Cardinals fan and dislike the jerseys, fear not! The team announced that these are Saturday road alternate jerseys, which means they will only be worn in 13 of the 162 regular season games in 2019.

While it is somewhat disappointing to hear how scarcely these jerseys will appear in 2019, this schedule allows the team to invoke their powder blue past without letting it overwhelm the true red heart of the St. Louis Cardinals.