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Rays Pay Homage To Tampa Bay With New City Connect Jersey

Author Joey Franchize
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 10: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Tampa Bay Rays bats during the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at T-Mobile Park on July 10, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

We are about a month into the 2024 MLB season, and every year a handful of baseball teams are picked by Nike to design a unique jersey that represents the city that they play for. This year, Tampa Bay was up to bat & they did not disappoint, as they unveiled their “City Connect” jersey yesterday (April 29th).

The MLB partnered with Nike to be the official uniform of the league, on a 10-year deal, worth a whopping $1 billion, back in 2019. The Nike “City Connect” jersey’s have been an addition to the Nike MLB jersey collection since 2021, and every team that has designed a jersey since then, has incorporated unique cultural & community inspired elements. This uniform design is similar to how the NBA does with their “City Edition” jerseys.

The Tampa Bay Rays were finally selected this year, and man! This is one amazing uniform design. I was honored to have received the jersey before it went public for the fans to see and purchase. When I got the box in hand I was immediately hyped. I’ve have been a fan of the “City Connect” jerseys since Nike & the MLB started putting them out, and have been patiently waiting for Tampa to drop one. 

My Thoughts On The New City Connect Jerseys

When I unboxed the jersey, I loved colorway right away. The them behind the Rays city jersey was “grit & glow,” with the entire uniform decked in a scaley faded black tone, with the classic Tampa Bay lettering with flames on top, & the awesome combo of the vibrant neon colors around the trim. 

The uniform inspiration comes from, the underground skating scene in Tampa. In 1978, the first public skate park was created here in Tampa, FL which everyone in the community knows as “The Bro Bowl” at St. Perry Harvey Park. The skate park is also a registered historic place.

Some other cool features are, the Tampa Ray with the skateboard deck on the logo, skate grip used on the jersey lettering and patches, & the little Easter eggs of what Tampa culture is all about. The jersey is available now & can purchase on the teams site.

Peep my unboxing of the new uni below.

MLB Power Rankings: Top Teams to Start 2024

Spring is coming, and that means baseball is on the way. So, why not get into some early MLB Power Rankings?

If you weren’t happy with how last season ended, then you’re in luck. That’s because you have a million new games up ahead in the 2024 season. Okay, maybe not a million. But, a lot. The Major League Baseball season schedule packs a whopping 162 games for each of the 30 teams in the American League (AL) and National League (NL). Those games take place over about six months. That means baseball fans, in theory, could watch 2,430 games in the regular season alone.

Don’t do that. You have more of a life than to sit around watching 2,430 baseball games. But, I should talk. During football season, I watch all the games I can get my eyes on.

Let’s not leave out the minor leagues, by the way. It’s always really fun to go to a minor league baseball game, because it’s much more chill than a major league game. It’s also cheaper, both tickets and parking. So, don’t just support your major league team this year. Cheer for the minor league guys, too. You won’t have quite as many games to catch in the minor league, though, as a full, regular season in Triple-A is 150 games, Double-A is 138 games and High-A and Single-A are 132 games. Still, that’s lots and lots of baseball to attend.

With the official start of baseball season getting closer, it’s a good time to get into my initial Power Rankings for 2024. Sure, this is a bit premature, since players will shift going into the season. But, the biggest players are with their respective teams now, so we have a good picture and idea of which teams will pop in 2024. Frankly, deciding between No. 1 and 2 was very difficult, because both teams are so, so solid right now. Who are your picks for the 2024 season? Reach out to me here and let me know, and find the full MLB schedule here.

MLB Power Rankings: Top Teams to Begin 2024

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Author Joey Franchize
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