ST. PETERSBURG, FL-- The Tampa Bay Rays have rolled out their "City Connect" uniform set from Nike.
The team says the "Grit x Glow" concept draws from the local counterculture scenes in skateboarding, street art, streetwear, tattoo art and music. The Rays will wear the "City Connect" kit for the first time during their series with the New York Mets, Friday through Sunday, and then at every Saturday home game. They'll also wear them at road games against Atlanta June 15th and St. Louis August 7th.
The design incorporates several hospital links to the team's and the region's past. The lettering honors the old Devil Rays era, while the SkyRay cap logo combines a ray with the Sunshine Skyway.
More on the background of the uniform in a news release from the Rays below:
"The pelican and palms logo includes nods to the histories of both St. Petersburg and Tampa. The pelican, seen on the City of St. Petersburg's flag, also references its baseball history as home to the Florida State Negro League's St. Petersburg Pelicans in the 1940s and '50s. The three palms are an ode to the historic marker at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, home of the first public skatepark in the southeast. Additional stylized logos and design features of the Nike MLB City Connect uniforms include: • A skateboarding ray to represent the hard work and grit required of athletes to succeed in both skateboarding and in baseball. • The jersey texture and color is designed to simulate a black shirt that has been weathered in the Florida sun. • The mocked texture of skateboarding grip tape is shown on the detail of the jersey numbers and the underbill of the cap. • Reminders of past colorful Devil Rays uniforms are seen in gradient accents on the jersey sleeves and pant seams. These accents are intentionally asymmetrical to capture the “against the grain” spirit it takes to break new ground."
The Rays are hosting a City Connect celebration at the St. Petersburg Pier from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday.
Photo: Tampa Bay Rays