Yankees seem increasingly likely to ignore 'City Connect' jersey program entirely

Fans of the New York Yankees who were relentlessly frustrated by the blue-block "STARR INSURANCE" sleeve patches last season received a dose of what they likely perceive as fantastic news this week.

For those of us who prefer kookiness? Eh, kind of a bummer.

By Nike's accord, 2024 was supposed to be the year when the final group of teams still without a City Connect uniform would unveil their designs (before the whole program presumably reset in 2025). Several iconic teams remain in the leftover bin; while the Red Sox immediately leapt at their chance to go yellow, the Philadelphia Phillies stayed dormant (and will reportedly go yellow this season).

According to the rumor mill, though, you shouldn't expect the rarely creative Yankees to take the plunge, either. A source who works in merchandising with both the Yankees and at the MLB Store in NYC told Uni-Watch that New York is still opposed to participating in the program, which Hal Steinbrenner also strongly hinted at last season.

Yankees Rumors: City Connect Jerseys probably will not exist

According to the fairly unequivocal Uni-Watch source:

"I started chatting with her about the CC unis — which ones we liked and didn’t like. I mentioned that, as a Yankees fan, I was curious to see what theirs will look like, and she said something like, 'Oh no, they’re not going to do one. You don’t mess with the pinstripes.' I said a few times that I was surprised they were allowed to opt out of it, and she kept repeating that they were not going to do it."

- Uni-Watch

Of course, this all makes more sense when you read through the list of City Connect designs the Yankees rejected, including:

- A regular Yankees pinstriped jersey with facial hair taped onto it
- A green-and-copper inspired design modeled after an oxidized subway token
- A graffiti-themed Brooklyn Nets disaster
- A design of Babe Ruth's exposed gut across the stomach
- Money. Sweet, sweet money.

Perhaps this was just informed speculation rather than a hard-and-fast declaration, but considering the backlash the Yankees got for letting their players wear garish, nickname-adorned jerseys for Players' Weekend, they probably have been looking for a way to weasel out of this one for several years now. Players' Weekend was impossible to duck; it would've looked insane for the Yankees to wear pinstripes while the rest of baseball was rocking hamburger emojis.

Too bad if you're a fan of seeing the Yankees mix things up. Those all-black Dodger Stadium jerseys five years ago were probably the last straw in the experimentation department.