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SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- Two years ago, as part of the 100th-anniversary of Wrigley Field celebration, the Cubs introduced an alternate gray road jersey that had "CUBS" on the front in block letters, along with a slightly different numbering font.
Some of you liked it. I didn't particularly care for it; having two gray road jerseys resulted in occasional instances of players or coaches wearing the wrong one, as shown in the photo above. You can see the different number font on coach Eric Hinske's jersey, compared to the one Anthony Rizzo is wearing (photo from May 31, 2014).
Here's a better look at both of them side-by-side, and the news that the Cubs are going back to the "CHICAGO" road gray:
New for 2016: Cubs eliminating alternate road uni (shown at right), retaining primary road uni. pic.twitter.com/hnqOKDMZ2S
— Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) March 25, 2016
I understand what the Cubs were trying to do with this; the CUBS in block letters was intended to echo this 1920s-era Cubs uniform, worn both at home and on the road in the early 1920s:
That's the 1921 set. That was the only year that style was worn at home; it was the road jersey from 1920 through 1925, at which time it was dumped and "CHICAGO" appeared on the away uniforms. It didn't have the piping that the 2014-15 "CUBS" jersey had, and I thought that made it look too busy.
I'm glad the Cubs have gone back to the "CHICAGO" look as the sole road gray uniform, though I'd love to see them bring back this 1960s-era style that they've worn occasionally as a throwback:
As I have mentioned here before, I own that jersey -- not a replica, but the actual jersey Jake Arrieta wore in that 2014 throwback game in Philadelphia, one of the best deals I've gotten from Cubs Authentics.
I hope they wear the road gray more often this year, instead of the blue alt that's become almost the away-game standard. What's your preference? Vote in the poll.