By Gordon “Goody” Tate
May 13, 2024
Cleveland, OH – The Cleveland Guardians and Nike today announced new uniforms for the ballclub as part of the 2024 Nike MLB City Connect Series.
The Guardians City Connect uniform is inspired by the Guardians of Traffic pillars that adorn the Hope Memorial Bridge that sits just outside of Progressive Field. The uniform helps celebrate the City of Cleveland by bridging the organization’s historic past with the present.
The Nike MLB City Connect Series celebrates the deep-rooted history, culture and spirit of each city that continues to bring the clubs and their communities together – stitched as one.
Cleveland joins eight other clubs as part of the 2024 City Connect series, including the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.
Fans can learn more about the Cleveland Guardians City Connect uniform at CLEGuardians.com/cityconnect.
The City Connect Uniform
The Cleveland Guardians City Connect uniform is inspired by the Guardians of Traffic pillars on the Hope Memorial Bridge just outside of Progressive Field. The blue jersey’s textured pattern is influenced by the Berea sandstone from which the pillars were carved over 90 years ago, a reflection of the resilience of the statues and the city they inspire.
The sculptural art deco ‘CLE’ wordmark and number set are layered to look like they’ve been etched in stone, similar to the pylons that support each statue.
The uniform’s red and blue color scheme is rooted in Cleveland baseball tradition, staying true to the club’s history. The braiding down the sides of the jersey and pants features an intricate design found on the statues and gives a nod to the strength and excitement of the early ‘90s teams. The hat brings the uniform to the present, featuring the club’s new ‘Diamond C’ while matching the rich colors found throughout the uniform.
Personalized touches can be found on the jocktag, which displays ‘The Land,’ and inside the neck, with an ‘EST 1901’ graphic, the year in which the organization was founded.
The new Baseball Guardian logo will be featured on the player’s on-field socks, as well as multiple pieces of the Nike Authentic Collection on-field gear. The logo can also be found throughout the Guardians Team Store on new merchandise that will be released today.
Jersey Photos can be found, here.
Wear Schedule
The Guardians will debut their City Connect uniforms on Friday, May 17, against Minnesota. In observance of Armed Forces Day, Cleveland will wear special Armed Forces gear on Saturday, May 18, before closing out the weekend with City Connect uniforms on Sunday, May 19.
Going forward, the Guardians will wear their City Connect uniforms for every home Friday contest and will rely on player discretion for any additional home games.
Fanatics Pregame Party on Gateway Plaza
The Guardians will start the City Connect celebration with a Fanatics Pregame Party on Gateway Plaza on Friday, May 17, from 4 – 7:30PM ET. The party will be headlined by Cleveland’s own “The Big Don Band” and will feature the following activities for the general public:
- Speed pitch
- Exclusive City Connect prizes
- Face painting
- Balloon Artists
- Mascot appearances
- And more!
As part of the festivities on Friday evening, fans will get their first look at a City Connect-inspired mural, designed and painted by local artist Lisa Quine. Fans will be able to view the mural just inside the Left Field Gate upon entering the ballpark.
Team Store
The Guardians Team Store Tent on Gateway Plaza will be Guardians fans’ best option to stock up on the largest inventory of new City Connect gear. City Connect merchandise launched at the Team Store today, May 13, at 10AM ET as well as online at MLB.com/shop and local sporting goods retailers.
The Guardians Team Store will have all the Nike Authentic on-field gear, including replica City Connect jerseys, on-field hoodie, on-field lightweight jacket, on-field bomber jacket and on-field batting practice t-shirt and the official on-field 59fity New Era cap.
The Team Store will have extended hours from Monday, May 13, to Thursday, May 16, in celebration of the City Connect launch. Fans can shop from 10AM – 8PM ET today on Gateway Plaza.
City Connect Promotions
The Guardians will have five new promotions celebrating the Guardians City Connect uniforms across the 2024 schedule:
- May 17: City Connect-inspired Free Shirt Friday courtesy of Phantom Fireworks (10,000 fans), Phantom Fireworks presented by Dollar Bank
- May 18: José Ramírez City Connect Bobblehead courtesy of Sherwin-Williams (12,500 fans), Phantom Fireworks presented by Pepco
- June 19: City Connect Tote Bag courtesy of Pepsi (10,000 fans)
- July 25: City Connect Beach Towel courtesy of Nestle (10,000 fans)
- August 14: City Connect Belt Bag courtesy of Meijer (10,000 fans)
- August 24: City Connect Flag courtesy of Lexus (15,000 fans)
City Connect Fee-Free Tickets For The Fans
To celebrate City Connect weekend, the Guardians will have fee-free tickets for games from May 17-19 against the Minnesota Twins. Starting today, May 13, until May 18 at 11:59PM ET, fans can purchase any ticket on CLEguardians.com without having to worry about the fees.
COURTESY GUARDIANS MEDIA RELATIONS
