Dressed for success

If you have an interest in athletic uniforms, you already know that baseball jerseys and pants used to be made of woolen flannel. The main reason why ballplayers were so reed-thin in the days up to the 1970s was this simple: imagine lugging around a sweat-soaked shirt and pants in the heat of a July afternoon! That's a workout, I tell you. Since the Pirates began the trend in 1970, the uniforms are Nike synthetic fiber, double-knit polyester, lighter and easier to maintain.

Speaking of which - ballplayers traditionally wear white uniforms at home games and grey on the road, for the most part. This was not a choice made by a fashion designer, but, rather, laundry services. Clubs on the road would wear their uniforms day after day rather than seek out a laundromat, so grey was chosen to hide the dirt better. 

If you think like George Carlin did (and more of us ought to!) you wonder why baseball managers and coaches wear the same uniform as their players, and you laugh at the thought of Bill Belichick having his fits on the sidelines in a Patriots uniform instead of one of his ratty hoodies. Dressing as if you were a player only takes place in baseball, and the official reason is the time-honored "We always did it this way!"

But flannel, double knit, burlap, whatever the fabric, it did not matter in Ancient Greece, because in the days of the Ancient Olympics, athletes ran around naked! Fact is, our word “gymnastics” derives from the old Greek words “gumnasía” (“athletic training, exercise”) and “gumnós” (“naked”).   

This being nekkid was to "achieve closeness to the gods" and also help detox skin through sweating. I bring this up in order to inform married guys who are being told to "go put on some pants" are now free to say, "I'm getting close to God and detoxing, honey!"

Results not guaranteed.