Kansas City Royals pay tribute to iconic fountains and art deco architecture with City Connect uniforms

The Kansas City Royals have launched their new City Connect jerseys.

For their City Connect jerseys, the Kansas City Royals have gone for a dramatic new appearance with ties to the city's sports and architectural past. The City Connect jerseys, which will be worn on the field against the Yankees on April 30, are the result of a collaboration between MLB and Nike that began last year with a few chosen clubs to accentuate the essence of the city they represent.

The new City Connect jersey also pays homage to the franchise's history and a journey through the decades of baseball's presence in western Missouri.

"The Royals have released their City Connect uniforms." - @ Joshua Brisco

The navy blue cap and jersey prominently display a new KC emblem designed by Nike designer and Kansas Citian Jason Wright, who drew inspiration from the city's municipal flag. The jock tag in the lower-left part of the jersey also has a powder blue fountain. The city's fountains, erected initially to offer rest for horses hauling carriages around town, have become one of Kansas City's most famous icons.

Kansas City Royals new City Connect uniform

The color of the City Connect uniform is navy blue, which refers to the professional baseball clubs who had previously called Kansas City home before the Royals' expansion season in 1969. The Packers of the Federal League, the Monarchs of the Negro Leagues, and the Athletics of the American League all wore navy blue as their primary color at one point or another. By way of the belts, striping along the sides of the pants, and both the player's number on the bottom right of the front of the jersey and the player's name on the back, powder blue serves as a secondary color, paying respect to the Royals' uniform heritage.

Three strong stripes, one powder blue with two white on either side, go down each sleeve, a tribute to the conspicuous sleeve striping of the Royals' 1985 World Series champion pullover jerseys. A letter R with a crown on the right sleeve, fashioned identically to the fountain-KC on the breast, acknowledges the original Royals logo, a giant white R on a blue field with a crown above it. The words "HEY HEY HEY HEY" are embroidered inside the rear collar, an homage to The Beatles 1964 song "Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey," which is played after every Royals home victory. The player's name and number typeface are modeled after the city's art deco architecture on the front and back.

"On the inside collar is a reference to The Beatles and their song Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey which is played following every Kansas City Royals home victory." - @ Chris Creamer

John Sherman, the Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Royals, spoke about the design below.

“This design is one that fans of any age can truly appreciate. From the fountains that are a part of Kansas City’s heritage to the colours of the jersey signifying the rich history of baseball and the Kansas City Royals. The uniform showcases the distinct elements of our community.”

Kansas City Royals unveil City Connect uniforms.

The team store for the Royals opened at 9 a.m. on Monday, with jerseys, hats, sweatshirts, and other items for sale. Note that they're also available through MLBshop.com.

What other MLB teams besides the Kansas City Royals have launched Nike MLB City Connect uniforms?

Nike MLB City Connect uniforms

The Royals are the eleventh club to debut their Nike MLB City Connect uniforms, the third of seven releasing this season. The Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers were part of the City Connect club's first class last season. We've seen the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and now the Kansas City Royals thus far in 2022. The Colorado Rockies are next, followed by the LA Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres.