Page 1 of 5
63
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.8
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.77.8527.
Moon, K. (2020). Fifty Years of Dazzling, Dizzying Threads: Anniversary of Pittsburgh Pirates Debuting Double-Knits July 1970. Advances
in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(8) 63-67.
Fifty Years of Dazzling, Dizzying Threads: Anniversary of Pittsburgh
Pirates Debuting Double-Knits July 1970.
Ken Moon
Iowa Western Community College,
Clarinda and Page, Fremont Centers, Iowa
ABSTRACT
This article was originally accepted for presentation at the Baseball in
Literature and Culture Conference at Ottawa University in Ottawa,
Kansas, in April 2020 (conference cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak)
and presented virtually (via Zoom) for the 37th Sports Literature
Association Conference, Virtual Edition June 19, 2020. This article
commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Pittsburgh Pirates, when
debuting in Three Rivers Stadium fifty years ago July 16, 1970, making
a fashion statement in their new uniforms that would change the look of
the game as much as the multi-purpose stadiums and artificial surface
fields Major Leaguers played on. Their white double-knit uniforms
would spark a revolution in uniform design soon to be adopted by all the
Major League teams within a couple years. Their uniform’s nylon-cotton
blend fabric changed the look of Major League Baseball at a time when
advancements in textile technology combined with a freer spirit in
graphics experimentation allowed for bold—and sometimes wild—
fashion designs not seen before in professional sports. Several books
along with news and commercial web sites/sources are referenced to
confirm information in the article.
Keywords: Major League Baseball Uniforms, Sports and Fashion History,
History of Sports Design, Sport Uniform Fabrics.
INTRODUCTION: A SUMMER NIGHT FOR NEW THINGS
In mid-July this year, the Pittsburgh Pirates will celebrate a unique anniversary that changed the
look of baseball. July 16 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Pirates debuting in their former
home that they shared with the Steelers, Three Rivers Stadium. As progressively modern as the new
stadium looked, on that same evening the Bucs also donned new tight-fitting uniforms that seemed
equally suited for a New York fashion show as they did a baseball stadium: a pull-over sleeved jersey
and elastic waistband pants that were white with mustard yellow, white, and black piping on the
waist, sleeves, and neck, the pants fastening only with buttons (Lukas, 2010) rather than requiring
belt loops for a belt. The hat was also changed to a mustard yellow cap with a black P and a black
bill.
On that mid-summer night, the Pirates would transform the look of baseball. Much as club owners
and cities had been changing the look of the game by building multi-purpose stadiums with artificial
playing surfaces, the Pirates’ uniform kick-started what would become a revolution in uniform
Page 2 of 5
64
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 8, August-2020
design—in some cases eye-assaulting as I’ll later discuss—as teams rushed to update their looks
and fit in with the soon-to-be swingin’, disco 70s.
Fans in attendance that night in Three Rivers were probably even more delighted given their
already awed feeling of being in a new, state-of-the-art sports facility. In fact, one fan (as cited in
Lukas, 2010) that evening, then a pre-teen, noticed immediately:
The Pirates came out for BP in their old uniforms . . . . We didn't see the new ones until
Dock [Ellis] went out to warm up. I absolutely noticed the difference. It was exciting,
because it was all part of this 'moving into the future' thing. In 1970 we were all a lot
more optimistic.
A HOT TREND
The other MLB teams were quick to adopt the new threads. The Pirates wore the new uniforms
through the second half of the ’70 season and all through the ’71 season, including the World Series
when they defeated the Baltimore Orioles. One source claims and a YouTube video appears to show
that the Orioles, the defending world series champions from 1970, transitioned to the double knits
during the ’71 season (Classic MLB1, 2019; Steinle, 2019). The other teams soon followed. By 1972,
all but a handful of Major League teams had switched over to the newly designed synthetics (Steinle,
2019). And in ‘73, all had switched (Lukas, 2010; Steinle, 2019). I’m sure—besides the viewers—
the networks, MLB, and the other team owners were quick to take note of those stylish 1970 Buccos
and wanted to re-fashion their players.
WHY THEN?
Why did the synthetic blends take off so quickly after the Pirates introduced them? One reason is
they looked good on TV. Because the networks had better camera technology by the late 60s/early
70s, they were broadcasting crisper images that were also in color. The synthetic blends appeared
brighter, and the tighter-fitting uniforms made the players’ fit physiques look better too.
Another reason why the synthetic blends probably caught on quickly is that the Pirates had become
a contender. They would win the eastern division in the newly reformatted divisional playoff
structure Major League Baseball had expanded to just the year before, and do it five of the next six
seasons. Contenders make anything look good.
Because of the team’s success in those first three years of the 70’s, hall of famer Roberto Clemente
would get exposure to a national audience that he hadn’t received during the sixties in those first
two and half years the team wore the uniform—particularly for his phenomenal MVP performance
in the ’71 Series. It’s ironic too, since many of the pictures of Clemente have him wearing the
synthetic blend uniform despite his wearing the Pirates flannel vest uniform for most of his career.
I’m sure the biggest reason the owners switched over was the players liked the uniform’s feel (not
always the look, depending on the design). Going back to the days of Ruth and Gehrig, players were
wearing wool uniforms. During the hot summer, those uniforms soaked up the sweat and were just
darn hot. Then came flannels that were a bit better, but still could be uncomfortable in ninety-degree
heat. By the time the Pirates adopted their version of the synthetic threads, all teams’ uniforms were
a form of synthetic material, but didn’t have nylon that made the Pirates uniform light and stretchy
(Lukas, 2010), and that’s what made the difference.
Page 3 of 5
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.78.8527 65
Moon, K. (2020). Fifty Years of Dazzling, Dizzying Threads: Anniversary of Pittsburgh Pirates Debuting Double-Knits July 1970. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 7(8) 63-67.
Their version felt better during those dog days. Pirates hall of fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski
said that during training camp in 1970 when the Pirates organization was in the stages of readying
the new uniforms for debut, he and Clemente were asked to wear them to see how they felt. Maz (as
cited in Story of the ’71 Pirates) explained he and Clemente liked the uniform fit:
“Everything just stretched with you . . . a lot lighter . . . didn’t hold in the sweat . . . not
heavy on you or nothing . . . and it was perfect. We really liked them.”
In fact, wearing the double knit uni made the difference in one player’s being able to play at all a few
years later. In spring training 1972, Ken Singleton, then with the Montreal Expos, was allergic to
some element of the material in the older uniform and was forced to wear the Expo’s new uniform
before his teammates did (Lukas, 2006; Gruver, p.87; Wong and Grob, p. 275). Owners obviously
felt a more comfortable player—particularly one not breaking out in a rash—would probably play
better if he felt better.
WHY THE PIRATES?
Why didn’t the synthetic blend appear before the Pirates did it? Good question. Synthetic fibers had
been around for a while. They were invented back in the later1800s and had progressed in
development through the first half of the 20th Century. By the late 50s synthetic blends were being
used in football uniforms (Uni Watch, 2019). One uniform dealer expert thinks baseball was late to
adopt synthetic blends because of the league’s stubborn tradition to change (Uni Watch, 2019).
So, why the Pirates as opposed to, say, the Reds? Their River Front Stadium, the same construction
concept as Three Rivers, opened only a couple weeks before (Cozzi, 2002), but no fresh new
synthetics adorned Rose, Bench, or Perez of what would become Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine, as
can be seen in photos and clips of the All-Star Game that Cincinnati hosted in River Front when Pete
Rose crashed into Ray Fosse—both wearing flannels.
It seems a marketing guy from the Pittsburgh firm connected to the development of the graphics for
Three Rivers Stadium may have spurred the idea (Lukas, 2010). He suggested to Pirates General
Manager Joe L. Brown that the team should have new uniforms to go along with the new stadium
(Lukas, 2010). This guy then teamed up with Rawlings, with Rawlings likely suggesting the new
fabric, Brown and the other Pirate high brass liking it, and the uniform development went from
there.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BUCS’ DOUBLE-KNITS
It can’t be understated how the Pirates’ uniforms revolutionized uniform looks from that point
forward. As stated earlier, the nylon-cotton blend looked brighter and better on the players, so that
obviously improved the look of the game. Also, because the seventies saw a revolution in visual
graphics in all industries, the fabric needed to realize such graphic experimentation in fashion
finally existed. The style of jerseys and pants could now be explored in ways never before tried.
A good example of this graphic design explosion as an “assault” on the eye is the rainbow design of
the 1975 Houston Astros uniforms —that married hippie tie-dye with space age. The Astros jersey
was white on the shoulders and upper chest, then had orange and yellow horizontal stripes around
the sleeves and around the torso from the chest down to the waist. “Astros” black lettering appeared
in the white just above the first stripe, and a solid big, black star was placed on the left side over the
Page 4 of 5
66
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 8, August-2020
stripes. All that heavy graphics meant the player number had to be placed on the upper right thigh
pant leg. It was the most incredible look for a professional sport team uniform at the time. Yet, such
a design would not have been possible without synthetic materials.
Paul Lukas, who writes for ESPN and Uni Watch and is an expert on team uniforms, explains (as
cited in Rajan, 2017) the importance synthetic fabrics had on uniform design like the Astros:
That rainbow pattern the Astros wore literally could not have been done prior to 1970
or 1971. The technology did not exist in the fabrics that were being used at the time to
create that kind of design. Even if somebody had wanted to do something like that, it
couldn't have been done. And I don't think it would've occurred to anybody to try to do
that.
As if not to be upstaged by the Astros, the Pirates again transformed uniform fashion by creating
the mix-an’-match style that went a little farther from what Charlie Finley did for the Oakland A’s in
1972 (Green and Lanius, p. 158). For the 1977 season that was popularized by the “We Are Family”
world champion Bucs of ’79, the Pirates donned a uniform combo that consisted of all black, all
yellow, and striped jerseys and pants, creating nine possible outfits. On top of that, Pirate hall of
fame slugger Willie Stargell handed out his snazzy, yellow “Stargell Stars” to his teammates for their
outstanding performance on the field that they proudly tacked on to their striped pillbox ball caps.
The explosion of dazzling uniform design would wane by the end of the eighties, with the nineties
seeing a movement back to traditional looks of the 40s and 50s. Yet, the material which those later
traditional styles were (and still are) made are essentially the same as the Pirates’ 1970 double
knits.
CONCLUSION: THOSE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE NEW HIPPIE THREADS
Baseball fans old enough to remember the early 70s and the new looks on the major league ball
diamonds and everywhere else will never forget those bleach white Pirates on the green carpet of
Three Rivers Stadium in the middle of the summer of ‘70.
Postscript
Other notable Pirate events while wearing the white double-knits:
• [Just prior to the double knits debut] June 12, 1970, Doc Ellis’ claim to have pitched an LSD- induced no-hitter at San Diego against the Padres.
• September 2, 1970, Gene Alley hits an inside-the-park grand slam home run against Montreal
at Jarry Park.
• September 1, 1971, the Pirates field the first all minority lineup.
• ’71 Season: Willie Stargell wins first home run title hitting 48.
• October 13, 1971, Game 4 of the World Series at Three Rivers Stadium is the first night game
in series history.
• September 20, 1972, Roberto Clemente gets his 3,000th hit vs. the Mets.
• 73’ Season: Willie Stargell wins second home run title hitting 44.
• September 16, 1975, Rennie Stennett goes 7-for-7 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley.
• August 9, 1976, John Candelaria pitches a no-hitter in Three Rivers Stadium against the Los
Angeles Dodgers.
Page 5 of 5
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.78.8527 67
Moon, K. (2020). Fifty Years of Dazzling, Dizzying Threads: Anniversary of Pittsburgh Pirates Debuting Double-Knits July 1970. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 7(8) 63-67.
References
Classic MLB1. (2019, March 6). 1971 Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles (broadcast portions 3 games). Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si9Np-A3KxA
Cozzi, S. (2002). Flashbacks: Riverfront stadium opens. BaseballLibrary.com. Retrieved from
https://web.archive.org/web/20040413042704/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/features/flashbac
ks/06_30_1970.stm
Gruver, E. (2016). Hairs vs. Squares: The Mustache Gang, The Big Red Machine and the Tumultuous Summer of ’72
(pp. 87). Lincoln & London: University of Nebraska Press. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?id=4zXfCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=Ken+Singleton+and+double+knit+un
iform&source=bl&ots=lOo7w1Fgzo&sig=ACfU3U0KIdUtzFRL_KySjT0mmscQngfkZw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjhx
7WP2KrkAhUF2qwKHdrCCuoQ6AEwD3oECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Ken%20Singleton%20and%20double%20knit%
20uniform&f=false
Green, G. M., & Lanius, R. D. (2010). Charlie Finley: The outrageous story of baseball’s super showman (pp. 158). New
York: Walker, Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?id=cVBjXrHA9GwC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=Teams+adoption+DoubleKnit+Uni
forms+in+1972&source=bl&ots=ZxwOrEAiCZ&sig=ACfU3U3jn3cVQFEabfPuqFzIi9ZGbkV7NA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ah
UKEwj6jJD8oMnlAhVUrZ4KHa6GCsIQ6AEwDHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Teams%20adoption%20Double- Knit%20Uniforms%20in%201972&f=false
Lukas, P. (2006, May 25). If you can’t stand the heat, wear a totally bogus synthetic fabric. Uni Watch. Retrieved from
https://uni-watch.com/2006/05/25/if-you-cant-stand-the-heat-wear-a-totally-bogus-synthetic-fabric/
Lukas, P. (2010, July 29). The Pirates’ great uniform revolution. ESPN.com. Retrieved from
http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story/_/page/lukas%2F100729_pirates_jersey
Rajan, G. (2017, July 6). Astros’ uniform tradition unlike any other in baseball. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/article/Astros-uniform-tradition-unlike-any-other- in-11268348.php2019.
Steinle, D. (2019, March 6). Comments to 1971 Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles (broadcast portions 3 games).
Uploaded by Classic MLB1, Retrieved 2019, November 1 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si9Np-A3KxA
Story of the ’71 Pirates. (2016, October 30). Uploaded by ZUB 65. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08-BzySFAUs
Uni Watch. (2019). Uniform fabrics 101: A primer from Terry Proctor. Retrieved from https://uni- watch.com/uniform-fabrics-101-a-primer-from-terry-proctor/
Wong, S. & Grob, D. (2016). Game worn: Baseball treasures from the game’s greatest heroes and moments (pp. 275),
Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?id=R9oiDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA275&lpg=PA275&dq=Ken+Singleton+1972+uniform+all
ergy&source=bl&ots=aXjy5Bpxe4&sig=ACfU3U10HtKk8xp- Nd5VBVmCdUYUznh_Ug&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8yNzbpsnlAhWSqZ4KHTBsD8oQ6AEwDXoECAkQAQ#v=onep
age&q=Ken%20Singleton%201972%20uniform%20allergy&f=false