Major League Baseball

Padres update uniforms with piping, block letters

Published Nov. 10, 2011 2:34 a.m. ET

foxsports

The San Diego Padres are sticking to their blue-and-white color scheme while updating their uniforms with cleaner, more traditional looks.

The updates include adding piping on the home whites, road grays and blue alternate jerseys. The team will use block numbers and letters on the back of the jerseys, including their Sunday camouflage uniform, much like their jerseys from the old Pacific Coast League days.

The alternate jersey will have an interlocking SD on the left chest. That seemed to be the most popular among the players who modeled the new uniforms.

The Padres also changed their logos. The primary logo features an interlocking SD in a circle. The secondary logo features the Padres script under an image of Petco Park. That logo replaces a wave logo the team has used since moving into Petco Park in 2004.

San Diego updated its Swinging Friar logo from earlier in its history.

`'We've had so many big changes throughout our history, so we heard from the vast majority of them that another big, radical change wasn't what they wanted,'' team president Tom Garfinkel said.

A vocal minority has lobbied hard for a return to the brown-and-yellow scheme from the 1970s and `80s. But the mustard-and-mud look didn't make the cut.

`'There was a much bigger segment of our fan base that was adamantly opposed to bringing back the brown,'' Garfinkel said.

The Padres will continue to wear throwback uniforms from that era.

San Diego catcher Nick Hundley, who modeled the new home whites, said his wife was wondering if the Padres were going back to the brown.

He was glad they didn't.

`'I like the brown every now and then, in small doses,'' Hundley said. `'One game or two games a month is perfect.''

Said CEO Jeff Moorad: `'Brown and yellow didn't get a lot of votes.''

Last offseason, the Padres ditched their sand-colored road uniforms in favor of a more traditional gray.

While the four players who modeled the uniforms raved about the tweaks, they said uniforms only go so far.

`'Now we've got to go win some games while we're wearing them,'' Hundley said.

`'We're excited about having a new uniform and looking forward to getting out there and seeing if we can put them to good use,'' outfielder Will Venable said.

The Padres finished last in the NL West at 71-91 this season.