You have to hand it to the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Red Sox, the White Sox, the Cardinals, the Tigers, and the other teams who have retained or gone back to their traditional look.

Something happens inside anyone who puts on a baseball uniform. No matter your age, you feel youthful. No matter your vocation, you become a competitor. No matter your talent, you feel as if just wearing that uniform will allow you to go beyond the status quo and transform to a spiritual awareness that is simple and authentic.

You can win. You are donned in the garb of the greatest pastime on the planet. A sport fueled by the drive and hunger and determination that is at the heart of every American, those qualities that identify this great country and all that it stands for: autonomy, success, liberty and independence. Few other sports are characterized by how they stress the skill of the individual player.

It is team, but it is solo. Only you are at bat. Only you can hit the ball and make a play happen. You have your number. It is your uniform. You make the play. By far the most absorbing aspect of baseball uniforms as this great American past time has evolved is the socks. Each team's identity was distinguished by the stocking colors, and the names customarily followed suit.

Emblems on the socks were an additional symbol, but were not important as they are today. The press was the source responsible for the use of nicknames for the different ball clubs, and they were consistently inconsistent. In 1901, the Detroit Tigers established the first constant display of an emblem by placing a small red tiger on the black, wool caps that spurted a tendency of fans wanting to acquire a authentic Tiger cap, a passion that lives on even today!

Try to deal with a manufacturer. They should use the same American made fabric, Visa polyester, which is worn at the major league level. They should cut and sew all of their own lettering and numbering in-house. Their customization should truly define their quality. Youll have that new look year after year. They should guarantee the craftsmanship on all of their products.

A question to ponder-Why do high school, college, and pro baseball coaches have to wear baseball uniforms to coach when their counterparts in football, basketball, hockey, track, etc. don't have to wear their particular sport's uniform?