The Tampa Bay Rays have been delighting fans by embracing their vibrant and sometimes unconventional history in recent years. Having passed the quarter-century mark, the franchise is now in a position to fondly revisit its early, formative years, marked by both struggles and distinctive style. This nostalgic journey has manifested in the popular revival of their throwback uniforms.
After the 2000 season, the original uniforms of the then-Devil Rays were retired, seemingly relegated to storage within Tropicana Field. The team rebranded as the Rays, transitioning from the bottom of the league standings to consistent contenders, a journey that included a notable phase characterized by green hues and vest designs.
However, these original uniforms have been brought back into the spotlight with considerable enthusiasm. The Tampa Bay Rays have made it a routine to celebrate their throwback aesthetic. Prior to the 2024 season, an exciting announcement confirmed that the Rays would don the throwback Devil Rays jerseys for every Friday home game throughout the season. So far, this has primarily featured the original white home jerseys, much to the delight of fans eager for a touch of nostalgia.
During their initial seasons, the Devil Rays also sported an alternate version of their home whites: the striking black home uniforms.
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Photo credit should read PETER MUHLY/AFP via Getty Images
The last time fans witnessed the combination of black uniforms and a rainbow gradient was with the “Hit Show” batting practice jerseys. These are still recognizable at Tropicana Field, largely thanks to the popularity of the Cooperstown Wade Boggs jersey.
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It is highly anticipated that the black and rainbow color scheme will become an increasingly common sight in Tampa Bay baseball moving forward, given its nostalgic appeal and vibrant aesthetic.
The gradient featured in these throwback designs is a spectrum of six distinct hues. It begins with a “Green Glow,” reminiscent of Air Jordan designs, transitions into “Action Green,” seemingly inspired by the Seattle Seahawks, then flows through “Neptune” and “Baltic Blues,” before culminating in “Court” and “Psychic Purples,” which are signature to the Devil Rays era and have also appeared on Nike footwear over the years.
These six gradient colors are incorporated across various logos on the jersey, prominently displayed within the cap and even under its brim with a grip-tape texture. The gradient design is also featured as a stripe running down one side of the jersey and the opposing side of the pants, creating a cohesive and striking look.
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Alongside the revival of the black Devil Rays jerseys, the Tampa Bay Rays have also addressed another element missing from their uniforms for some time. Since the 2007 rebrand, their jerseys have simply read “Rays.”
For seventeen seasons following the rebranding, a crucial aspect of the franchise’s identity has been absent from their jerseys: the inclusion of their home region, Tampa Bay. The original Devil Rays uniforms proudly displayed “Tampa Bay,” connecting the team directly to its community.
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This omission was rectified on Friday, May 3, 2024, when the Tampa Bay Rays debuted their “Grit x Glow” City Connect jerseys, which prominently feature the name of their hometown. This marked a significant step in reconnecting the team’s visual identity with its geographical roots and celebrating its history through modern uniform designs.
