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On July 14, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that they would become the 14th MLB team to feature a jersey advertisement. Now with nearly half of the league’s teams taking on such a sponsor, this is just another way the baseball world is changing before our eyes.
The 3×3 patch will feature the Toronto Dominion Bank logo – better known as TD – on the upper left sleeve. Home fans will get their first look at the design addition when their team takes the field at Rogers Center against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 14.
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“Toronto Blue Jays offer patched TD jersey for the rest of the season.” – Toronto Sun
The previous December, Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro stated that the team was looking for a new jersey sponsor. Not only has a Canadian MLB team ever featured any kind of advertisement on their jerseys.
MLB is the latest major North American sports league to enact jersey patches. The NBA started doing this in 2017, with the NHL joining just last year. In April, the San Diego Padres became the first MLB team ever to feature a jersey patch, when they partnered with Motorola.
The move by the Toronto Blue Jays comes just days after their divisional rivals, the New York Yankees, announced they would acquire Starr Insurance Patches. The most storied team in the league, many Yankees fans were put off by the fact that they would step into the Bronx Bombers’ classic striped color scheme.
or 🗑? 🤔The New York Yankees have announced new “Starr Insursnce” patches that will be worn on both home and away jerseys” – Calico Joe
Although advertisements appearing on T-shirts have been popular in European football for decades, the North American sports player has a hard time accepting it. With the recent move by the Toronto Blue Jays, it looks like it won’t be long before they have no choice in the matter.
The Toronto Blue Jays may change the balance of ads on the jersey
By being the 14th team in the major leagues to put an ad on the sleeve, the Jays may be at the forefront of turning spots from exception to rule.
While the debate over the visual aesthetic and the like can go on forever, stains are likely to remain. Fans may not like them, but for better or worse, it’s out of their control at the moment.
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