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It is that time of year again when Marlins fans can soak up the nostalgia and reminisce about humble beginnings and World Series wins. Throwback Weekend at Marlins Park starts tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks, with first pitch set for 7:10 ET.
In case you missed it, there will be guest appearances by your favorite Marlins alumni all weekend long at the ballpark. The players will be wearing the black vest alternative uniforms from the 1997 championship season, modeled expertly here by Sandy Alcantara, to celebrate the occasion:
Give us your input on next year’s throwback unis. What do you want to see the guys wear next season for #ThrowbackWeekend? https://t.co/u2OwSTylgW // #DimeloMiami pic.twitter.com/88UmJEgeyp
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) July 25, 2019
In a continuation of their “Dímelo Miami” campaign, the team is already looking for feedback and input from fans so that they can plan ahead for Throwback Weekend 2020. What was initially introduced last year to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the franchise has now seemingly become an annual tradition, which is excellent fan service considering how successful and well-attended—average of nearly 12,000 per game over the series—the weekend was last year.
With the team having paid homage to the inaugural season last year, and about to recognize the 1997 season starting tonight, what era could the Marlins throw it back to next season? Based on some of the most popular responses on Twitter, below are some of the possibilities.
Black Alternates (2003)
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By wearing 1993 and 1997 jerseys for the first two throwback weekends, the Marlins will have celebrated two of the three most important seasons in franchise history: their first season in existence and the year of their first World Series title. The logical thing to do now would be to commemorate the year of their second championship, right?
While they were slated by the wider media and baseball purists at the time for the plain design and unconventional pairing with the home pinstripe pants, the 2003 black alternate jerseys became synonymous with that Cinderella postseason run. For that reason alone, it would be great to see them back on the field next year. We know that new ownership is fond of black after the introduction of the new black-on-black alternate jersey introduced this year, so this uniform is very likely to make an appearance in 2020 (despite it probably appearing in Jeter's nightmares from time to time).
Teal Alternates (1990s)
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Even though the latest re-brand received generally positive reviews, Marlins fans are always crying out for teal to be re-introduced to the team's color scheme. In fact, that sentiment was one of the main factors behind the creation of the Throwback Weekend in the first place. If fans want more teal, then the Marlins should give them the most teal possible with these loud alternates from the franchise's early years.
The color scheme for the Florida Marlins was always unique, and this is the uniform where that fact was fully embraced, both in terms of design and fan adoration.
"Yankees” Alternates (2003)
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Sparsely used between the years of 2003 and 2007, this uniform was criticized for making the Marlins look almost exactly like the Yankees, but that surely won't bother the front office. However, there is a reason that New York has made minimal changes to their home threads over the last 100 years.
This is a sharp, clean look which fully incorporates the pinstripes that Marlins fans dearly miss. The off-set chest logo is bold and eye-catching, much like the new blue batting practice jerseys, which, as a side note, deserve to see the field for a regular season game at some point.
Have any further suggestions to add to this list? Let us know in the comments below, as well as how excited you are to see the team partying like it is 1997 this weekend!