Orioles City Connect uniforms unveiled

Jake Rill

BALTIMORE -- To unveil their new Nike City Connect uniforms, the Orioles turned to the people of their city. They enlisted Baltimore residents -- both natives and those who have relocated here -- to participate in their reveal video.

Kondwani Fidel, a poet/essayist from Baltimore, provided the soundtrack with his original work, "You Can't Clip These Wings." He also contributed to the creative process as the baseball franchise with longtime roots to the city (having been here since 1954) designed a uniform to best represent Charm City.

Now, the O's have brought their new City Connect threads to life and directly to the people of Baltimore.

Shortly after Monday's online reveal, the Orioles’ team store inside of the warehouse at Camden Yards opened at 10 a.m., giving fans an opportunity to buy the club's new City Connect merchandise -- jerseys, hats, hooded sweatshirts, T-shirts and more. Many did just that, flooding Eutaw Street to purchase their apparel.

"They love it. They’re really proud of this city," Orioles senior vice president of community development and communications Jennifer Grondahl said. "There's so much beauty within this city, and there's so much opportunity for the future. So for us to use this jersey as an opportunity to tell that story, it means everything to our organization."

It's Baltimore versus the world. pic.twitter.com/zk73GPNFjR

The caps don't read "O's," but rather display a fresh script "B" logo. The jerseys don't read "Orioles," but instead "Baltimore."

"This’ll be the first time I’ve actually worn Baltimore on the front of my uniform -- in Baltimore," outfielder Austin Hays said. "It's going to be special to put that jersey on for the first time and step out in front of the Camden Yards crowd. It's an honor to be able to represent this city and its people like this."

The Orioles will don their City Connect look for the first time on Friday night, when they’ll host the Rangers for the opener of a three-game series at the start of a six-game homestand to close out May. The uniforms will be worn for Friday home games moving forward.

Here are several of the notable aspects of Baltimore's City Connect set:

"When we first sat down with Nike, we talked to them a little bit about what makes Baltimore so special. That's how we landed on this particular jersey," Grondahl said. "The colors, everything has been thought of, it was very deliberate. The snowball, the Ravens, all the different pieces, the Orioles -- everything that makes Baltimore special."

This is what it means to wear Baltimore on your chest. pic.twitter.com/42jXwRT9PV

"We felt that it was really, really important to not create a slogan or anything that was going to take away from how powerful we think this city is," Grondahl said.

We are Baltimore. You can't clip these wings. pic.twitter.com/4eQAdPtmjy

"It's colorful, it's fun. The black and gray with the bright colors, it's clean. It's the city," outfielder Anthony Santander said. "I love Baltimore. I love the fans. We want to represent them and make them proud with these jerseys."

Get your gear at our Team Store today! Visit https://t.co/1IIQEP1QwQ for store hours and shopping information. pic.twitter.com/xUt7eocBo5

Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball.

The Orioles became the 19th MLB team to reveal a City Connect uniform (a rollout by Nike that began in 2021), and the fifth to do so this season.