Sartorial Tribe: 2005 Indians Alternate

Welcome to the second installment of Sartorial Tribe, where I take a look at some of history's baseball uniforms I like, that I love, and some that I hate. I'll try and feature a good variety too, from every era of Tribe baseball (you can find part one here). Without further ado, let's look at the latest entry:

A sleeveless baseball jersey is a novel thing. At least I thought it was when I first saw them. When I initially discovered these gems of polyester wonder I could scarcely believe my eyes. How the hell does a vest top work as athletic apparel outside of a basketball court? But work they do, at least in this instance.

I'd even go so far to argue that the 2005 alternate Indians edition is a work of uniform art.

This uniform was actually worn between 2003 and 2007, with a modified edition worn in 2002, lacking the player number on the front of the jersey. I've selected examples from 2005 in this case, as it was a decent year for the Tribe. They finished with a 93-69 record and a second place finish in the AL Central, after falling short of the division-winning White Sox (who went on to win the whole thing).

Let's get back to the jersey though. It's sleeveless. Why the hell did they decide to do that? Luckily it works and the contrasting combination of navy and white really make it sing.

One very strange thing I considered about these sleeveless jerseys: did anyone buy them? It's a strange purchase I can imagine, a vest for a baseball jersey, because if you aren't wearing a navy t-shirt underneath then the look is ruined. Also, it probably helps if you're athletic enough to pull it all together (although you could say that about anyone who chooses to wear replica sportswear).

Above we have a pretty good photo of a young Cliff Lee (from 2004 actually) showing off the uniform in all it's glory. I particularly like the blue piping down the center of the jersey, an aspect the current home jerseys could really benefit from I feel. The choice of red for the numbers is also a nice touch, perfectly complementing the rest of the design.

Here's second baseman Ronnie Belliard throwing from deep in the infield. Another element of these uniforms I liked so much was the cursive logo on the alternate hat, however it only lasted as long as these uniforms did, ultimately fading away after 2007.

The issue of Chief Wahoo rears its ugly head again, featuring on the chest of this jersey. Of some comfort however is the fact the logo is at least smaller than it could be, and doesn't feel as prominent here as it once did in the seventies. It's still not really an excuse but thankfully I don't believe it spoils the overall design of the uniform too much. I made my feelings about the Chief pretty clear in 2016.

In conclusion, I'd love to see the Indians bring back this uniform in the future, perhaps swapping out the Chief for the block C logo. Better yet would be a return of that cursive "I" logo that featured on the hats. A larger version of that could really work as a replacement for the Chief on the chest. Sleeveless jerseys still work in today's MLB, with the Rockies sporting them regularly, so it's a look that could hopefully return one day in Cleveland.