Several Major League Baseball teams are celebrating anniversary seasons this year, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and Tampa Bay Rays.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. On the Diamondbacks’ website, dbacks.com/20, fans can vote for their Diamondbacks All-Time Team. The 16 members selected for the All-Time Team will be honored before the August 4 game. While the Diamondbacks will wear a 20th Anniversary patch on their uniforms during the season, the team will also wear past uniforms on Throwback Thursdays. According to the team’s site, those uniforms will be from the 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2011, and 2017 seasons. Opening Weekend from March 29-31 will include a litany of events, including first pitches from members of each postseason team on Opening Day. On March 31, the pregame ceremony from the first ever Diamondbacks home game will be replicated, including first pitches and the national anthem. In addition, the Diamondbacks will have a 2,000-square-foot exhibit at Chase Field that will showcase everything from artifacts to photos to trophies.
This year, the Colorado Rockies are turning 25. The team will wear anniversary patches on its uniforms and the team has already announced its All-Time 25-Man roster. The Rockies will debut a new scoreboard in time for its anniversary season, which will cover 8,369 square feet, 258% larger than the previous scoreboard.
It’s the gold anniversary for the Kansas City Royals, as they are turning the big 5-0. They will also be wearing anniversary patches on their uniforms. The Royals will be celebrating throughout the year with 50th Season Weekend Celebrations. One weekend a month will have a theme and includes giveaways and alumni appearances. Themes include Opening Day, Stadium History, Royals Legends, Family and Fan Traditions, Giveaways and Entertainment, World Championships, and Royals in The Community. The Royals are also releasing a 50th Season Commemorative Book filled with Kansas City baseball history. Fans can also vote for their All-Time Royals team and can submit their favorite Royals’ baseball memories.
The Los Angeles Dodgers moved cross-country from Brooklyn in 1958 and will celebrate their 60th season in LA this year. The Dodgers’ anniversary is going being celebrated at “60 Years In LA” which is a pop-up museum experience presented by MasterCard on the Left Field Reserve. Plans have also been announced for a new Kirk Gibson seat at Dodger Stadium, a commemorative seat located in the area of the Right Field Pavilion where Kirk Gibson hit his walk-off home run during Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The Dodgers are also honoring Gibson with a special edition bobblehead giveaway on March 30. Another anniversary giveaway will be Dodgers’ baseball cards from different decades from the 50s all the way up to the 2010’s.
The Miami Marlins will be celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, with their 25th anniversary weekend from June 8-10 being one of the highlights. The weekend will feature throwback jerseys with the teal pinstripe design the franchise used in its debut season as the Florida Marlins in 1993. During the anniversary weekend, you can also get seats in the upper deck for a whole $4 each- the same price as an adult general admission ticket for Opening Day 1993. The anniversary patch that will be worn on uniforms this season also feature the marlin and teal color scheme. According to the Sun-Sentinel, the weekend will also include alumni appearances and a ceremonial first pitch from Stuart Farber. Additionally, the Marlins are working on a fan-generated art project that will be showcased that weekend.
Like the Royals, the Oakland Athletics are also celebrating their 50th anniversary. The 50th Anniversary Game on April 17 is going to be a popular event, so popular that according to the A’s website, tickets are no longer available, and fans can register to be put on a waiting list for the opportunity to acquire tickets to that game. The A’s have also released their 50th anniversary logo and the 50th anniversary team complete with highlight reels. Specialty uniforms will be worn every Friday as a part of Green Friday, with the kelly green alternate jersey inspired by past Oakland A’s teams. The 50th anniversary team will be honored throughout the season including a pregame ceremony on Opening Night on March 30. On September 5, the A’s will announce the Inaugural A’s Hall of Fame Class. The A’s are also releasing a coffee table book showcasing 50 years of baseball history.
Across the way from the A’s, the Giants are celebrating 60 years in San Francisco after moving from New York in 1958. The Giants have released the patch that the team will wear on its uniforms this season showcasing the form of the Golden Gate bridge. Throughout the season, the Giants will have World Series Team reunions for fans in the Triples Alley Premium Location which will feature a panel with past alumni from that specific World Series team as well as a World Series themed item. Fans can also receive anniversary-themed giveaways like the Willie Mays bobblehead on April 7 or the Mt. Crushmore Commemorative Statue on June 24. In addition, AT&T Park will feature The Giants Vault, an exhibit area located inside of the O’Doul Gate entrance that features memorabilia and artifacts that honor the team’s history.
Finally, the Tampa Bay Rays are turning 20 years old. As part of their anniversary celebration, the Rays will wear throwback jerseys for four games this season that feature the original gradient Devil Rays design. The Rays will also have numerous promotions for the 20th anniversary including nights honoring the 1998 and 2008 teams and giveaways like the Fred McGriff and Tino Martinez Bobblehead on June 9 and a photo viewer on September 8.
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