Turn Ahead the Clock
Encyclopedia
Turn Ahead the Clock was a promotion
in Major League Baseball
(MLB). It was originated by the Seattle Mariners
marketing team in the 1998 season. During the 1999 season, all but ten teams elected to wear the promotional uniforms that were in a "future
" style. The uniforms have been widely criticized and the promotion proved unsuccessful.
marketing director, came up with the idea to have futuristic jerseys from the 2027 season as an alternative to "Turn Back the Clock
" promotions. The marketing team transformed the Kingdome
to give it a futuristic atmosphere. According to Martinez, Ken Griffey, Jr.
was instrumental in the design of the jerseys and came up with the idea to change the Mariners' colors from teal, blue and white to red, black, and silver. Majestic Athletic
worked with the Mariners' marketing team to create the uniform. Martinez himself described the jerseys as "gaudy". The Mariners' opponent during the promotion was the Kansas City Royals
, who according to Martinez, were "fantastic to work with". Originally, the Mariners played with the jerseys un-tucked and turned their baseball cap
s backwards. Griffey, Jr. painted his teammates baseball cleat
s with silver spray paint. Griffey, Jr. also convinced teammates to cut off the sleeves of their uniforms. During the game, the umpires
, who were wearing silver shirts as a part of the promotion, ruled that the un-tucked shirts gave batters an advantage because they could more easily be hit by a pitch
so the umpires ruled that the players had to tuck them in. The Mariners promotion was considered successful, unlike the major league wide promotion in 1999.
sold the promotion concept to Century 21 Real Estate
. The New York Yankees
, Chicago Cubs
, Toronto Blue Jays
, Texas Rangers
, Montreal Expos
, Houston Astros
, Cincinnati Reds
, and Los Angeles Dodgers
did not participate in the promotion. The New York Mets
changed their names to the "Mercury Mets" while hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates
on July 27, 1999. In games, stadiums would use futuristic graphics of their scoreboard
s as a part of the promotion. During a Padres and Giants game, fielding positions were renamed. Shortstop
was renamed "intermediate station" and left field was renamed "left sector".
, described the promotion as "...a concept that was goofy yet charming for one night became a bad joke when transmogrified into an extended vehicle for corporate sponsorship." Pitcher
Greg Hansell
was quoted as saying, "It looks like Halloween
came early."
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB). It was originated by the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
marketing team in the 1998 season. During the 1999 season, all but ten teams elected to wear the promotional uniforms that were in a "future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
" style. The uniforms have been widely criticized and the promotion proved unsuccessful.
Origin
In 1998, Kevin Martinez, former Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
marketing director, came up with the idea to have futuristic jerseys from the 2027 season as an alternative to "Turn Back the Clock
Turn Back the Clock (baseball)
Turn Back the Clock is the name associated with the promotion by Major League Baseball franchises when they wear throwback uniforms. Often, the uniforms signify a special event in the team or regions history. The promotion was originated in 1990 by the Chicago White Sox...
" promotions. The marketing team transformed the Kingdome
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
to give it a futuristic atmosphere. According to Martinez, Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
was instrumental in the design of the jerseys and came up with the idea to change the Mariners' colors from teal, blue and white to red, black, and silver. Majestic Athletic
Majestic Athletic
Majestic Athletic is a maker of sports apparel. The company is also the current uniform provider for Major League Baseball. It has been a subsidiary of VF since 2007.-Origins:Majestic was founded by Faust Capobianco III in 1976...
worked with the Mariners' marketing team to create the uniform. Martinez himself described the jerseys as "gaudy". The Mariners' opponent during the promotion was the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, who according to Martinez, were "fantastic to work with". Originally, the Mariners played with the jerseys un-tucked and turned their baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
s backwards. Griffey, Jr. painted his teammates baseball cleat
Cleat (shoe)
Cleats or studs are protrusions on the sole of a shoe, or on an external attachment to a shoe, that provide additional traction on a soft or slippery surface...
s with silver spray paint. Griffey, Jr. also convinced teammates to cut off the sleeves of their uniforms. During the game, the umpires
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
, who were wearing silver shirts as a part of the promotion, ruled that the un-tucked shirts gave batters an advantage because they could more easily be hit by a pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
so the umpires ruled that the players had to tuck them in. The Mariners promotion was considered successful, unlike the major league wide promotion in 1999.
1999 season promotion
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
sold the promotion concept to Century 21 Real Estate
Century 21 Real Estate
Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a real estate agent franchise company founded in 1971. The Century 21 System consists of over 8,000 independently owned and operated offices. Other examples of such a system are Coldwell Banker, Engel & Völkers, ERA Real Estate, ...Century 21 has offices in more than...
. The New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, and Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
did not participate in the promotion. The New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
changed their names to the "Mercury Mets" while hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on July 27, 1999. In games, stadiums would use futuristic graphics of their scoreboard
Scoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
s as a part of the promotion. During a Padres and Giants game, fielding positions were renamed. Shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
was renamed "intermediate station" and left field was renamed "left sector".
Criticism
Paul Lukas, writer for ESPN.comESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
, described the promotion as "...a concept that was goofy yet charming for one night became a bad joke when transmogrified into an extended vehicle for corporate sponsorship." Pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Greg Hansell
Greg Hansell
Gregory Michael Hansell in Bellflower, California, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Hansell played for four different major league ballclubs during his career: the Los Angeles Dodgers , Minnesota Twins , Milwaukee Brewers , and Pittsburgh Pirates...
was quoted as saying, "It looks like Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
came early."