Rangers fans embrace history in new City Connects

ARLINGTON -- Globe Life Field was much more crowded than the average Monday morning, as fans swarmed the Grand Slam team store in anticipation of the release of the new Rangers City Connect jerseys.

The store wasn't set to open until 9 a.m. but that didn't deter the dozens of Rangers fans who arrived bright and early to be the first to get their hands on the new threads.

The City Connect jerseys -- a uniform designed to honor the spirit, culture and history of Texas -- were unveiled Monday morning.

“[The jerseys] are pretty nice,” said Diego Aguilar, a lifelong Rangers fan. “I really like the cream color. These are better than I expected, honestly.”

Diego wasn't the only fan impressed by the new uniform design, as Rangers fans began to clear the shelves by purchasing the City Connect jersey of their player of choice.

“These are great. Probably my favorite uniform they have besides the blue [road jerseys],” said Taylor Wright, a former educator for Arlington ISD. “I need to hurry up and buy the one I want before they are all gone.”

Wright, 25, said that she was there to purchase a jersey as a gift for her brother, who grew up a Rangers fan.

“My brother has been a Rangers fan since he could walk, so I thought these new jerseys would be a good birthday gift for him,” Wright said.

Throughout the team store, fans were trying on jerseys and sharing pictures of the new uniforms on social media. Many were impressed by the attention to detail in the retro design of the uniforms.

“I like these a lot,” said fan Emeka Obukwelu while holding up a Jacob deGrom jersey. “I think this gives them a different dynamic from their classic colors, and I’m excited to see them worn on gameday.”

The new uniform, created by Nike, features subtle and creative nods to the heritage of Texas and baseball in the region.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the Rangers’ City Connect jerseys is the introduction of the mythical “Peagle” creature engraved on the sleeve of the jersey. The Peagle is a mix of the mascots for the Dallas Eagles and Fort Worth Panthers, two Minor League teams that helped pave the way to bring Major League Baseball to Arlington.

“I think it’s really unique ... ” Rangers team employee Gene Walzer said. “I like that they are paying homage with these new jerseys.”

Walzer admitted he doesn’t know the full history of baseball in Texas but was inspired by the City Connect uniforms to learn more.

“Once I get home, I plan on researching the Dallas Eagles more,” Walzer said. “I just think it’s really unique and I can’t wait to learn more and see these uniforms in action.”

The Rangers will debut their City Connect jerseys on Friday against the Oakland Athletics, the same date the Rangers played their inaugural home game in 1972.

The City Connect jerseys are available to purchase both in store and online.