Why Do Some Baseball Players Wear Long Pants?

Why Do Some Baseball Players Wear Long pants

It’s natural to be curious and when it is about sports, fans become very interested in every single detail. For instance, if you are a baseball lover, you must have noticed players wearing long pants during the game. 

Long pants have been an inevitable part of this game from the early years. All the Major League Baseball players wear long pants instead of shorts. Baseball usually gets played outdoors in the heat of summer. 

But why then do the players wear long pants?

Baseball players wear long pants for various reasons. First of all, long pants provide extra protection for sliding. Sliding on the dirt infields can harm the players’ legs over time. Long pants provide extra protection while the players slide. Also, long pants protect the players who cover a base against the sliding opponent.

Are Baseball Pants Supposed to be Long or Short?

Baseball pants can’t be either too long or too short. Usually, the players wear the pants near the knee or around the ankle. By the way, we have the Best Baseball Cleats For High School page . However, it depends on the players’ preference for wearing the pants. 

If your coach wants you to wear the pants high, you have to wear the pants near the knee. As baseball is a team sport, every player needs to wear pants in the same way.

But if you follow carefully, you will see that most baseball players wear their pants right below their knees. This position of the pants helps the players to move conveniently in the field. 

With Pants in baseball, you would also get some helmets, so check out 10 Best Baseball Helmets With Face Guards. Therefore, By wearing the pants high, the pants last long also. Otherwise, if you prefer to wear the pants down around the ankles, the pants must cover the ankle. 

Make sure that the pants won’t drag on the ground. Otherwise, you will face difficulty in moving during the game.

When Did Baseball Switch to Long Pants? A Brief History

The look and style of the baseball pants have been a long journey since the beginning of the baseball game. Initially, the mens’ baseball pants were called the pantaloons.

Usually, the Knickerbocker Baseball Club players used to wear these blue woollen pants in the latter half of the 1840s. Initially, these trousers had built-in padding or quilting. So, these pants were pretty warm back then.

Later came the baggy style trousers in the world of baseball. But these pants were quite problematic. By wearing baggy-style baseball pants, players tripped over their pants. Therefore, the baggy style pants got out of fashion. 

In 1868, the clubs finally introduced full-length pants in the game. Also, the players opted to wear knickers. Back then, they used to wear the Cincinnati Red Stockings. 

And from then, the stockings became an essential feature of the baseball uniform. For this dressing style, fans could distinguish one team from another.

By the middle of the 1900s, the baseball pant leg was lowering. This style got popular by pitcher Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants. Gradually other players adopted this style. 

But later in the 1950s, star umpire Bill Stewart requested an end on the long baseball pants. Around that time, the length of the baseball pants started to settle midway between the knee and the shoe. In the 1970s, the baseball pants came in a close-fitting design. 

However, in 1976, The Chicago White Sox took a chance to wear shots. But they didn’t get effective results and switched back to the pants.

In the 1980s and 1990s, a famous player like George Hendrick of the St. Louis Cardinals changed the look of the baseball pants. They used to wear snug-fitting pants with lowering to the tops of shoes. Check out this blog to know whether you wear Baseball Cleats for Flag Football? which will help you a lot. They used to tuck the extent part into their shoes.

So over the years, the style of the baseball pants got changed. And players, too, the fashion to the extremes. Some players used to wear long and loose-fitting pants. 

And some other players used to maintain the traditional knee-length look. Until the 2002-2006 Collective Agreement, the baseball pants were regulated. 

So the baseball pants have covered a long journey from the initial stage. And presently, the players wear long pants or shorts that provide maximum convenience.

Why Did Baseball Players Wear Short Pants?

Baseball players wear short pants as these pants provide the same protection that full-length pants offer. On a plus, the short pants provide more freedom of movement to the players. Thus the shorts solve the issues of tripping over one’s pant leg. 

In most baseball games, players wear an elastic sliding short under their uniform pants. It gives the players extra protection while they play. Besides, professional players wear short pants to prevent sliding wounds.

Is There a Difference Between Boys' And Girls' Baseball Pants?

Yes, the boys’ and girls’ baseball pants are different. The difference between the boys’ and girls’ baseball pants are in style. However, the difference is minimal. Boys’ baseball pants come with a baggier cut. And women, on the other hand, used to wear fastpitch softball pants.

The difference is on the waist regions also. The women’s baseball pants come with slightly more space around the waist region. This extra space extends to the thigh region also. This feature helps the players in better movement. But the pants that men wear come with a bit tighter waist area.

Besides the different designs, the colors are also different in the mens’ and womens’ pants. Womens’ pants are available in broader colors and distinct patterns. But for mens’ pants, there are limited color options.

What Baseball Pants Do the Pros Wear?

Some of the best baseball pants that professionals wear are:

Conclusion

So, now you know why the baseball players wear long pants. Major League Baseball players wear their pants so long that they slip over their shoes. It is their personal preference, though. 

But it helps the players to safeguard their legs against sliding. Some players also wear baggy-style baseball pants. Presently, there are no specific rules restricting players from wearing their pants in this way.

Scroll to Top