ARLINGTON — Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wears a pair of color-coded Jordan 11’s each game. In the home opener, his first in the new gig, he wore a pair of “Win Like 82” 11’s that have a navy colorway to match the team’s colors. Away from Globe Life Field, he’s worn ‘Cool Grey” 11’s which, aptly named, pair well with the road kits.
“As long as there was a Jordan shoe that I could wear that has the same red as the jersey that I’m wearing,” Schumaker said with a smile. “No, I think they’re great, the hat is probably my favorite part of it. The players love it. I’m excited to wear it. I know the red was a big thing with the fan base, everybody wants the red back, so I think they did a fantastic job combining everybody’s wants.”
The red is back, indeed, and will be on display Friday against the Athletics when the Rangers wear their alternate jerseys for the first time. The uniforms — which are a deep red color and say Tejas across the front in white lettering — offer tribute to the region’s Mexican heritage. The Rangers introduced them to their players in spring training and unveiled them to the public earlier this month.
“I think it’s a great ode to Hispanic heritage in Texas,” right fielder Brandon Nimmo said. “I think the look is cool. I think there’s some details that you don’t see until it’s in person and up closer that make them cooler. I think they’re really awesome, and I’m excited to wear them.”
The details, like interlocking stenciled block T’s on the cuffs of the jerseys, honor Mexican horsemen and mariachi. The ornate engraved red belt is a nod to Mexican vaqueros and “cowboy identity in both Mexico and Texas.” The red hat, and the block T in the center of it, resemble the design of the lids that the club wore through its first two decades of existence.
Color is king, though, as fans have clamored for the return of red jerseys since the club shelved them after the 2022 season when it needed to incorporate the cream-and-black Peagle alternates during the first round of City Connect uniforms.
“I like the red,” third baseman Josh Jung said. “The cream pants are pretty sweet. I think all the details on it are pretty cool and pretty inclusive with the idea of Texas.”