Players hope retro jerseys are comfortable

ANAHEIM -- When Ed Farmer was a visiting player with the Texas Rangers in 1979, he remembers looking at the White Sox blue and white V-neck jerseys and thinking "they were the ugliest uniforms I've ever seen."

"Two weeks later, I was going 'Do you tuck this in?'" said a smiling Farmer, who currently is the White Sox radio play-by-play announcer, but wore this particular jersey from 1979-81 as part of the South Siders, after he was traded by the Rangers.

This innovative team look -- pullover jerseys worn pajama style outside the pants with navy shorts -- began in 1976, but will be celebrated Aug. 27 in a game at U.S. Cellular Field between the White Sox and Mariners. The team will not go with the shorts on Throwback Thursday, but they will wear the collared jerseys untucked with pants.

Famer acknowledged that those uniforms were extremely comfortable. Trayce Thompson, a rookie on the current roster, has viewed those jerseys while watching MLB Network over the years.

"I don't know if it was the best or worst jerseys," a smiling Thompson said. "I've just seen them on that segment from MLB Network. They are definitely interesting. I'm sure they won't look great, but if they are comfortable, then why not."

Thompson agreed with the decision to go with pants instead of shorts, adding that he thinks of softball players, not baseball players, when he sees shorts on the field.

"It would be pretty funny," Thompson said. "It would feel like "Semi-Pro," almost, with Will Ferrell and Jackie Moon."

In addition to the throwback uniforms, fans will see retro elements throughout the ballpark, including signage, video highlights and photos from the era the uniforms were worn. Fans can share their favorite White Sox moments by using the hashtag #SoxTBT.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura liked the idea of the uniforms. He also wanted to see current production to match that of the 1977 squad known as the South Side Hitmen, who wore these jerseys.

Worth noting

• Dayan Viciedo is hitting .304 with a .351 on-base percentage and .435 slugging over 17 games for Triple-A Charlotte, since rejoining the White Sox. But this familiar face still might not be a part of September callups being discussed by the organization.

"I'm not going to rule anybody in or out at this point," said White Sox general manager Rick Hahn of Viciedo. "We knew him, we had a couple of guys up here at the time --- Trayce was up here, Leury [Garcia] was up here, we had Shucky down and Boni down and we were familiar with him and needed someone at Charlotte. Familiar face, good to have him back."

• Hahn stated that they don't need to see Tyler Saladino play shortstop this season to know he can handle the spot.

"It was more of a question could he play third, because he only had done it for a handful of times in the system," Hahn said.