ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Just call them “Unapologetically Lehigh Valley.”
On the heels of Major League Baseball’s latest release of City Connect uniforms, which launched in 2021, the Minor Leagues are keeping pace in a big way.
With a goal to have each uniform at the MLB level reflect the city’s culture and community, the Phillies’ style was said to be “unapologetically Philly,” with blue and yellow colors inspired by the city’s flag and the blue collar of the jersey meant to represent “a blue-collar big city with a small-town feel.”
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the team's Triple-A affiliate, also has put the emphasis on community, launching its own City Connect Series in 2023 with a plan to honor each of the primary cities that make up the Lehigh Valley: Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.
Last season, the IronPigs paid homage to Allentown by featuring the old Hess’s department store and its famous Mile High Strawberry Pie with a logo of the dessert and a jersey that featured the classic Hess’s print from its branding.
Now, Bethlehem will take the spotlight in 2024.
Ode to the Star, and to the Steel
On Monday, the IronPigs rolled out their Bethlehem City Connect merchandise with a jersey, hat and other offerings that take inspiration from the Bethlehem Star, along with nods to the history of Bethlehem Steel.
The IronPigs will wear the Bethlehem jerseys and caps on Friday, July 19, when they take on the Worcester Red Sox at Coca-Cola Park at 7:05 p.m.
“Using a combination of the Bethlehem Star and the illustrious history of the steel industry in Bethlehem to guide the design, the end result is a dark blue jersey (reminiscent of the night sky and of the uniforms steel workers would wear) with Bethlehem across the front."Lehigh Valley IronPigs news release
The Bethlehem Star, a symbol that has become synonymous with the city, is prominently featured at the heart of the design.
“Using a combination of the Bethlehem Star and the illustrious history of the steel industry in Bethlehem to guide the design, the end result is a dark blue jersey (reminiscent of the night sky and of the uniforms steel workers would wear) with Bethlehem across the front,” a release said.
The font style is white outlined in yellow, and the Star is used as the ‘T’ in Bethlehem. On the left side of the sleeve is a patch that is from the IronPigs primary logo, with a base color of dark blue, outlined in yellow on a white backdrop.
Bethlehem City Series merchandise is available to buy now at the IronPigs Team Store at Coca-Cola Park or online here.
Easton will round out the City Connect Series in 2025.
