By Tomasz Kamien / NewJerseyHitmen.blogspot.com

January 30^th, 2014: Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey Hitmen showed off their new duds today and celebrated the return of a familiar face in catcher Manuel González.

While the team decided to update their jerseys by going back in time with a “retro” vest look, the colors did not change too much.  The black and gold are not gone but are now the colors of the team’s away jerseys.  New to the home jersey is the maroon color that goes well with the soft gold trim and undershirt.  The “NJ” logo for the cap gets updated, as well as the jersey logo, which is a crosshair focused on a baseball with the distinct “H” in the middle.

“We were aiming for a classier and simpler look with the change.  I believe we have achieved that with the new look and the refreshing colors.  Don’t forget that there will be more reason for fans to buy more jerseys to add to their collections now,” Michael “Szef” Czosnyka commented during the briefing.

The comments about money coming from Czosnyka do not surprise me.  The recent team success was barely on the owner’s mind when brought up in post-game interviews during last season’s playoff run.  He mostly spoke about how happy he was with team finances.  Granted, the team finally digging itself out of its recent debt crisis is a good sign.  They can spend more money on bringing in additional talent.  Still, it should come second to the team reaching the playoffs again after a three-year drought.

Other than the new jersey and logo introduction, two-time All-Star catcher Manuel González returns to New Jersey for his second stint with the club.  During the press conference, he talked about how happy he was to be back in New Jersey again and that he can’t wait to get started.  “The team is still very young and I am one of old guys here, but they have a very good squad.  They surprised everyone with a 94-win season and fought tooth and nail with the F’heads in the first round.  That’s good for any team, in my opinion, and I should know.  This year, hopefully we can take them when it matters.”

He last played for the squad in 2008 after being traded by San Antonio.  The then-28-year-old catcher had his worst statistical season of his career, batting a paltry .239 in 129 games for the team before being traded back to San Antonio after the season.  Promising a better second go at it, the catcher brings a championship ring and back-to-back All-Star seasons in Omaha to the table.  Many analysts agree that Manuel is at the top of his game and could play a big part in helping the Hitmen get deeper into the playoffs this year.

The Internet and Twitter have been ablaze with both love and hate for the new uniforms introduced today.  Some tweets pointed out how much they look like outfits out of Star Trek, going so far as calling the team Trekkie fanboys.  Kentucky owner (and former Captain himself) Bill Shatner was even seen purchasing a new jersey recently at a Champ’s Sports store.  Although no comment was given from the busy star, one reporter did report hearing him mumble something about the jersey needing more yellow.  Still others tweeted that it reminded them of the jacket in The Rocketeer movie from the early ‘90s.  Team officials strongly deny any ties to those outfits, however.

One thing is for sure: They have become the talk of the New Jersey area and fans are not holding back when it comes to purchasing both home and away versions of their favorite players new jerseys.  The top five jersey sales for the team are as follows (no surprise that returning catcher “ManGo”, as some call him, leading the way):

1. C Manuel González
2. MR Bryant Duncan
3. RF Manuel Serrano
4. CF Shou-chien Jung
5. 2B Lawrence Jones

The team put up an official poll on their website today asking the fans which version of the jersey was their favorite: home or away.  Early results are very close.

Despite owner Czosnyka seemingly getting his wish in an instant boost to sales, the real winners here are the fans, obviously.  Jerseys need to be updated every so often in this writer’s opinion, and with the recent resurgence of the club, what better way to celebrate than winning a championship in new duds?  The new look officially gets my thumbs up.