The Baltimore Orioles Will Wear Jerseys With Braille Lettering in a First for Pro Sports

Uniform hacks have become a common marketing strategy in pro sports. Here’s the latest—a unique partnership between the Baltimore Orioles and the National Federation of the Blind that will see Orioles players wear jerseys with their names spelled out in Braille on Sept. 18. 

The Orioles announced the news Wednesday on Twitter. The first 15,000 fans at the Sept. 18 game, against the Toronto Blue Jays, will receive Braille alphabet cards. Also, Carlos Ibay, a blind singer/pianist, will perform the national anthem, and Mark Riccobono, president of the NFB, will throw out the first pitch, reports the Baltimore Sun.

On Sept. 18, we’ll recognize the 40th anniversary of @NFB_voice moving their headquarters to Baltimore and become the first American professional sports team to incorporate Braille lettering into our gameday uniforms when we host National Federation of the Blind Night at OPACY. pic.twitter.com/vU8ZDlXGOr

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 5, 2018

The NFB is celebrating its 40th year in Baltimore. 

“It’s a great idea,” Chris Danielson, PR director for the association, says of the partnership. “We appreciate their spirit in reaching out to our community and letting the public know that blind people are sports fans, too—and that Braille is a simple yet elegant way for them to learn to read.”

Uniforms have become a canvas for creativity in recent years, with MLB introducing throwback nights this year—when teams wore retro uniforms—and the NBA sanctioning uniform “editions,” including the Grand Clio-winning Miami Vice uniforms worn by the Miami Heat last winter.