In 2021, the White Sox were ascendant: A fun, brash, exciting team that seemed poised to compete for multiple World Series. There were a few potential dark clouds on the horizon — a lack of depth, a few position players that were out of place, the hiring of Death’s grandfather to manage the club — but surely the Sox were a team on the rise. A team that seemed like it could be the face of baseball.
That year was the first year the Nike City Connect jerseys came out. While there may have been some kerning issues that could make “South” look like “Smith,” the Southside jerseys were an instant hit, and seemed to capture the club perfectly.