Words by B.E. Sabin | February 7, 2025
Do you remember when the Houston Astros were in the National League? Sure you do. And if not, take my word for it, they were. They were also, going into their fourteenth year of existence in 1975, near bankruptcy and not a very good team. They needed something to save them. A star player? Nope. A winning season? Nope. How about a jersey? Yes! Well, the jersey didn’t technically rescue the Astros from bad baseball and money troubles, but it sure gave them a style that had never before been seen in baseball.
Question. Have you ever consumed copious amounts of tequila and stayed up all night to watch the sunrise? If you answered yes, then you have a pretty good idea of what the 1975 Houston Astros jerseys look like, minus the terrible hangover, of course.
The tequila sunrise jerseys, as they have come to be called, have a lower half that is completely encircled in a rainbow of orange hues, with a large navy star snuggled amongst the stripes. The rainbow was supposed to portray comet trails and above the rainbow “Astros” was written in navy. The jerseys were pull-over and worn both at home and on the road, which was a break from the traditional “home whites” and “road grays” uniforms. And on the back of the jerseys, the player’s number was enclosed in a large circle. To say that the design of the jerseys was a deviation from the norm would be an understatement.
Initially, the response to the Astros new look wasn’t great. Some Astros players thought that the uniforms were just a promotion and not to be worn daily. Others were sure that there was no way the team could be serious. Opposing players made fun of them. The fans mocked them. The media had a field day at their expense, suggesting that the players looked like orangesicles. The initial response to the jerseys may have been a bit on the negative side, but like they say, all press is good press.
Fast forward some fifty years and the opinion on the tequila sunrise uniforms has morphed into a whole different animal. The jersey’s style has been copied, praised, and revered. Variations of the jersey are spotted on fans, and worn by players on throwback days. Once ridiculed, the tequila sunrise jersey has now taken its place in the pantheon of baseball threads.
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