DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have unveiled their new City Connect alternate uniforms.

Photos of uniforms

The uniforms are black with a blue tire tread pattern down the center. You can see photos of Riley Greene, Tarik Skubal, and Spencer Torkelson modeling the jerseys and hats.

When will Tigers wear these?

The Tigers will debut these uniforms at home on May 10 against the Houston Astros. They will wear them for the rest of their Friday home games this season.

Detroit is one of nine teams to unveil City Connect uniforms this season. The goal of the jerseys is to celebrate the history, culture, and spirit of each city.

“We are excited to introduce the Tigers City Connect uniforms and celebrate the past, present, and future of the Motor City,” said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports and Entertainment.

Gustafson said the uniforms represent Detroit’s combination of muscle and innovation, paying homage to the “city that put the world on wheels.”

“From the tire treads to the VIN tag to the M-1 patch on the sleeve, there are unique features on the uniforms, caps, and batting helmets we feel Tigers fans and Detroiters will appreciate,” Gustafson said.

What elements symbolize

The electric blue tire treads down the middle of the jersey represent “the wheels keeping the Motor City and the Tigers accelerating toward the future,” the release said.

The uniforms celebrate M-1, saying Woodward Avenue “unites neighborhoods, and is a central heartbeat of the city’s pride, progress, and potential.” It also notes that Comerica Park is on Woodward Avenue.

“The 313 patch stitched on the left sleeve of the jersey takes you on a ride to M-1, known to Detroiters as Woodward Avenue, America’s first paved road in 1909,” the release says. “The baseball diamond-shaped patch features Detroit’s ’313′ area code, with the No. 1 bolded and emphasized to emulate the classic M-1 road signs.”

The racing stripes at the bottom of each sleeve celebrate that Detroit has long been at the core of the racing industry and “parallels the Tigers’ youthful speed and energy.”

Like every vehicle, the uniform also has its own unique VIN: 190135456884. It represents the team’s first year of AL membership (1910), and the years of all four World Series championships: 1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984.

The tiger eyes at the belt line of the jersey and under the bill of the cap symbolize the “passion, energy, and tenacity” of the Tigers and Detroiters.

The Tigers will have an electric blue City Connect batting helmet with a similar design as the jersey. “Detroit” is scripted across the front and includes the VIN tag on the right side, with a matte finish.

Ilitch comments

Here’s what the Ilitch Sports release said about the uniforms:

The Tigers City Connect uniforms are an ode to the Motor City, a moniker bestowed upon Detroit in the early 1900s when it became the epicenter of the automotive industry, putting the world on wheels, and driving a significant part of Michigan’s economy. It defines who we are as Detroiters, our unwavering drive, steadfast resiliency, and indomitable spirit. The Motor City represents the pride of its hard-working people and is proudly displayed across the chest of the City Connect jersey.

Along with paying tribute to the remarkable history of the automotive industry in Detroit, the Tigers City Connect uniforms were created with the momentum of the city and its bright future in mind. The innovative and modern design presents a fashionable electric blue and dark navy-blue color combination with several features that will resonate with Detroiters, Michiganders, and Tigers fans everywhere.

Like Detroit and the auto industry, the Tigers hold fast to a storied history of both challenge and triumph. While paying homage to our past, we enthusiastically turn the page toward a future brimming with opportunity.  It’s a revitalization in parallel – the resurgence of Detroit, the innovation within the auto industry and the transformation of the Tigers ball club — all converging at a pivotal moment and better than before. The Tigers City Connect illustrates the foresight to shift into a new era of excellence as we drive our forward-thinking, building something special through technology, youthful energy, and optimism.

Standing side-by-side with the people of Detroit and the auto industry, it’s the numbers that prove our Motor City story. Where Michigan is #1 in the nation for automotive manufacturing jobs (6X higher than the national average); accounting for 1.1 million automotive or mobility jobs representing 20% of the state’s workforce; and 21% of all U.S. auto production. Source: Detroit Regional Chamber.

We are Detroit, where innovation meets grit, where excellence meets work, where challenge meets resilience. We look forward through the windshield and no longer in the rear-view mirror. It’s us against everyone. We are Detroit, where muscle meets brains. We are the Motor City.

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City Connect block parties

The Tigers and Nike are hosting two City Connect-themed block parties outside Comerica Park.

The first will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 10. The second will be from noon to 6:30 p.m. May 11.

These parties will include live music, food and beverage trucks, muralists, and merchandise outlets with City Connect gear.