MLB warns Cubs' Ben Zobrist not to wear black cleats

Major League Baseball wants Ben Zobrist to wear different cleats.

Zobrist, currently a utility player for the Cubs, said on Instagram Saturday that he wears black spikes during home games at Wrigley Field “to pay homage’ to baseball’s history.

“When I was a kid, I was inspired by highlights of the greats such as Ernie Banks and Stan Musial in the 1950s-60s and was captured by the old uniforms and all black cleats with flaps,” Zobrist wrote.

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Zobrist said he’s used the black cleats the last two seasons. But, he received a letter from MLB this week that said he would be “fined and disciplined” for violating uniform regulations if he continued to wear them.

“Specifically, you have violated Section G(1), which requires that at least 51 percent of the exterior of each players shoes be the clubs designated primary shoe color,” the letter read in part.

 

Dear @mlb, I still like you but this is rediculous. For the last two years, I have worn black spikes exclusively at Wrigley Field for Day games to pay homage to the history of our great game, and now I am being told I will be fined and disciplined if I continue to wear them. When I was a kid, I was inspired by highlights of the greats such as Ernie Banks and Stan Musial in the 1950s-60s and was captured by the old uniforms and all black cleats with flaps. @newbalancebaseball made a kid’s dream come true by making some all black spikes with the special tongue as well as the “Benny the Jet” @pf_flyers cleats. I am curious as to why @mlb is spending time and money enforcing this now when they haven’t done it previously in the last year and beyond. I have heard nothing but compliments from fans that enjoy the “old school” look. Maybe there is some kid out there that will be inspired to look more into the history of the game by the “flexibility” that I prefer in the color of my shoes. Sincerely, Ben Zobrist

A post shared by Ben Zobrist (@benzobrist18) on May 12, 2018 at 10:02am PDT

Zobrist said he doesn’t understand what made the league decide to start enforcing the rule.

“I have heard nothing but compliments from fans that enjoy the ‘old school’ look,” Zobrist said. “Maybe there is some kid out there that will be inspired to look more into the history of the game by the ‘flexibility’ that I prefer in the color of my shoes.”