Honestly, Dodger Stadium’s Uniqlo Name Sponsorship Isn’t That Bad

Well, it finally happened (kinda). Purity as we know it has (sorta) been sullied forever. Everything we know to be true and righteous in the world has fallen (okay, not really). On MLB Opening Day, the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers made a major announcement: After 68 pristine seasons in the sun, Dodger Stadium just received its first-ever official name change. When the Dodgers took the diamond on Thursday night for their season opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, they did so at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.

That’s…going to take a while to get used to.

The historic move marks the first time that a brand has been part of the iconic stadium’s name. Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962, is the third-oldest stadium in Major League Baseball, trailing only the 100-year-old cathedrals Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. The Beatles, Elton John, and Michael Jackson have all played memorable shows on the venue’s infield—a space that now partially belongs to a Japanese retailer known for its comfy, reliable basics.

“Like the Dodgers, Uniqlo aims to be No. 1 in the world,” Tadashi Yanai, the brand’s founder, said via press release. “We look forward to teaming with the Dodgers to deliver new value to fans and customers in Los Angeles and the United States as we continue our work to become the most loved and most trusted brand here and around the world.” This collaboration now leaves just seven of the 30 MLB stadiums—Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Kauffman Stadium, Angel Stadium, Nationals Park, and Wrigley Field—untouched by sponsorships.

This two-pronged naming construction—X Field at Y Stadium—is not completely unprecedented, but the Dodgers are the first to make it so nakedly about branding. Back in 2017, when the Athletics were still playing at the Oakland Coliseum, they named their playing surface Rickey Henderson Field to honor one of the franchise’s best players ever. The Baltimore Orioles, meanwhile, play at the aforementioned Oriole Park at Camden Yards—but most fans simply call it Camden Yards.

A similar thing will almost certainly happen in LA. Most everyone will carry on referring to Dodger Stadium as Dodger Stadium, with only the occasional ironic “Uniqlo Field” mention in passing. Rickey Henderson Field was a fitting tribute to one of the coolest American athletes to ever live. Oriole Park has a nice, old-timey charm to it. The same is not exactly true of devoting actual on-field real estate to the mall chain where we all go to stock up on socks and underwear.