Nearly a century after the Negro Leagues’ Kansas City Monarchs became the first professional baseball team to host a baseball game under artificial lights, the Coastal Plain League’s Tri-City Chili Peppers are putting their own spin on that innovation. The team will play “Cosmic Baseball” under powerful black lights that will illuminate UV-reactive uniforms, caps, bats, balls—and basically the entire game.
The team, based in Colonial Heights, Virginia, worked with its uniform vendor, 3n2, to create glow-in-the-dark uniforms for both the Chili Peppers and their opponents, with hats created by Bretmor Headwear. The game will be played with UV-reactive equipment, including bats from manufacturer Tucci, and batting helmets and baseballs from Wilson Sporting Goods. Lighting company Sonaray took on the task of creating black lights powerful enough to play under.
The Chili Peppers will take to the field for Cosmic Baseball, which the team is calling a “historical immersive baseball experience,” June 1, 15, and 28, and July 20.
