MLB Players' Weekend was put into place so that players can add some personality to their uniforms with clever nicknames and special cleats; however, the Dodgers wanted to keep some of the tradition in the game when they played the Yankees in a three-game series.
Los Angeles requested that both teams wear traditional uniforms, but the league wouldn't allow it, according to Yahoo Sports. Per the report:
To that end, according to two sources, the Dodgers asked MLB for permission to have both teams wear their traditional uniforms for at least one of the three games. They could have loopholed it for Sunday when the Yankees and Dodgers play the nationally televised night game and the weekend would be about over anyway. They were denied.
“The one thing I would say – you know, Dodgers-Yankees, I feel like it would be cool that … this isn’t necessarily the best weekend for us," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think having this matchup and to have them in their uniform and (us) in ours. But that said, I think this is another one of those things, over the course of a long season, that is neat that MLB does.”
Teams are required to wear either all-white or all-black uniforms, which has sparked a strong response from fans and even some managers who don't approve of the look. Indians manager Terry Francona said the special uniforms make his team look "like morons." Cubs' Joe Maddon said: “I’d just like to know who said this was a good idea.”
In the past on Players' Weekend, teams could still wear their usual team colors, but they would have special edition jerseys.
The Yankees won the series opener Friday between the division leaders, 10-2.