Ben Zobrist Rips MLB in IG Post After Being Threatened with Fine for Cleats

Chicago Cubs utility man Ben Zobrist spoke out Saturday after he received an "official warning" letter from Major League Baseball for wearing black cleats.

Zobrist posted a picture of the letter on Instagram alongside a photo of his cleats. He said he's worn black spikes for day games at Wrigley Field in Chicago for two years and was "curious" as to why MLB has started to enforce the uniform regulation requiring shoes to feature 51 percent of the team's main color:

"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."

Zobrist added he's "heard nothing but compliments" about the cleats and believes wearing them could help inspire younger fans to research the history of the sport.

The 36-year-old three-time All-Star didn't say whether he'd continue wearing the shoes. It won't take long to find out, however, as the Cubs' next three games are at Wrigley Field with afternoon start times against the Chicago White Sox this weekend and Atlanta Braves on Monday.