November 21, 2011

Logo, Uniform Changes: Marlins, Orioles, Blue Jays, Mets, Padres

At least five teams have made changes to their logos and uniforms this off-season.

The Miami Marlins have a more alliterative name and a new logo.
The Blue Jays have gone retro, switching, as Rob Neyer puts it, from the "maniacally angry cartoon Blue Jay to a somewhat ornithologically correct Cyanocitta cristata". That angry Jay looked more silly than menacing. (Also from Neyer: "What They Were Saying About The (Blue) Jays' Uniforms In 2003")
The Orioles have replaced their bird with a more accurate representation, and their road uniforms will have "Baltimore" across the chest for the first season since 1972. (And they are bringing back the cartoon bird!)
Fun fact: That leaves only the Angels, Brewers, Cardinals, Phillies and Rays as the only teams too ashamed to advertise where they're from when they're on the road.
The Mets have made some changes to their uniforms to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their first season. Unfortunately, the 50th anniversary season was 2011.

Neyer recalls a similar problem when the Royals celebrated their 25th season.
[P]eople couldn't wrap their noodles around the idea that something 25th had actually happened 24 years earlier. So, like the metric system, the proper commemoration of baseball seasons died because Americans are fundamentally innumerate. Or because baseball teams -- we're looking at you, Mets! -- are afraid their fans might be stupid.
The Padres have a new logo and uniform look. I doubt they are junking the camo unis, though.

Finally, a source tells me that Kevin Millar will be named the 2012 manager and he will be instituting a new cap for all games, home and away. Dirt Dogs has an exclusive picture:

3 comments:

laura k said...

"What They Were Saying About The (Blue) Jays' Uniforms In 2003")

This is one of my more enduring memories of Michael Kay at his most bitter. NYY happened to be in Toronto when the Jays unveiled the new logo, and Kay could barely stomach it. The nerve of another team to celebrate itself!

Jere said...

Just a correction on the Big League Stew article-it's actually from 2009. The slight change in the lifelike bird and the switch to "Baltimore" on the road unis happened back then.

The current change is that the cartoon bird will be completely replacing the lifelike one. And "Baltimore" will remain on the road uniforms with just a slight change.

Jere said...

And the one other thing that changed since that '09 article is that the Brewers got an alternate road jersey that says the city name.