MLB Logos, Past and Present (Pt. 1)

One of my three regular readers — okay, my editor is one — have requested that I cover more ground on sports logos. Whom am I to let down my legion of literary supporters?

This will be the first of a series of three parts. Parts two and three will come at a later date.

NEW YORK YANKEES

Although I am primarily an Indians fan, I am definitely on Boston's side of the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry. That said, I have to give the Yankees props for knowing that they have a timeless set of logos (both the interlocking NY and the baseball bat adorned with an Uncle Sam hat) and uniforms and don't try to fudge with it. This logo history page is a lot shorter than other teams' pages.

BOSTON RED SOX

Lots of teams that existed in the early 1900s had bizarre names like the Chicago Orphans or the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Most of those teams moved on to more fearsome names, but not the Red Sox or White Sox. At least the White Sox don't play up the actual fabric in their logos (for the most part), 'cause hoo boy, do the Red Sox ever. I mean, white patches on the toe and heel (which they did not always have)? Elastic for the ankle? If you insist that there is some sort of visual allure to having old-timey socks as your primary logo, and at least throw some knitting needles in there, in order to stab people — much more intimidating.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

In 2004, I spent a week in Amsterdam, and one thing that struck me was how rarely I saw flags and other symbols of national pride. It made the U.S. look real gung-ho in comparison. But even the U.S.'s patriotic displays are nothing, nothing compared to how pervasive the maple leaf is in Canada. Ye Gods, it's incorporated into everything. Take the Blue Jays. Granted, they have gotten away from the maple leaf since 2004. But before that, every logo they used incorporated it. They even held down a poor, helpless bird and gave him a tat. Between their baby seal clubbing and forced avian tattoos, I'm starting to understand why my girlfriend hates Canada. Fortunately, in this case, she seems cool with it.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

1954: I'm a happy oriole!
1964: I'm a happy oriole!
1965: I'm a happy oriole and I really like this ecstacy!
1966: I'm a happy oriole! I hear you use some sort of wooden stick in this game!
1967: I'VE DISCOVERED STEROIDS!!!

TAMPA BAY RAYS

First, I find it amusing that after just nine years of existence, they felt the need to do something as drastic as change their nickname. The jerk in me hopes there was at least one fan who bought like $100 worth of Devil Rays merchandise the day before they made the announcement.

That said, changing the focus from the sea animal to a sun ray is interesting, and unique, and I think they would do well to make heavier use of their more sun ray-emphatic alternate logo.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

As I said, I appreciate the fact that they minimize their use of an actual sock in their logos. Also, calligraphy is awesome and underutilized in sports. But I have two major bones to pick with the White Sox. Number one, they have the least intimidating nickname in all of sports. At least Red Sox can turn your white clothes pink in the washer. How annoying. Second, the White Sox wore shorts briefly in 1976 and the players actually went along with it rather than quitting sports.

DETROIT TIGERS

Another timeless calligraphy logo. But the Tigers, to be sure, didn't want to waste the logo opportunities of such a ferocious animal. But wasted them they have. First, in 1901, they decided that "tiger" meant "lion with half his tail cut off." Then, in 1927, they went with a tiger logo that is so stupefying that I can't even come up with a joke for it. From 1934-1960, the tiger suffered a prolonged case of the mumps. But perhaps the most tragic period for the tiger came in the 1960s and 70s, when twice (once as a child and once as an adult) the tiger got into the Baltimore Oriole's ecstacy.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Not much to say here. They have made very few changes in their 41 years, and their logos and uniforms are neither good nor bad by my lights. I will pose one question. Look at all their historical uniforms, logos, scripts, etc. and tell me, between 2002-2005, who slowly died?

CLEVELAND INDIANS

It's hard for me to be objective about the Indians. Not because they're my favorite team, but because the Chief Wahoo logo is so inured in me that I don't even know what I think of it. I was surprised to find a couple of old logos I didn't know about, like their 1928 number, which looks like the side of an old coin, and an alternate logo they used from 1953-1972, where Chief Wahoo fixes his gaze on a crown that symbolizes the nothing the Indians won during that era.

MINNESOTA TWINS

The time: 1961. The scene: a boardroom in the graphic design firm hired to create a logo for the new Minnesota Twins.

Designer 1: I'm still thinking, Siamese Twins joined at the head ... and their heads are baseballs!

Designer 2: No, too edgy.

Designer 3: What if people don't understand that Twins refers to Twin Cities? Is there some way to convey that with the logo?

Designer 1: Maybe. What if there was a set of twins, one on each side of the Mississippi River?

Designer 3: But how will people know it's the Mississippi River?

Designer 2: We'll write "MISSISSIPPI" running down the middle of the river!

Designer 1: No, that will take up too much space.

Designer 3: And people will think it's the Mississippi Twins.

Designer 2: Wait! I got it! The guy on the Minneapolis side of the river will have a jersey that says "M" and the guy on the St. Paul side will have one that says, "St. P!"

Designer 1: And they'll be SHAKING HANDS OVER THE RIVER!

Designer 3: And there will be a little bridge, too!

Designer 2: God, we are such geniuses.

Ten years later, same guys, same graphic design firm. Designers No. 1 and No. 2 are sitting at the conference table when Designer No. 3 bursts into the room

Designer 3: Guys! Guys! You know what I just realized?

Designer 2: OMG! What? (Historical note: this was the first recorded usage of "OMG.")

Designer 3: Well ... you know what word is inside "Twins?"

Designer 2: "Ins?"

Designer 1: "Twi?"

Designer 3: No. ... prepare to have your mind blown.

(Five minutes later.)

Designer 3: And that's how we work it into the logo!

Designer 2: Outta sight! Hey, do you have any more of the ecstasy you got from that bird and tiger?