Most things go stale over time. You know, bread, crackers, potato chips, the list goes on. As a baseball fan, I would include team logos as one of those things. Before you get up in arms, I’m not including the classic logos in this group. I wouldn’t even know what the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, LA Dodgers, and even the Oakland Athletics would look like if a major shakeup changed their logos and color schemes. Here are a few teams that could use a major update.
“Need New Threads” List
Colorado Rockies
Since their inception in 1993, the Rockies have had the same logo that shows a baseball flying by the Rocky Mountains, CR hat, and black, purple, and silver color scheme. I’ll give you the Rocky Mountain (you’re the Rockies after all), but the hat and color scheme are tired. The Denver Nuggets have been mixing up their colors to match the progressive city that is Denver, but the Rockies are stuck in 1993.
Suggested Color Scheme/Logo: Stick with the black, purple, and silver. Nobody else in baseball is rocking the purple, so that’s unique to the Rockies right now. However, a modernized hat and logo would go a long way to giving the Rockies a fresh look. A new logo that somehow combines the classic lettering with the alternate mountain logo the Rockies use on their batting practice hats could be a nice look.
Washington Nationals
As far as color scheme and general presentation go, the Washington Nationals do a pretty good job. They seem to have fun with the stars and stripes, represent DC well with alternate hats, and mix things up between the red and blue. Obviously, the red, white, and blue color scheme has to stay. However, when fans are walking around town wearing a red hat with a curly W and people are asking why you’re wearing a Walgreen’s hat, it might be time to make a permanent change to the DC hat, or change the font of your signature W.
Suggested Color Scheme/Logo: The only part of this whole thing that needs to go is the use of the curly W. The easy solution? Completely abandon the use of the W logo and strictly use the DC logo. Problem solved.
New York Mets
I’m sorry, but blue and orange together don’t look good. Couple the colors with the strange font used on the hats, and the Mets might have the ugliest hats in the bigs. The Mets need to reinvent themselves with a new hat and get away from the pinstripes. The Yankees are well established as the team in New York in pinstripes.
The Mets feel like the goofy little brother coming into high school a few years after his older brother got straight As, captained the football team, and won student body president. Yeah, he’s a refreshing change from that chiseled jaw and perfect hair, but you know he’s shooting for straight Ds to graduate under the radar. The Mets need to feel more like their own unit and re-invent their look.
Suggested Color Scheme/Logo: First things first, get rid of the pinstripes. You’re not the Yankees and you never will be. Solid colors for the uniform only, please. Next, let’s modernize the color scheme with some blue on black like the black jerseys that were used from 1998 to 2011. Minimize the orange if it has to stay, but black and blue is a good look in New York. Finally, let’s make that hat pop a bit more. A solid black hat with a royal blue logo would look sharp. Let’s make it happen, Queens.
Seattle Mariners
This is a big one for me because I’ve been a Seattle Mariners fan my entire life. I remember the exact day the color scheme changed from royal blue and yellow to navy blue, teal, and silver in 1993. After 25-plus years of the compass rose, I’m done.
Yes, the only playoff appearances and a 116-win season came with the compass rose, and the Mariners have recently tried to mix it up a bit by throwing the color scheme back to the ’80s and early ’90s by mixing the old blue and yellow scheme with the current logo (it looks awful). There’s also a sentiment that the old trident logo (that’s awesome) brings bad luck because it’s upside down. I thought that was just horseshoes, but what do I know about Poseidon’s pitchfork?
Recently, the M’s mixed the old with the new by using the current color scheme with a trident on their Spring Training hat. This made me think things were finally headed in the right direction. But alas, it lasted only two seasons and the compass rose persists.
Suggested Color Scheme/Logo: I’ve thought an awful lot about this one. I’m a big fan of the color scheme, so that stays. However, my favorite logo the Mariners ever used was the trident with the star. Let’s outline the star and trident in silver, fill in the trident with teal, and put it all on a navy blue backdrop so the empty star fills in navy. I’d snatch that hat up the first day it’s on the market and wear it every day of my life.
“Stale But Strong” Exempt List
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have been using the descending black-lettered “Sox” logo since 1991. It’s the longest they’ve used any logo in the team’s history. Yes, the old block-letter logo looks better, but the current version takes me back to the ’90s with players like Tim Raines, Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura, and even Bo Jackson for a short time. Yes, it’s a little stale, but they do a great job mixing things up with old logos that include the classic white sock alternate logo, the block-letter Sox, and the guy who looks like he can’t quite hold his bat right.
St. Louis Cardinals
One iteration or another of the red bird perched on a bat has been the logo of the St. Louis Cardinals since 1922. Something that persistent deserves to stick around for the long haul. Yes, the Cards will continue to modernize and tweak the logo as they see fit. One day maybe we’ll see an angry cardinal holding a bat in its teeth. Who knows. But for now, it should stay perched on that bat.
Which team do you think needs to mix things up with a new logo, color scheme, or just a new hat? Comment with your suggestions and let’s have some fun with it.
