MLB Changes 2017

[FiddySicks]

Honestly, I'd rather see a new Montreal franchise build more off of the old Montreal Royals look than the old Expos look. They'd need a different name, of course (hell, they could even keep the name Expos in this case, but it wouldn't really fit. I don't think you can really bring back the Expos unless your goal is to strictly suck at the nostalgia of the old team. The new team wouldn't have any link to Expo 67, and that would be a weird reach if you ask me), and probably even different primary color (red, or maroon, perhaps), but that'd probably be a better starting point than some of the weirdness the old Expos put out. 

[SFGiants58]

31 minutes ago, Bucfan56 said:

Honestly, I'd rather see a new Montreal franchise build more off of the old Montreal Royals look than the old Expos look. They'd need a different name, of course (hell, they could even keep the name Expos in this case, but it wouldn't really fit. I don't think you can really bring back the Expos unless your goal is to strictly suck at the nostalgia of the old team. The new team wouldn't have any link to Expo 67, and that would be a weird reach if you ask me), and probably even different primary color (red, or maroon, perhaps), but that'd probably be a better starting point than some of the weirdness the old Expos put out. 

 

If there is to be a Montreal expansion team, I wouldn't mind if said team went out of their way to avoid the Expos' visual identity. Sure, have statues and retire the numbers of Expos greats (and #9 for Jackie Robinson's time on the Royals/Royaux), but try out a different color scheme (or color balance, if royal/red stays) and a better (preferably French) name. I just hope it wouldn't become a "Hornicats" situation, where the fans will only embrace a team with the Expos name and that dreadful "eMb" logo.

[The_Admiral]

8 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

I just hope it wouldn't become a "Hornicats" situation, where the fans will only embrace a team with the Expos name and that dreadful "eMb" logo.

 

If the Quebec Nordiques movement is any bellwether, they won't change a thing.

[Gothamite]

2 hours ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

Same franchise, with a stop in Milwaukee in between.  And Eddie Mathews played for them in all three cities.

 

They had a strong intracity rivalry with the Red Sox; so linking the two teams for an interleague rivalry does make some sense.

 

Well, I’m not sure how much of a rivalry they really had, considering that when the Braves moved at the end of Spring Training they only had two dozen season ticket holders for the upcoming 1953 season.   

 

Still, if there are to be interleague rivalry games, this one is about the best either team could ask for. 

[BC985]

3 hours ago, Gothamite said:

 

If it’s in the hands of MLB, as opposed to an unrelated party, then I’d say it’s available. 

 

Since MLB owned the franchise when it was moved to DC, I’d bet they kept the Expos name. 

[Gothamite]

And I seem to recall reading that MLB itself owns the marks for defunct clubs via the Cooperstown Collection. 

 

Either way, the Expos identity should be readily available. 

[Silent Wind of Doom]

9 hours ago, SilverBullet1929 said:

So if they added a new expansion team in Montreal would they be called the Expos? Normally I'd say no but the whole point of returning to Montreal is how much that city misses the Expos right? So while they wouldn't be the same franchise that has now become the Nationals wouldn't it be fair enough to start a new Expos franchise up there? Throughout history we've had two franchises for the Senators, Braves, and Orioles right? Would they make a second Expos franchise too? 

 

There were three Orioles.  An NL franchise, an AL franchise that was taking advantage of the absence and left to become the Yankees, and the current franchise.

 

The thing about the Expos is that, for lack of a better phrasing as I sit here tired late at night, they've become a meme.  That and they're forever associated with a sport in the market and a loss due to unfortunate circumstances.  They're baseball's version of the Sonics/Hornets, Browns, or Whalers/Jets/Nordiques.  If you put the sport back in that market, I feel like it would have to be the Expos.  Of course it's an identity that's uniquely of a different time, but it's also so ingrained as Montreal Baseball.  It's the first team ever outside of the US.  It's Canada's first team.  The Habs took their mascot and honor their retired numbers.

[OnWis97]

I can't envision it not being the Expos.  Like the Hornets, I think the success of the franchise somewhat depends on getting the old name.

 

So the question is whether MLB will stick with the franchise model or not.  I tend to think they actually will, given the way history has tracked for so long.  But it makes me nervous.

 

The other question is whether they'd be inspired more by the pinwheel era or the more dignified later era.  That also makes me nervous.  I really liked the more recent uniforms but I am sure the fond Expos memories include the three-tone cap.

[SilverBullet1929]

53 minutes ago, OnWis97 said:

I can't envision it not being the Expos.  Like the Hornets, I think the success of the franchise somewhat depends on getting the old name.

 

So the question is whether MLB will stick with the franchise model or not.  I tend to think they actually will, given the way history has tracked for so long.  But it makes me nervous.

 

The other question is whether they'd be inspired more by the pinwheel era or the more dignified later era.  That also makes me nervous.  I really liked the more recent uniforms but I am sure the fond Expos memories include the three-tone cap.

Judging by recent trends, if they go back to the Expos name they'll have a uniform and logo situation where they have something modern, something retro, and some third style that's a clashing mix of new and old and they'll wear all three styles every week. Nothing like a convoluted mess of an identity that confuses the fan base while trying to please everyone and profit at all ends. 

[BC985]

1 hour ago, OnWis97 said:

The other question is whether they'd be inspired more by the pinwheel era or the more dignified later era.  That also makes me nervous.  I really liked the more recent uniforms but I am sure the fond Expos memories include the three-tone cap.

 

 

Why not both? The Brewers, D-Backs, and Pirates use throwback alts. The Giants and Mariners have mashed together current elements with elements from the past. 

[Silent Wind of Doom]

3 hours ago, OnWis97 said:

I can't envision it not being the Expos.  Like the Hornets, I think the success of the franchise somewhat depends on getting the old name.

 

So the question is whether MLB will stick with the franchise model or not.  I tend to think they actually will, given the way history has tracked for so long.  But it makes me nervous.

 

The other question is whether they'd be inspired more by the pinwheel era or the more dignified later era.  That also makes me nervous.  I really liked the more recent uniforms but I am sure the fond Expos memories include the three-tone cap.

 

I'd see them modernizing the old style like the Jays did, with their catcher wearing the pinwheel helmet like Mauer wears for the Twins.

[JayMac]

Major League Baseball is in a period of a retro renaissance. Jays, Astros, and Orioles all have the modernized retro look, and they are all done very well. The Brewers and Padres apparently haven't gotten the memo yet but still most teams in the league have a pretty traditional look. I can only see a Montreal franchise being the Expos, with an updated eMb logo. Stick it on the old "pinwheel" hat for home games and the newer blue hat for road games. 

[kroywen]

If baseball returns to Montreal (which I don't think it will, and generally don't think is a great idea), it has to be the Expos. Much like the Norqidues, Sonics, Hornets, etc., the Expos identity is the center of the "bring baseball back to Montreal" movement.

 

An updated version of their last uniforms would work best. The 1970s and 1980s looks are way, way too dated, and the 1990s-2000s look is what's freshest in people's minds (especially for those of us who grew up with those uniforms). They definitely need some fine-tuning - ditch the front numbers on the home (which made the front too cluttered, IMO), ditch the white outlines and thick sleeve/pant stripes on the road - but they can definitely work in the year 2017.

[Sport]

10 minutes ago, kroywen said:

If baseball returns to Montreal (which I don't think it will, and generally don't think is a great idea), it has to be the Expos. Much like the Norqidues, Sonics, Hornets, etc., the Expos identity is the center of the "bring baseball back to Montreal" movement.

 

An updated version of their last uniforms would work best. The 1970s and 1980s looks are way, way too dated, and the 1990s-2000s look is what's freshest in people's minds (especially for those of us who grew up with those uniforms). They definitely need some fine-tuning - ditch the front numbers on the home (which made the front too cluttered, IMO), ditch the white outlines and thick sleeve/pant stripes on the road - but they can definitely work in the year 2017.

 

 

we're not supposed to post concepts in this board, but I attempted to update the Expos a couple months back 

 

[jerseyjunk]

Uhh, i don´t get it, surely the World series patch is not gonna look like this on the jerseys? Huge WS letters.

 

 

.

Thought they would be like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

That WS patch looks like sh** !

I mean, literally, that patch could be hanging on a WC door

And where did Chris get that photo of that great looking World Series patch.

[FiddySicks]

A lot of times those placeholders you see on MLB Shop and Lids aren't the final product. I've seen some weird ones in the past that turned out to be wrong. 

[jerseyjunk]

17 minutes ago, Bucfan56 said:

A lot of times those placeholders you see on MLB Shop and Lids aren't the final product. I've seen some weird ones in the past that turned out to be wrong. 

Hope you are right,   I don´t want to see the two teams wearing a William Shakespeare memorial patch 

[BC985]

Did the National League champions trophy change this year? I don’t remember what the Cubs had last year. Regardless, big downgrade. I always liked that the NL trophy was a traveling one.

[BC985]

So I did some research. The Mets were presented the traditional Warren C. Giles trophy, and then the Cubs were presented whatever that is and now the Dodgers got something completely different. 

[BC985]

The new NL Champs trophy reminds me of the old Rolaids Relief award.