Megildur

It appears as if the Denver update has been well-received, so we'll move on to the Seattle Cascades. Here, set the mood with this song by The Cascades, who were actually from San Diego, according to Spotify. The song is about rain, which Seattle gets a lot of... Intro (updated 12/20/20): Since the expansions and realignments of the late 1990’s, California has been the major player out of the Continental League’s West Division. With the past two division titles though, Seattle has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the division, and the team continues to lead the division with a 19-15 record so far this season. The lone title in Seattle’s history, and their first postseason appearance, came in 2004, as the Cascades beat Atlanta in five games to hoist the Maynard Trophy. Yet, the rest of the Cascades’ history has been bleak, as the club has only managed 11 seasons at .500 or above in their 47 seasons of play. Despite the lackluster history of the Seattle ballclub, the Cascades are poised to contend for years to come with the #1 pitching staff in the Continental League, which features dominant hurlers throughout the pitching staff, and two top-60 pitching prospects waiting in Triple-A. Lefty SP Trevor Cabrera is the ace, and rightfully so, since he finished last season 2nd in CL Pitcher of the Year voting with his 2.30 ERA and 206 K’s. The 22-year-old signed a team-friendly deal with Seattle this past offseason, buying out his arbitration years and keeping the fan-favorite in a Cascades uniform affordably for years to come. Homegrown SP's 26-year-old Cody Hester and 22-year-old Jay Johnson are slated to anchor the rotation alongside Cabrera for much of that duration, while 31-year-old SP Jonathan Flores represents the lone veteran in the rotation and boasts the only All-Star nod of the staff (for now). 3B Ryan Merritt, at just age 24, is another young star and currently ranks as the UBA’s #4 position player league-wide. Acquired from Cleveland in the 2017-18 offseason for young SP prospect Willie Lovera and others, Merritt established himself as a star last season with 29 HR, 99 RBI, and a .319 average in his first full season as a regular. RF Octavio Molina was signed that same offseason to a 6-year, $102 million deal after establishing himself as an 2x All-Star in Toronto, and he anchors the lineup in the cleanup spot, right behind Merritt at #3. The Cascades were named for Seattle’s proximity to the Cascade Range, which lie east of the city and boast the beautiful Mt. Rainier, which is visible on sunny days from Puget Sound. The cursive Cascades script has long been part of Seattle’s identity, as well as their rich shade of green and the mountaintop details on their logos. Urban legend claims that the Seattle-based Starbucks chain loved the Cascades color scheme so much that they copied it for themselves. As for the cap, the Cascades boast simple yet classic green cap with the curled S in white. The bright green alternate, worn in about 30% of Seattle’s home games, was introduced in the early 2010s, after the club scrapped their black alt in the mid-2000’s. The second alternate, a fan favorite, is actually worn more often than the away grays, if just slightly, though it is only worn when the club is on the road. (12/20/20: The fifth uniform is a throwback to an alternate worn by Seattle from 1997-2011, during which the Cascades won their first and only title in 2004. Seattle sported a simple, yet rather garish logo of a block S wrapped around the city's iconic Space Needle. Fans, and a couple well-known players on the team, lobbied ownership to bring back the fan-favorite uniform, and now the team sports it on select Friday night home games throughout the season). Home (updated 12/20/20): Away (updated 12/20/20): Alternate 1 (updated 12/20/20): Alternate 2 (updated 12/20/20): 1997-2011 Throwback (added 12/20/20): (12/20/20: The throwback is inspired by all the recent talk I've seen on social media about getting the Mets to bring back their black alternates from 1998-2012. I also took inspiration from these rather terrible Blue Jays years). So there ya go! Team #4 is posted, so by my measure, just seven more groups of four to go. Welp. If it takes a month for me to post four teams, then that pace would have me done sometime in early 2021. Hmm, hopefully I can speed up before then. (12/20/20: Perhaps that was a bit too optimistic...) Like always, let me know what you think and I hope y'all like Seattle! SPOILER from 12/20/20: Includes the original team intro, home and first alternate sets, and the version 2 away and second alternate sets. I finished updating the primary logo, so the new graphics above include the new primary, which also replaced the old S in a diamond logo on the sleeves. These changes are detailed here. SPOILER from 7/23/20: Includes v1 of the away uniform and alternate 2. I removed the white outlines from the away set, including the white from its place alongside the green striping. I changed the alternate's pants to match. Also, the removal of white from the away uniform included making the socks stripe-less.

I'm a big fan of these so far, and I love the attention to detail especially. You do a great job of connecting the jerseys to relevant things from the respective city. For Toronto, I'm not sure how much the sorta broken up striping on the home works for me. I like the idea, but it feels a bit disjointed to me. I love St. Louis' away jersey and the home is solid too. I like the horseshoes in the fleur-de-lis as well, that's certainly unique and works well.

While my original intent was for that Durham look, I wanted to set it apart from that, which is why I ended up with a roundel instead. I messed around with increasing the size of the bison compared to the rest of the roundel, but it got too crowded for my taste. Hmm, you've got me there. I personally prefer Bison over Buffaloes, and I think Buffaloes is a bit clunkier of a word. Would you accept my rational if I just say that Denver's first owner was a little eccentric for the times and wanted to be unique? Bayern Munich is a pretty good match, I gotta agree there. I did some googling and realized that perhaps the restaurant I was reminded of by B1 was Legal Sea Foods. Funny side note about Legal Sea Foods... I've always found it a bit amusing that they have a restaurant right across from the Boston Aquarium. Guaranteed fresh, I guess? Anyways, side note aside, I took all your input and... did something else. I rotated the bison a little bit clockwise, took the white lettering from A1 and added a bit more spacing into that, and lastly added more red and yellow into the roundel via some more outlines. I updated the original Denver post with the change as well. Introducing the new and improved Denver Bison: I'm pretty happy with this, but what do y'all think? NEXT UP: We go northwest to the Emerald City and enjoy the view (on sunny days) of Mount Rainier. Also, did I unconsciously make the team Starbucks green? We'll see...

I'm back! Life has been pretty busy for the past two plus weeks, but here's to hoping I can find some more time for this now. Thanks for all the words of encouragement, y'all! I'm glad the yellow-heavy look got a good reception. Hmm, I honestly prefer it with the point inside, it makes a subtle "b" within the letter that I like. It does look cleaner without the inner point though. Here it is on the cap: Here's my original bison. I was going with a bit of a Durham Bulls inspired main logo at first, but then I felt that it was too Durham Bulls-esq, which is why I ended up scrapping the bison-through-the-d logo. My main changes between the two bison were just smoothing out some lines and making the width more consistent throughout. And I messed around with the horn and eye too. I have two main ideas I pursued with the roundel - adding navy or adding red. I then messed around with adding color to the lettering too, while trying to maintain the yellow-red-navy color order I used for the jersey word marks. V1 is my previously posted logo, for reference. I added a white outline to the bison to separate it from the seams of the baseball too. I thought about changing the main color of the bison, but the prevalence of yellow is what separates this Denver concept from others, so it's staying the same. I think the navy-heavy roundel is more consistent with the jerseys than the red-heavy roundel. Which one is your favorite? I think I'm leaning towards A2 or B3, but I'm not sure. B1 reminds me of some restaurant logo, but I can't remember which.

Without the full context of how the rest of the divisions look, the placement of Denver within the Continental League’s North Division may raise some eyebrows. The southernmost team in the division, the Bison have oftentimes found themselves occupying the bottom slot of the division too in the past 20 seasons. However, back-to-back playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017, as well as a 91-win finish last season bode well for the talented ball club. With just a 12-14 record on the season so far, Denver will need to turn it around to continue their recent streak of winning seasons. It’s unlikely that the Bison will ever replicate their period of dominance from 1973 to 1979 though, when Denver won three of their four championships and made the playoffs in seven straight seasons. SS Dustin Reeves and SP Colin McKendry are the stars of the Bison, though their supporting cast is deep in talent too. At 26-years-old, Reeves is one of the top shortstops in the league, and is known for his aggressive batting and potentially award-worthy defense. Soon-to-be free agent McKendry joined Denver via a trade from Jacksonville in 2016 and has since pitched to a 2.52 ERA with the club. He’s praised for his excellent control and durable arm. Other stars include 3x Gold Glover at 1B, Miguel Tafoya, and five-time All-Star Alan Sullivan, the highest paid catcher currently with a $24.6 million per year contract through his age 33 season in 2023. The Denver ball club is named after the national mammal of the United States, the American bison. Denver is on the edge of the Great Plains, the historical habitat for bison. Once numbering in the millions, the animal was nearly driven to extinction by overhunting and bovine diseases (Wikipedia). Also worthy of note, the bison has historical and cultural significance to many Native American tribes. The Bison is an appropriate name for a team from Colorado, Denver is one of the few teams to feature yellow heavily. The color scheme comes from both the Denver city flag and the Colorado state flag. Both existed before the club was established in 1959, as a part of the first UBA expansion. The sleeve logo is simply the Bison across a baseball, a beloved logo from Denver's dynastic years of the 1970's that made a reappearance in recent years after the red and dark brown phase of the 1990's. The jerseys are pretty simple, though the lack of number on the front isn't typical of a UBA team, despite New York sporting the same style. The Bison also feature a second cap, though it's worn only at home, mostly with the red alternate. Denver doesn't shy away from wearing their alts though, but the red is only worn at home and the blue only on the road. Home: Away: Alternate 1 (v2): Alternate 2: So, as far as my inspirations go, I used the formula of Angels + Blue Jays = Bison to make this team...just kidding. Or am I? I chose a non-unique color scheme for a Colorado-based concept here, which meant I returned to the drawing board after having already finished the team once before. The yellow-heavy look is a bit of a risk, but from what I've seen, most Colorado concepts haven't done it before. As for the main roundel logo, I'm curious to how it will be received. I think there's too much negative space in it, but I couldn't figure out how to balance it better. I also went back and changed up the bison, which is why the second cap is now different from the original teaser. As always, let me know what you think and thank for you for all the great input so far! SPOILER: v1 and v2 of the main logo sheet. v1 was previously not posted, but was added 7/15 to show progression of the concept. And yes, the roundel logos on the jersey sheets are now outdated. I'll change that eventually. v1 of Alternate 1 is here too. It was updated on 7/23 to include yellow text with a navy outline instead of the original, which were those two colors reversed.

Thanks for the kind words! I was hoping the Unions name would be liked, though I wasn't sure how well it would be received. I thought about the whole Unions vs Union thing a bit, but for my goal of it being a classic sounding team name, I felt that plural was the way to go. That I got approval from an Indy resident means a lot! The New York roundel was something I'd been doodling for awhile, so I'm glad it came out better than I imagined and that it's gotten so much love. As for the Denver prediction...you're right! NEXT UP: the national mammal of the United States makes a grand appearance.

Thanks, y'all! I'm glad the Unions have been well-received. The white star in a red circle atop the I is just the part of the roundel, not intentionally a ball, but I'm glad you noticed it and liked it. I had the next team all finished and ready, but I think it needs a bit of fixing before I release it just yet. It'll feature a lot of red, yellow, and blue -- which is a part of the city's flag. Here's a teaser of the team: Last summer, I had the idea of doing a hand-drawn UBA, though that never really got off the ground. My first two designs were Indianapolis and New York. I made changes as I converted them into digital concepts, but here are the original ideas:

Thanks! I'm glad the NY monogram is well-received. I posted an update to New York above, so let's move on to the next team: Indianapolis. ---- As New York battles Toronto in the Federal League’s East Division, Indianapolis finds itself in third position in the FL’s North Division. At 14-12 on the season, the Unions sit a half game back from Detroit and three back from the first place St. Louis team. The Unions began play in 1921 as the Washington Potomacs, but lackluster play and attendance meant a move and new name in Indianapolis, starting with the 1949 season. The franchise won the 1926 championship in Washington, but the team has failed to win in Indianapolis. The ball club made it to the Maynard Trophy Series in 2015, but lost in seven hard-fought games to Baltimore. Despite the recent playoff run, the team retains only four players from that 2015 season, as the team features a starting lineup with an average age of 26 and an only slightly older pitching staff. SP's Jason Torossian and Tim Boyette had minor roles in 2015, though Torossian only started 12 games due to injury and Boyette pitched in relief. Since then, the 30-year-old Torossian’s injury struggles have continued. Despite only two seasons with more than 160 innings pitched, Jason won the 2013 FL Pitcher of the Year Award and is ranked as the UBA’s #2 pitcher currently. Predictably though, Torossian is on the disabled list for the next two weeks with elbow inflammation, so 27-year-old Boyette is tasked with leading the Unions’ rotation until Torossian’s return. Boyette is more than capable of the task though, as he has made the past two All-Star teams and he ranks as UBA’s 18th best pitcher. The Unions are named after Union Station in Indianapolis, which Wikipedia credits as one of the first union stations in the country. The name honors the city’s nickname of “Railroad City," and the state’s motto as the “Crossroads of America,” due to the city’s history as a major transportation hub (Wikipedia). The team takes significant imagery from the city flag, which was adopted in 1963 (Wikipedia). The original Unions’ jersey sets were monochrome with a hand-drawn script, as seen by the 1972 throwback. The mid-1980’s refresh of the club made the city flag the central part of the team’s look and introduced red, which has since stuck. The 1972 throwback marks the first playoff appearance for the city and was coincidentally the last season of the look, as the team moved to beltless pants the following year. The throwback is worn on the occasional weekend home game, while the alt is reserved for away games, where it sees about a 50/50 split of gametime with the primary gray away set. I thought I was so original with the whole white letter i wrapped in red on a blue hat, but it turns out that that’s not accurate. Italy’s 2017 World Baseball Classic cap is the exact same, except it has an Italian flag on the side. Sugar Honey Iced Tea. There are Dodgers, Cubs, and Phillies’ influences in this set too, though hopefully not as strong as the prior Phillies influence in my Emperors' concept. Once again, thanks for viewing! Do you prefer New York with the sleeve numbers or no? Do you like Indianapolis? Let me know what you think.

Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate the compliments. I can certainly see how it's too Phillies-esque. I was hoping the block font wordmark would be enough to differentiate, but I'll certainly change out the sleeve numbers for the roundel when I post an update. I do like how the front of the jerseys look without a number though, so I plan to keep it that way. Additionally, I edited the first post by adding a logo sheet for the league logo that just has a cleaner appearance and fits more in line with my team presentations. NEXT UP: We make a stop in Railroad City, the site of one of the first union stations in the country.

Big fan of the Marlins update. I like the increased use of blue, though the simplifying of the logo goes a long way as well. Now if only Miami could field an actually decent team too...

I’m in the midst of simulating through May 2019, where the New York Emperors are currently in 2nd place in the Federal League’s East Division. One of the league’s original teams and largest markets, the Emperors have been around since 1921, though they only have 4 championships (1951, 1984, 1998, and 2000) to show for it. Their best period of success in the past few decades came from 1995 to 2002, when the Emperors made the playoffs five times and won two titles. However, since then, New York has only made one playoff appearance, which came in all the way back in 2007. In 2019, New York is an offensive powerhouse measuring in the top 3 of all major team batting stats except stolen bases so far. The Emperors are led by switch-hitting 2B Sam Wiley, New York’s third round draft pick out of high school back in 2011. At just 26-years-old, Wiley led the FL with 7.7 WAR last season, his first full season in the UBA, and continues to lead the team in 2019. New York has struggled to form a decent pitching staff in recent seasons and this season is no different as the team is 12th in the FL in runs allowed this season. One of many big pickups that New York signed from the free agent market this past offseason is 31-year-old SP Jim Thompson, a big right-hander out of California. With a career 3.28 ERA, he’s tasked with leading New York’s starting rotation. New York is named after the state’s nickname as the Empire State. Once the Empire State Building was completed in 1931, the ball club began to take on imagery attached to the building, but a common misconception amongst fans is that the team was named after the building. The maroon is a staple of the Emperors’ identity, as New York have played their entire history with maroon as their primary color. The Emperors are one of only a few UBA teams to sport their numbers on their sleeves, but they manage to pull it off well. The first alternate, the powder blue set, is a recent addition to the lineup and is worn primarily on Sunday day games at home. The second alternate, worn only on the road, sees more game action, though the gray set is their primary road uniform. The NY monogram is their primary logo, with the roundel used more in merchandise and around the stadium than in actual gameplay. UPDATE: I removed the numbers from the sleeves of the Home, Away, and Alt 1, and replaced them with the roundel logo. Hopefully the team now stands out from its Phillies' inspiration now. My inspirations for this set were the maroon and powder blue Phillies, from which I also nabbed the numbers-on-sleeves idea. As for the monogram, I wanted a vastly different logo than the Yankees or Mets’ NY logos, so I went scrolling through a google image search of “ny monogram” and sketched out various ideas from what I saw. The NY you see here came from adapting ideas I found there. Let me know what you think! C&C is appreciated.

In a parallel universe, the United Baseball Association (UBA) began play in 1921 and is currently in the 2019 season. The UBA was established with 16 teams, but has since doubled to 32 teams split across two leagues, the Continental and Federal Leagues. Each league has four divisions, with four teams in each. Each division winner makes the playoffs for a total of eight playoff teams and they compete for the Maynard Trophy, which is named after a former commissioner. The last significant realignment/expansion came in the 1996-97 offseason. I’ve simulated out the league in OOTP 19 to build a history from which I will create concepts. Unless otherwise mentioned, all my locations and team names are set. I’ll slowly release the division alignments as I post team concepts. I personally like the classic, traditional feel that MLB logos and uniforms have. My goal has been to create concepts that would fit into the MLB looks-wise. To start off, each team will have four uniforms at most. At least one white home, one gray away, and then an alternate or two if I so choose. I may make some throwbacks at some point too, but I’m trying to avoid getting carried away and never completing this because I bit off more than I can chew. These are the first concepts I’ve posted here, though I’ve lurked here for awhile. I can’t afford the monthly cost for the Adobe package, so instead I pounced on a recent Affinity Designer sale and have been working on learning the program. I’ve seen several great concepts and series here, and I’ve been specifically inspired by dsaline97’s United States Baseball League, especially given how detailed the concepts and backstories were. I’m using rsaline’s amazing template for my concepts, so thank you for posting that for others to use. Anyways, now that I’ve made you read this far, here’s the league logo for the United Baseball Association, of which the influence of the MLB logo is clear. It's not terribly original. Points to you if you can guess who the pitcher is. I wanted something simple for the league logo, so that I could quickly move onto the actual teams. Perhaps I’ll revisit this later. The first team will be posted immediately after this, as we head to the Empire State for the first concept. Teams (in order of posting): New York Emperors (FL East) Indianapolis Unions (FL North) Denver Bison (CL North) Seattle Cascades - 2022 update (CL West) New Orleans Crescents (CL South) Jacksonville Tridents update (FL South) Philadelphia Penns (CL East) San Francisco Miners (CL West) Brooklyn Admirals (CL East) Cleveland Greens (CL North) Phoenix Saguaros (FL South) Memphis Pharaohs (CL South) Divisional Alignment: Continental League East: Philadelphia, Brooklyn North: Denver, Cleveland South: New Orleans, Memphis West: Seattle, San Francisco, (Las Vegas) Federal League East: New York North: Indianapolis South: Jacksonville, Phoenix West:

For New York, how would it look if the tower became the helmet stripe and your interlocking NY became the helmet decal? Just a thought. I've followed this thread for awhile and love it all. Great job!