MLB: Project 32 - New Dugout Jackets Added

[MJD7]

Both Yankees sets look classic. Though I'm personally not a fan of added red for the Yankees, as it reminds me of a similar color balance to Minnesota (though you'll probably change that), it's still an interesting "what-if." I'm really interested and excited to see what you do with Tampa!

[SFGiants58]

On 6/21/2017 at 3:54 PM, coco1997 said:

Amazing work. Once you made the comment about getting "back to the dugout," I had a pretty good idea of what you had planned, but of course the finished product looks even better than I imagined. I especially love that pinstriped road alt!

 

I have to admit, though, I'm surprised that among all these different alts and throwback options, there isn't at least one navy alt.

 

Can't wait to see what you have planned for the Rays. Something tells me Part 2 will be something to behold.

 

Thanks! I'll have you know that giving the Yankees a navy alt is one of those few lines I won't cross, alongside having the Giants in royal blue and the like.

 

On 6/21/2017 at 7:15 PM, TheRandomGuy77 said:

maybe "sun" rays

 

 

Wait until part two! Also, if you are posting in my threads, please use proper punctuation. It's just good conduct.

 

On 6/22/2017 at 11:24 AM, MJD7 said:

Both Yankees sets look classic. Though I'm personally not a fan of added red for the Yankees, as it reminds me of a similar color balance to Minnesota (though you'll probably change that), it's still an interesting "what-if." I'm really interested and excited to see what you do with Tampa!

 

Thank you. Spoilers, but that's pretty much going to be my primary color scheme/hierarchy for Minnesota. Navy, white, then red (because of the "frosty" feeling it gives off). 

 

Now, onto Tampa Bay!

 

TAMPA BAY STINGRAYS - A stinging touch of green

 

 

Now that you've had your ASMR fix, let's let our good buddy @FinsUp1214 describe my problems with the Rays' identity:

 

On 6/22/2017 at 10:25 AM, FinsUp1214 said:

Eh, I still like the (devil) sting ray a whole lot better. It's always been a better logo to me and provided for a better identity altogether. Besides that, the sun ray logo itself has always looked really unbalanced and awkward on it's own. It looks okay when placed on the wordmark, but frankly looks terrible on a cap. It's not very versatile.

 

I think the Rays jumped the gun way too much with the initial rebrand. People had (stupid) trouble with "Devil"? Fine, just keep the stingray , drop "Devil" and officially call them the "Rays", and let it refer to any other kind of sea ray. They didn't have to pull "ooh now it's a sun ray!" out of a hat. It just seemed desperate, almost like Michael Scott freaking out in the infamous Office fire drill scene, but the branding version.

 

They also didn't have to go double blue either, but that's a different story.

 

I'll add to it that while the "sun ray" idea has grown on me a little bit (in part due to the Padres ripoff fauxbacks), there are still many things I don't like about it. The font looks bland, they don't have a "Tampa Bay" wordmark, they still have the old ray on their sleeve (despite phasing it out of the rest of their brand - what @hockey week called the "'just kidding' ripcord of branding"), they still use ****ing nameplates (along with the Indians), and all of their uniforms are literal palette swaps (thanks, @Silent Wind of Doom). 

 

Back in ye olden days of 2013, I had the idea to rename the team "Stingrays." The resulting concept is one of the trashiest things I have ever put up on here (a shoddily modified version of the Judas Priest font, a poor take on double green, and the visual issue of renaming the team "Stingrays" alongside the image of a Devil Ray). Cardinals superfan/jabroni McCall rightfully called me out on it (a rare occurrence for him), and I managed to refine the current set to a solid point. However, I still found myself liking the name "Stingrays." It was unambiguous (unlike "Rays"), sounded appropriate for a sports team (despite stingrays having the nickname "Puppies of the Sea," and had only two syllables!

 

With the colors, I knew I had to bring back the dark green and light blue (Deep Green and Columbia Blue). I tweaked the shades (a lighter dark green with more blue and carrying over the light blue from my Pilots concept) and added lime green (just Lime Green) as a small accent. I thought that the lime green worked well as an accent for the Emerald Green/Light Blue Daytona Tortugas, so I added it to the Stingrays. Now, Tampa can have a look to call its own and finally leave the navy hegemony.

 

Using this photo from Monterey Bay Aquarium's website, I managed to draw a Southern Stingray (which live in the area around Tampa Bay) that carried over the old ray's stylistic points while representing the flowing lines of Dasyatis americana. The font is a modified version of Seren Script by Type Faith Fonts, which I liked as a modern, flowing script style (to fit with the Stingrays' age and the smooth aesthetic of the identity).

 

 

The uniforms are classic, but with some modern twists. The scripts feature small teal highlights in their short tails and the sleeves feature curved stripes - to accentuate the curves found throughout the identity. These styling points are a way to do modern stuff without straying too far from the traditional visual language of the sport (i.e. the original Carolina Hurricanes' warning flag stripes, the Milwaukee Bucks' Irish Rainbow, the Bengals' 1981 redesign, etc.). A "Tampa Bay" script returns to the road uniform. The number/NOB font is the former font of the Pittsburgh Penguins, as it is still a good modern block font. NOB's are direct-sewn, so no more nameplate gunk! The sock stripes come from the 1933-50 St. Louis Cardinals' sock stripes - a pattern too attractive not to use somewhere in the majors.

 

 

The alternates are both standard and unorthodox. The light blue alt comes with a blue-billed cap, so as not to infringe too much on the Pilots' identity. The green alternate is something I've wanted to do for a while - a simplified and unified take on the Rays' inaugural set. Featuring the "TB" as a crest and the "Stingrays" wordmark on the sleeve, this uniform uses a two-color gradient of light blue and lime green (simpler than the old one - Colorwerx notes four shades). The cap is tribute to the (rarely-worn) alternate cap from 1998-2000, The sock stripes also receive an overhaul, to match the gradients in a knitting-friendly way. The NOB has no gradient, because of legibility reasons.

 

 

The second set of alternates pairs the light blue jersey's cap with the home uniform. The other alternate is a fauxback to the 1961 Tampa Tarpons because I like the idea of fauxbacks to teams that have some regional connection. A classic-cut vest bears powder pinstripes and a cartoon image of a smiling Southern Stingray (based on this photo from Pinterest) holding a bat in his tail. It tributes the long history of baseball in the region, while not ripping off another team!

 

 

I'd like to think that the Stingrays have come a long way since 2013. Instead of me being all "edgy" and lazy with the design, I've done my research, found an eye-pleasing color scheme, and made a modern (yet still using traditional visual language) identity for Tampa Bay that could look in the Trop or in a retractable roof stadium. C+C is greatly appreciated, as always!

 

Up next, my take on the "Ray of Light" and double blue + yellow!

 

P.S. the number model for this one is #18, for 2016 World Series MVP/Joe Maddon's BFF Ben Zobrist. Also, this is my first concept with green (my favorite color) since I switched avatars to my favorite green senshi from Super Sentai - Hayate from Seijuu Sentai Gingaman!

[coco1997]

Dammit, @SFGiants58, you've done it again! This makes me hate the Rays' current bland identity even more, because the ingredients are definitely there, they just aren't exploiting any of them. That alt with the gradient is truly glorious and I love the Tarpons fauxback with the friendly stingray logo. Everything about this set is is a huge improvement over your 2013 Stingrays concept. Well done!

[MJD7]

I actually would say I liked your old double-green stingray concept... But this is amazing! I especially like the gradient on the alternate (you could honestly base the whole set off that) as well as the overall smooth, fluid feel to the set which really fits the name. The cap logo also stands out to me as great.

 

The only thing I could point out is that the eyes of the ray stand out as very sharp compared to the rest of the identity, but I wouldn't how (or whether you even should) fix such a thing. The tail also reminds me a lot of what you did with the Pilots, though that's not really a bad thing. You could maybe make a thinner version that resembles the tail of the ray, but that's just an idea. Fantastic job!

[kroywen]

Jumping in (a little late) to say that I love both those Yankees concepts. It's rare that I see a modified/consolidated version of the interlocking NY that I like across all applications, but that one works perfectly. It fits both on the hat and the chest.

 

Love the "dash of red" concept as well. It's a nice bit of alternate history, and completely plausible if the Yankees went a slightly different path with their uniforms in the mid-30s. Great work!

[ChicagoOakland]

Knowing the Rays, they might panic over this identity too and retool it to be based around Stingray bikes.

[PrimalCookie]

As I stated in your MLB tweaks thread, I loved that "terrible" Stingrays concept from 2013. I think it was a wonderful take on a new look, despite some obvious problems (like the devil ray representing "Stingrays". It was one of the best Rays concepts that I've ever seen on these boards, IMO. But to each their own...

 

Anyway, regarding the new look...

On 6/23/2017 at 5:54 PM, SFGiants58 said:

TAMPA BAY STINGRAYS - A stinging touch of green

Now that you've had your ASMR fix, let's let our good buddy @FinsUp1214 describe my problems with the Rays' identity:

 

 

I'll add to it that while the "sun ray" idea has grown on me a little bit (in part due to the Padres ripoff fauxbacks), there are still many things I don't like about it. The font looks bland, they don't have a "Tampa Bay" wordmark¹, they still have the old ray on their sleeve (despite phasing it out of the rest of their brand - what @hockey week called the "'just kidding' ripcord of branding"), they still use ****ing nameplates (along with the Indians), and all of their uniforms are literal palette swaps (thanks, @Silent Wind of Doom). 

 

Back in ye olden days of 2013, I had the idea to rename the team "Stingrays." The resulting concept is one of the trashiest things I have ever put up on here (a shoddily modified version of the Judas Priest font, a poor take on double green, and the visual issue of renaming the team "Stingrays" alongside the image of a Devil Ray). Cardinals superfan/jabroni McCall rightfully called me out on it (a rare occurrence for him), and I managed to refine the current set to a solid point. However, I still found myself liking the name "Stingrays." It was unambiguous (unlike "Rays"), sounded appropriate for a sports team (despite stingrays having the nickname "Puppies of the Sea," and had only two syllables!

 

With the colors, I knew I had to bring back the dark green and light blue (Deep Green and Columbia Blue). I tweaked the shades (a lighter dark green with more blue and carrying over the light blue from my Pilots concept) and added lime green (just Lime Green) as a small accent. I thought that the lime green worked well as an accent for the Emerald Green/Light Blue Daytona Tortugas, so I added it to the Stingrays. Now, Tampa can have a look to call its own and finally leave the navy hegemony.

 

Using this photo from Monterey Bay Aquarium's website, I managed to draw a Southern Stingray (which live in the area around Tampa Bay) that carried over the old ray's stylistic points while representing the flowing lines of Dasyatis americana. The font is a modified version of Seren Script by Type Faith Fonts, which I liked as a modern, flowing script style (to fit with the Stingrays' age and the smooth aesthetic of the identity).

 

 

The uniforms are classic, but with some modern twists. The scripts feature small teal highlights in their short tails and the sleeves feature curved stripes - to accentuate the curves found throughout the identity. These styling points are a way to do modern stuff without straying too far from the traditional visual language of the sport (i.e. the original Carolina Hurricanes' warning flag stripes, the Milwaukee Bucks' Irish Rainbow, the Bengals' 1981 redesign, etc.). A "Tampa Bay" script returns to the road uniform. The number/NOB font is the former font of the Pittsburgh Penguins, as it is still a good modern block font. NOB's are direct-sewn, so no more nameplate gunk! The sock stripes come from the 1933-50 St. Louis Cardinals' sock stripes - a pattern too attractive not to use somewhere in the majors.

 

 

The alternates are both standard and unorthodox. The light blue alt comes with a blue-billed cap, so as not to infringe too much on the Pilots' identity. The green alternate is something I've wanted to do for a while - a simplified and unified take on the Rays' inaugural set. Featuring the "TB" as a crest and the "Stingrays" wordmark on the sleeve, this uniform uses a two-color gradient of light blue and lime green (simpler than the old one - Colorwerx notes four shades). The cap is tribute to the (rarely-worn) alternate cap from 1998-2000, The sock stripes also receive an overhaul, to match the gradients in a knitting-friendly way. The NOB has no gradient, because of legibility reasons.

 

 

The second set of alternates pairs the light blue jersey's cap with the home uniform. The other alternate is a fauxback to the 1961 Tampa Tarpons because I like the idea of fauxbacks to teams that have some regional connection. A classic-cut vest bears powder pinstripes and a cartoon image of a smiling Southern Stingray (based on this photo from Pinterest) holding a bat in his tail. It tributes the long history of baseball in the region, while not ripping off another team!

 

 

I'd like to think that the Stingrays have come a long way since 2013. Instead of me being all "edgy" and lazy with the design, I've done my research, found an eye-pleasing color scheme, and made a modern (yet still using traditional visual language) identity for Tampa Bay that could look in the Trop or in a retractable roof stadium. C+C is greatly appreciated, as always!

 

Up next, my take on the "Ray of Light" and double blue + yellow!

¹The Rays actually do have a "Tampa Bay" script, just not on the uniforms. 

Anyway, regarding the uniforms: Beautiful. Another home run (heh heh). I don't have any complaints.

[coco1997]

I'm curious to see what you have planned for Part II of the Blue Jays, considering they've had the same basic look most of their existence.

[SFGiants58]

On 6/23/2017 at 7:06 PM, MJD7 said:

I actually would say I liked your old double-green stingray concept... But this is amazing! I especially like the gradient on the alternate (you could honestly base the whole set off that) as well as the overall smooth, fluid feel to the set which really fits the name. The cap logo also stands out to me as great.

 

The only thing I could point out is that the eyes of the ray stand out as very sharp compared to the rest of the identity, but I wouldn't how (or whether you even should) fix such a thing. The tail also reminds me a lot of what you did with the Pilots, though that's not really a bad thing. You could maybe make a thinner version that resembles the tail of the ray, but that's just an idea. Fantastic job!

 

Thanks! I thought about making the eyes more rounded, but it just didn't look right to me. Besides, there are plenty of sharp edges elsewhere in the identity (letter serifs, tail ends, etc.), so I think it looks OK. I'll try out some rounded eyes when I come back around for an update (for after I finish a division).

 

On 6/24/2017 at 5:55 PM, kroywen said:

Jumping in (a little late) to say that I love both those Yankees concepts. It's rare that I see a modified/consolidated version of the interlocking NY that I like across all applications, but that one works perfectly. It fits both on the hat and the chest.

 

Love the "dash of red" concept as well. It's a nice bit of alternate history, and completely plausible if the Yankees went a slightly different path with their uniforms in the mid-30s. Great work!

 

Thank you for your help earlier. I figured that the 1935/36 changeover would probably be the most plausible point for the Yankees to shift their visual identity. The Ruth-DiMaggio transition, the pinstripes/navy only having about 22 years of "brand equity" (or the 1930's equivalent) and the shift towards more "modern" looks (cursive scripts, additions of accent colors to previously monochrome teams, etc.) all played into this timeline.

 

On 6/24/2017 at 6:40 PM, ChicagoOakland said:

Knowing the Rays, they might panic over this identity too and retool it to be based around Stingray bikes.

 

Ha! I was thinking more along the lines of a partnership with Big Daddy GM. Heck, the colors I picked even look like several colors for the Corvette C2 Stingray - my favorite generation of the 'Vette (Goodwood Green and Marina Blue). Also, Y'all should be watching Regular Car Reviews. The guys behind it are good writers, balancing history, literary theory, and sociology with some freaky humor. 

 

On 6/26/2017 at 3:37 PM, coco1997 said:

I'm curious to see what you have planned for Part II of the Blue Jays, considering they've had the same basic look most of their existence.

 

I think you'll be in for a little surprise. 

 

Well, onto the Rays' alternate take!

 

TAMPA BAY RAYS - Salvaging the double blue and the "Ray of Light."

 

It's no secret that I think the "Ray of Light" is a bit stupid. While I don't dislike it as much as I used to, they could look so much better. The "Ray of Light" logo doesn't look that good on its own, the scripts are a crummy Times New Roman variant, the Devil Ray is still on the sleeve, and they're still navy-centric in a league with too many navy teams. While the fauxback is a nice flash of whimsy, it's still a ripoff of the 1976-79 Padres (as a New Historicist, I find this a poor attempt to imitate the uniqueness of the wild 1970's baseball identities). With the Columbia Blue (albeit slightly darker than their current shade) and Yellow, they could have a unique look in the majors (and all of the Big Four, because the Spanoses are a bunch of dicks) that conveys the "Ray of Light" theme (as has been noted on the MLB Changes thread). 

 

Columbia Blue and two yellows (light from the Rays, and dark from the Miami Heat) are now the dominant colors, with navy relegated to an accent color (to keep the brightness from getting too out of hand). I kept the font from the Stingrays concept, as I felt it also worked with the "rays" theme. All of the lettering (scripts and numbers) have an alternating stripe pattern, inspired by @raysox and @bohob's excellent concepts. The primary logo is a nine-pointed star behind a baseball, representing the "Ray of Light" theme without an imbalanced logo.

 

 

The uniforms now feature the "solar gradient" pattern in the thick sleeve and pants stripes, as well as on the socks, scripts, and cap logo. I kept the NOB's (in a bold version of the Orioles' font) one-color, for legibility. The primary logo now graces the sleeve instead of an inappropriate Devil Ray logo. The Columbia Blue is now the primary cap, undershirt, belt, and sock color. 

 

 

Both alternates feature a gold-billed cap. The home alternate has a white and light yellow script, to stand out on a dark yellow background (with corresponding changes to the cap logo). The road alternate features the "Tampa Bay" wordmark (because it should have more presence in the brand). There are no Columbia Blue pants, as it looked terrible.

 

 

Now, the fauxbacks. Going into this, I asked myself "What would be a plausible 'wacky' design that could have come from the mid-late 1970's?" It then hit me to use UCLA-style stripes (which have precedence in baseball), gold-crowned caps, contrasting sleeves, and white shoes. I used Cortez (a font designed in 1977 by Philip Kelly), which looked appropriately-1970's without ripping another team off (even if it's a little similar to the 1977-86 Mariners). The sun is the backing for the front numbers. Now, they can have a fun fauxback set that is both original and time-appropriate!

 

 

If the 2D templates don't convince you, I have action templates at the ready! Open the spoiler tag:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rays have plenty of potential with their identity. With a Columbia Blue/Yellow-heavy color scheme, a unique take on scripts/numbers, and a more distinct fauxback set, the Rays can stand out from the rest of the majors!

 

Up next, the Toronto Blue Jays!

[MJD7]

Holy cow, this is fantastic! I love the emphasis on light blue and yellow, it's a fantastic scheme (though navy and carolina is too, in my opinion.) This reminds me of what I was going for with my Angels set, although way better executed. Well done!

[coco1997]

Now THAT'S what a Florida-based MLB team should look like. Bright, sunny and fun! 

 

Looking forward to the Blue Jays! 

[slikye1]

14 hours ago, SFGiants58 said:

 

Thanks! I thought about making the eyes more rounded, but it just didn't look right to me. Besides, there are plenty of sharp edges elsewhere in the identity (letter serifs, tail ends, etc.), so I think it looks OK. I'll try out some rounded eyes when I come back around for an update (for after I finish a division).

 

 

Thank you for your help earlier. I figured that the 1935/36 changeover would probably be the most plausible point for the Yankees to shift their visual identity. The Ruth-DiMaggio transition, the pinstripes/navy only having about 22 years of "brand equity" (or the 1930's equivalent) and the shift towards more "modern" looks (cursive scripts, additions of accent colors to previously monochrome teams, etc.) all played into this timeline.

 

 

Ha! I was thinking more along the lines of a partnership with Big Daddy GM. Heck, the colors I picked even look like several colors for the Corvette C2 Stingray - my favorite generation of the 'Vette (Goodwood Green and Marina Blue). Also, Y'all should be watching Regular Car Reviews. The guys behind it are good writers, balancing history, literary theory, and sociology with some freaky humor. 

 

 

I think you'll be in for a little surprise. 

 

Well, onto the Rays' alternate take!

 

TAMPA BAY RAYS - Salvaging the double blue and the "Ray of Light."

 

It's no secret that I think the "Ray of Light" is a bit stupid. While I don't dislike it as much as I used to, they could look so much better. The "Ray of Light" logo doesn't look that good on its own, the scripts are a crummy Times New Roman variant, the Devil Ray is still on the sleeve, and they're still navy-centric in a league with too many navy teams. While the fauxback is a nice flash of whimsy, it's still a ripoff of the 1976-79 Padres (as a New Historicist, I find this a poor attempt to imitate the uniqueness of the wild 1970's baseball identities). With the Columbia Blue (albeit slightly darker than their current shade) and Yellow, they could have a unique look in the majors (and all of the Big Four, because the Spanoses are a bunch of dicks) that conveys the "Ray of Light" theme (as has been noted on the MLB Changes thread). 

 

Columbia Blue and two yellows (light from the Rays, and dark from the Miami Heat) are now the dominant colors, with navy relegated to an accent color (to keep the brightness from getting too out of hand). I kept the font from the Stingrays concept, as I felt it also worked with the "rays" theme. All of the lettering (scripts and numbers) have an alternating stripe pattern, inspired by @raysox and @bohob's excellent concepts. The primary logo is a nine-pointed star behind a baseball, representing the "Ray of Light" theme without an imbalanced logo.

 

 

The uniforms now feature the "solar gradient" pattern in the thick sleeve and pants stripes, as well as on the socks, scripts, and cap logo. I kept the NOB's (in a bold version of the Orioles' font) one-color, for legibility. The primary logo now graces the sleeve instead of an inappropriate Devil Ray logo. The Columbia Blue is now the primary cap, undershirt, belt, and sock color. 

 

 

Both alternates feature a gold-billed cap. The home alternate has a white and light yellow script, to stand out on a dark yellow background (with corresponding changes to the cap logo). The road alternate features the "Tampa Bay" wordmark (because it should have more presence in the brand). There are no Columbia Blue pants, as it looked terrible.

 

 

Now, the fauxbacks. Going into this, I asked myself "What would be a plausible 'wacky' design that could have come from the mid-late 1970's?" It then hit me to use UCLA-style stripes (which have precedence in baseball), gold-crowned caps, contrasting sleeves, and white shoes. I used Cortez (a font designed in 1977 by Philip Kelly), which looked appropriately-1970's without ripping another team off (even if it's a little similar to the 1977-86 Mariners). The sun is the backing for the front numbers. Now, they can have a fun fauxback set that is both original and time-appropriate!

 

 

If the 2D templates don't convince you, I have action templates at the ready!

 

The Rays have plenty of potential with their identity. With a Columbia Blue/Yellow-heavy color scheme, a unique take on scripts/numbers, and a more distinct fauxback set, the Rays can stand out from the rest of the majors!

 

Up next, the Toronto Blue Jays!

This color scheme is gorgeous!!!

[SFGiants58]

Thanks for the C+C guys, I appreciate it!

 

Now, onto one of the more boring entries in the series, and a special concept for tomorrow's holiday (Canada Day!)

 

TORONTO BLUE JAYS, PT. I - How does one improve upon perfection?

 

 

When the Blue Jays unveiled their current set in November 2011, they gained one of the best uniform sets in baseball. It was a near-perfect modernization of the 1989-96 uniforms, with all of the good details from that set preserved and updated (in a better way than the 1997-2002/2003 set). However, there were some minor quibbles with those uniforms. The navy outlines on the road uniform, the lack of letter splits in the "Toronto" part of the primary wordmark, and the lack of a white front panel cap anywhere in the set (which has since been fixed). I set about amending these minor errors in my Project 30 concept, although I was less than successful (using the old colors instead of the current ones, which are far more eye-pleasing).

 

I enlarged the split-letter "Toronto" part of the primary logo. I also added a new tertiary logo, the split-letter "T" in front of the team's maple leaf icon. It's an idea that's been used for Maple Leafs concepts (including my own), and I thought it was the best route to take for a location-based logo for the team. Besides, it's also a tribute to the International League Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team (which predates the hockey team, funny enough - this might be a fun experiment for an alternate history thread).

 

 

All uniforms receive the dual-stripe motif on the socks to really tie the whole split letter/dual stripe theme together (something I did in Project 30) The navy outline is off of the road wordmark. I used the Jays' one retired number (Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar) for the model.

 

 

The alternates are where I differed from my original concept. Instead of two blue alts, there's now only one (with the alternate logo, to have one city signifier). The white front panel cap would always be paired with the alternate at home. Said cap also makes an appearance with the regular home uniform as an alt.

 

 

The special alternates, modeled with #67 (for the Confederation of Canada), are not unprecedented in team history. The Canada Day uniform is a mere update of the 2012 version (complete with "Canada" NOB's), with a white front panel cap (so the leaf doesn't blue with the hat). They can do Canada Day without being stupidly gaudy. The alternate logo graces the right sleeve, to highlight their location within Canada. The powder blue alternate is meant to be worn on the road about once a month, as an excuse to wear the white front panel cap on the road/remind people that the Jays and maybe the Phillies/Royals were the only teams that looked good in powder blue.

 

 

The Blue Jays already have a top-5 look in the majors, but with a little tweaking, they can look even better! C+C is greatly appreciated, as always!

 

For the alternate take, a revisit on a controversial look!

[coco1997]

Great job on the Blue Jays. I guess the only thing I'm not big on is the contrasting piping on the Canada Day jersey and pants. I'd make the piping on the pants red to match the jersey's. 

 

3 hours ago, SFGiants58 said:

For the alternate take, a revisit on a controversial look!

 

I'm pretty sure I know what you mean by this, and I can hardly wait to see it!

[Carolingian Steamroller]

Absolutely gorgeous job on the Jays. One of the best in baseball gets better.

[BenD]

Solid work in the jays, not much you can do to make them look better. Love the white panel hat and the powder blue set, but I think it would look better if the script colors were reversed to make it more legible.

[SFGiants58]

19 hours ago, BenD said:

Solid work in the jays, not much you can do to make them look better. Love the white panel hat and the powder blue set, but I think it would look better if the script colors were reversed to make it more legible.

 

Thanks! I would make the excuse that the original set used the white text, but instead, I'll fix it in the updates.

 

On 6/30/2017 at 2:41 PM, coco1997 said:

Great job on the Blue Jays. I guess the only thing I'm not big on is the contrasting piping on the Canada Day jersey and pants. I'd make the piping on the pants red to match the jersey's. 

 

 

I'm pretty sure I know what you mean by this, and I can hardly wait to see it!

 

Thank you. On the first point, I'm going to fix that in the update as well. It'll help balance out the blue and red on the set. As for your second point, here we go!

 

TORONTO BLUE JAYS, PT. II - Salvage Operation: The Black Jays

 

 

 

It's no secret that the Blue Jays' 2004-11 identity is an anomaly in their history. While it wasn't necessarily a bad look, it was a look unbecoming for a team with the history of the Blue Jays. The dropping of "Blue" from the script and the switch to a black-dominant color scheme with two grays instead of multiple blues (closer to real Blue Jays) were both mistakes. Compounding these errors were the crummy italicized Crillee number font and the merging of the jay and the script. The 2008 redesign of the road uniform brought along a better number font (Agency with bevels), but the wordmark became bland and the maple leaf patch appeared. However, that doesn't mean that the set is irredeemable. Take it from @FinsUp1214:

 

On 5/19/2017 at 8:56 PM, FinsUp1214 said:

Now granted, the Blue Jays look the best they've ever looked right now (I dare say it's the best look in the whole league), so I'm not at all screaming "bring it back!". BUT I did like the color scheme, appreciated them going out on a limb a little, and they were in my mind just a few touch-ups and tweaks (namely a little more light blue, toning down the beveling a little) from being a really excellent look.

 

If the Blue Jays were a 2004 expansion team and ran out of the dugout in this, I think with those tweaks it definitely could've survived and survived well. As it was, though, its days were numbered from the get-go due to the history they'd had before.

 

 

I set about tweaking the "Black Jays" set to both bring it in line with the Jays' visual continuity and make it look like the plausible result of a circa 2002-04 redesign/tweak (i.e. the Padres, Nationals, Devil Rays, Marlins, and Diamondbacks). I drew a lot of inspiration from @Lights Out's Black Jays tweaks (the Blue Jays' script being two-layered, reinstatement of double blue, and the Agency font), but I brought it more in line with the visual continuity of the Blue Jays' identity.

 

The cartoon Blue Jay logo is now the primary focus of the identity, with double-blue highlighting (and a third blue in the eye - all of which fit with the multi-blue trend of the time, see the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies) and the leaf logo from the current set. It still exhibits the "x-treme" style that was popular in the early/mid-2000's of cartoon design and aesthetics, but it no longer looks out of place in the Jays' logo timeline. Black and the two grays are now minor accent colors.

 

 

The uniforms now have blue caps, undershirts, socks, and belts. The "Blue" part of the Blue Jays script has sharper serifs (to fit with the "Jays" script), and the jay logo takes its place underneath the script on both uniforms. I italicized the beveled Agency numbers (traced from Bill Henderson's Game Worn Guide to MLB Jerseys and simplified to remove extra outlines), as I liked the italics of the original set (just not in Crillee).¹ I used the Canucks' Agency NOB font. I wanted to have thick sleeve stripes and sock stripes with the various blue shades and black/gray, but a mid-2000's redesign wouldn't have used either.

 

 

There are two blue alternates, one for home use and one for the road (something the Twins did from 2000-2008/9). While I wanted to use an alternate cap somewhere here, I decided against it as the Jays only had one cap style for most of the "Black Jays" period (save for the graphite home cap in 2004). I swapped around the bevel colors to highlight the light blue. 

 

 

I decided to reduce the black top to a home alternate, much like how the A's did with their 2008/2009-10 black alternate. It's one less batting helmet to carry around on the road, and it maximizes the exposure of the then-popular style of alternates at home. The script remains blue, so the name "Blue Jays" doesn't look too out of place on it. The Canada Day set gains a red hat.

 

 

The "Black Jays'" set had a bunch of potential, but the team went too far in divorcing it from the team's visual history. However, with a few tweaks, it can fit better with the rest of Jays' looks. It's still a look that screams early-mid '00's, but at least it's a better take on that visual style. Happy Canada Day!

 

Up next, a couple of minor updates and an AL West teaser!

 

¹William F. Henderson, Game Worn Guide to Mlb Jerseys: (1970–2015) Seventh Edition (Philadelphia, PA: Aardvark Publishing, 2015), 2793.

[coco1997]

By God, you've made the mid-2000s Jays palatable! The tweaked wordmarks make a huge difference. I now have a new appreciation for this look. It's still got nothing on the classic/modern Jays, but I think you've made it look as good as it possibly can. Kudos to @FinsUp1214 for inspiring this set! 

 

Congrats on finishing the AL East! I can't wait to see the West, in particular my White Sox, who look to be coming up soon. ?

[FinsUp1214]

My wishes for that 2000's Jays look are pretty much depicted here. You did a great, great job making it all work! The Colors and logos are spot on. The tweaking of the beveling is an upgrade also, as the colors aren't as stark between each other and is much more readable than its predecessor. 

 

Thumbs up my friend!

[Carolingian Steamroller]

It's a good thing the Jays didn't go with this in mid aughts because I think they never would have switched back to their present look. This is timeless. The beveling looks terrific and the "Blue Jays" scripts works fantastically.