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MLB: The Defunct Saga - Bibliography Added


SFGiants58

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On 1/20/2019 at 7:09 PM, BellaSpurs said:

This would’ve been perfect, also curious if you’d ever do a concept for such a predicament, obviously the cincy expansion team would be like the browns and Cleveland and stay the same. But the new Padres would have more of “reds” to it, which could be interesting to see.

 

I know it’s Havana, but imagine if a team went to Hawaii.

 

Thanks! I've done two mock-ups of a Padres (former Reds) team:

 

ZF7qxVC.pngMr9xoJW.png

 

I'm surprised at how much I like brown/red for the Padres. It goes well with the off-white.

 

No, the team I referenced won't be in Havana. Here's a hint: it's the home of a big musical movement from the 1990s.

 

On 1/20/2019 at 7:29 PM, FightingGoldenDevil said:

The black and red SD special event logo looks straight out of U of South Dakota

 

1200px-South_Dakota_Coyotes_logo.svg.png

 

Even though I used navy (not black), I can still see the resemblance.

 

On 1/20/2019 at 7:33 PM, MJD7 said:

I think if the sand road uniform had white outlines instead of cream, that would be great for the road uniform. The city pride is also an upgrade for sure.

 

Thanks! White outlines (and no outlines - had to fix an error with that one, original image here) does improve the aesthetic.

 

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On 1/20/2019 at 8:43 PM, Dalcowboyfan92 said:

The wishbone C Indians logo is not bad. Although, my mind immediately associates that style of C with the Chicago Bears, so my mind immediately thought of the Chicago Bears logo got a tan, and then decided to become a hipster and put a feather in its hair. 🤣

 

Yeah, an outlined wishbone C just screams Bears to me as well. It's part of why I'm not keen on Cleveland ever using that specific monogram.

 

On 1/20/2019 at 9:57 PM, MCM0313 said:

Hobbes was involved somehow, anyway. As I recall, Calvin transmogrified into a tiger.

 

That would be fairly accurate, methinks.

 

On 1/21/2019 at 1:01 PM, coco1997 said:

The various cream & sand Reds designs are just fantastic. Can't really pick a favorite. 

 

Thanks!

 

On 1/21/2019 at 1:23 PM, HereComesThax said:

I LOVE IT. Thanks!

 

Thanks!

 

Today's post is going to be some sundry updates. The first is to the Milwaukee Braves/Brewers alternate take. Thanks to some feedback from @Gothamite, I've adjusted the "M" to match/resemble that of the American Association Brewers' road script. I've updated the original posts with the new renderings. Thank you, @Gothamite, @Carolingian Steamroller, and @NicDB for helping me nail this one.

 

rMRJHaM.png

 

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Here is the new script with all of the other Braves designs.

 

HOgnMHJ.png

 

I've also prepared the 1954 version of the Milwaukee Brewers (former St. Louis Browns) using @NicDB's idea for the Blatz beer color scheme (brown and gold), as Blatz was the Braves' initial beer sponsor. I took influences from the mid/late-1950s Orioles' aesthetics (Owgust sleeve patch, thin-lined primary logo, etc.), while also trying to make the AA Brewers' road script better match the home design. Edit: I fixed the line width on the back part of Owgust's head. Here's the original.

 

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The team would shed most likely shed brown in the 1960s, even though it looks decent on them. Speaking of the different Milwaukee designs, here they all are!

 

Milwaukee Braves, Milwaukee Brewers (Braves-style), Milwaukee Brewers (local style), Milwaukee Brewers (Project 32 with updates), Germanic Brewers, and the ideal 1970 prototype.

 

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The attempted relocations are here, which include the updated  Milwaukee Brewers (former St. Louis Browns), Milwaukee Cardinals, Milwaukee Athletics, and Milwaukee White Sox.

 

tx4uHLJ.png

 

I was in a Milwaukee mood as of late, so I figured I should polish it off. 

 

The next entry will be coming soon, for real this time!

 

Edited by SFGiants58
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  • SFGiants58 changed the title to MLB: The Defunct Saga - Milwaukee Updates

The Brewers in brown and gold look absolutely killer. Those are colors I already associate with beer imagery (beer barrels, labels, etc.) so if the Padres won't embrace the color scheme it would absolutely fit the Brew Crew.

 

Everything else--the new "M" on the "Milwaukee script and the additional SD Reds variations--are also top notch! 

 

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A bit OT, the Indians set looks promising, even though I'm not sure where the powder blue trim fits with them, but I figure the cap logos might look better with a white feather and powder blue outline.

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A strong mind gets high off success, a weak mind gets high off bull🤬

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On 1/25/2019 at 7:46 PM, Discrimihater said:

A bit OT, the Indians set looks promising, even though I'm not sure where the powder blue trim fits with them, but I figure the cap logos might look better with a white feather and powder blue outline.

 

Thanks! The powder blue trim came from my desire to diversify the navy/red teams' color balances/schemes. I figured it'd make an excellent accent color. I'm thinking of experimenting with a simplified feather at some point.

 

On 1/25/2019 at 3:40 PM, FinsUp1214 said:

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Your latest updates are stunning, all across the board. Bravo!

On 1/25/2019 at 1:01 PM, Gothamite said:

Wow.

 

Just... wow.

 

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Thank you so much, guys!

 

On 1/25/2019 at 12:32 PM, coco1997 said:

The Brewers in brown and gold look absolutely killer. Those are colors I already associate with beer imagery (beer barrels, labels, etc.) so if the Padres won't embrace the color scheme it would absolutely fit the Brew Crew.

 

Everything else--the new "M" on the "Milwaukee script and the additional SD Reds variations--are also top notch! 

 

 

Thanks! I'm surprised at how well brown/yellow works for them, even though I prefer navy/yellow and royal/yellow.

 

3 hours ago, Topherlee2 said:

Would be interesting to see what if Houston kept the Colts name instead of changing it to Astros. Obviously, they would get rid of the gun in favor of a horse for the mascot.

 

That might be an interesting idea down the line, but I'd worry about infringing on the football team.

 

Anyway, it's time to climb the mountain!

 

SEATTLE RAINIERS (FORMER CLEVELAND INDIANS) - The Mountain Tribe

 

Yes, this is one that was totally news to me! Much like the Reds, Ohio’s other team considered moving out west. The team’s turn towards mediocrity following the 1954 World Series had a significant hit on attendance. By 1963, reports said that the team was losing money, upwards of $1 million. Since the team’s lease at the Mistake by the Lake was due to expire in 1964, several cities investigated the opportunity.1 

 

While Atlanta, Dallas, and Oakland expressed their desirability as relocation options, it was Seattle that made the biggest push. Gabe Paul, the Indians’ majority owner/GM (even though William Daley was team chairman), made it clear that Seattle was the relocation favorite. His friendship with Pacific Coast League President Dewey Soriano also helped Seattle’s chances. However, Paul also prompted the city of Cleveland to step up their efforts in keeping the team (e.g., ticket sales, negotiation of a better lease, etc.). 

 

Even though the odds were in Seattle’s favor (a UPI story even said that the move was inevitable), the Cleveland Growth Board’s ticket drives had almost hit their targets (4,500 season tickets), while Cleveland mayor Ralph Locher and various civic groups drummed up support. That was enough for the team’s directors to stay put, especially after the city promised to give them extensive stadium upgrades (e.g., refurbished seats and bathrooms, a new clubhouse, etc.) and a cheaper rate. Cleveland would keep its team, while Seattle would have to wait a few years.2 

 

Go-Seattle-Majors-LOGO-385x400.jpgPledge.jpg

(Images of the competing efforts, one from the MYNorthwest article and the other from this Did the Tribe Win Last Night? article)

 

Of course, Seattle had significant issues with their stadium. The Rainier Beer Company owned Sick’s Stadium at the time. Paul made it clear that the Indians would only come if the stadium got an expansion to 25,000 seats. Efforts were underway to invest in stadium expansions or for the city to buy the stadium (as they did in 1966 for the Pilots). With more time for construction, the venue may have been more successful than it was for the 1969 Pilots. However, it’d still be a temporary venue at best. So, if the Indians did move, it’d be a bit of a mess.3 

 

But what if Seattle performed the Sick’s Stadium expansion and Cleveland decided not to give into the blackmail? What if the Seattle Indians existed?

 

Well, the team was amid a mediocre period at the time. I don’t see that changing much in Seattle. Added travel time and the temporary venue wouldn’t improve matters, while the Down in a Hole Dome would probably make things worse. I could see them getting involved in the Tampa Bay Sweepstakes, with Nintendo stepping in again to keep them around and build SoDo Field.

 

Of course, this leaves the question of the team’s identity. I don’t doubt that the team would keep the Indians name/Chief Wahoo upon moving (Heck, look at the uniforms they wore in the early-mid 1960s), the move to the Kingdome would probably prompt a redesign akin to the 1970s/‘80s Indianapolis Indians. While the team may have reverted to Chief Wahoo in 1987, I reasoned that both the name and Wahoo would be gone when Nintendo bought the team. Nintendo of America would have realized that:

  • Both the name and logo set had the stink of decades-long failure on them
  • The locale needed a more locally-relevant name than “Indians” (even though the PCL Rainiers used to use that name)4 

The team would become the Rainiers (after dealing with Rainier Beer for trademarks), shedding navy in favor of Forest Green, for a “vintage Pacific Northwestaesthetic. Think Tacoma Rainiers-meets-classic Rainiers-meets-1948 Cleveland Indians.

 

The primary logo features the eponymous volcano (traced from this image with details from the Mariners’ 30th Anniversary patch) and the team script (a modernization  of several Seattle and Cleveland  designs). Said script is a combination of Fenway Park JF and Beaverton Script, while the lettering is Market Deco. The secondary is the cap logo, while the tertiary features the volcano/insignia/founding dates (AL founding, move to Seattle, and renaming).

 

qa0lecK.png

 

Home and road uniforms are a modern take on the 1948 Cleveland designs, albeit with dark green replacing navy. The cursive script is on the home uniform, while a “Seattle” wordmark (arranged like the 1939 Rainiers’ home design) appears on the road.

 

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The alternates include both red and dark green tops. The red jersey has a matching “R” cap and red accessories (like the 1955 Rainiers), while also using the tertiary on the sleeve.

 

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The red cap and accessories appear with the home uniform (a more direct 1955 tribute), while the Larry Doby Day uniform from my Cleveland concept returns. I redid the patch to fit with the Rainiers’ identity. I figured it’d be the best way to honor the team’s time in Cleveland.

 

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The jacket highlights the striping/co-dominance of Forest Green and Rainier Red, while featuring the “Seattle” wordmark. The Larry Doby Day throwback has a recreation of the 1948 jacket, without the Sambo-style racist caricature. 

 

dFHPBWc.png1apOke3.png

 

While I’m glad that Cleveland stayed, I wouldn’t be entirely opposed to this relocation (as long as Cleveland got an expansion team not named “Indians”). Still, it’s good that Seattle got their chance through expansion. C+C is appreciated, as always!

 

Up next, we investigate DC’s post-Padres attempts to land a team.

 

1 Feliks Banel, “The Cleveland Indians Almost Moved to Seattle,” MyNorthwest, November 2, 2016, http://mynorthwest.com/443430/the-cleveland-indians-almost-moved-to-seattle/; David Bohmer, “Cleveland Indians Team Ownership History | Society for American Baseball Research,” SABR - Society for American Baseball Research, January 2, 2018, https://sabr.org/research/cleveland-indians-team-ownership-history; Bob Toth, “Tribe Was Talk of Town as Browns Kicked Off ’64 Season,” Did The Tribe Win Last Night? (blog), September 13, 2015, http://didthetribewinlastnight.com/blog/2015/09/13/tribe-was-talk-of-town-as-browns-kicked-off-64-season/; Bob Toth, “That Time the Tribe Nearly Moved to Seattle,” Did The Tribe Win Last Night? (blog), September 20, 2015, http://didthetribewinlastnight.com/blog/2015/09/20/that-time-the-tribe-nearly-moved-to-seattle/.

2 Banel, “The Cleveland Indians Almost Moved to Seattle”; Toth, “That Time the Tribe Nearly Moved to Seattle.”

3 Banel, “The Cleveland Indians Almost Moved to Seattle.”

4 Author's note: I doubt that the Japanese branch of Nintendo would have much problem with the name or Wahoo. There is a long history of Japan appropriating western conceptions of race and racial caricatures, often unaware of their outside perception. It appears in both innocuous forms (e.g., Mr. Popo in the original Dragon Ball manga/anime - Funimation/Viz toned him down, as well as this clip from Super Rescue Solbrain about police brutality - no black gaijin actors were willing, apparently) and horrific atrocities (read War Without Mercy by John Dower for more information). Still, Nintendo of America probably had a bit more say/sense of the market to justify a name change, especially when considering the "tenuous" relationship the city of Seattle has with the local indigenous communities.

Edited by SFGiants58
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The Rainiers turned out great! Such a crisp, classy design. I'm happy you decided to embrace the green and red color scheme. The only thing I'm not totally sold on is the contrasting sleeve and placket piping, but it's certainly a unique idea. 

 

Looking forward to the next team! 

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2 hours ago, SFGiants58 said:

That might be an interesting idea down the line, but I'd worry about infringing on the football team.

Winnipeg/NY Jets, SF/NY Giants, Arizona/St. Louis Cardinals, Florida/Carolina Panthers, Houston/Edmonton Oilers, Sacramento/LA Kings, Detroit/BC Lions and Texas/NY Rangers.

 

That said I love how the Rainiers look. Great balance of green and red and the word marks are awesome

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Re: Milwaukee

Good good those are some gorgeous alt universe Brewers unis!  Slap the glove on the hat and Barrel Man on the sleeve of that 1970 Brewers Prototype and you pretty much have my dream Brewers uniform.  Any chance we could see it with a cream home set or in navy instead of royal?

I think even I'm shocked at how good they look in brown and gold too.  You picked great shades of both!

Re: Rainiers

Another great concept.  I just get the feeling that Seattle never meant to just keep their PCL name seeing how they chose different names each time they were granted an expansion team.  I think the Mariners eventually found the right identity for themselves and it's pretty cool that the Rainiers name is still living on in the PCL as Seattle's top farm club.

Speaking of the PCL... ever considered a scenario where Gene Autry insists his new AL club retains the name of his old PCL club and we ended up with the LA Stars.  Then eventually the California Stars, the Anaheim Stars, and back to LA Stars?  (Or maybe they never bother changing their name back because they don't have a name derived from "Angeles.")

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On 2/1/2019 at 2:50 PM, coco1997 said:

The Rainiers turned out great! Such a crisp, classy design. I'm happy you decided to embrace the green and red color scheme. The only thing I'm not totally sold on is the contrasting sleeve and placket piping, but it's certainly a unique idea. 

 

Looking forward to the next team! 

 

Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I wanted the green to be less of the overly-dark green from Project 32. The contrast striping, while unusual, was my attempt to balance the color scheme in the same way as the 1948 Cleveland squad. 

 

On 2/1/2019 at 4:45 PM, FightingGoldenDevil said:

Winnipeg/NY Jets, SF/NY Giants, Arizona/St. Louis Cardinals, Florida/Carolina Panthers, Houston/Edmonton Oilers, Sacramento/LA Kings, Detroit/BC Lions and Texas/NY Rangers.

 

That said I love how the Rainiers look. Great balance of green and red and the word marks are awesome

 

Thanks!

 

Admittedly, Colts doesn't have as much variance as the above names. It's horses, guns, or an alcoholic beverage.

 

On 2/1/2019 at 4:53 PM, neo_prankster said:

I'm looking forward to seeing how the PCL teams would've looked had they been able to merge with MLB.

 

That'd be a decent idea down the line.

 

On 2/2/2019 at 2:47 AM, NicDB said:

Re: Milwaukee

Good good those are some gorgeous alt universe Brewers unis!  Slap the glove on the hat and Barrel Man on the sleeve of that 1970 Brewers Prototype and you pretty much have my dream Brewers uniform.  Any chance we could see it with a cream home set or in navy instead of royal?

I think even I'm shocked at how good they look in brown and gold too.  You picked great shades of both!

Re: Rainiers

Another great concept.  I just get the feeling that Seattle never meant to just keep their PCL name seeing how they chose different names each time they were granted an expansion team.  I think the Mariners eventually found the right identity for themselves and it's pretty cool that the Rainiers name is still living on in the PCL as Seattle's top farm club.

Speaking of the PCL... ever considered a scenario where Gene Autry insists his new AL club retains the name of his old PCL club and we ended up with the LA Stars.  Then eventually the California Stars, the Anaheim Stars, and back to LA Stars?  (Or maybe they never bother changing their name back because they don't have a name derived from "Angeles.")

 

Thanks! I can totally do a few variations soon, since I like that Brewers set as well.

 

My theory on why the Rainiers name didn't stick around like the Padres concerned trademark issues with Rainier Beer or their parent companies. Still, the current situation of Seattle Mariners/Tacoma Rainiers is a good one.

 

Yes, I have considered the LA Stars as a concept plan! I'm debating how I'd adapt the Angels' various aesthetic conventions (e.g., Red Sox clone, halo-A becomes a star-A, and how to adapt the lowercase and Disney sets). 

 

Anyway, it's time for the next one!

 

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (former Pittsburgh Pirates) - Hints of Grays

 

Following the departure of the Second Senators, the District of Columbia looked for several opportunities to bring back baseball. We’ve already covered the Padres’ near-relocation (New Orleans, Denver, and Tampa Bay), but other teams received consideration throughout history. 

 

One of the most notable potential Washington teams was the Pirates, whose 1980s struggles have been well-covered in this thread. The Sports Illustrated and San Francisco Chronicle articles I cited earlier both pointed towards Washington, DC as a potential landing spot. While I couldn’t find any substantial information concerning a potential deal to move the Bucs to RFK Stadium, I figured that maybe one or two interested individuals may have reached out to the Galbreaths.1 However, the 1980s wasn’t the only time the Pirates entertained a DC transfer.

 

The next attempt to move the Pirates to the district was in 1995 when the Pittsburgh Associates sold the team to Kevin McClatchy’s ownership group. Washington businessman William Collins (who will come back in a big way a few teams from now) was prepared to make an offer on the team and relocate them to RFK (and a North Virginia Stadium later). Of course, the McClatchy deal went through, and the Pirates stayed in the Steel City.2

 

But what if a DC group materialized in the 1980s or the McClatchy deal fell through? What would the team look like now?

 

I figured that a complete rebrand made sense, with the team adopting the “Nationals” name. The colors would be an attempt to marry the black/gold with the Presidential Seal colors of the Caps/Wizards. The light slate blue is a minor accent compared to the black and metallic gold. The font, UA Tiffany, is an attempt to homage the common ground between Pittsburgh and DC - the Homestead Grays

 

The primary logo is an adaptation of my AL Nationals design, accommodating the new colors and fonts. The insignias form the secondary and tertiary marks.

 

2YGb7T7.png

 

The uniforms feature striping to take advantage of the color scheme, with the condition that white and metallic gold never touch. It gives the whole look a colorful edge, which is important for a 1990s-style “dark-n-fade” colorway.

 

LOS3Ucw.png

 

The alternates include both a slate blue and a black jersey. I placed the “W” insignia on the chest of the blue shirt and the “DC” crest on the sleeve of the black top.

 

K7uzZAA.png

 

The second set of alternates includes a faithful recreation of the 1943 Homestead Grays uniforms, with the navy version of the 1945 cap. Much like the 2007 throwbacks, they use the 1976-82 White Sox number font.3 I used Josh Gibson's number 20 for the model. The other uniform is a creme version of the New Orleans/Denver Pirates’ Roberto Clemente Day set. This is the original, with the incorrect batterman.

 

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The primary jacket features the full striping pattern, while the Grays outerwear uses a normally-arched wordmark. The script appears on the Pirates-style jacket.

 

gmJdgyy.pnghHci0cz.png

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While Washington D.C. should never have been without baseball (the Orioles don’t count, Peter Angelos - a name we’ll be hearing more from soon), it shouldn’t have been at the expense of another market. Still, the Grays-based identity could produce a fantastic look. C+C is appreciated, as always!

 

Up next, the new (AL) Nats get a bit cartoon-ish.

 

1 Associated Press, “Some Pirates Pleased About Potential Move,” San Francisco Chronicle, August 9, 1985, sec. Sports; Craig Neff, “The Pirates Are Strictly The Pits,” Sports Illustrated, September 9, 1985.

2 Peter Schmuck, “Owners Try to Prevent Pirate Move - Baltimore Sun,” The Baltimore Sun, September 14, 1995, https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-09-14-1995257160-story.html.

3 William F. Henderson, Game Worn Guide to MLB Jerseys: (1970–2017), Eighth (Philadelphia, PA: Aardvark Publishing, 2017), 1918, 3431.

 

Edited by SFGiants58
Incorrect batterman replaced.
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  • SFGiants58 changed the title to MLB: The Defunct Saga - Washington Nationals (former Pittsburgh Pirates) Added

Great work! This is a really nice combination of vintage (the Grays/late '70s style White Sox scripts and numbers) and  modern (the very '90s black/blue/metallic gold color scheme) elements. 

 

My only gripe is that the script on the black alt is very muddled looking, but if the rule is that white and metallic gold never touch, I'm not sure there's a way around it.

 

As always, looking forward to whatever's next!

 

EDIT: How about putting the "DC" monogram on the front of the black alt?

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Also, @NicDB, I've got your Brewers set ready to go!

 

I've adjusted a few things (number font, NOB, blue shoes, and the blue shades), while also presenting a powder blue and grey version of the road uniforms.

 

Edit (11/8/2019): I have updated Owgust, per @Gothamite's critiques. Here are the originals: powder and grey.

 

CFVqObo.png

 

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Edited by SFGiants58
I updated the Owgust logo.
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8 hours ago, SFGiants58 said:

Also, @NicDB, I've got your Brewers set ready to go!

 

I've adjusted a few things (number font, NOB, blue shoes, and the blue shades), while also presenting a powder blue and grey version of the road uniforms.

 

MZ4w7pr.png

 

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I would spend the rest of the afternoon giving this likes if I could.  This is exactly what the Brewers need to look like!  Any chance we could also see it in the current navy for the sake of comparison? (then I promise to stop bothering you 😛)

Re: Pirates as Nationals


I really want to like the gold scripts and numbers more than I do.  But I really only like them on the blue alt.  I get what you're trying to accomplish here, but I don't think it works well enough to avoid just doing a straight up version of the Nationals in the old Caps/Wizards colors.  Especially when I imagine Pittsburgh would have been able to cut a Cleveland deal over this.

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