MLB Changes 2020

[Hat Boy 838]

16 hours ago, DNAsports said:

Not really up to date on Mariners uniform history, but I love this:

 

The uniform was a little bland, but their dreadful logo and wordmark really dragged down the rest of that brand.

 

[FiddySicks 11,047]

I don’t think I’ll ever figure out why some people still long for that generic, uninspiring Mariners set. It reminds me of a baseball team you would see in a TV movie. Also, every single thing about the current branding is head and shoulders above that blue and gold set. 

 

Now, I could sort of understand if people just missed the colors. I think they’re crazy, as the current color set is FAR superior in just about every way (and it fits the area perfectly), but I at least understand wanting to see brighter colors. I also can understand why people might miss the M Trident logo. That’s a great logo and fits the team very well. But that generic font looking, double outlined S logo? Why? It’s got absolutely ZERO charm and originality. 

 

Unfortunately, I could see where enough people are probably going to whine whine about this until the Mariners make a change thinking “that’s what the fans want”. Then they’ll be stuck with the most forgettable team in the league and they’ll be wearing the most forgettable uniforms in the league to match. 

 

The Mariners current set is damn near perfect. They’re only a few small tweaks away from having a look that should be untouched. None of those “tweaks” include changing colors or ditching the current compass rose S logo, though. 

[McCall 1,348]

1 hour ago, FiddySicks said:

I don’t think I’ll ever figure out why some people still long for that generic, uninspiring Mariners set. It reminds me of a baseball team you would see in a TV movie.

[monkeypower 2,946]

I remember reading somewhere that the Mariners jersey scripts are the same font as the Legend of Zelda logo, which would fit in with the change to the current set happening when Nintendo took over the team, but I don't know if I've ever seen it confirmed. Look at the E's, the A and the L, the Mariners script is more pointy, but it's close enough as to where I would say it's not a coincidence.

 

 

[QCS 2,336]

It's not one-to-one, but it's close enough to make you think a bit. Honestly, I like it, it gives Nintendo's ownership a lasting mark.

[Digby 6,107]

Strikes me as a reach. More likely that they were both products of that early 90’s resurgence of businesslike roman serif typefaces.

[SFGiants58 13,641]

The Mariners use Friz Quadrata (a medium weight variant with some modifications).

 

 

This font was a popular '90s sports font, with the Warriors, Wizards, and University of Cincinnati also using it (I think the Thrashers used it, while the Coyotes used to use it for their NOB's).

 

 

It's also the Law & Order font, alongside other pieces of media.

 

  

 

 

It's like if Albertus had a one-night stand with Matrix. I'm not a big fan of it and I usually replace it in my Mariners concepts.

 

The Legend of Zelda wordmark is a bit different, likely a custom font based on the Roman Serif type (thanks @Digby, for finding the term). It's called "Triforce," but has since been updated as "Hylia Serif."

 

This was a fun rabbit hole!

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by SFGiants58

[BC985 1,353]

I’m watching Game 5 of the 2006 World Series. I know New Era switched to black under brim polyester hats with the raised MLB logo for 2007, but it appears Justin Verlander is wearing that model in this game as well. Does anyone remember New Era previewing this change in the playoffs/World Series. We saw them role out flagged hats in the 2016 World Series. 

[McCall 1,348]

8 minutes ago, BC985 said:

I’m watching Game 5 of the 2006 World Series. I know New Era switched to black under brim polyester hats with the raised MLB logo for 2007, but it appears Justin Verlander is wearing that model in this game as well. Does anyone remember New Era previewing this change in the playoffs/World Series. We saw them role out flagged hats in the 2016 World Series. 

They debuted in the 2006 postseason, much like the side logo in the 2016 postseason.

[BC985 1,353]

4 hours ago, McCall said:

They debuted in the 2006 postseason, much like the side logo in the 2016 postseason.

It is interesting to observe because in 2016 all of the players were switched over, but in 2006 there is a mix of wool and poly hats.

[FiddySicks 11,047]

48 minutes ago, BC985 said:

It is interesting to observe because in 2016 all of the players were switched over, but in 2006 there is a mix of wool and poly hats.

 

That was the same case at retail as well. I picked up all four of the hats from that series (home and road for both teams) and all were the old wool models except for the Tigers home hat, which was the new poly material. 

 

The original plan was to drop the entire poly line in March of 2007, but New Era hadn’t quite gotten the full line of manufacturing of the the poly caps down just yet and had a metric TON of the wool caps, so they started to slowly and quietly trickle out a few of the new poly caps during the playoffs and World Series in order to gauge both buyer reaction and functionality on the field. You have to remember that while the poly was a smashing success, at the time the change to a poly material was a HUGE deal for them. A lot of people were unhappy that they were going to change to a new material, and figured the quality would be much lower. Now the quality is trash, but the original poly caps are some of the very best hats New Era has ever put out. 

 

Funny thing is, I HATED the new poly caps at first, but after wearing one for a few weeks, I was completely sold. I worked for Lids during the 06 World Series, and worked for another New Era retailer by the time March 07 rolled along. Nobody I worked with at the New Era retailer had even seen the new poly caps, and I already owned three or four of them. Mostly on dumb luck. 

 

Oh, another weird thing about that switch is how the Diamondbacks new caps were done. During the initial release, they actually made a batch in the old wool for the unveiling and I believe so the D Backs could sell the new gear that day. Once that was over, they switched exclusively to poly. MLB shop took the leftovers from that initial run and actually sold them on MLB shop listed as the old wool versions of the new caps. I ordered them and decided to return them for the new poly models, which, as a collector of AC On Fields, I kick myself for all the time. The wool versions of those caps are one of the most rare On Field caps out there, and are actually worth a ton now. 

[DNAsports 5,408]

 

[bucky_bleichert 208]

1, 5, 12

[BC985 1,353]

53 minutes ago, DNAsports said:

 

1, 5, 8

[JonBoy 65]

2, 9, 4

[JayMac 3,661]

5,8,12

[insert name 4,993]

2 hours ago, DNAsports said:

 

3,8,11

[ltjets21 458]

2 hours ago, DNAsports said:

 

Hot take, 11 is the best cap logo in team history. This is also missing the 54-65 Oriole logo which is fabulous.

[the admiral 28,206]

2, 10, 11

[WSU151 9,496]

I like how the mid-90s bird (11) works around the park; hopefully they don't replace these logos with cartoon bird.