Cardinals Change Their Classic STL Cap Logo

[BigRed618]

So I’ve been noticing a new version of my Birds' cap logo being circulated, mainly on TV displays, and also on the banners and big screens at Busch. Here’s their "current" emblem...

 

and here's the one I’ve been seeing...

 

I kinda like it. I like the new serifs on the letters, and that the T is no longer bumping up against the top of the S. I hope they switch to this for real, but what are your thoughts on this?

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

I don’t really have an opinion but wow kudos to you for catching that. This is why I come to the boards, it’s got the only people on earth who would notice things like that.

[illini1]

It looks similar to the logo used 1956-1964, but there are differences.

[DDR]

I like it. Obviously very minor, but I like the softer edges.

[SFGiants58]

As somebody who recently advocated for tweaks of this nature (breathing room on the “T” and a back serif on the “S”), I like it!

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

From their twitter:

 

[_DietDrPepper_]

Small, small, almost invisible change is a big upgrade, crazy how that stuff works

[Gothamite]

Looks like one of the old, inaccurate versions that was floating around for years.  

 

This is one that’s been on Wikimedia Commons for about a decade.  Serifs aren’t quite the same but the T is closer. 

 

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Louis_Cardinals_Cap_Insignia.svg

[8BW14]

It’s hard to tell on TV for certain but I think the Cardinals are wearing the new logo on  their caps and batting helmets today.*

 

Are we sure it’s not just a poor reproduction of a throwback since the Reds are throwing back today? For the record, I do like it better than the current/former cap monogram. It has a little more character and feels less stiff/sterile.

 

*Nevermind. Got a better look at the caps and it’s the same ol’ cap logo. 

 

[SFGiants58]

6 minutes ago, Gothamite said:

Looks like one of the old, inaccurate versions that was floating around for years.  

 

This is one that’s been on Wikimedia Commons for about a decade.  Serifs aren’t quite the same but the T is closer. 

 

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Louis_Cardinals_Cap_Insignia.svg

 

Yeah, I don't think that's the case. Aside from the aforementioned different "T," the serifs are rounded/unflared, the "L" has a curve towards the top serif, and the "T" has a bit of a bottom flare. This is an entirely new rendering, different from the 1956-64 design posted earlier in the thread.

[Gothamite]

But are we sure it’s a new rendering?  Just because it’s not on the mothership doesn’t mean it hasn’t been floating around for a while. We all know there are substantial gaps in the mothership. 

[SFGiants58]

That’s true, but the mothership has the official Cooperstown Collection renders for the Cardinals (back when Colorwerx had them on his Photobucket). It’s different enough from all of known renderings (Wikipedia, mothership, and that Cardinals uniforms book). Heck, it’s not in official team renderings (internal and the book):

 

 

It’s not even the 1961 throwback cap:

 

 

I’ve seen enough evidence that this is a new rendering.

 

[Survival79]

[Maroon]

Really like the serif on both ends of the S so that's good to see, but I don't like the shape of the T as much, even if I like it getting some more space. But like the rest of you I'm curious where this one comes from because it doesn't look exactly like any of the older StL logos.

[CardsFan79]

I figured I'd go to the source.  I tweeted the Cardinals twitter page a question about wether this was a media only update (I've only noticed it on their posts) or if it was going to be updated team wide.  We'll see if they respond.

[Gothamite]

Good call. 

[CardsFan79]

Well, they apparently have no interest in responding.  I gave them 2 days then tried again and it's been another 2 days with no response.  Oh well, I gave it a shot.

[SFGiants58]

I’m sure we’ll know more about it if they keep using this design in the media.

[STL FANATIC]

Hey all. Been a LONG, LONG time since I've been around.

 

But I noticed this mysterious logo on Fox Sports Midwest a few months ago. Tweeted about it, but never really dug in. Then someone linked me to this thread, and that's when I saw that the team was also using it on social media.

 

I reached out to Cardinals presidents (one on the business side, one more on the baseball side) Bill DeWitt III and John Mozeliak. DeWitt rarely response, but Mo almost always does. There's a stupid funny backstory to it, but long story short, Mo actually tends to reply. Or an employee posing as Mo humors me. Either way.

 

Mo gave me a brief response: "Not sure why this but I will ask around."

 

Of course, I probably contacted him at one of the times of the year this would be his lowest priority. Nonetheless, it appeared to me Fox Sports Midwest had corrected their logo shortly there after. Maybe related. Maybe coincidence.

 

But the team kept using the mystery logo on social media. Then today, the Cardinals announced their Star Trek theme night. And sure enough, the STL logo on the side of the cap is not the official team STL, but this new mysterious logo.

 

 

It'd be weird enough if an incorrect file was floating around and permeating all things. We have actually seen that in other things in sports before. Having worked in collegiate athletic departments before, I especially know how this goes. But this is weird because as you guys have discussed, it's not an old logo or even one of the old unofficial-official logos. It's entirely it's own thing. And it's not got any signs of being some sort of distorted amateur logo, it's a pretty well crafted mark. So it really is a mystery.

 

I reached back out to Mo sending him the picture of the Star Trek cap. If I uncover anything else, I'll report back. Definitely a strange one here.

[STL FANATIC]

And sure enough, I heard back, this time from Bill DeWitt III. The Cardinals are indeed intentionally using this new version this year, and they will fully roll it out next season. Mystery solved.