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Recently I've been going back to some of my earliest hand-drawn baseball and "remastering" them in MS Paint. One interesting idea I had way back when was "reversed" MLB identities; essentially, taking (mostly) geographic rivals who share a city or state and swapping recognizable uniform designs with one another. See below:

CUBS x 1983 WHITE SOX

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I felt the Cubs' identity lent itself well to the 1982-86 White Sox design with its use of blue and red. I used the block "CUBS" from their 2014 road alt for the jersey and a modified version of the "angry bear" logo for the cap. 
 

WHITE SOX x 1942 CUBS
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I always thought there was something really cool about the zippered 1942 Cubs home uniform, especially with its unusual vest/sleeve design. Turns out it also looks great in black and red for the White Sox. Thanks to @Carolingian Steamroller for suggesting I use the South Siders' 1930-31 jersey logo. 

 

C&C appreciated! I'll post more pairs of teams as I finish them. 

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On 4/22/2022 at 2:14 PM, Carolingian Steamroller said:

That 30's Sox emblem works perfectly with that template. It's smooth and clean in a way that doesn't get in the way of the more outlandish elements of the design.


Thanks! It's an underrated logo that I might have to think about using more often in future Sox concepts.

 

On 4/23/2022 at 8:23 AM, Coiler said:

Both look great, though I wonder how you're going to do the Yankees and Mets without the former looking tacky and the latter looking bland.


Who says I'll be doing the Yankees and Mets?


Nah, of course I will. :wink2: They'll be up soon. In the meantime, here's the next pair of teams:

 

INDIANS x 1961 REDS 

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My Cleveland design uses the sleeveless, pinstriped Reds look of the late '50s and 1960s. The 1970s "caveman" C logo works as a good substitute for the Reds' classic wishbone "C." 

 

REDS x  1989 INDIANS

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The Reds are based on the Indians' "Major League" look of the late '80s and early '90s. Here Mr. Redlegs' disembodied head replaces Chief Wahoo on the cap and left sleeve.

 

C&C appreciated! 

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  • coco1997 changed the title to MLB Reverse Identities Series (Indians & Reds 4/24)
On 4/25/2022 at 7:01 AM, Coiler said:

The Cleveland Swap looks OK/good, but not the best. Love the Cincinatti Swap, having a noncontroversial mascot head and a black and red look that I like.

 

Thanks. I actually thought the Indians turned out better than the Reds, so I'm glad to hear you like the Cincinnati design.

 

METS x YANKEES
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There's not a whole ton you can do with a Yankees inspired look to make it "unique" since their home uniforms are so iconic and they haven't really changed in nearly 90 years
 

YANKEES x 1986 METS

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For the Yankees, I went with a design based on the racing striped Mets' 1986 championship team, while the absence of pinstripes recalls the Mets of the late '90s. The "Yankees" script comes from their excellent 1940s dugout jackets. 

 

C&C appreciated! 

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  • coco1997 changed the title to MLB Reverse Identities Series (Mets & Yankees 4/28)
11 hours ago, Coiler said:

Love the "1986 Yankees".

 

Thanks!

Next up we have the Florida teams:

RAYS x 1993 MARLINS

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The Rays are based on the original Marlins' design, using pinstripes and sky blue as the team's primary color, similar to how the Marlins started off as a teal-dominant team before they gradually diluted their brand by introducing more and more black. I also used a modified version of the Devil Rays' Turn Ahead the Clock script which simply read "RAYS."  

 

MARLINS x 1998 DEVIL RAYS
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My Marlins design applies the Devil Rays' gradient to Florida's original 1993-2011 script, using Miami's 2012-18 colors of black-blue-red-yellow. Here's a better look at the  Marlins script and cap logo below:

 

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C&C appreciated as always!

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  • coco1997 changed the title to MLB Reverse Identities Series (Rays & Marlins 5/1)
25 minutes ago, coco1997 said:

 

Thanks!

Next up we have the Florida teams:

RAYS x 1993 MARLINS

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The Rays are based on the original Marlins' design, using pinstripes and sky blue as the team's primary color, similar to how the Marlins started off as a teal-dominant team before they gradually diluted their brand by introducing more and more black. I also used a modified version of the Devil Rays' Turn Ahead the Clock script which simply read "RAYS."  

 

MARLINS x 1998 DEVIL RAYS
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My Marlins design applies the Devil Rays' gradient to Florida's original 1993-2011 script, using Miami's 2012-18 colors of black-blue-red-yellow. Here's a better look at the  Marlins script and cap logo below:

 

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C&C appreciated as always!

I was looking at the Marlins and wondering why I didn't like it then I read that you used the 2012 rebrand colors and that's why I don't like it. I get it that's the most colors the Marlins have used and is the easiest to make a gradient out of but man I hated that rebrand. You executed it perfectly; you just had to use those awful colors. I liked that you used the old branding though. Rays look good. I could see that being an alternate for the Rays

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23 hours ago, johne9109 said:

I was looking at the Marlins and wondering why I didn't like it then I read that you used the 2012 rebrand colors and that's why I don't like it. I get it that's the most colors the Marlins have used and is the easiest to make a gradient out of but man I hated that rebrand. You executed it perfectly; you just had to use those awful colors. I liked that you used the old branding though. Rays look good. I could see that being an alternate for the Rays

 

I wasn't a huge fan of that rebrand, either, but you're correct that I chose that look for inspiration because it provided enough colors for a gradient.
 

Here's a variation on my Marlins design with a black jersey instead of white:

 

MARLINS x 1998 DEVIL RAYS:

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I think the gradient pops a bit better against a black background. I also switched to standard block numbers (with a gradient insert) as those are what both the Marlins and Devil Rays used in the late '90s.

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5 hours ago, coco1997 said:

 

I wasn't a huge fan of that rebrand, either, but you're correct that I chose that look for inspiration because it provided enough colors for a gradient.
 

Here's a variation on my Marlins design with a black jersey instead of white:

 

MARLINS x 1998 DEVIL RAYS:

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I think the gradient pops a bit better against a black background. I also switched to standard block numbers (with a gradient insert) as those are what both the Marlins and Devil Rays used in the late '90s.

 

Okay, but why does this look better than the Marlins' current unis?

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5 hours ago, coco1997 said:

 

I wasn't a huge fan of that rebrand, either, but you're correct that I chose that look for inspiration because it provided enough colors for a gradient.
 

Here's a variation on my Marlins design with a black jersey instead of white:

 

MARLINS x 1998 DEVIL RAYS:

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I think the gradient pops a bit better against a black background. I also switched to standard block numbers (with a gradient insert) as those are what both the Marlins and Devil Rays used in the late '90s.

Black does look better

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15 hours ago, ChiCity95 said:

 

Okay, but why does this look better than the Marlins' current unis?

Because the Marlins’ current unis have black letters and numbers against a black background, with the neon outlines too thin to make things legible?

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On 5/2/2022 at 6:15 PM, ChiCity95 said:

 

Okay, but why does this look better than the Marlins' current unis?

 

On 5/2/2022 at 6:27 PM, johne9109 said:

Black does look better


I agree and thanks! If the Rays don't want to re-embrace the gradient full time then I see no reason why Miami can't. 

 

Next up are Pittsburgh and Philly:

PHILLIES x 1979 PIRATES:

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For Philly's inspiration, I chose maybe the single craziest uniform in MLB history--the "mix & match" Pirates of the late '70s, featuring a triple pinstriped jersey with solid colored pants and a pillbox style cap. The block "PHILA" hails from the Phillies' 1900 uniforms

 

PIRATES x 1979 PHILLIES:

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For the Bucs, I went with a racing striped, monochrome look based on the 1979 Phillies, specifically their one and done Saturday Night Specials

 

C&C appreciated as always! 

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  • coco1997 changed the title to MLB Reverse Identities Series (Phillies & Pirates 5/3)

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia  look great!

The Phillies cap gives a tiny hint of NLB Philadelphia Stars vibes, which is a nice side effect. Would be fun to see a sleeve patch for the Phillies with either the Phanatic, Phil, or Phyllis's head with crossed bats behind it, like the Pirates' logo.

 

I like the gradient styling for the Marlins, though I imagine it'd look better without black as part of the gradient... The Rays look good with pinstripes.

 

Your Yankees - Mets swap is great as-is, though I'm curious how the Yankees one would look with gray trim instead of red.

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On 5/1/2022 at 12:34 PM, coco1997 said:

 

Thanks!

Next up we have the Florida teams:

RAYS x 1993 MARLINS

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The Rays are based on the original Marlins' design, using pinstripes and sky blue as the team's primary color, similar to how the Marlins started off as a teal-dominant team before they gradually diluted their brand by introducing more and more black. I also used a modified version of the Devil Rays' Turn Ahead the Clock script which simply read "RAYS."  

 

MARLINS x 1998 DEVIL RAYS
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My Marlins design applies the Devil Rays' gradient to Florida's original 1993-2011 script, using Miami's 2012-18 colors of black-blue-red-yellow. Here's a better look at the  Marlins script and cap logo below:

 

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C&C appreciated as always!

Goodness that Marlins x Rays uni is handsome. Nice work!

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19 hours ago, DP487 said:

Goodness that Marlins x Rays uni is handsome. Nice work!

 

Thank you!
 

20 hours ago, vtgco said:

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia  look great!

The Phillies cap gives a tiny hint of NLB Philadelphia Stars vibes, which is a nice side effect. Would be fun to see a sleeve patch for the Phillies with either the Phanatic, Phil, or Phyllis's head with crossed bats behind it, like the Pirates' logo.

 

Thanks! You're totally right about the accidental Philly Stars reference. Glad you pointed that out. 

How about this for your sleeve patch idea?

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20 hours ago, vtgco said:

I like the gradient styling for the Marlins, though I imagine it'd look better without black as part of the gradient...


Your Yankees - Mets swap is great as-is, though I'm curious how the Yankees one would look with gray trim instead of red.


Thanks again! I wanted to keep black so it give the gradient four distinct colors, just as the original Devil Rays gradient had four distinct colors--purple, medium blue, lime green and yellow. 


Here are the Yankees with gray:

 

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C&C appreciated!


P.S. I went back and flipped the racing stripe colors on the Pirates, since I originally had a thick white stripe surrounded by two thinner gold stripes. The reverse looks much better. 

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  • coco1997 changed the title to MLB Reverse Identities Series (Phillies & Yankees tweaks 5/4)
On 5/5/2022 at 7:34 PM, ChiCity95 said:

That Pirates one needs to be an alternate uniform now.


Thanks! I do wish the Pirates adopted a monochrome black look.

 

Next up is a throwback set!

BROOKLYN DODGERS x 1918 NEW YORK GIANTS
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For the Dodgers, I looked to the pinstriped NY Giants uniforms of the early 1900s. The large "B" & "K" on the front of the jersey is of course a shorthand of "Brooklyn" similar to how a few of those early Giants unis used "N" & "Y" on the front of theirs. 
 

NEW YORK GIANTS x 1944 BROOKLYN DODGERS
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The Giants design is based on the Bums' 1944 mono baby blue unis complete with t-bars and white, stroke-less scripts and numbers.

C&C appreciated!

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  • coco1997 changed the title to MLB Reverse Identities Series (Brooklyn Dodgers & NY Giants 5/7)

The Phil logo looks great! The gray Yankees also look good, though after seeing it, I wonder if navy/gray/navy striping would be better

 

The Dodgers and Giants look great; I like NY's all-black cap paired with the black-less jersey, and the BK works really well for the Dodgers! (I imagine a BK cap monogram would be hard to create, so good call with the D cap logo.)

I forget if both those teams used BoSox numbers IRL, but on the front they're a bit big for the more delicate Giants script.

 

On 5/4/2022 at 4:35 PM, coco1997 said:

I wanted to keep black so it give the gradient four distinct colors, just as the original Devil Rays gradient had four distinct colors--purple, medium blue, lime green and yellow. 

How about teal instead of black, then?

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