Rays City Connect Concepts

[raysox]

This is essentially going to be a regurgitation of my twitter thread last night but it belongs here! Also follow me, it's fun.

 

Since Nike started releasing City Connect alternate jerseys for a handful of MLB teams, I hadn't really had a clue about what America's team - the Tampa Bay Rays, would look like. Well I thought on it this week, and came up with a few concepts.

 

FIRST: for any out of towners, Tampa and St. Pete are two very different places. SECOND: Tampa Bay has a lot of history with minor league/independent teams in the past. So each one of these concepts is a reference to at least one of them, like what the Marlins' CC jerseys look like.

 

1. "Sunshine City" is a nickname for St. Pete, the actual city the Rays play in. I used pinstripes & cap logo from the old SPBA Pelicans. The yellow pinstripes are a reference to the Skyway Bridge, and the cuffs are a reference to the city's flag. After the fact I think I would instead do an SC cap logo to better fit this. But the Pelicans logo is just so good.

 

2. "Tampa Bay" is obvious beach scene. I thought "the rays never can decide if their brand is the SUN rays, or STING rays. So I referenced the place you'd find both. The script is a trace of the old Tarpons script + Bay

 

3. "Cigar City" is weird because that's TAMPA's nickname. However they apparently sell shirts with a Cigar City script. I mimic'd the Tampa Smokers, a team the Rays have thrown back to before, with the logo and jersey with piping down the sleeve.

 

Would love to hear what you guys think! I may do more, I may do revisions to my favorite - sunshine city.

[Blindsay]

It’s close between one and two, but if I saw 2 at an airport than it’s mine. Great Concepts all around

[coco1997]

I think #1 has the most potential, but the cap doesn’t seem to match the jersey. I’d make the StP monogram white with a sky blue drop shadow (like the script & numbers) or make the drop shadow yellow and have the scripts & numbers match. 
 

Also curious how it would look if you made the pants match and went full mono navy with yellow pins.

[GrayJ12]

All three of these are great, but I am leaning towards #2. I think #3 is good too, but the TB logo looks unnatural. #2 is what I think of when I see Tampa Bay, beautiful beaches. Awesome stuff!

[Megildur]

#2 is definitely my favorite. I like the beach inspiration.

 

I agree with @GrayJ12 that the TB logo for #3 looks unnatural, even though that's the hand you were dealt with in trying to make it from a past TB throwback. #1 is nice, but I feel like it has too much going on. I'd scrap the number of the front and maybe try to add more of the flag's colors to the brim of the hat to connect it more to the jersey? Also, maybe the button of the hat should be the yellow of the pinstripes?

 

Really good work on each of these though. It's fun to see three completely different takes on a Rays' city connect and to see the directions you went in.

[BobsonDugnutt]

I would buy the #2 cap in a heartbeat.

[walkerws]

I like #2. If the  pants are going to be cream, then the bottom of the jersey should be cream. 

[SpenserRM]

I love #1. And I mean love, love. The St. Pete flag isn't used enough for how great it is. 

[chestnutz]

#1 is my favorite too. I think it'd look really great in person, with the stripes on the pants and socks more visible. 2 is fantastic as well. Great stuff

[Paul Lucas]

✌!!!

[johne9109]

I like 2 and 3, but I can't see them doing an actual jersey that says Cigar City especially with the whole no smoking advertising thing with sports

[Hawkeye15]

I'm a big fan of #2. That wordmark on the front is striking and I'm a sucker for cream in a baseball uniform.