Finishing What Discrim Started: MLB Rivalry Series Revived (Air & Water Show - Brewers vs. Mariners 10/15)

[coco1997]

Hi everyone,

Recently I've had the itch to go back and "remaster" a few of my earliest hand-drawn uniform designs, some of which were a humble attempt to continue the fantastic MLB Rivalry face-offs by @Discrim from a few years ago. In true Discrim fashion, some teams will have seemingly disparate home and road uniforms, usually tied together by matching logos and number styles. This was a fun exercise to get inside the unique, twisted mind  of Discrim, and I hope I did him justice.

 

First up are the Mariners vs. Padres, AKA the Vedder Cup. What is the Vedder Cup exactly? Well, you can read about it here. Whether or not this one qualifies as a true "rivalry" depends on who you ask. Regardless, I'm pretty happy with how these designs turned out. 

MARINERS:

 

The Mariners' home set is inspired by the Seattle Steelheads Negro Leagues team, while the away set combines Seattle's powder blue roads from the '70s and '80s with the M's Turn Ahead the Clock unis.
 

PADRES:

 

My original hand-drawn Vedder Cup designs from 2016 had the Padres in navy pins at home. Now that the Padres have since gone back to pins in real life, I took a different approach for my update, combining various elements of San Diego's PCL uniforms while keeping that 2016 navy and gold color scheme. For the road, remember that Ray Kroc, who founded McDonald's, owned the Friars from 1974 until his death in 1984. In the late '70s, McDonald's employee uniforms were brown (well, really more of a reddish color, but stay with me on this) and gold. Therefore, we get a Padres x late 1970s McDonald's uniform. (I suppose that would make the Swinging Friar a Swinging Fryer ). 

 

C&C appreciated! Here's a peek at the other rivalry sets I have planned:

Battle of the Border: Cubs vs. Brewers
Leyland Cup: Tigers vs. Pirates
Stocking Series: White Sox vs. Red Sox

Gillick Showdown: Blue Jays vs. Phillies

[Coiler]

Nice. Can't wait for the Phillies one-they've always had weird uniforms.

[Victormrey]

Great start! The updated set for the Mariners looks wonderful, and the idea for the Padres road uni is one of the most unique I've seen in a while.

Looking forward the rest of the series!

[coco1997]

On 7/21/2022 at 6:17 AM, Coiler said:

Nice. Can't wait for the Phillies one-they've always had weird uniforms.

 

On 7/21/2022 at 10:20 AM, Victormrey said:

Great start! The updated set for the Mariners looks wonderful, and the idea for the Padres road uni is one of the most unique I've seen in a while.

Looking forward the rest of the series!

Thanks, guys! And yeah, the Padres road set is a bit "out there" but it does feel like something Discrim could have come up with. 

 

Up next is the I-94 Series!

BREWERS:

I decided to go full Oktoberfest for the Brew Crew's home look with a faux lederhosen design. I didn't originally plan to use shorts but then I figured if powder blue road unis can make a comeback, why not shorts? The cap design was my attempt to apply the Seattle Pilots sleeve stripes to a hat. The road set puts Milwaukee back in (full) powder blue and uses the Todd Radom-designed scripts and numbers the Crew were rocking back in 1998--the year they joined the NL and the Cubs/Brewers rivalry ostensibly began. 
 

CUBS:

 

I've always liked the idea of a solid white version of the Cubs' 1980s away set (when they oddly wore white pants for away games) so that's what I did here, with the cap logo/sleeve patch being a modified version of their 1962-71 alternate logo. The road set is meant to give off Bears vibes, from the darker shade of blue and striping pattern down to the wishbone "C" cap logo. Keep in mind this one started as a hand drawn design years before Nike rolled out the City Connect program, so I wasn't deliberately trying to ape the Wrigleyville design. 

 

C&C appreciated! 

[Coiler]

Shorts! You absolute madman!

For the Cubs road uniform, the wishbone C unfortunately makes it look too much like the contemporary Reds, IMO. It'd look better if you just plucked the C from the CHICAGO front script and used that for the cap logo.

[coco1997]

On 7/23/2022 at 1:57 PM, Coiler said:

For the Cubs road uniform, the wishbone C unfortunately makes it look too much like the contemporary Reds, IMO. It'd look better if you just plucked the C from the CHICAGO front script and used that for the cap logo.

Fair point. However, keep in mind that the Cubs actually did use a wishbone C starting in 1916 and intermittently into the 1930s. Nevertheless, here's how your idea would look:

 

Next teams up are the White Sox and Dodgers. There's a bit of history between these teams, as they faced each other in the 1959 World Series and share a Spring Training facility in Glendale, Arizona.

WHITE SOX:

 

Big emphasis on the South Siders' 1951-63 look here, with a few City Connect elements thrown in on the road set for good measure. For the home, I swapped the cap and jersey logos from their '59 home set to mix things up a bit. I also opted for a sleeveless design, since it seems to be quite popular amongst Sox fans (though not with me, if I'm being honest) and certain players from that '59 team tried to cultivate that look on their own.  

 

DODGERS:

 

I tried to come up with a different take on the Bums' classic home whites, going off-white with some fancier trim and "Los Angeles" replacing the "Dodgers" script on the jersey. In addition to facing the Sox in the '59 series, the Dodgers also hosted the (second) All-Star Game in Los Angeles that year, so the road set is basically their 1959 ASG logo extrapolated into a full uniform, complete with Clarendon style numbers. 

[Victormrey]

Great work for both Chicago teams and the Dodgers!

The sleeveless jersey for the White Sox is such an interesting look, and I love how the "Los Angeles" wordmark look on a home jersey, specually with the matching number font 

[coco1997]

On 8/1/2022 at 4:37 AM, Victormrey said:

Great work for both Chicago teams and the Dodgers!

The sleeveless jersey for the White Sox is such an interesting look, and I love how the "Los Angeles" wordmark look on a home jersey, specually with the matching number font 

 

Thank you!

I'd still like some more feedback on the White Sox vs. Dodgers, but I think I'm ready to post the next set. For obvious reasons I'm calling this one the Leyland Cup, named after the man, the legend himself, who managed a combined 24 seasons between Detroit and Pittsburgh.
 

TIGERS:

 

The Tigers home set is basically the love child of the team’s 1984 road uniforms and the Detroit Stars of the Negro League. I always loved how the Stars' script cut across the solid-colored placket with the white “R” contrasting with the rest of the script. The road set is inspired by the city's NHL team, specifically their 1929-30 look. As you can see, I also wanted to dial up the orange across the board. Wasn't too sure about sleeve patch designs for either set, so if anyone has any ideas please let me know. 

 

PIRATES:

 

The Bucs' home set is based on the Pirates' threads from 1909 (but in modern colors), the year they topped Detroit in the World Series. And as with the Tigers, I leaned into the NHL rivalry for the road set, opting for a Penguins-inspired look complete with diagonal "Pirates" script and white/black/gold striping for the sleeves, socks, collar and sansabelt. The diamond pattern on the sleeves and pants comes from Pittsburgh's 1979 dugout jackets which is an idea I've always wanted to incorporate into a Pirates concept. 

 

C&C appreciated! 

[johne9109]

I'm all for bringing in looks that unify hands that play in the same city.  The diagonal look works pretty well for the pirates

[Partycrasher]

those Stars tributes are gorgeous. best uniforms in the Negro Leagues by a mile.

[Coiler]

Both look great. The Stars tribute uniform does look kind of Astros-ish, but given the similar names...

[coco1997]

On 8/3/2022 at 5:14 PM, johne9109 said:

I'm all for bringing in looks that unify hands that play in the same city.  The diagonal look works pretty well for the pirates

 

On 8/6/2022 at 2:27 PM, Coiler said:

Both look great. The Stars tribute uniform does look kind of Astros-ish, but given the similar names...

 

On 8/6/2022 at 6:24 AM, JerseyJimmy said:

those Stars tributes are gorgeous. best uniforms in the Negro Leagues by a mile.

Thanks, everyone!

Up today is the Gillick Cup--Blue Jays vs. Phillies!

BLUE JAYS:

 

The Jays get a sleeveless, pinstriped home set based on the Maple Leafs of the International League who were a farm system for Philly back in the '50s. For the road, I went with a black and gold motif inspired by Drake's OVO brand (For a team vying for a playoff spot, "October's Very Own" seems like a good slogan).

 

PHILLIES:

 

The Phils get a patriotic off-white home set based on the Sixers' Earned Edition unis. The very Blue Jays-esque road look riffs on the fact that Philly briefly used a blue jay logo and actually called themselves (?) the Blue Jays back in the mid '40s. The Jays' trademark split style gets applied to the Phils' current numbers and 1900 road wordmark. Like those Toronto pullovers of the '70 & '80s, the logo gets placed front and center on the jersey, although in this case it's the Liberty Bell. Wasn't sure about sock patterns for either set so suggestions are welcome. 

 

C&C appreciated! The Stocking Series is next. 

[Coiler]

All good. Love the pale blue on the Phillies road in particular.

[coco1997]

On 8/9/2022 at 6:16 PM, Coiler said:

All good. Love the pale blue on the Phillies road in particular.

 

Thanks! 

Wrapping things up today with the Stocking Series--Boston vs. Chicago:

RED SOX:

 

Boston's home set incorporates elements from the Celtics, including shamrocks, block "BOSTON" lettering and just a touch of green. I felt a white front paneled cap fit the general '70s/80s aesthetic of the design. The road set is sleeveless, and I applied a melange pattern to give it an old school, vintage look. 

 

WHITE SOX:

 

The other Sox get a bit of a combination of eras treatment. I brought back the 1936-38 monogram for the home jersey and the 1926 crossed socks logo for the home cap & road sleeve patch with T-bars on the home set a la the early 1940s clubs and the 1976 "Chicago" script for the road uni. The buttons on the home jersey are multicolored pinwheels as a nod to Old Comiskey Park. 

 

Thanks for following! I may end up adding more teams to this series if I think of more rivalries that are worth tackling. Suggestions are welcome!

[coco1997]

Before the Penguins revealed their new Winter Classic uniforms last week, I had no idea there was once an NHL team also called the Pittsburgh Pirates. That inspired me to mock up a design that could work as either Pittsburgh's home or road set for the Leyland Cup:

[coco1997]

Surprise! With MLB's recent announcement that the 2025 season will feature a "Rivalry Weekend," I was inspired to whip up some new rival designs not previously covered by @Discrimor myself. The one that jumped out to me was the D-Backs vs. Rockies. To call their relationship a "rivalry" is a bit of a stretch, but MLB needed every team included in the weekend event, and Arizona vs. Colorado makes sense geographically. So without further ado, here's the Red Rock Series!

ROCKIES:

I went with a very Denver Bears-esque look in current Rockies colors for Colorado's home set, with the sleeve featuring a triceratops version of the Cubs' classic batting bear logo from the early 1900s. For the road, I took inspiration from Colorado's Turn Ahead the Clock set and the Jazz's sunset jerseys. The specific shades used for the Southwest sunset and the base of the uniform come from this very cool Colorado license plate. I also knew I wanted vests for at least one of the jerseys. Big thanks to @Discrim for allowing me to use his custom "Rockies" script. 

 

DIAMONDBACKS:

For Arizona, I went with a 1980 Tucson Toros-inspired look (considered by many to be the ugliest baseball uniform of all time) for the home set, while trying to use as many of the D-Backs' various colors as possible (minus black) and opting for sand over copper. The away "brings back the purple" with a road version of the team's classic pinstriped vests. I also added a diamond pattern at the armholes of the vest, a la the sleeves of the team's 1998-2006 alternates.  Props to @MJD7 for suggesting the rivalry name. 

 

C&C appreciated! I'm tempted to do Tigers vs. Blue Jays as well, but I'm not totally where to draw inspiration from, other than maybe the cities' NHL teams. Any suggestions are welcome!

[TheAnt755]

5 hours ago, coco1997 said:

Surprise! With MLB's recent announcement that the 2025 season will feature a "Rivalry Weekend," I was inspired to whip up some new rival designs not previously covered by @Discrimor myself. The one that jumped out to me was the D-Backs vs. Rockies. To call their relationship a "rivalry" is a bit of a stretch, but MLB needed every team included in the weekend event, and Arizona vs. Colorado makes sense geographically. So without further ado, here's the Red Rock Series!

ROCKIES:

I went with a very Denver Bears-esque look in current Rockies colors for Colorado's home set, with the sleeve featuring a triceratops version of the Cubs' classic batting bear logo from the early 1900s. For the road, I took inspiration from Colorado's Turn Ahead the Clock set and the Jazz's sunset jerseys. The specific shades used for the Southwest sunset and the base of the uniform come from this very cool Colorado license plate. I also knew I wanted to bring back the vests for at least one of the jerseys. Big thanks to @Discrim for allowing me to use his custom "Rockies" script. 

 

DIAMONDBACKS:

For Arizona, I went with a 1980 Tucson Toros-inspired look (considered by many to be the ugliest baseball uniform of all time) for the home set, while trying to use as many of the D-Backs' various colors as possible (minus black) and opting for sand over copper. The away "brings back the purple" with a road version of the team's classic pinstriped vests. I also added a diamond pattern at the armholes of the vest, a la the sleeves of the team's 1998-2006 alternates.  Props to @MJD7 for suggesting the rivalry name. 

 

C&C appreciated! I'm tempted to do Tigers vs. Blue Jays as well, but I'm not totally where to draw inspiration from, other than maybe the cities' NHL teams. Any suggestions are welcome!

The D-Backs' Tucson Toros throwbacks look pretty cool.

[GrayJ12]

That updated TATC/Colorado Sunrise jersey is a thing of beauty.

[Apoll0]

The rockies need to use the sunrise jersey as an alternate 

[coco1997]

On 10/6/2024 at 4:25 PM, TheAnt755 said:

The D-Backs' Tucson Toros throwbacks look pretty cool.

 

On 10/10/2024 at 8:59 AM, GrayJ12 said:

That updated TATC/Colorado Sunrise jersey is a thing of beauty.

 

15 hours ago, Apoll0 said:

The rockies need to use the sunrise jersey as an alternate 

Thank you!

 

I'm back today with Brewers vs. Mariners, AKA the Air & Water Show!

 

BREWERS:

There's no real rivalry between the Brewers and Mariners, but there are some interesting historical connections between the two, the most obvious being that the Pilots moved to Milwaukee in 1970 to become the Brewers after lasting just one season in Seattle. Like the Pilots, the original Milwaukee Brewers of the American League folded after one season before moving to St. Louis to become the Browns in 1902. With that in mind, the home set is based on those one-and-done Brewers uniforms and features a full collar, logo-less cap and "BREWERS" wordmark in place of "MILWAUKEE." For the sleeve patch, I used the eagle, the German symbol of heraldry, given the massive German population and influence in Milwaukee. This was inspired by the Browns' use of the fleur-de-lis, similarly the symbol of French heraldry. It's also interesting that the Brewers' former identity was aviation-themed, while the Mariners' is nautical, something that informed my designs for both teams' road uniforms. Milwaukee's set evokes both the Pilots' away unis (pale powder blue with gold lettering and McAuliffe numbers) and the uniforms of the U.S. Air Force baseball team, which, in 1969, used pinstripes and a three-letter monogram. 

 

MARINERS:

 

Seattle's home look is based on the now-retired U.S. Navy Service Dress Blue uniforms (worn for "warm weather afternoon and early evening functions such as yachting parties") and features gold buttons, a white crowned cap and Pilots-esque "scrambled eggs" on the bill. The road set keeps the Mariners' current colors and takes inspiration from past uniforms of the U.S. Navy baseball team, with raglan sleeves, headspoon piping and a large block "S." 

 

C&C appreciated! I have some ideas percolating for Tigers vs. Blue Jays, but suggestions are always welcome.