MLB 2024 Uniform/Logo Changes

[VDizzle12]

1 hour ago, bbush24 said:

As a Guardians fan, I'm satisfied with the CC uniform. I DESPISE city uniforms in general, but this is probably the best one so far. As others have said, it still feels like the Guardians. The elements are actually based on the identity of the team and not some random subcultural element of the city. The CLE thing is dumb, but I honestly wish our whole set was based around this look. The standard uniforms feel like the empty shell of the Indians. This look would've been a perfect way to move into the Guardians era.

 

I was fully expecting a full-red uniform, rock and roll imagery everywhere and THE LAND across the chest. I hope that the organization realizes what a hit these uniforms are and evolve them into a full-time look. Maybe keep the existing font/wordmarks but carry over the CC template. 

[Silent Wind of Doom]

52 minutes ago, PlayGloria said:

Looking at all of the Cardinals recent X posts and other media, everything is in red and black. I have a feeling that is where this CC is headed. 

Brutal.  I would much rather them lean into navy blue. At least that is a team color and part of their history.

 

It seems rough to me, but if they pair it with a black version of the sorely missed navy hat... it would at least have one half-redeeming quality.  Although getting a "The Lou" version of this retro logo would be interesting.

 

 

Another random thing I keep forgetting to mention until I'm the latest message...  The Padres last year got an allowance to breat the 4+1 rule with two different patterns of camo for their uniforms.  Thus far there's been three camo days and all with the same pattern.

 

 

Have they ditched the forest in favor of just sticking with the desert, or is it just another uni waiting for Nike to get off their duff?

 

EDIT: Silly, simple, MSPaint The Lou mockup.

 

[NOLAPelicans23]

9 minutes ago, -Akronite- said:

The Guardians have updated their profile logo to the bat-wielding logo featured on the CC socks.

 

 

I would love to see this make it into the main branding

 

[henburg]

The City Connects definitely are starting to feel a bit formulaic with the continual emphasis on dark monochrome and/or angular fonts, which are two design choices that I generally enjoy in baseball when not being oversaturated with them. That said, I saw this picture online of the new Guardians jerseys and it looks much more striking in person than their reveal photos-

 

 

 

The racing stripe with art deco detailing is a really great feature that I would love to see them incorporate into their regular uniforms.

[CitizenTino]

19 minutes ago, NOLAPelicans23 said:

 

This is so much better than the G-ball with the wings.

[PlayGloria]

33 minutes ago, Silent Wind of Doom said:

 

 

 

 

EDIT: Silly, simple, MSPaint The Lou mockup.

 

 

Now I wouldn't hate that. That being said, other than the Braves, we haven't really seen one of these uniforms get based off of a throwback, so I'm not holding my breath. Something like this would be best case scenario probably. 

 

Boy, I really hate city  nicknames and abbreviations on uniforms. I even hated it when Tampa Bay did "BOLTS" in the NHL or Carolina did "CANES"  

 

 

[adsarebad]

2 hours ago, coco1997 said:

The Mets' "NYC" is Tuscan, the same style as the "New York" on their road jerseys. 

still 3 huge-ass letters on the front though.

it's sucks.

 

should have placed the cap/primary logo NY on the front somehow instead

[adsarebad]

1 hour ago, henburg said:

The City Connects definitely are starting to feel a bit formulaic with the continual emphasis on dark monochrome and/or angular fonts, which are two design choices that I generally enjoy in baseball when not being oversaturated with them. That said, I saw this picture online of the new Guardians jerseys and it looks much more striking in person than their reveal photos-

 

 

 

The racing stripe with art deco detailing is a really great feature that I would love to see them incorporate into their regular uniforms.

lovely new Thailand national  team jersey

 

 

[coco1997]

48 minutes ago, PlayGloria said:

 

Now I wouldn't hate that. That being said, other than the Braves, we haven't really seen one of these uniforms get based off of a throwback, so I'm not holding my breath. 

(Devil) Rays, too.

[Krona]

18 hours ago, 655321 said:

I think you need to look at merch sales before you can call anything related to the City Connect program a failure.

We're on a logo/design board, not an economic forum.

[The_Admiral]

1 hour ago, adsarebad said:

lovely new Thailand national  team jersey

 

 

 

Should have been used by the Detroit TYE-GURRRRs

[CLEstones]

Excuse me while I re-CLEV-jack this thread... but everyone keeps refencing the racing stripes on the jerseys, as an homage to the teams from the late 70's to late 80's... which had to be one of the worst/least successful stretches in MLB history.

 

I have said since the City Connect debuted last week (which was quickly reference in the Mother Ship's Post), that the racing stripes are an homage to the movie Major League, which so many people know and love. 

It would make much more sense to have a uniform element reference a beloved, feel good, sports movie, rather than decades of bad baseball.  If they wanted to reference one of the proudest runs in franchise history, it would have been the mid 90's to early 00's teams. 

[Anubis2051]

1 hour ago, CLEstones said:

Excuse me while I re-CLEV-jack this thread... but everyone keeps refencing the racing stripes on the jerseys, as an homage to the teams from the late 70's to late 80's... which had to be one of the worst/least successful stretches in MLB history.

 

I have said since the City Connect debuted last week (which was quickly reference in the Mother Ship's Post), that the racing stripes are an homage to the movie Major League, which so many people know and love. 

It would make much more sense to have a uniform element reference a beloved, feel good, sports movie, rather than decades of bad baseball.  If they wanted to reference one of the proudest runs in franchise history, it would have been the mid 90's to early 00's teams. 

 

Racing stripes are only in ML2, not 1:

 

1. 

 

2. 

[Silent Wind of Doom]

4 hours ago, PlayGloria said:

Now I wouldn't hate that. That being said, other than the Braves, we haven't really seen one of these uniforms get based off of a throwback, so I'm not holding my breath. Something like this would be best case scenario probably. 

 

Boy, I really hate city  nicknames and abbreviations on uniforms. I even hated it when Tampa Bay did "BOLTS" in the NHL or Carolina did "CANES"  

 

Yeah, I was just being hopeful based on your mention of the color scheme having a historical precedent, leading me to go in search for it.  I'd sworn they had a black cap as well, but I guess not.

 

Honestly, I had this vision of THE LOU with the arc over it.  In picturing it just now I remembered where I got that from.

 

 

But a good chunk of the hope of going with something similar to my mockup is hoping that they wouldn't leave the bat and birds off of a uniform after a century.

[coco1997]

On 5/11/2024 at 1:22 PM, Silent Wind of Doom said:

Well...  Two past opinions I had have changed drastically.

 

While I believe the full retro replica is the right way to go and don't care about the difference in drop shadow as I believe every single one of us on this board is in full agreement that black is okay quarantined as a throwback rather than a modern piece of the identity... I'm shocked seeing it in action that the shininess of the blue fabric actually causes the blue and black to contrast quite well under the lights at night.  I thought it would all blend together like the Marlins of the last few years or the original Braves' navy alt.  I can't believe it, but it seems to actually work.

 

Eh, the previous design with white is still way better. The new version is made even worse by the fact that they removed the white from the script and numbers but kept it for the swoosh. 

[Silent Wind of Doom]

18 minutes ago, coco1997 said:

Eh, the previous design with white is still way better. The new version is made even worse by the fact that they removed the white from the script and numbers but kept it for the swoosh. 

 

No doubt, but the current design looks a hundred times better than I ever expected it to.

[Silent Wind of Doom]

7 hours ago, PlayGloria said:

Now I wouldn't hate that. That being said, other than the Braves, we haven't really seen one of these uniforms get based off of a throwback, so I'm not holding my breath. Something like this would be best case scenario probably. 

 

I've been thinking more about this.  The Braves went with a throwback that they love.  The Dodgers went with essentially an alternate steeped in their own identity.  The Yankees have thus far sat everything out.

 

The Tigers have been similarly conservative to the last two teams with their identity, but they've also seen limited success.  They've had a few very bright spots in the last 20 years and also some very lean years, so I can see them going gimmicky.

 

The Cardinals have been conservative with their uniforms, have a large history they're proud of, and have had sustained success over the last 20 years.  I'm unsure if they have anything in local culture they could go with like Boston (the other one to fit this profile) did.  The arch is a tough thing to base an entire uniform on.  Their identity as a franchise feels like it fits for them to go conservative here as well.  It may not turn out this way... but they feel like the perfect team for it.

 

Cleveland also went this route for the most part, but that's just because it's Cleveland.  They have rock and everyone's been yawning at the idea of an identity based on that for years.  They can't really dip into their past.  They could only lean on the statues and their colorset.

[MJD7]

On 5/12/2024 at 3:53 PM, LEWJ said:

And that’s my TedTalk

 

joking aside, I can be relieved. Even if it had been just Boston that strayed from team colors, I can still be relieved.  Was that not enough of a “wtf?!”

 

On 5/12/2024 at 7:28 PM, tBBP said:

I think the Boston CC probably most hits at what Nike's intention was with this whole program...be something starkly (?) different while still emphasizing—that is, connecting—with some element of the city. (That's also probably why it was first to release.) 

Boston's City Connect was definitely shocking at first, but after visiting the city earlier this spring and seeing the City branding in the team store, it seemed to really "fit" and, from an outsider perspective, seems to be something that really "connects" to the city, no pun intended.

 

When I asked a native Bostonian what he thought about the City uniforms, he seemingly didn't even understand that I was speaking strictly aesthetically, because the Marathon and what it means is so deeply tied to the city Boston, that it almost wasn't even a question of whether it was worth it to have as part of their identity.

 

In my opinion, they did go a bit overboard with its use when they had that winning streak where they kept on wearing them, but I wouldn't mind it to be something they continue to wear around the time of the marathon and a few other times throughout the year.

 

On 5/12/2024 at 7:28 PM, tBBP said:

The only other one I've seen come close to that stark a contrast is San Diego's. (Unless you count the Nationals' cherry blossoms.) I could also say Tampa Bay, except the CC is highly inspired by their inaugural look, so that doesn't really count.

On a similar note to what I was saying above, I visited San Diego & LA about a month after Boston.

 

In San Diego, the City branding was absolutely everywhere, around the city and throughout Petco Park. People of all ages, men and women were wearing them. I personally didn't like their City uniform much at all before I visited, I thought it was way too bright & garish on TV, but after seeing it in-person, it really just feels right  for San Diego. The only reason I don't like it is because every game they wear the City Connect is a game they don't wear the brown & gold, which immediately vaulted them to one of the best identities in all of baseball. 

 

Contrarily, in LA, their first attempt at a City Connect was nowhere to be seen, not even in the Dodger Stadium team store. I saw a lot of black fashion jerseys, but I don't think I saw one City jersey. They are clearly ready to move on from their first go around as quickly as possible. Based on the leak, I'm not sure it'll be received any better, but we'll see. 

 

On 5/12/2024 at 7:47 PM, BBTV said:

I really hate that the legacy teams bought into this.  By "legacy", I'm referring to teams that have not only been in existence for >100 years, but have also had an iconic-stable identity for the overwhelming majority of that duration.  Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and maybe one or two that I'm forgetting (I do not consider the Reds or Phillies in this category, partially due to having drastically changing looks a few times (or, once, in the PHilies case) but also moving from traditional parks into the new-fangles astroturf multi-purpose domes.  That counts against you.  They've also each gone through phases of irrelevancy, whereas the other bona fide legacy tams are relevant regardless of record. I'd probalby count the Cubs as 'legacy'.  Maybe Tigers, though the irrelevancy factor gets to them.  Maybe Cardinals.

I get this. "Legacy" teams absolutely have a more difficult time creating a design that resonates with the city as much as the primary design does, compared to newer teams such as the Rays, Rockies, & Diamondbacks.

 

Some traditional teams have done a better job at sticking to their primary brand, such as the Braves and Cubs, and others strayed too far or simply didn't work, such as the Phillies and Dodgers.

 

The Red Sox are in a unique situation where they diverted from the main brand about as much as possible, but since the Marathon is so important to the city and tied with the Red Sox I think it works.

 

57 minutes ago, Silent Wind of Doom said:

I've been thinking more about this.  The Braves went with a throwback that they love.  The Dodgers went with essentially an alternate steeped in their own identity.  The Yankees have thus far sat everything out.

 

The Tigers have been similarly conservative to the last two teams with their identity, but they've also seen limited success.  They've had a few very bright spots in the last 20 years and also some very lean years, so I can see them going gimmicky.

 

The Cardinals have been conservative with their uniforms, have a large history they're proud of, and have had sustained success over the last 20 years.  I'm unsure if they have anything in local culture they could go with like Boston (the other one to fit this profile) did.  The arch is a tough thing to base an entire uniform on.  Their identity as a franchise feels like it fits for them to go conservative here as well.  It may not turn out this way... but they feel like the perfect team for it.

 

Cleveland also went this route for the most part, but that's just because it's Cleveland.  They have rock and everyone's been yawning at the idea of an identity based on that for years.  They can't really dip into their past.  They could only lean on the statues and their colorset.

The Cardinals are the one team where their City design feels like it should be enitrely obvious what they should do: go with the St. Louis flag inspiration and use the "wavy" stripes. The flag is so close to the Cardinals' brand already, that they might as well run with it if they want to stick close to tradition (which for an historic team like them, they should). It seems like they may unfortunately not be going in that direction, though.

 

23 hours ago, LMU said:

Ok, definitely needing to wade through the Nike speak on the Dodgers’ leak because as a life-long Angeleno, at first glance I have no idea where they were going with this. Then again, I still don’t get where the black trim on version 1 came from.

It's interesting that as someone native to LA, you don't get the inspiration, because I definitely don't, either. It seems like it's gonna be one of those designs where the explanation makes or breaks it. The only thing I like about it personally are the "sprinkles." Like @TrueYankee26 mentioned, the rest of it does give me space travel vibes. Maybe they'll be inspired by the Griffith Observatory.

[MJD7]

As for my review of the Guardians' City Connect, I really like them.

 

My least favorite part of the City Connect program so far has been the propensity of abbreviations, but everything else is really great and fitting for Cleveland. I love the darker red, almost maroon color (for synchronicity with the Cavs, I'll call it "wine"), as well as the art-deco-styled wordmarks. The return of racing stripes is awesome, that's something I've been waiting for in baseball, and incorporating the guardian statue patterning into it looks awesome. 

 

Like others, I would have loved to see the Guardians unveil something like this for their primary branding back in 2022. Their main logos and wordmarks are great, and their rebrand was handled about as seamlessly well as it could've been given the circumstances, but it does feel a bit like a quick cover-up of the previous era. This would be a great opportunity to begin a "soft" transition to that wine color and the new striping, elements that can be uniquely "Guardians." 

[chakdaddy]

I didn't realize  the racing stripes were only 1989-93, since we falsely associate them so much with the false hopes of 1986-88.  It does make sense that I remember them since my baseball card collecting peaked in 89-92

 

That logo would be great on the sleeve but would also make a great primary.

 

Personally I barely remember the old team name but agree this would be a good way to transition into a newer look.

 

One of the disadvantages of the Spiders name is theres so little that can be done without being horribly cheesy and on-the-nose.    But what about Spiders name with Guardian statue imagery?   Statue holding a bat with a tiny spider dangling?