What If Every MLB Team Kept Its Original Look? (Houston Colts 2/26)

[Bomba Tomba]

I wonder how you're going to deal with the team now known as the Guardians

[coco1997]

23 hours ago, Bomba Tomba said:

I wonder how you're going to deal with the team now known as the Guardians

Wonder no further:
 

Up next:

NEW YORK METS (est. 1962) 

 

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Notes:

- Like the Royals, the Mets’ current uniforms are virtually identical to what they were wearing in their inaugural season of 1962. That being said, there wasn’t much to change here.
- The only real changes are the use of the Mets’ original “NY” and more vibrant shades of blue and orange. I also made the home uniforms cream, a la the team's 2012-14 look. New York's original home unis were off-white, as well. 

 

C&C appreciated! 

[Victormrey]

Great work for NY!

Maybe you could re-create this cap for the navy road uni 

[coco1997]

22 hours ago, Victormrey said:

Great work for NY!

Maybe you could re-create this cap for the navy road uni 

Nice idea! How's this?

 

Next up:

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (est. 1954)

 

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Notes:

- Baltimore has maintained a pretty consistent brand since the beginning, occasionally tweaking only their logos and scripts. The main difference here is the color balance, with black vs. orange scripts and numbers on the primary jerseys.
- The original “realistic” bird replaces the cartoon oriole as the cap logo.
- Although the Orioles didn’t have a “Baltimore” script until 1956, I was able to pull a script from this 1950s pennant that works pretty well here.
- Lastly, I worked up a new “O’s” logo from the original “Orioles” script for use on the road alt and cap.  

 

C&C appreciated!

[Victormrey]

New York: I think the contrast between the navy uniform and the grey cap makes the set look more balanced  Could you try adding the pins to the cap, like the one from the picture?

 

Orioles: good job as usual! Specially with the "Baltimore" script. I think it looks perfect.

[Coiler]

Love the New York teams and the Orioles "semi-realistic bird".

[coco1997]

1 hour ago, Victormrey said:

New York: I think the contrast between the navy uniform and the grey cap makes the set look more balanced  Could you try adding the pins to the cap, like the one from the picture?

 

Orioles: good job as usual! Specially with the "Baltimore" script. I think it looks perfect.

 

Just now, Coiler said:

Love the New York teams and the Orioles "semi-realistic bird".

Thanks, guys! @Victormrey, I'll update the Yankees gray cap soon. 

 

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (est. 1900)

 

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Notes:

- It goes without saying that the Cardinals have some of the most iconic uniforms in MLB history. Still, I can’t help but dig the elegant simplicity of these uniforms from 1900-08.
- Although they don’t have one in real life, I gave the Cards a red alternate so that gorgeous “StL” monogram could be showcased front and center. The design is based on this dugout sweater from 1908. 

 

C&C appreciated! Funnily enough, the list randomizer website I used grouped the three bird-themed teams together, so you can guess who the next team is. 

[coco1997]

On 11/16/2023 at 9:12 AM, Victormrey said:

New York: I think the contrast between the navy uniform and the grey cap makes the set look more balanced  Could you try adding the pins to the cap, like the one from the picture?

 

Orioles: good job as usual! Specially with the "Baltimore" script. I think it looks perfect.

How's this?

 

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (est. 1977)

 

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Notes:

- Toronto’s 2010 redesign was one of the most impressive in MLB history, restoring the team’s identity to its former glory with only the slightest of updates to the wordmarks, numbers and logo.
- This design keeps the same uniforms from 1977-96 while converting them to a contemporary button-down style and upgrading to the Jays’ current, more brilliant shade of royal blue. The original, darker blue as used here as a trim color. 

 

C&C appreciated!

[Victormrey]

You nailed the NY cap!

 

Gorgeous set for the Jays  That road uni is a beauty.

[coco1997]

38 minutes ago, Victormrey said:

You nailed the NY cap!

 

Gorgeous set for the Jays  That road uni is a beauty.

Thanks!

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (est. 1998)

 

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Notes:

 

- For the NL champs, I repurposed the D-Backs design from my Bringing MLB's '90s Expansion Teams into the Modern Day series. The only change was switching to a vest-style jersey for the home and bringing back Arizona’s original 1998-2006 numbers.
- At the outset of this project, I wanted to avoid repeating similar schemes for teams in the same division or city, hence the shift from purple to magenta for Arizona. The magenta works just as well, IMO, and, paired with turquoise and copper, evokes a nice Southwestern feel.

 

As always, C&C appreciated!

[Coiler]

I've come to the conclusion it's impossible for a Diamondbacks uniform to look bad, and this is as good as always.

[coco1997]

19 hours ago, Coiler said:

I've come to the conclusion it's impossible for a Diamondbacks uniform to look bad, and this is as good as always.

Agreed, though I might make an exception for this uniform. 

MINNESOTA TWINS (est. 1961)

 

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Notes:

 

- I love what Minnesota did with their new uniforms this past season, dropping outlines altogether and segregating the use of navy and red. This set maintains that same approach while keeping the team’s original scripts and cap logo.
- Those early Twins unis used the same script on both the home and road jersey, so the “Minnesota” script used here comes from the team’s excellent 1961-65 wordmark logo.
- The home uniforms feature the same subtle pinstripes as the Twins’ new road look.

 

C&C appreciated!

[Coiler]

I see you used the move as your start point rather than any OG Senators logo (which is understandable given that they were not exactly the most eye-catching or distinctive)

[coco1997]

44 minutes ago, Coiler said:

I see you used the move as your start point rather than any OG Senators logo (which is understandable given that they were not exactly the most eye-catching or distinctive)

That's true. Maybe I'll do a Senators-inspired set at the end of the series.

 

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (est. 1900 )

 

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Notes:

 

- The original Brooklyn Dodgers actually wore red for their first two seasons, but I just couldn’t make that work. Thankfully, the team made the switch to royal blue in 1902 and haven’t looked back since.
- It works out nicely that the Blackletter style logo evokes Los Angeles street art, so I used it for the road wordmark, as well.
- The red TV numbers are a small nod to those very first uniforms.

 

C&C appreciated, and Happy Thanksgiving!

[Coiler]

I like this 1900-style "Initials/Cap Logo on the front" trend. Even if it's impossible to go back to the (less than inspired) red without intruding on the Angels turf.

 

Of course if you turn the clock ahead a bit to 1916, they've gone to plaid!

 

[coco1997]

2 hours ago, Coiler said:

I like this 1900-style "Initials/Cap Logo on the front" trend. Even if it's impossible to go back to the (less than inspired) red without intruding on the Angels turf.

 

Of course if you turn the clock ahead a bit to 1916, they've gone to plaid!

Thanks! Yeah, I briefly thought about the plaid design, but I had a hard time picturing it working in 2023. 

 

OAKLAND ATHLETICS (est. 1901)

 

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Notes:

 

- For the A’s, I originally considered something based on the early Philadelphia uniforms, but as you can see, those designs don’t really have much to offer. Therefore, I went with a look inspired by the team’s first few seasons in Oakland.
-  I did, however, keep the (almost) original Philly A’s logo, which is just different enough from Oakland’s current logo.

C&C appreciated!

[Coiler]

Good, but I still have nightmarish flashbacks to all the other slight variations to the standard green and yellow A's uniform I've seen on this board . It's not their fault they've tried to/considered move to every major city ever, but still.

[coco1997]

5 hours ago, Coiler said:

Good, but I still have nightmarish flashbacks to all the other slight variations to the standard green and yellow A's uniform I've seen on this board . It's not their fault they've tried to/considered move to every major city ever, but still.

Yeah, I considered going with the Phila or KC A's blue and red but just couldn't justify moving away from the classic green and gold.

 

MIAMI MARLINS (est. 1993)

 

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Notes:

 

- My Marlins set is pretty similar to the one from my Bringing MLB's '90s Expansion Teams into the Modern Day series, the only change being that I kept the team’s original scripts and logos.
- I kept the “Miami” name, as I like the alliteration with “Marlins,” and as a rule of thumb I prefer city to state names.
- Given the original Marlins alternate logo featured a touch of orange, I felt justified in incorporating it into the uniforms, replacing silver in this case.

 

C&C appreciated as always!

[Victormrey]

Gorgeous colour combination for the Marlins! You can't go wrong with teal and orange 

[coco1997]

17 hours ago, Victormrey said:

Gorgeous colour combination for the Marlins! You can't go wrong with teal and orange 

Agreed! I really wish the Fish would embrace this color scheme in real life. 

 

HOUSTON ASTROS (est. 1965)

 

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Notes:

 

- When the Astros introduced a neo-retro redesign in 2012 to coincide with their move to the AL, it was an improvement over their previous look (I say this as someone who actually liked those 2004-12 uniforms, just not for a team called the “Astros”) but it was missing one crucial element: the gorgeous shooting star from the team’s 1965-74 uniforms.  

- A new "Houston" wordmark matching the home mark replaces the block lettering from the original road jerseys. 
- With the shooting star taking center stage on the front of the jerseys, the TV numbers get bumped to the sleeves.

 

C&C appreciated!