coco1997 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Another thought exercise has produced another (mini) series! Relocation has always been a big part of Major League Baseball, particularly in the mid-20th century. Several teams who moved (including the Senators, Pilots and Expos) started afresh with new identities, logos and uniforms. In contrast, other team names, such as the Braves and Athletics, have survived as many as three cities and counting. But what if those teams who moved had decided to rebrand? This series is a short trip through an alternate timeline in which every team who relocated but kept their original name instead adopted a new identity and uniforms, logos, etc. along with it. I'll be posting chronologically, starting in the 1950s and posing the question: What if the Boston Braves became the Milwaukee Brewers? HOME: ROAD: Notes: - From 1947-52, the Brewers served as the AAA affiliate of the Boston Braves and wore navy & red uniforms resembling those of their parent club. When the Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, they kept the same basic uniforms, changing only their cap logo and adding front numbers. - A stalk of wheat replaces the tomahawk and adds a nice pop of gold to the front of the jerseys. C&C appreciated! Things will get a little more interesting from here on out. 11 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dozap17 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Nice start to this series, good to see another of your mashups on here 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco1997 Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 On 1/15/2024 at 6:01 PM, Dozap17 said: Nice start to this series, good to see another of your mashups on here Thank you! What if the Brooklyn Dodgers became the Hollywood Stars? STARS HOME: STARS ROAD: STARS HOME/ROAD ALT: Notes: - By the end of the 1960s, there was a precedent for expansion teams coopting Pacific Coast League identities. Had the Dodgers started this trend a few years prior, the “Stars” would have been the most obvious choice for them. - The original cap logo for the Astros (who wouldn’t join the league for another four years) works nicely for the Stars, and the block “H” even matches the style of the Dodgers’ monogram “LA.” - I tried to keep the uniforms as Dodger-y as possible, while cranking up the level of red just a bit. - Even after the Stars played their final game in 1957 (moving to Salt Lake City to become the “Bees” the following season) the team name lives on, with Dodger Stadium hosting its annual Hollywood Stars Night charity game for the past 50+ years. C&C appreciated! The next team is likely to cause some controversy. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victormrey Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 What a great series start! I'm a huge fan of the ear of wheat under the Braves' wordmarks. Fantastic job with the Stars' identity Looks very Hollywood-ish while keeping the Dodgers style. That road wordmark is a thing of a beauty! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco1997 Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 On 1/18/2024 at 9:44 AM, Victormrey said: What a great series start! I'm a huge fan of the ear of wheat under the Braves' wordmarks. Fantastic job with the Stars' identity Looks very Hollywood-ish while keeping the Dodgers style. That road wordmark is a thing of a beauty! Thanks, man! What if the New York Giants became the San Francisco Dodgers? HOME: ROAD: HOME ALT: ROAD ALT: Notes: - This one is bound to piss off at least a few people. Like Brooklyn, Los Angeles once had a bustling trolley system, but that's no longer the case—making the name a bit of an anachronism. San Francisco's cable cars, on the other hand, are still very much in operation, and the Giants even had one on their dugout jackets in the ‘80s. - The uniforms look pretty much as you’d expect, with an arched block and script style “DODGERS” replacing “GIANTS” on the home and home alt. - Front numbers have been added across the board for uniformity. - I’ll be the first to admit this rebrand is the one least likely to have happened, due to both the historical cache of both the Giants and Dodgers’ names and the rivalry between the two. Still, it was a fun experiment. C&C appreciated, and have a great weekend! 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrayJ12 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 I found it. The most cursed concept on this site. But seriously...I love the incorporation of the trolley cars on the sleeves. Nice thought experiement! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coiler Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 I love the Los Angeles Astros and the San Francisco Trolley Giants. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco1997 Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 On 1/19/2024 at 10:40 AM, GrayJ12 said: I found it. The most cursed concept on this site. But seriously...I love the incorporation of the trolley cars on the sleeves. Nice thought experiment! On 1/20/2024 at 8:58 PM, Coiler said: I love the Los Angeles Astros and the San Francisco Trolley Giants. Thank you both! What if the Philadelphia A's became the Kansas City Blues? HOME: ROAD: HOME/ROAD ALT: Notes: - Like the Brewers, the Blues were an American Association identity. The team served as a minor league affiliate to the Pirates and Yankees from 1935-54. - Just as the Athletics abbreviate their name with an Old English “A,” the Blues use a “B” in that same style. - The Kansas City A’s have the distinction of being the only MLB team to feature three sets of numbers on the same jersey—the back, front and sleeves—a quirky detail I preserved here. - I was at first reluctant to make the away set baby blue, as powder blue road uniforms didn’t really become big until the early ‘70s, but then I remembered that both the Cubs and Dodgers rocked baby blue roads over a decade prior. C&C appreciated as always! 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coiler Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Wow, an A's-based uniform that isn't green and yellow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueYankee26 Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 11 minutes ago, Coiler said: Wow, an A's-based uniform that isn't green and yellow! My friend let me introduce you to this concept thread from @SFGiants58 plenty of A's concepts there 1 Quote trueyankee26.wordpress.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideRight Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 A really interesting idea. WHat about the Pilots and the Senators? What other options did they have? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco1997 Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 On 1/22/2024 at 1:20 PM, Coiler said: Wow, an A's-based uniform that isn't green and yellow! Well, those colors wouldn't really make sense, given the name. On 1/22/2024 at 2:20 PM, WideRight said: A really interesting idea. WHat about the Pilots and the Senators? What other options did they have? Thanks! The teams you mentioned actually wouldn't fit the premise of this particular series, since both rebranded upon moving (the Pilots became the Brewers and the Senators became the Rangers). What if the Milwaukee Brewers (Braves) became the Atlanta Eagles? HOME: ROAD: HOME ALT: ROAD ALT: Notes: - This one isn’t much of a stretch. When TV mogul Ted Turner purchased the Braves in 1976, he considered renaming them the “Eagles,” which would’ve fit with Atlanta’s two other bird-themed team identities. - As I’ve done with other Braves concepts in the past, black replaces royal blue/navy to produce some nice visual synergy with the local Hawks and Falcons. - The sleeve feathers have been recolored to better resemble those of an actual eagle. C&C appreciated! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coiler Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 Can't wait for the Eagles to blow a 9-0 lead in Game 7 of the World Series. (Seriously though, I do like the Atlanta color scheme a lot, and the feathers are a nice touch) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco1997 Posted January 26 Author Share Posted January 26 On 1/25/2024 at 9:58 AM, Coiler said: Can't wait for the Eagles to blow a 9-0 lead in Game 7 of the World Series. (Seriously though, I do like the Atlanta color scheme a lot, and the feathers are a nice touch) Thanks! What if the Kansas City Blues (A's) became the Oakland Oaks? HOME: ROAD: HOME ALT: ROAD ALT: Notes: - This one was a no-brainer. The Oaks were a Pacific Coast League team that played from 1903-55, and the A's have thrown back to them on several occasions. - I like that the name “Oakland Oaks” would essentially be the AL’s answer to the “Philadelphia Phillies.” - To my knowledge, the Oaks never actually wore A’s colors (instead opting for navy & red and green & red at various points in their history) but I went with green and gold befitting the Oakland flag. - An Old English "O" replaces the Athletics' "A" on the caps and home alt. C&C appreciated! The next and final team in the series will be a team that hasn't relocated...yet. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victormrey Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Big fan of an all-vest set The acorn inside the sleeve patch is such a nice detail! Would you mind sharing a larger version of it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco1997 Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 18 hours ago, Victormrey said: Big fan of an all-vest set The acorn inside the sleeve patch is such a nice detail! Would you mind sharing a larger version of it? Thanks! I'll DM you the sleeve patch logo. What if the Oakland A's become the Las Vegas Wranglers? HOME: ROAD: HOME ALT: ROAD ALT: Notes: - It’s a safe bet that when the A’s move to Vegas in the next year or two, they’ll keep their name, which is now 120+ years old and has survived three cities and counting. - I struggled to come up with a new identity for Vegas, as anything gambling-related is too cliched, and I’m not sold on “Aviators” as MLB-worthy. I ultimately decided to pay tribute to Vegas’ very first professional team, which played in various minor leagues between 1947-58. - Unfortunately, there aren’t many photos of the Wranglers around. The team seemingly wore black and red, to which I added Vegas gold to produce a look evoking both the A's and Golden Knights. - The caps use a monogram “LV” in the style of the Athletics’ “A,” while the sleeves feature a fearsome bobcat, which one can assume inspired the team’s name. And that wraps up the series! Thanks to everyone who followed along. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victormrey Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 Really nice homage to LV's first team. The colour scheme along the double border for the wordmarks and logos look fantastic! Also, those stirrups look gorgeous 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coiler Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 And so the A's broke out of the purgatory of green and yellow to make a spectacular uniform! Great conclusion to a great series. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco1997 Posted February 3 Author Share Posted February 3 On 2/1/2024 at 11:07 AM, Victormrey said: Really nice homage to LV's first team. The colour scheme along the double border for the wordmarks and logos look fantastic! Also, those stirrups look gorgeous On 2/2/2024 at 5:16 AM, Coiler said: And so the A's broke out of the purgatory of green and yellow to make a spectacular uniform! Great conclusion to a great series. Thank you both! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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