MLB All-Star Game Jerseys

[Gothamite]

... And that's another item added to the list of things that make me go "eh". Completely mediocre. I love the idea behind it, but I find the execution, particularly in the form of the shapes of the lettering, to be quite poor. That is just not the right set of letters to go with the bridge. Plus, the bridge tower in the middle is oriented the wrong way to support the arch of letters. This called for a more considered choice of letter style, along with some use of perspective to make it look like the arch of letters is coming out toward the viewer on the N side. The symmetrical side-view aspect of the lettering arch takes perhaps the most dramatically photogenic human-built structure on the continent and uses the sole possible uninteresting viewing angle.

I have to agree with my friend BallWonk on this one.

Outstanding idea, lousy execution.

[Survival79]

I can't stop seeing it as NATHONAL.

[Bouj]

Go ahead and put me down for one of those with an Astro on the back (Lee or Oswalt probably).

For the last few years the NL has worn the lighter color (orange in Detroit, white in Houston). Nice to see they get the dark jerseys this year.

[Davey]

I can't stop seeing it as NATHONAL.

All i see is Nat-Onal lol, really hard or for kids to think thats an "H".

[BallWonk]

Looking closely at that picture of the jersey being held up behind a podium, you can see what a design tragedy this thing is. Look at the beautiful type on the ASG logo on the podium on the far bottom-right of the photo. That's much closer to the kind of lettering that could have made this jersey work. To pull off this script with the Golden Gate tower, the letters need to look like something out of the arts & crafts style, or post-deco modernism, or some blend of the two. They nailed that same 20th century California look with the type on the logo (which also uses exactly the kind of foreshortened perspective that the jersey lettering needs); so the tragedy is that the elements the designers needed to make this jersey work were on hand as an off-the-shelf solution and they missed it.

Also, true confession time: After the Milwaukee ASG league jerseys, my second-favorite ASG league jerseys are the ones from Chicago Boston in 1999, the ones with the vertical lettering oriented like the type on the spine of a book. Vests, too, if I recall correctly. I ought to hate everything about those jerseys, but darn it I just think they worked.

[countdorkula]

I can't stop seeing it as NATHONAL.

I was going to say the same thing... You beat me to it.

When you say it like that, it sounds like you have a serious lisp.

[Sodboy13]

Also, true confession time: After the Milwaukee ASG league jerseys, my second-favorite ASG league jerseys are the ones from Chicago in the late '90s, the ones with the vertical lettering oriented like the type on the spine of a book. Vests, too, if I recall correctly. I ought to hate everything about those jerseys, but darn it I just think they worked.

I do believe you mean Boston. Those were the jerseys for the Mark McGwire Steroid Showcase.

[McCall]

I can't stop seeing it as NATHONAL.

I was going to say the same thing... You beat me to it.

When you say it like that, it sounds like you have a serious lisp.

Tho, you think having a lithp is hilariouth, do ya? It'th not tho funny, ya know. It'th a therious problem that affecth thouthandth and thouthandth of people all over the United Thtateth. You Bathtardth!

[buckeyes1]

I don't like these jerseys, can't they ever come up with a nice all-star jersey?

[VitaminD]

'Wonk beat to me to it (again). The font used in the All-Star Game logo would've been an ideal fit for the jerseys. For starters, it would tie in the rather generic ASG logo a little better by reinforcing it during the workout and other festivities. But more than that, it's a good font; if they're not going to use a modified version of the Giants' home jersey script (like they did quite well in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh), they could've easily done the ASG logo font and made a nice set. The colors will look great, and the use of cream/gold as accent colors will only make things better. But the Giants have one of the top 5 looks in MLB (one of the best things about Omar Vizquel being picked up by the Giants was that I had a reason to buy a Giants home cream-colored gamer to honor my favorite player), and it was bypassed for a look that I am sure sounded great in the design studio but came out very underwhelmingly in the final production.

[KevinMcD]

Here is a picture of the AL wordmark, I can't find a picture of the jerseys.

[Gothamite]

Looking closely at that picture of the jersey being held up behind a podium, you can see what a design tragedy this thing is. Look at the beautiful type on the ASG logo on the podium on the far bottom-right of the photo. That's much closer to the kind of lettering that could have made this jersey work. To pull off this script with the Golden Gate tower, the letters need to look like something out of the arts & crafts style, or post-deco modernism, or some blend of the two. They nailed that same 20th century California look with the type on the logo (which also uses exactly the kind of foreshortened perspective that the jersey lettering needs); so the tragedy is that the elements the designers needed to make this jersey work were on hand as an off-the-shelf solution and they missed it.

Wow.

You are so spot-on, that all I can do is repeat your post.

The logo is brilliant. So many missed opportunities with the jerseys.

[powersurge]

Hey Ballwonk,

Why the hell don't you send them an email and maybe they can change the darn things before the summer. I also agree with everything you said. The trouble here is indeed the execution. The idea is actually quite brilliant. Its one of those things that they either had to nail it or totally scrap it and unfortunately they did neither.

My other suggestion would have been to make the bridge as a silhouette against the modern type you spoke of. That way the bridge element wouldn't have jumped out in your face so much. Also agree with what someone else said about reading the type as 'NatHonaL' I see that too and it is annoying. A designer should always consider how the viewer will read the type when incorporating a design element in place of a letter. I'm not sure if this designer realized that or decided to just take the chance.

The design does look better in the American League version though.

[spyboy1]

I like the idea of the logo tie-in with the home team, I guess it's ok to put the teams on the colors of the host team, although I do find it a bit odd that it isn't the red/white/bue league colors. They did use the Pirates colors last year and I thought that wasn't bad then, so I guess that's a precident for it. I guess some teams colors will appeal to me more than others.

I'm not crazy about the spring training jersey template though. It just strikes me as a jersey that is not normally used in competitive situations that matter, and therefore seems a tad inappropriate for the All-Star Game, which we all know is new, improved and now more important than ever since it decides home field for the World Series. I'd like them to make a more "serious" looking jersey given the choice myself.

JeffB

[Gothamite]

I like the idea of the logo tie-in with the home team, I guess it's ok to put the teams on the colors of the host team, although I do find it a bit odd that it isn't the red/white/bue league colors. They did use the Pirates colors last year and I thought that wasn't bad then, so I guess that's a precident for it. I guess some teams colors will appeal to me more than others.

Most years use the team colors rather than the league colors, don't they? They certainly have in recent memory.

[deliver2david]

Here is a picture of the AL wordmark, I can't find a picture of the jerseys.

That seems to work better than the NL one.

Although, on second thought... the bridge is now the wrong color. Maybe it's night I guess.

[Billy B]

I like the idea of the logo tie-in with the home team, I guess it's ok to put the teams on the colors of the host team, although I do find it a bit odd that it isn't the red/white/bue league colors. They did use the Pirates colors last year and I thought that wasn't bad then, so I guess that's a precident for it. I guess some teams colors will appeal to me more than others.

Most years use the team colors rather than the league colors, don't they? They certainly have in recent memory.

They have used the home team's colors for a while now. They did in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Houston from what I remember. I'm not sure what they did before that.

[BallWonk]

The logo is brilliant. So many missed opportunities with the jerseys.

And they came so close. In fact, the more I look at it, especially the works-slightly-better AL script, the more I see that they were going for a letter style reminiscent of California arts & crafts. Looks like the designers' heads were in the right place, but they just couldn't commit to seeing their idea all the way through. I think the Giants AAA affiliate Fresno Grizzlies take the California arts & crafts theme a little too far, but Fresno's spirit of total commitment to the aesthetic demands of the design would have served these jerseys well. It's a shame.

Still, I don't think these are bad. Poor execution, sure, but poor execution of a fantastic idea. Grading, I'd give these a C or C-minus. A passing grade. If I lived in San Francisco, I would probably want one of the AL jerseys.

You know, I would love to see if someone would compile and post pics of all the modern ASG league jerseys. I think it started in '96. Be interesting to see how folks graded them against each other.

[BigShoop]

I love it.

[NJTank]

Its different personally I like the AL Wordmark better but they seem to work.

I cant wait to see what they cook up in 2008 for Yankee Stadium.