Royals prototypes - 1969

[BallWonk]

Obviously, the giant bruised steer is what they should have used.

Have to say, I'm reasonably impressed with the choice the team made given the options it had. In context of the other designs, the winner was a very modern design. Elegant and very much in keeping with the kind of trend-setting design you see in, say, jazz albums and theater posters from the same era. Yet not at all dated nearly 40 years later.

A good example of a design process that went right, and an example of the right way to incorporate current design fashions without creating something that's tied to any specific year or short-term fad.

[Moontrills]

Kauffman Stadium is also an example of compelling and enduring design. Once upon a time, the Royals had a clue.

[HarperK]

Here is my rendition of what one of those logos COULD have looked like:)

[rtrich11]

NYY, that's some good work on a really ugly logo. (no fault of yours, of course.) The head looks like a nutcracker. Yeah, those choices presented weren't so good. The one they picked was the only one that stood a chance.

[mfoster]

Kauffman Stadium is also an example of compelling and enduring design. Once upon a time, the Royals had a clue.

Mr. K was the one with a clue, and a vision, and a wallet opened in the interest of civic responsibility & pride. He is, now and forever more, sincerely missed...

Marc

[Ez Street]

Here is my rendition of what one of those logos COULD have looked like:)

I like it.

It's not perfect, but I'm sure it could be modernized into something cool.

[Gothamite]

Obviously, the giant bruised steer is what they should have used.

Have to say, I'm reasonably impressed with the choice the team made given the options it had. In context of the other designs, the winner was a very modern design. Elegant and very much in keeping with the kind of trend-setting design you see in, say, jazz albums and theater posters from the same era. Yet not at all dated nearly 40 years later.

A good example of a design process that went right, and an example of the right way to incorporate current design fashions without creating something that's tied to any specific year or short-term fad.

I couldn't agree more.

Some of the other logos are fun, but all of them would have aged poorly. The design they chose seems fresh and clean today, as much so as when it was unveiled.

My concern about the misplaced emphasis on "R" as opposed to "KC" aside, that is one beautiful logo.

[Sir Donald]

Here is my rendition of what one of those logos COULD have looked like:)

Nice work there. I could easily see that as being one of the teams old logos long since dropped in favour of something modern

[BallWonk]

Obviously, the giant bruised steer is what they should have used.

Have to say, I'm reasonably impressed with the choice the team made given the options it had. In context of the other designs, the winner was a very modern design. Elegant and very much in keeping with the kind of trend-setting design you see in, say, jazz albums and theater posters from the same era. Yet not at all dated nearly 40 years later.

A good example of a design process that went right, and an example of the right way to incorporate current design fashions without creating something that's tied to any specific year or short-term fad.

I couldn't agree more.

Some of the other logos are fun, but all of them would have aged poorly. The design they chose seems fresh and clean today, as much so as when it was unveiled.

My concern about the misplaced emphasis on "R" as opposed to "KC" aside, that is one beautiful logo.

Wow, that's exactly my one critique of this logo. But I think I know why they made that choice. At the time, big league teams tended to operate on a more local basis. Why emphasize the KC? Everyone in Kansas City knows they're in Kansas City. We don't have to sell anyone on the idea of KC. We're in the business of selling Royals baseball to Kansas City. Ergo, play up the R, not to differentiate this team from all the other non-KC teams in baseball, but to differentiate it from the other sports teams in Kansas City. I think that kind of mindset explains a lot of pre-1980s baseball logo/uniform decisions.

Plus, KC had recently been home to the A's, so the idea of team-name-initials had to be pretty fresh (even if the A's actually wore KC on their caps during their Missouri sojourn).

[powersurge]

Kauffman Stadium is also an example of compelling and enduring design. Once upon a time, the Royals had a clue.

LOL! Where's George Brett when you really need him?

Kauffman Stadium was definately waaaay ahead of its time with its wide open consourses, seats in close proximity to the field, the outfield landscaping, etc. They could easily have opted for a multi-purpose facility just like everyone else at that time and declined. That move is the greatest evidence suggesting that they were ahead of their time. I still think Kauffman Stadium is one of the best parks in baseball. Just look where all of the other ballparks that were built at the same time?

[zoneranger]

Here is my rendition of what one of those logos COULD have looked like:)

Looks a little bit like former A's reliever Rollie Finger...

And thanks to mfoster for a great find!

[bulldogbarks55]

The one at the far right of the middle row (Crown on a baseball) looks an awful lot like the logo of the old Montreal Royals (RIP 1960) of the International League. And the script "Royals" on KC's jerseys looks similar to the old Royals aw well. As they say...Everything old was new again.

[raindwell]

Does anyone have a better scan of this page, or the actual source document? I suspect it's a Royals program or yearbook from 1969, but could be wrong - I'm not sure what to make of the "American League Scorebook" footer...

I have no idea what is inside the "R"s on the bank of three logos up top.

Marc

The alternate logo top right hand corner looks like a "Yellow Submarine" king. A little camp psychedelia for the heartland.

[mfoster]

Wow, that's exactly my one critique of this logo. But I think I know why they made that choice. At the time, big league teams tended to operate on a more local basis. Why emphasize the KC? Everyone in Kansas City knows they're in Kansas City. We don't have to sell anyone on the idea of KC. We're in the business of selling Royals baseball to Kansas City. Ergo, play up the R, not to differentiate this team from all the other non-KC teams in baseball, but to differentiate it from the other sports teams in Kansas City. I think that kind of mindset explains a lot of pre-1980s baseball logo/uniform decisions.

Plus, KC had recently been home to the A's, so the idea of team-name-initials had to be pretty fresh (even if the A's actually wore KC on their caps during their Missouri sojourn).

I'm not sure I agree with this. The Royals were very much a regional franchise through the 1980s, and really until the Colorado Rockies came online. Group/community sales were emphasized, and on any given night you'd see buses come in from all parts of Kansas, eastern Colorado, their half of Missouri, and a fair chunk of Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Their radio broadcasting network reflected this as well, incorporating the previously mentioned areas, and getting into SD, WY, and NM.

I'll wager the decision to favor the R over the KC was probably not something given a lot of thought at the time.

BTW, I wish I had a better image, but I think the cow in the lower right may actually be attached to a bubble and is SAYING "KC Royals"... if you open the image up and zoom it in, you can see the faint outline.

Marc

[leedsunited]

Wow, that's exactly my one critique of this logo. But I think I know why they made that choice. At the time, big league teams tended to operate on a more local basis. Why emphasize the KC? Everyone in Kansas City knows they're in Kansas City. We don't have to sell anyone on the idea of KC. We're in the business of selling Royals baseball to Kansas City. Ergo, play up the R, not to differentiate this team from all the other non-KC teams in baseball, but to differentiate it from the other sports teams in Kansas City. I think that kind of mindset explains a lot of pre-1980s baseball logo/uniform decisions.

Plus, KC had recently been home to the A's, so the idea of team-name-initials had to be pretty fresh (even if the A's actually wore KC on their caps during their Missouri sojourn).

BTW, I wish I had a better image, but I think the cow in the lower right may actually be attached to a bubble and is SAYING "KC Royals"... if you open the image up and zoom it in, you can see the faint outline.

Marc

I think he's snorting out the "KC ROYALS" text, almost like the snort puffs the Chicago Bull used to sport.

[Showtime029]

Not a huge fan of any of those logos.

[Artmanc3po]

This is cool. The logo they chose, modernized with the KC only, is one of the best in baseball (wish the Royals were good again--they were always good when I was a kid).

It would be interesting to see more projects like this, if anyone has them from other teams. It's cool to see the concepts that were actually considered.

[KCScout76]

NYY's rendition of the "King-Man" logo is wonderful.

When I looked through all those logos, I thought that would be one that I would pick - great work.

I love our logo !(I am a Royals fan - even though we "in-hale quickly (suck)"

[max]

have you ever seen a PBS documentary called "Mr. K" or something?

i was in all of the blurred 'action' shots, kind of reenacting the 1980 World Series, in white and powder blue jerseys running and catching for the camera alone out at Kauffman Stadium for the documentary.

2 high school games played at Kauffman Stadium:

2-4 BB, 2 RBI

MONEY COLLECTED FROM KANSAS CITY ROYALS BASEBALL CLUB:

$120

(ALL OF OUR GAMES SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORFEITED, RIGHT?)

(IS THE SAME KIND OF THING THAT :censored:S OVER OTHER, PROBABLY BETTER, PLAYERS IN H.S. AND COLLEGE?)

please go royals

[Joshawaggie]

what?