2012 MLB & Logo Changes

[RedSox44]

Dearest CCSLC members,

I have an important confession to make.

Since 2004, the year their now-defunct team branding identity was unveiled, I've been going down the path in thinking that my favourite team, the Toronto Blue Jays, could have an effective identity involving Black, and more specifically, Graphite.

Throughout this time, I have been notorious thought the CCSLC as being one of the few who shamelessly advocated this. I even did a small piece for a Uni-Watch column about the Blue Jays unused Graphite road uniforms.

I have made a huge mistake.

Thanks to the new 2012 team branding, and now after seeing them in action, I'm officially denouncing my beliefs over the past 8 years and finally admitting that they should have NEVER gone to Graphite in the first place. Their new look is as close to perfect for the Blue Jays as possible.

You might be thinking that this statement is pretty obvious, but consider the source.

Sincere apologies to all those whose time I've wasted in preaching my beliefs on this over the past 8 years.

Thanks,

Braden

I was 7 or 8 when they rebranded as the black and graphite jays and as a kid, I didn't really like the previous jerseys but I thought the new look was really cool. One funny thing is that I thought they actually shortened their name to the Jays.

Fast-forward to around 2010-2011, I realized how dated the identity was and I learned that they should have never changed from the World Series era unis.

The current unis are amazing and I can't wait to see them in action tomorrow!

That rebrand in my opinion wasn't that bad. In fact when it first happened, I was all for it. The entire look was something refreshing. But when they started to emphasize black a lot more than blue, that's when I started to not like it. The colors were that of an actual blue jay but the lack of blue hurt the image. I am glad they went back to a look that's primarily blue -- the way it should have been

Ditto. And I was one of the few fans of the Clemens Era set. But around 2006 or 2007, I began to realize that that was a really, really, really :censored:ty uniform set.

[Sodboy13]

Between the basic nature of the uniform, and the name and number on the back, this looks like a screen grab of a beta version of an upcoming MLB video game.

[piratesfan16]

The Rays are the worst in the league for several reasons many mentioned. The hilarity of the owners being dead set on the name change meaning rays of sunshine, what a pathetic nickname, and yet keeping the Devil Ray on the shoulder to appease some.

But the main reason is because of the severity in downgrade. From a unique name and color scheme to the definition of downgrade. It's plain, copycat, unoriginal, uncreative, and just sad looking.

[piratesfan16]

Between the basic nature of the uniform, and the name and number on the back, this looks like a screen grab of a beta version of an upcoming MLB video game.

Who's bright idea was it to have placket piping, neck piping, and double sleeve piping? What a disaster.

[erlovepuck]

Saw the giants today, really like those gray alts with the orange brim hat.

I like the look (I think in part because thats the Giants road look I remember as a kid) but for some reason it didn't look as good on the field today as I expected it too.

[RedSox44]

Saw the giants today, really like those gray alts with the orange brim hat.

I like the look (I think in part because thats the Giants road look I remember as a kid) but for some reason it didn't look as good on the field today as I expected it too.

Yup. I like these. Especially the hat. That hat is one of my favorites.

[piratesfan16]

Saw the giants today, really like those gray alts with the orange brim hat.

I like the look (I think in part because thats the Giants road look I remember as a kid) but for some reason it didn't look as good on the field today as I expected it too.

Wow, major letdown there. There's something about it that's just "meh" to me. It would look much better if they kept the old orange-black-orange piping look in my opinion.

[powersurge]

Saw the giants today, really like those gray alts with the orange brim hat.

I like the look (I think in part because thats the Giants road look I remember as a kid) but for some reason it didn't look as good on the field today as I expected it too.

Why is it that there are more than a few major league teams with home white unis that many people would consider to be classic and untouchable yet they also have road grey unis that don't seem to carry the same historical weight, therefore making them prey to change? Maybe I'm exaggerating here, but it seems to me that its worth mentioning. The Cubs, Giants, Reds, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, along with a few others seem to have altered their grey unis multiple times over the years and it doesn't seem like that big of a deal; WHY? The Cubs have gone through a few changes, and the Reds have too. I know the Giants actually changed the font on their home whites a while back, but to me it seems that their grey jerseys have suffered through more changes. Is it me or do road greys get a pass for these teams giving them the license to do whatever they want so long as the home whites remain mostly untouched? Thoughts?

[larrypep]

The Padres have never had an identity since ditching the brown and gold.

How so? They've been wearing navy blue and white for 20 years now. That's their identity. You may not like it, but it is one.

The color scheme is the least of their troubles, TBH. The home script looks a lot like the Cubs' "Cuba" script, the road jerseys are too Yankees, they haven't decided whether or not they want to ditch the sand color, relegating it to script and number trim at home only, their hat is a Yankees ripoff, etc. It's a mismatched mess of elements they've ripped off from teams with actual histories. That is not an identity... it's a mess.

And it was even worse a few years back when the navy blue and orange set was coming to the end of its run and they started wearing Tigers ripoffs at home, yet kept the orange trim on the road, alternate, and batting practice jerseys. It shouldn't be that hard to pick a distinctive color scheme and run with it.

I agree with the notion that there are problems with the current navy set. As an unabashed fan of the brown and gold, I am not so dead-set against the navy scheme if used correctly. Right now, the set they have is bland and boring. I liked the early 90s set in concept but felt they didn't execute it like they could have. I'd like to see more of their 60s PCL set - navy blue and red (very US Navy-like), with the old-style interlocking SD, white S and red D.

Something like this with the cap with the smaller "SD":

And the above jersey, except maybe trimmed more with red, no number on the sleeve - I really like this style of "Padres" written across the chest, maybe a bolder thicker font and red and white trim.

[HolyStroke]

Matching the placket piping to the sleeve and pants piping would do wonders for that SF jersey

[waltere]

The Rays current set being a downgrade from their previous one does not make it in & of itself a bad set.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a truly "awful" uniform in MLB. The "worst" are probably the Rockies, Marlins, and Astros and they aren't even close to being the baseball equivalent of the bottom of the barrel "clown suits" we have to endure in the NFL or College Football. In other words, the worst uniform in MLB is on the same aesthetic level as a middle of the pack NFL or college football uniform. Fortunately, MLB is devoid of any Vikings, Cardinals, Bengals, *Seahawks, et al levels of absurdity.

*What happened to the Seahawks really is a shame. They were the simple step of wearing white pants at home away from being a top five NFL uniform. Now, they're probably the worst look in the league. And in a league that has the Vikings, Bengals, and Cardinals, that's really saying something.

Heartily seconded, although I have the Marlins out on their own at the bottom

[shstpt1]

I do wish that tampa would wear the light blue's more often, and even add a hat with a light blue bill, plus add light blue trim around the numbers on the home set, and it would be pretty amazing. They have flourished since changing to this identity, so i dont complain with this look too much

[FiddySicks]

I like the Giants road alt with the orange billed cap, but man is it a removal from what they've worn on the road the past few seasons. I feel like I'm not even watching the same team!

[Dexter Morgan]

Other than the Rays, AL East is a good looking division (uniform wise)

Whats so bad about Tampa's Look...

they're not bad.. but not they're not good either

[HolyStroke]

The orange billed cap is still just for Sundays right? If they wear the road alt on a different day of the week they'll wear the all black hat correct?

[Dexter Morgan]

This probably sounds weird but the Rays "look" and identity wont change until they move out of that dingy convention center they call a ballpark.

[Gothamite]

This probably sounds weird but the Rays "look" and identity wont change until they move out of that dingy convention center they call a ballpark.

If they move out of that place in the next 20 years, it will be to a new area code, if not time zone. That awful park is the only thing keeping the Rays stuck in a city that is indifferent to them at best.

I rather like their look. The two blues, with touch of gold, great color scheme. And I love their ancillary design, the letter sweaters and the tartan.

[DolphinManatee]

This probably sounds weird but the Rays "look" and identity wont change until they move out of that dingy convention center they call a ballpark.

If they move out of that place in the next 20 years, it will be to a new area code, if not time zone. That awful park is the only thing keeping the Rays stuck in a city that is indifferent to them at best.

I rather like their look. The two blues, with touch of gold, great color scheme. And I love their ancillary design, the letter sweaters and the tartan.

The 813.

[Gothamite]

But no. Not going to happen. They'll as likely move to Portland as Tampa proper.

[The_Admiral]

To me, the biggest flaw with the previous Rays set was the lack of contrast between dark green and deep blue. I didn't mind the progressive nature of the logos (I did mind the vests), so much as the colors just weren't working. Take yesterday's green with today's light blue and you'd have something pretty nice and distinctive among fellow blue/green teams in sports (closest would be Tulane, but that's more of an olive green, which is even more distinctive).

Going all out with the plaid is certainly intriguing, but much like everything the Rays do, the endearingly Tampan step of co-opting old people's ugly golf attire is ruined by their awful park. It just doesn't work indoors. Nothing about baseball does.