Blue Jays to change uniforms for next season

[TheOldRoman]

Nobody else has issue with them using navy instead of royal blue? I am surpised. We have been sold this crap about navy being an equal substitute for royal blue (though not the other way around) and going to a completely different, darker shade of any color being an "upgrade" over the last 15 years or so, it seems like many people hardly recognize the color changes anymore.

To me, this move is selling people on going back to the championship colors without actually going back to them. At least with the most recent set, they weren't pretending to be something they weren't.

[nash61]

This is the Padres version of the same t-shirt (with the team name removed to avoid the generic/official wordmark discussion):

Here is the current alt logo.

[larrypep]

This is the Padres version of the same t-shirt (with the team name removed to avoid the generic/official wordmark discussion):

Here is the current alt logo.

I'm not seeing a difference in the two logos.

So it looks like the Padres are keeping the same color scheme (maybe dropping sand as a color) but changing the uniforms. Doesn't look like red is going to be one of the colors. I have a feeling I'm going to be very underwhelmed.

[FiddySicks]

The entire Padres organization is the epitome of underwhelming.

[whitedawg22]

Are we going to have a guy who lives outside Rogers Centre issue antisemitic slurs while denying that this is the real logo?

I LIVE INSIDE THE SKYDOME AND HAVE SEX IN THE WINDOW AND THIS MEANS I CAN BE QUALIFIED TO I CAN TELL YOU WITH ARHTRORITY THAT ANYONE WHO THINKS THE JEWRONTO BLUE JEWS WOULD WEAR THIS HIDIOUS CRPA IS A CUBS FAN!!!!

WE'LL SEE ABOUT THIS WHEN THERE'S A PARTY AND SOMETHING

The reference to the hard-fought Blue Jays-Cubs rivalry is a winner.

[uniguy22]

To those in the know, is there a baseball in the Blue Jays primary logo?

[Audiodrama]

This is the Padres version of the same t-shirt (with the team name removed to avoid the generic/official wordmark discussion):

Here is the current alt logo.

I'm not seeing a difference in the two logos.

So it looks like the Padres are keeping the same color scheme (maybe dropping sand as a color) but changing the uniforms. Doesn't look like red is going to be one of the colors. I have a feeling I'm going to be very underwhelmed.

I'm sure as hell underwhelmed. The changes to the primary logo and uniform set are just so...boring.

[BBTV]

There appears to be a very minor change to the S. Wow.

[steve61]

Nobody else has issue with them using navy instead of royal blue? I am surpised. We have been sold this crap about navy being an equal substitute for royal blue (though not the other way around) and going to a completely different, darker shade of any color being an "upgrade" over the last 15 years or so, it seems like many people hardly recognize the color changes anymore.

To me, this move is selling people on going back to the championship colors without actually going back to them. At least with the most recent set, they weren't pretending to be something they weren't.

I agree that the new logo with the original colours would have been better but then again a slightly smaller maple leaf would have been preferred as well. Neither of which are that big a deal in the great scheme of things. I'm just ecstatic that they pulled this off as nicely as they did. This upgrade could have been a disaster, especially considering virtually every failed attempt at "fixing" the original logo over the past two decades. As for selling us on the original, this accomplishes it. By your logic, anything short of bringing back the original logo would fall short of said objective.

As Jays fans, history was not on our side in the logo upgrade department. I imagine the full logo (with baseball background?) will look even better once we get a look at it.

[TheOldRoman]

I agree that the new logo with the original colours would have been better but then again a slightly smaller maple leaf would have been preferred as well. Neither of which are that big a deal in the great scheme of things. I'm just ecstatic that they pulled this off as nicely as they did. This upgrade could have been a disaster, especially considering virtually every failed attempt at "fixing" the original logo over the past two decades. As for selling us on the original, this accomplishes it. By your logic, anything short of bringing back the original logo would fall short of said objective.

As Jays fans, history was not on our side in the logo upgrade department. I imagine the full logo (with baseball background?) will look even better once we get a look at it.

First off, although this logo is pretty good (with size and placement of the leaf being the only blunders), I prefer the original. This isn't succesfully updating the original or fixing glaring flaws. I feel colors are much more important to a team than a logo. A logo just appears on a cap and sometimes on a jersey chest or sleeve. The team color is much more omnipresent. You don't see the logo on the unis from the stands unless you are in the first few rows. Teams often change logos without changing colors. I would rather a team return to its classic colors than a classic logo, because the logo can be easily changed. A perfect example is the Golden State Warriors. As bad as their uniforms are and as sloppy as the logo looks with the offset yellow shadow, those could be tweaked in a year. The colors are here for a while. Compare that to the Sabres, who more or less returned to their old logo while making their primary color something completely different from their classic look. While the cap logo will look Blue Jays, the rest of the uniforms won't.

[steve61]

I agree that the new logo with the original colours would have been better but then again a slightly smaller maple leaf would have been preferred as well. Neither of which are that big a deal in the great scheme of things. I'm just ecstatic that they pulled this off as nicely as they did. This upgrade could have been a disaster, especially considering virtually every failed attempt at "fixing" the original logo over the past two decades. As for selling us on the original, this accomplishes it. By your logic, anything short of bringing back the original logo would fall short of said objective.

As Jays fans, history was not on our side in the logo upgrade department. I imagine the full logo (with baseball background?) will look even better once we get a look at it.

First off, although this logo is pretty good (with size and placement of the leaf being the only blunders), I prefer the original. This isn't succesfully updating the original or fixing glaring flaws. I feel colors are much more important to a team than a logo. A logo just appears on a cap and sometimes on a jersey chest or sleeve. The team color is much more omnipresent. You don't see the logo on the unis from the stands unless you are in the first few rows. Teams often change logos without changing colors. I would rather a team return to its classic colors than a classic logo, because the logo can be easily changed. A perfect example is the Golden State Warriors. As bad as their uniforms are and as sloppy as the logo looks with the offset yellow shadow, those could be tweaked in a year. The colors are here for a while. Compare that to the Sabres, who more or less returned to their old logo while making their primary color something completely different from their classic look. While the cap logo will look Blue Jays, the rest of the uniforms won't.

I happen to agree with you. The original to me is perfect. I'm sure part of that is nostalgia bias but when doing a side by side comparison with any concept I've seen over the years (and there have been many), including this leak, none in my opinion have topped it. I also didn't mean to imply that you don't have a right to complain about the change to the blue. That's what we all do here. I'm just recommending that you keep it in perspective. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons in this redesign.

Like you, I'd have been happy with a return to the first logo but for a re-branding based on the original, this far exceeded my expectataions. I'll take the blues both being a slightly darker shade over the infinite number of things that the design firm could have completely screwed up.

[TheOldRoman]

I happen to agree with you. The original to me is perfect. I'm sure part of that is nostalgia bias but when doing a side by side comparison with any concept I've seen over the years (and there have been many), including this leak, none in my opinion have topped it. I also didn't mean to imply that you don't have a right to complain about the change to the blue. That's what we all do here. I'm just recommending that you keep it in perspective. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons in this redesign.

Like you, I'd have been happy with a return to the first logo but for a re-branding based on the original, this far exceeded my expectataions. I'll take the blues both being a slightly darker shade over the infinite number of things that the design firm could have completely screwed up.

No offense taken at all. My point is that I would have actually preferred a different logo, say, the 1997 version, if it meant the championship colors and uniforms would return. Or, as an alternative, I would have preferred they subbed black for the navy because 1)black is on the actual birds, and 2)that would preclude them from pitching this as a return to the championship uniforms. Obviously I am the only one who is hung up on this, but navy is a completely different color from royal. We accept navy being subbed for royal blue, but I think everyone would have objected had the Twins used royal blue as an update when they returned to the more traditional uniforms last season.

[knnhrvy16]

This is the Padres version of the same t-shirt (with the team name removed to avoid the generic/official wordmark discussion):

Here is the current alt logo.

The letters look thinner to me, and the navy looks just a tad lighter. All in all, seems the changes aren't very drastic. That's a real shame, considering the opportunity they had to really improve thier brand. That said, I'll reserve further judgement until the other marks and uniforms are unveiled, though. Who knows? They could roll out a Tucson-like set, which may not be that bad.

[OnWis97]

I happen to agree with you. The original to me is perfect. I'm sure part of that is nostalgia bias but when doing a side by side comparison with any concept I've seen over the years (and there have been many), including this leak, none in my opinion have topped it. I also didn't mean to imply that you don't have a right to complain about the change to the blue. That's what we all do here. I'm just recommending that you keep it in perspective. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons in this redesign.

Like you, I'd have been happy with a return to the first logo but for a re-branding based on the original, this far exceeded my expectataions. I'll take the blues both being a slightly darker shade over the infinite number of things that the design firm could have completely screwed up.

No offense taken at all. My point is that I would have actually preferred a different logo, say, the 1997 version, if it meant the championship colors and uniforms would return. Or, as an alternative, I would have preferred they subbed black for the navy because 1)black is on the actual birds, and 2)that would preclude them from pitching this as a return to the championship uniforms. Obviously I am the only one who is hung up on this, but navy is a completely different color from royal. We accept navy being subbed for royal blue, but I think everyone would have objected had the Twins used royal blue as an update when they returned to the more traditional uniforms last season.

I think it's reflective of what has been a long trend...bright colors are not well-liked. Everyone wants to darken their colors up. Royal(ish) to Navy(ish) is pretty common. The T-Wolves, the Edmonton Oilers, etc. You even see it in college (where I feel school colors should be even more untouchable than in pros) with schools like Iowa State (both Red and Yellow are darker than the pre-blue-debacle days). And while I do feel that the Oilers change in the 1990s was outstanding, I agree that it's too bad we've gotten to the point where brightness is bad.

But I am totally on board with Steve: Yes it would have been good if they'd nailed the colors, but thank goodness they went to a much better look. I think most of us are so tired of this black/grey look that we're just glad that it's about to be shelved.

Your point is totally taken though...hopefully the cubs don't change to Navy.

[TheOldRoman]

I actually thought a few years ago that the Cubs would eventually switch to navy on the road. They had been making most of their merchandise (and even their BP jerseys) in navy, and since the home set is essentially untouchable, I figured they would do a primarily navy road set. Luckily, a few years ago the navy merchandise was greatly reduced. It's still there, just not onfield gear. I think the navy infatuation with them has passed.

As for the colors, I have made this arguement before: MLB merchandise sales are split evenly between the teams. The Rockies get just as much money from every Yankee cap sold as the Yankees do. The exception is that teams get to keep all of what is sold in their team stores. Still, if the Blue Jays increase merchandise sales 100% next year, they will see very little of it. So, instead of chasing the whole dark colors trend, why not come up with something bright, even to the extent the new Marlins set would be with the black eliminated? Come up with unique colors that your team could own. You would make only a small amount less money (if the presumed "people only wear dark colors" hypothesis holds true), but creating such a strong identity would be more than worth it.

[OnWis97]

I actually thought a few years ago that the Cubs would eventually switch to navy on the road. They had been making most of their merchandise (and even their BP jerseys) in navy, and since the home set is essentially untouchable, I figured they would do a primarily navy road set. Luckily, a few years ago the navy merchandise was greatly reduced. It's still there, just not onfield gear. I think the navy infatuation with them has passed.

As for the colors, I have made this arguement before: MLB merchandise sales are split evenly between the teams. The Rockies get just as much money from every Yankee cap sold as the Yankees do. The exception is that teams get to keep all of what is sold in their team stores. Still, if the Blue Jays increase merchandise sales 100% next year, they will see very little of it. So, instead of chasing the whole dark colors trend, why not come up with something bright, even to the extent the new Marlins set would be with the black eliminated? Come up with unique colors that your team could own. You would make only a small amount less money (if the presumed "people only wear dark colors" hypothesis holds true), but creating such a strong identity would be more than worth it.

I had no idea. Is that the case in NFL/NHL/NBA? I think it makes sense...encourages more color scheme diversity (at least in theory...right, Padres?). This makes me all that much more disappointed in the Padres. One would think that while a single team may want to go Navy/Red if it was every team for itself, that a league-wide merchandise revenue sharing system would be benefited if there was a brown team and teams with more color schemes. It definitely validates your point about the Jays going to "championship years" but using Navy over Royal.

[TheOldRoman]

I am certain of it being the case in baseball, but I don't think they share merchandise revenue in other leagues.

[TBGKon]

I have to laugh at this news of the new Jays logo. My old boss at the Florida Ops offices in Dunedin, FL painted the lobby and clubhouse in the old graphite and blue accents just under a year ago.

Kinda funny no one clued him in on the change when all of that money was spent, you can't tell me upper management didnt have this in mind back then.

[eRay]

The ironic thing is, clubs buy into the "Navy & Black sell" idea, and put their teams in those colors...then New Era feels they have to make the hat in bright colors in order to sell anything. Which is it? I think anything good will sell, teams just saw the Yankees, Red Sox, and other simple-dark teams selling well and assumed it was the Navy or Black. Anything will sell if it looks good.

[RedSox44]

Sweet Jesus, yes. That's a great logo.