Orioles 2012 Changes

[McCall]

It's cool I guess, but I don't like how theres 3 orange jerseys in the league now.

The Orioles and Giants seem to be slightly different shades of orange though.

And the Marlins script makes it so different from the other two, I don't think there will be any confusion.

I'm not saying it will be confusing, it will just be pretty excessive.

Well unless you think there should be 30 different colored alternates, there are gonna be some jerseys of the same color.

[hofflalu]

My theory has always been that teams should wear the look that is most-associated with their period of greatest success, since that's the time that brands a team in the most-positive and memorable light. It's the reason I've thought the Brewers should return to the "MB/glove" look, the Royals to full-time powder blue, the Reds to the Big Red Machine look...and the reason I'm glad the Blue Jays are returning to the World Series/Joe Carter look, the Mets are apparently echoing the Miracle Mets look (well, and the woeful 1962 look as well, but, um...work with me, here!), even the A's bringing back the yellow jersey last year with "A's" on the chest, reminiscent of the '72-'74 three-peat A's. I see these looks and think of the most memorable teams in the history of these franchises. I see the cartoon bird and white panels and think just that about the Orioles.

So you're also saying that you would like to see the Pirates go back to their bumblebees-on-acid disaster uniforms of the late-70s? Or the White Sox go back to their beer league softball-esque collared jerseys with shorts or the beach blanket design? Ugh...

Fair point on the bumblebees. Now, one could also argue for the mustard look of '71, or the sleeveless jerseys of '60, so there are multiple options with the Pirates.

Really, it's subjective. Heck, the Marlins' "successful" look is the one they just ditched (yes, they kind of had to with the switch from "Florida" to "Miami," but still), and I prefer their new look. So the theory isn't fully consistent. And, again, I fully admit to a certain nostalgia bias: uniforms that were worn in the late '70s/early-mid '80s will always look the best to me, since they were the first unis I saw when I got into baseball.

I would actually argue that the Orioles look a little better with the current large jersey script, instead of the narrower script from the '70s and '80s. While to me, the cartoon bird, the orange, and the white panels drive home the "classic" look, the modern version of the script actually makes the uniform better.

[Gfonk04]

The comment about 3 orange alts is not really valid. The O's are the only AL team with one, the Giants and Marlins are on opposite coasts, and I think you could fill a book with all the blue jerseys out there. And it's not like these jerseys will ever be worn in the same game (maybe at the All Star Game). Three out of thirty teams (or three out of 90 jerseys, 120+ if we count BP and special event deals) is pretty reasonable.

[UnclearInitial]

I'm never going to understand the love for the cartoon bird. It never looked like a major league logo, and never will. Could be a fine minor league logo, but the ornithologically correct bird is much better. The new Baltimore script being in those italics and causing that awful "l" to "t" gap, and doesn't match the Orioles script anymore. The paneled cap does not work full-time. Really, the only thing they improved is finally adding an orange alt and dropping those sleeve scripts. Add in mismatched logos, and I'd give this a C-.

[TruColor]

Orioles Orange vs. Marlins Red-Orange vs. Giants Orange.

They're all different, but pretty close. Here's a comparison using the spot colors and the textile colors:

Baltimore Orioles (Solid - Textile):

<--->

Miami Marlins (Solid - Textile):

<--->

San Francisco Giants (Solid - Textile):

<--->

And because this ALWAYS (!) comes up every time I post something with Pantone Textile colors - remember, those color descriptions come from Pantone, not the teams themselves. We clear?

[Mac the Knife]

I used to hate the cartoon bird and love the current ornithologically correct bird, but now the cartoon bird is really growing on me. However, it's dumb to have the orinth. correct bird as the primary but use the cartoon one for the caps.

Perhaps, but when you have the orinth. correct version virtually everywhere in your stadium, you need to make a concession or two in that regard.

[NDwas]

Ok. I updated ALL of the Orioles' uniforms to better reflect the actual coloring.

For an example, just compare these two:

Any better, Mr. ColorWerx? (thanks for the awesome style guide, by the way!)

[AnythingChicago]

A+++++++++++++++++, Orioles!

[winghaz]

I really wish the Orioles made the Swinging Bird logo as their main logo.

[Showtime029]

OK, I'm trying to be as unbiased as I can here, but this has got to be the best set in the MLB right now!

The artwork didn't do it justice. Solid set.

[Kramerica Industries]

Having three orange alts in the league is a great thing. It adds more of a vibrant color, and a color that isn't used by half the teams in the league (red/navy) to the fold. Huge positives, and additions by the Marlins and Orioles, especially the latter, who emphasizes orange yet only had a black alt at their disposal.

In fact, coupled with the black-emphasizing Giants only having an orange alt, that was one of the dumbest things of observation in baseball.

[BadSeed84]

This clearly would be the coolest primary logo they could use.

[Avalancho]

All this "ornithological" talk got me very excited!

You see, English is not my first language and "ornithological" is a word I very much enjoy reading/hearing, especially since it reminds me of this:

The Bird Is the Word

BTW... love the new set (that's pretty much the way I remember the Orioles from the 80's; if a team can pull off the white-panel look, it surely is Baltimore), but with the new road hat the O's cap now seems redundant...

I also don't mind a team having two alternate jerseys, but hopefully they'll know how to match them; for instance, if the opposing team is wearing black/navy, WEAR THE ORANGE ONE...

[Gothamite]

This clearly would be the coolest primary logo they could use.

Brilliant.

[McCall]

All this "ornithological" talk got me very excited!

You see, English is not my first language and "ornithological" is a word I very much enjoy reading/hearing, especially since it reminds me of this:

The Bird Is the Word

BTW... love the new set (that's pretty much the way I remember the Orioles from the 80's; if a team can pull off the white-panel look, it surely is Baltimore), but with the new road hat the O's cap now seems redundant...

I also don't mind a team having two alternate jerseys, but hopefully they'll know how to match them; for instance, if the opposing team is wearing black/navy, WEAR THE ORANGE ONE...

Don't worry, MLB has rules on that.

[RyanB06]

Or the White Sox go back to their beer league softball-esque collared jerseys with shorts or the beach blanket design? Ugh...

Remind us what championships did the White Sox win in those so-called uniforms.

You're right, my bad. I got all caught up in my rant about the fact that terrible uniforms should never be resurrected (save for the occasional throwback night), no matter how well the team did when they regularly wore them. I guess I focused to much on the monstrosity of the unis themselves rather than the team reputation behind them

To be fair, the White Sox did make the ALCS in 1983 and finished in the top half of the AL West on two other occasions during their tenure.

The team those Tony LaRussa-managed Pale Hose lost to in '83? The Orioles.

[aci]

I'm never going to understand the love for the cartoon bird. It never looked like a major league logo, and never will. Could be a fine minor league logo, but the ornithologically correct bird is much better. The new Baltimore script being in those italics and causing that awful "l" to "t" gap, and doesn't match the Orioles script anymore. The paneled cap does not work full-time. Really, the only thing they improved is finally adding an orange alt and dropping those sleeve scripts. Add in mismatched logos, and I'd give this a C-.

I couldn't agree more... I was starting to think I was the only one that hated that stupid cartoon bird. It looked cheesy and minor-league in the 70's, and it looks cheesy and minor-league now. The actual Oriole they have as a logo actually looks classy, like the Cardinals' bird.

[Pete1418]

Love the new cap logo, the road hat looks best though

[rmackman]

I like the new set. One question and one comment though:

Is this hat gone for good now?

I like the whole thing, but I always thought this was their best black alternate jersey...which really the only difference is the white outline around the script:

[Gothamite]

I like the new set. One question and one comment though:

Is this hat gone for good now?

Yes. The bird is sticking around as part of the primary, but not on any of the caps.