2013 Houston Astros Uniforms

[whchoclte]

I dont think they should go reinventing the wheel here. They have a great base to start with from all their logos.

[The_Admiral]

I wish it were, so maybe fewer people would say "derp what's a met"

Well what the heck is a "Metropolitan"?

Someone who lives in a metropolis, I suppose. Seems like it could be a poetic way to refer to New Yorkers, New York being the metropolis and all. I guess I just like oddly quaint nicknames more than you do, though I agree that "Federals" is dumb and crappy and the name of a million fantasy football teams.

[PoppersPop]

Too subtle, in my opinion. It's an H first, an A second, a star third, if you squint. The team name is, essentially, the Stars. Their logo should be a star above all else.

I think evoking space is more important than having a star, especially since the Cowboys and Rangers use stars just up north from Houston.

Again, there is zero reason for Houston teams to cede "stars" to any or all DFW teams. It's the Lone Star State. Every team can (and I would argue should) incorporate the star.

I'm not saying they should avoid stars, just that it'll take more than stars to make it scream "Astros." There is a lot more in aerospace imagery/iconography than just stars.

This is an incorrect statement. For the last time, the word "astro" literally means "star." Having a star as the primary component of their logo is exactly what it would take to make it scream "Astros."

Yes, the team is named the Astros to honour the area's aerospace industry/history. If possible, that should be played up too. I'm just saying a team who's name literally means "Stars" shouldn't downplay stars in the design process.

That's like saying the Chiefs should have an Indian head instead of an arrowhead.

Not really.

Here's a better crack at it. A team named the Houston Astros using an H/orbit logo would make as much sense as much sense as the Winnipeg Jets using a logo that depicts an air traffic control tower. Related to the team name while still missing the point.

First it's "colour isn't a vital part of team branding" now it's "teams should actively avoid using the thing they're named after as a logo."

I can't wait to see what else this forum has in store.

Plus, they already have a star as part of their branding now and it definitely does not scream 'Astros.'

Actually the star logo is the only part of their current set that screams "Astros."

The angle you're taking is that the logo should be a literal representation of the team name and in this case the name Astros 'literally' means 'Stars.' But the name 'Astros' represents more than just a five-pointed polygon (which really isn't a very accurate symbol of 'giant balls of gas' that stars actually are.) It represents Houston's tie to the aerospace industry which has plenty of additional iconography to use. They aren't named the Houston Stars. And as their current identity does include the shape of star but ignores the tie to aerospace, it's pretty much regarded as one of the worst identities among MLB clubs. I think this H/A concept (while not perfect) is very successful in capturing what many think the Astros identity should feel like, regardless of whether or not it has an actual or implied star within it.

And your hypothetical with Jets doesn't really counter my example of the Chiefs since the Chiefs actually do use an arrowhead for an identity that's pretty successful. I don't know where you're making these steadfast black & white rules for branding.

[ToyFrisbee]

I'm afraid it's gonna be a cluster. I hope to God they return to the H-star cap...orange or navy. The current "shooting star" cap that just sits there, with the missing part on its side, is a terrible design. Fix the damn star so it's a star. I hope it's nearly exactly like the 60s unis with a slight modification to the the wordmark. Minute Maid will look great in orange and blue, and it's gonna cost Crane an arm and a leg to re-brand the property. No biggie, he's got the coin.

The star is open so the negative space looks like the astronaut pin:

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/NASA-ASTRONAUT-PIN-LOGO-HAT-US-PILOT-CREW-SPACE-SHUTTLE-APOLLO-SPACE-STATION-USA-/00/$(KGrHqYOKkQE1r4Vh1gFBNcWjW0dsQ~~_3.JPG

Is that really the genesis for the open-ended star design that was introduced with the Caminiti-era of metallic gold and midnight blue? If so, I'm impressed by your knowledge on the matter, ksupilot! I've never heard that. I just think the block H imposed on a standard star is a very underrated logo. It's simple and iconic, and shouldn't have been scrapped.

[BrySmalls]

I wish it were, so maybe fewer people would say "derp what's a met"

Well what the heck is a "Metropolitan"? Who says "oh, that George is a fine metropolitan man."? What's the opposite of metropolitan - hayseed?

While the shortened "Mets" is cute and has a certain charm, "Metropolitans" is dumb, just like "Nationals" is dumb (again, who identifies themselves as a "national" in 2012?), "Federals" is dumb, etc. I get that some of these names were used at the turn of the 20th century when times were different, but I would think that Metropolitans was as corny in the '60s as Nationals is now.

It's unfair to label the "Metropolitans" and "Nationals" monikers as "dumb" since these teams have decided to invoke nicknames which harken back to historical baseball ties or references. It would have been inappropriate for the Nationals to have kept the Expos moniker since D.C. has never hosted the World's Fair sanctioned by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE).

[Sport]

I'm very happy the Astros will be moving away from their current uniforms, which I would put at #30 on my MLB rankings list. The colors are unattractive and the uniforms don't fit in with their nickname. I think the most amazing thing about those colors are that another team copied them almost exactly!

I'm afraid it's gonna be a cluster. I hope to God they return to the H-star cap...orange or navy. The current "shooting star" cap that just sits there, with the missing part on its side, is a terrible design. Fix the damn star so it's a star. I hope it's nearly exactly like the 60s unis with a slight modification to the the wordmark. Minute Maid will look great in orange and blue, and it's gonna cost Crane an arm and a leg to re-brand the property. No biggie, he's got the coin.

The star is open so the negative space looks like the astronaut pin:

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/NASA-ASTRONAUT-PIN-LOGO-HAT-US-PILOT-CREW-SPACE-SHUTTLE-APOLLO-SPACE-STATION-USA-/00/$(KGrHqYOKkQE1r4Vh1gFBNcWjW0dsQ~~_3.JPG

Is that really the genesis for the open-ended star design that was introduced with the Caminiti-era of metallic gold and midnight blue? If so, I'm impressed by your knowledge on the matter, ksupilot! I've never heard that. I just think the block H imposed on a standard star is a very underrated logo. It's simple and iconic, and shouldn't have been scrapped.

I've never heard that before, but knowing there was some intent behind the missing "notch" makes me hate the current star a little less. I still think it's a dull, stagnant, motion-lacking, non-dynamic update to the previous star, which actually conveyed the movement of a shooting star. The one they've been wearing the last 12 year or so just looks like a star that got eaten.

[ToyFrisbee]

Paul Lukas at Uni Watch (a la ESPN.com) is getting into the mix with a call to "Redesign the Astros." Give 'em hell, guys!

http://www.uni-watch.com/2012/05/31/uni-watch-readers-will-get-to-redesign-the-astros/

[CubsFanBudMan]

Paul Lukas at Uni Watch (a la ESPN.com) is getting into the mix with a call to "Redesign the Astros." Give 'em hell, guys!

http://www.uni-watch.com/2012/05/31/uni-watch-readers-will-get-to-redesign-the-astros/

I'll be sure to get my crayons out.

[DustDevil61]

You know, a funny thought occured to me, but what if the "new" the Astros were referring to was using a red-orange instead of orange? You know, kinda like what the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Marlins wear?

A Red-Orange/Navy/Athletic Gold or Red-Orange/Navy look could look good if done right, though it's looking more likely than not that we'll be getting an updated 1960s "Shooting Star" look more than anything.

[loogodude90]

You know, a funny thought occured to me, but what if the "new" the Astros were referring to was using a red-orange instead of orange? You know, kinda like what the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Marlins wear?

A Red-Orange/Navy/Athletic Gold or Red-Orange/Navy look could look good if done right, though it's looking more likely than not that we'll be getting an updated 1960s "Shooting Star" look more than anything.

Isn't their current orange kind of a red-orange?

And I consider OKC and the Marlins to wear plain orange.

[TruColor]

You know, a funny thought occured to me, but what if the "new" the Astros were referring to was using a red-orange instead of orange? You know, kinda like what the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Marlins wear?

A Red-Orange/Navy/Athletic Gold or Red-Orange/Navy look could look good if done right, though it's looking more likely than not that we'll be getting an updated 1960s "Shooting Star" look more than anything.

Isn't their current orange kind of a red-orange?

And I consider OKC and the Marlins to wear plain orange.

The Astros don't currently wear Orange; they wear Brick (Red):

You may not "consider" the Marlins and Thunder to use a Red-Orange, but they do:

As a contrast, here's the shade of Orange that the Astros previously used:

...it is now currently being used by the Tigers and Giants for what it's worth.

And for good measure, here's the Orioles' Orange, which is slightly different:

[NYCdog]

Owner Jim Crane has been stating rebranding will be a mix of old & new. And its beginning to sound like we'll see the current "shooting star" cap logo recolored to blue & orange and paired with the 1965-70 uni's

Thoughts?!?

[FiddySicks]

Owner Jim Crane has been stating rebranding will be a mix of old & new. And its beginning to sound like we'll see the current "shooting star" cap logo recolored to blue & orange and paired with the 1965-70 uni's

Thoughts?!?

Not too happy about the uniforms or colors, but if they keep the current star it'll be acceptable. Their current cap logo is the best in the bigs IMO, by a country mile.

[GFB]

Owner Jim Crane has been stating rebranding will be a mix of old & new. And its beginning to sound like we'll see the current "shooting star" cap logo recolored to blue & orange and paired with the 1965-70 uni's

Thoughts?!?

Not too happy about the uniforms or colors, but if they keep the current star it'll be acceptable. Their current cap logo is the best in the bigs IMO, by a country mile.

I had to reread your post... I thought you said the Astros have the best cap logo in the MLB by a long shot. Haha, you had me going there.

[habsfan1]

A 2-minute mockup of what the logo is probably going to look like...

[Gothamite]

A 2-minute mockup of what the logo is probably going to look like...

Not bad, but nowhere near as good as this:

[tBBP]

Neither one is really all that special.

That said...the bottom one wins by default.

[WSU151]

A 2-minute mockup of what the logo is probably going to look like...

'47 Brand's Cooperstown Current Astros hat. Not sure who would owe who if that's the mark.

Lids

[Gothamite]

A 2-minute mockup of what the logo is probably going to look like...

'47 Brand's Cooperstown Current Astros hat. Not sure who would owe who if that's the mark.

Lids

47 Brand can re-color the logos all they want, it doesn't somehow give them ownership of the marks...

[rmackman]

I would love to see them somehow combine the 1996 logo with the 1990 colors. Maybe use the sharper italicized star with a new italicized H to fit inside. I guess I'd have to see a mock-up because how it looks in my mind probably isn't going to be as good on paper.