Pecking Order: Baseball Logos

I started this blog to be an outlet for my sports obsession. Some people can periodically watch a game, a few playoff games, or simply follow only their favorite team and be satisfied. Some people are like me and need to be fully immersed in all things sports. It's not just the game I love. It's everything about the event; the stadium, the history of each team, the rivalry, the implications, the logos, the uniforms, the mascots. I love it all. So I am going to do a weekly ranking list on something I love about sports. For my first one, I have chosen my favorite thing for my favorite sport: MLB logos.

 I love logos, new and old, and I really love baseball. Outside of sports, I have always been into marketing, graphic design, and brand development in general. So that paired with sports is a perfect combination of two of my favorite things. I have ranked all 30 teams, top to bottom with the following criteria:

• Overall look of the logo
• Color scheme
• Elements specific to city/team name
• History of team, or logo itself
• Creativity

Baseball has gone through a little bit of desurgence in regards to logos as of late. Most teams feature either red or blue, and many have the infamous circle logo. So some teams are higher are my list, simply because they don't feature this template design, or have a cool color set.  Some teams may have this bland concept, but because of the history of the team get a pass. Anyway, here it goes, and feel free to discuss or debate any of the rankings in the comments section.

30. Cleveland Indians

The block C is now the official primary logo of the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland has been slowly weening Chief Wahoo from their brand, all while denying it's racist caricature. Wahoo is still a part of the Indians brand, but the block C will be used in marketing materials and TV broadcasts. I am glad to see Wahoo gone, but this incredibly bland C is pathetic. Maybe an outline or something would help? I ranked Cleveland last because of the boring C, and their pathetic grasping of the incredibly racist Chief Wahoo. He needs to go completely.

29. Miami Marlins

Part of the deal with the Marlins new stadium was the team would have to drop Florida, and be renamed the Miami Marlins. With the new name would come an all new logo and uniform set. Gone is the realistic marlin and teal, replaced by this simple marlin and awful color scheme. Aside from ripping off Maroon 5, this logo is just painful to look at. The bright color scheme does seem to mesh well with Miami, but the logo as a whole is just too bad to make up for that.

28. Washington Nationals

Get ready for a run of very similar logos. The most overused logo template in baseball is the circle logo, city and team name inside, with the hat logo in the center. Washington made this primary recently when they switched from the block letters they had when they first moved from Montreal, to a more classic looking script. The re-brand as a whole was an upgrade, but this logo is so predictable. It is the lowest of all the circle logos, because they could have done so much better. Each time I see it I think of Walgreens.

26. Texas Rangers

Texas is the first to introduce another baseball logo cliche, a baseball. The Rangers have created a pretty nice uniform set in the past few seasons, switching between the red and blue. They use the Texas flag well on the sleeves and through their stadium. Their primary logo has it all; circle logo, cap logo, baseball, and red/blue scheme. They are slightly above Washington because the font is different and is perfect for Texas.

26. San Diego Padres

The worst part about this logo is the Padres actually had a pretty cool logo until they recently switched to this. The previous logo had a wave inside a home plate shape and featured a sand and light water color that fit the city perfectly, making the switch to this extra frustrating. The Padres logo is above Washington/Texas because it is a little cleaner. I like the SD cap logo, and I like how it says baseball club.

25. Oakland Athletics

I will try not to repeat myself, but it's going to be hard with all of these repeating logos. In Oakland's defense, they have used a logo similar to this since the 60's. I really want to like this team but they make it so hard. They play in awful stadium and can't seem to get a new one. Billy Beane with all his financial restraints manages to put out a quality team every year it seems, and you have to love the way they play. They get a bonus point for having a different color scheme, and the history of their look.

24. Seattle Mariners

If you are keeping track that's three circle logos for the AL West. Seattle has had this look since the early 90's, and for me is still synonymous with Griffey, A-Rod, and Jay Buhner. I like the use of the compass, but they had to sneak a baseball in there didn't they? The teal accent is very 90's, and an upgrade is more than due. There were rumors of the team dropping the teal for a cream and gold look, but that has yet to come true.

23. Minnesota Twins

Oh look, it's a circle logo with a baseball in it. Minnesota changes things up with the home uniform script instead of the cap logo. Although, I really like the TC cap logo. The nod to the twin cities (the team name) is actually pretty cool. This logo is a recent update for the Twins and far better than the previous one. For a circle logo, I actually kind of like this one. It's clean and the font is nice. The way the stitching of the baseball placement is different and fits really well. 

22. Houston Astros

Houston went through a complete re-brand with it's move to the AL West, home of the circle logos. Another popular trend is retro logos. Teams are either going back to old sets completely or modernizing previous brands like the Astros have done here. Even though this is the simple circle with cap logo, I really like this homage for the Astros. It's far better than the previous set, and I have a soft spot for orange and blue. 

21. Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto struggled with an identity for over a decade after switching away from the look they won back to back World Series with in the early 90's. They even rocked this monstrosity out for a season. They finally gave up, and went back to a slightly updated version of their previous look which was a great choice. This new logo features a much cleaner looking Jay, a brighter blue, and of course the red Maple Leaf. Yes, it has all the cliche elements with the circle, baseball, and red/blue. The retro update and nod to Canada bumps it up the list for me.

20. Philadelphia Phillies

Our infamous circle has now been replaced with the shape of the infield. In the Phillies history, this is by far the best logo they've ever had, which is probably why they have stuck with it since 1993. I would probably rank this logo lower, but it's not a circle, and I like the nod to Philly with the Liberty Bell in the background. The Phils have been rocking a retro uni at home, more often their standard home set, and their minor league teams have had some updates recently, so they may have one coming soon as well.

19. Pittsburgh Pirates

Yes, the Pirates new primary logo as of this season is simply the P cap logo. So why is it ranked so high? Pittsburgh has a great scheme with their black and yellow that just makes you think about the city, unified in all sports. The Pirates get bonus points for finally getting rid of the "Jolly Roger" primary logo. The Jolly Roger is still used which is loved by the Pirates fans, but they hadn't used the font in this logo since 2002, and they no longer used red. They also get bonus points for choosing to use their version of the circle logo, as a secondary. 

18. San Francisco Giants

Not much to say about this logo. It's a baseball with Giants script. That being said, I love that script, the black and orange, and even the cream shade they use in the logo and their home uniforms. It separates them and fits the history of the team perfectly.

17. Los Angeles Angels

So the naming of this team is either redundant, or incredibly awesome. After being purchased by Disney, they were used in an awesome 90's kids movie. Young JGL, Tony Danza, Murtaugh, and Doc?? I might go watch that right now. After the movie, they switched to this awful, and accidentally pornographic logo. Which only makes me think of the best catch I have ever seen. Anyway, early 2000's the Angels were sold, and re-branded to a modernized version, or clean version, of their classic look. They won a World Series in 2002, and then became the absurd Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem. That aside, I love the classic look and the halo.

16. Milwaukee Brewers

It has a circle logo with a baseball and team script, but it works for me. The colors, font, and wheat on the bottom pull together a pretty awesome theme. The Brewers old logo is still one of the coolest retro logos of all-time and a favorite of the Brew Crew fans. I would expect them to switch to a modernized version of it soon.

15. Cincinnati Reds

Other than a brief stint as the Red-legs during the communism scare of the 50's, the Reds are one of the more historic, classic, and consistent looks in all of baseball. They have used black less and less in recent years, aside from some shadowing like in this logo. This logo is simple but it just screams baseball.

14. Kansas City Royals

This logo features the team script as well as the cap logo after a slight update in 2001. Again, I give the Royals credit for maintaining a classic look and having a team name that fits their city. The name comes from the American Royal, a rodeo held in the city since the 1800's. The city has always kept with this theme with all of its sports team names (Chiefs, Monarchs, Kings, and Royals again). The Royals love to use their powder blue shade in their uniforms but it doesn't creep into the logo. I'm not sure if that would be an upgrade but no complaints as it is.

13. New York Mets

An interesting take on using a circle and a baseball in their logo, the Mets have used this same logo since their expansion season, other than updating the color shades, and using black briefly. As I said before, I really like the combo of orange and blue, especially with the Mets. When New York was given an NL team, they chose orange and blue to honor the Giants and Dodgers, respectively, who had relocated to California. That story, with the New York skyline and bridge, make this a pretty cool logo. 

12. Baltimore Orioles

This is another fairly simple logo that I really like. The team was renamed when it moved from St. Louis. The Baltimore Browns just wouldn't be the same. The team chose the state bird and turned the franchise around rather quickly. They recently dropped the baseball diamond from the logo, giving this a much better look. They get points for that and even though this is the primary, they also get a bump for bringing this logo back for the caps.

11. Colorado Rockies

The only logo the team has ever had since coming into the league in 1993. It's pretty obvious where the team nickname comes from but it was actually used by an NHL team first. Not many pro teams can pull off purple, but with the purple mountain majesties in the background and a baseball flying by, this logo is creative enough to work. It has stood the team's first 20 years and just may be around for another 20.

10. Los Angeles Dodgers

I have rated their logo higher than it probably deserves, but again, I give a boost for the history of the logo. A couple years ago, they cleaned up the script and red lines in the background. Other than that, it is the only logo the team has had since moving to LA. Despite being red and blue, I can't think of a better shade of blue in baseball than Dodger Blue. There is no better look for summer baseball than the Dodgers playing in Chavez Ravine. The Dodger blue caps with the block LA, the Dodgers script, and the brightest white uniforms in baseball. It's a timeless look.

9. Chicago Cubs

Ok, I know I should technically hate this logo, but it gets a major boost from the historic factor. Any kid growing up within 500 miles of Chicago had a good chance of being a Cubs fan because they were always on WGN. Prior to Directv and MLB Network, there really wasn't a lot of national coverage in the way of baseball games. Just like the Dodgers, I don't know if anything screams summer baseball more than the Cubs uniforms at Wrigley Field. There isn't much to this logo, but the way it makes you feel about baseball, it's impossible to hate.

8. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox and Cubs are in very similar categories from a historical standpoint. Boston gets the bump because of some recent updates, and well, they have won 3 of 10 World Series. Someday Cubs fans, someday. Boston dropped their circle logo and cap logo to secondary status in 2009, making the hanging sox their primary. The logo is featured on the sleeve of their road uniforms and was used on an alternate cap for the past few seasons. Just like the Dodgers and Cubs, the Red Sox get a bump from the classic factor. The Red Sox classic look, playing at Fenway Park, it doesn't get much better.

7. Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox were one of the first teams to update a retro look when they switched to this logo in 1991. The Sox logo was featured on the uniform in the 50's, and for a long time was associated with the "Black Sox Scandal" in 1919. Great, now I need to watch Field of Dreams too. This logo, with black, silver, and white is an awesome baseball set. In the same way the Cubs fits perfect to North Chicago, this feels perfect for South Sider baseball fans. The team is named White Sox, but their Sox logo features black socks, and the team actually wears black socks, so that's kind of annoying. But, I'm ranking just the logo, and this Sox font is awesome and just edges out their fellow Sox team in Boston.

 6. Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-Backs came into the league into 1998 with a hideous logo. The team won quickly with Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in 2001 against the Yankees in one of the weirder looking World Series ever. The team kept the A logo, but switched to this color scheme in 2006. The colors are awesome and the sand shade is pefect for the desert. The diamonds on the back of the A, the snake fangs, and the nod to mountains and the valley of Phoenix makes this one of the coolest non-classic logos.

5. St. Louis Cardinals

The cardinal resting on a baseball bat is one of the most iconic images in baseball. This logo gets a major boost for history and the way it makes you feel. The simple color scheme of the cardinal red with blue outlines and the hints of yellow from the beak are perfect. You can't look at this logo without thinking of some of the great players who have played there, or Busch Stadium with the view of the arch. There might not be a better baseball town or place to catch a game. With 11 World Series titles, the red birds fall just behind one team as the kings of baseball.

4. New York Yankees

The team everyone either loves or hates, and I place myself in the ladder. The New York Yankees are the undeniable kings of baseball. No one has a more storied history, more championships, more Hall of Famers, or a more classic look. Most people think of the NY cap logo, and pinstripes when they think about the Yankees, but this circle baseball logo featuring an Uncle Sam hat is their actual Primary. The uniform doesn't feature red at all and their shade of blue is the darkest shade of navy ever, it almost looks black. So why is this logo so high? Because it's the damn Yankees.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

The other expansion team of 1998 was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They were introduced with possibly a worse logo than the D-Backs. It screamed minor league, it screamed 90's with neon color gradients, and what the hell is a Devil Ray? The team switched to green and black for 6 years before making a full re-brand in 2008. Dropping Devil from the name and now referencing more the sun rays of Tampa, the logo features two awesome shades of blue, a ball diamond, a sun ray beacon, and an awesome, classic looking font. For a team with no history, Tampa has turned their franchise around with this perfect baseball logo.

2. Detroit Tigers

The old-English D has been a staple of Tigers baseball since 1904. Their primary has gone through many changes over the years, but the D has always stayed on the left chest of Tigers players. The Tigers brought back the D as the primary in 1994, but featuring a cartoon tiger crawling through. In 2005, they dropped the Tiger. Like the Yankees, the Tigers feature a different logo on their cap, which is equally as cool. Detroit fans refer to their city as the "D", which makes this logo even more fitting. They use only blue and white at home but bust out the Tiger orange on the road for another awesome look. The old-English D can stand alone though as the best classic logo in baseball.

1. Atlanta Braves

The number one logo on my list is the Atlanta Braves. This logo has a little bit of everything, and is cool enough to help me ignore the fact it is red and blue. The team began in Boston and moved to Milwaukee before settling into Atlanta. The Braves dropped the Native American head logo in 1989, after using it for nearly 30 years, even though it was a more realistic depiction. They did it with the first hints of it being offensive, a move far ahead of the times. They also dropped their mascot which is why they are at #1 and Cleveland is at #30. Their intention is not to mock but to honor, and I think they do it very well. The Braves made their script font, which they had always used, their primary and added the tomahawk. This logo across the front of their white home uniforms is one of the best looks in baseball. The fans of Atlanta have always bought into the brand, and you can debate if the "tomahawk chop" is home in ATL, or Florida State. I love the look of this logo; how creative and not template designed it is, how classic it feels, and how much it screams Atlanta baseball. This was a tough decision to make, but the Atlanta Braves are my favorite logo in the pecking order of baseball logos.