Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Does This New Uniform Make My Oriole Look Fat?

The Baltimore Sun reports that the Baltimore Orioles have changed the bird that adorns their caps. It's not a mind-blowing alteration. But it is a good barometer of how desperate the Orioles are to make the news at all.

In other Baltimore uniform news, the article also indicates that the Orioles' road uniforms will read "Baltimore" in script, reverting to a style last seen in 1972.

But surely, no change will attract as much attention -- and be met with as much applause -- as the addition of "Baltimore" to the team's road jerseys for the first time in 36 years.

"Anytime we have a situation where our fans are requesting something of the club, we, of course, listen and try to accommodate whenever possible," said Greg Bader, Orioles director of communications. "One of the things that we said is if and when we do engage in some sort of uniform change, it would not be strictly a reactionary move to do something that didn't help our brand and, in turn, help the organization and our fans in that regard."

The city's name hasn't been on the Orioles' road jerseys since 1972, when then-owner Jerold Hoffberger had it removed in favor of the team's nickname. The decision, made about a year after the Washington Senators moved to Texas and left the nation's capital without a professional baseball team, was widely viewed as an attempt to cast the Orioles as a more regional entity and attract the Senators' fan base.

However, few topics have drawn more ire from Orioles fans, who have cited the organization's failure to make the change as proof that the club had lost touch with its local fan base.

As 'Duk over at Big League Stew indicates, "That leaves only the Angels, Brewers, Cardinals, Phillies and Rays as the only teams too ashamed to advertise where they're from when they're on the road." Zing!

7 comments:

karina said...

Speaking as a graphic designer, the new bird gives a sort of movement sensation. Older bird emblem is way more static and everyone knows that team needs lots of excitement, at least in the uniform.
Besides the older bird emblem has three colors: orange, yellow and black, while the new one has two colors. If they are going to print this bird, it means a very good reduction of the costs.
Tiny change but a great one, in my humble opinion.

karina said...

Steve, i promised to give you some links on typography and design, this one is just pure fun:

http://www.iliveonyourvisits.com/helvetica/#

i got 8, how about you?

Steve Sax said...

karina, that is a brilliant take on the graphic design, seriously! I never even would have caught the cost savings point...

Anonymous said...

It just looks like the Oriole is taking a shit now.

Steve Sax said...

karina, i didn't do so well on that quiz

Orel said...

Great avatar, Karina! It takes me back!

karina said...

Steve, i guess i learned something at college or i just have a deep case of the designer's disease :)
This is an useful link:
http://www.ms-studio.com/articlesarialsid.html

Kensai: i see that the bird is about to spread its wings...like the Orioles should.

Orel: Peanuts rocks the world.