Welcome back to Peculiar Side of Sports. Every so often something in sports perplexes me, and I just hate not knowing something. So, I do what any normal, sane sports fan does – I search ad nauseam for the answer by any means necessary. The good news is that I take all my hard work and relay the results to you. If you are a fan of Sports History, check out the other articles I have written – “Sports History” covering virtually all major sports.
Having already discussed the history of every MLB team’s name in a previous article (give it a read!), I wanted to concentrate on the most historical logos in baseball. I have decided to solely examine those logos currently being used by a team in some form. Here are my top 5 choices for the AL’s most historical logos.
General criteria:
- age – how old is the logo?
- consistency – has it undergone many changes or is it timeless?
- popularity – is the logo one that is well known to fans both in the baseball world, and outside of it?
American League Logo
The American League logo was first used in 1901 and has remained unchanged since. The eagle, certainly used due to the bird being the country’s national bird, sits atop a baseball, with a pennant reading “American League” across its length.
5. Baltimore Orioles
Though the Orioles logo falls short in terms of age and recognizability when compared to the rest of our list, it is historical nonetheless. The familiar orange and black bird–the oriole–first made its appearance in 1954, as it stood majestically atop a baseball and crossing bats. The first adaptation was to replace the cartoon-looking bird with a more realistic looking one in 1992, with the bird atop “Orioles” written in script. Despite there being several changes minor changes over the years, the script with bird has remained largely unchanged since. What makes the Orioles an easy addition to the list is that since their inception they have consistently employed the bird in one form or another.
4. Detroit Tigers
Even older than the Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox is the logo of the Detroit Tigers. The signature scripted blue “D” first made an appearance in 1903. The concept was used almost exclusively for the first 30 years when it was replaced by “tiger heads” from 1934 – 1993. In 1994, the team reinvented the logo, returning the signature “D”, and it has been used since. The Detroit Tigers are amongst the oldest franchises in all of North American major professional sports not to have moved or changed the team’s name. Though they got away from their beginnings when the “D” was replaced, they have re-found their roots with a return to the old and the classic scripted “D” of days gone by in more recent years, with the edition of a ferocious tiger coming through the D at times, but not always.
3. Chicago White Sox
Beginning in 1912, one of the oldest franchises in baseball, the Chicago White Sox used an abbreviated version of their name “Sox” as their logo. Very similar to today’s logo, the three letters were in a similar font, though they were blue instead of today’s black. The concept of “Sox” was used for 36 years until the team made a change in 1949 to a winged white sock on yellow circular background. With several more changes used from then until 1990, the team made a return to the original, for the 1991 season with the now familiar overlapping black letters “S-o-x”. Not as recognizable as the Red Sox or Yankees logos, the history behind the organization as well as their logo is certainly impressive.
2. Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox logo has been used for over 100 years, making it one of the oldest logos still used in professional sports in North America. Though it went through some periods of change and was out of favor for some time, the connection between the current version and that first used in 1908 is evident. Beginning as a single red sock with “Boston” down the side, a second sock was added for the 1931 season. Though the now familiar “B” replaced it for a time starting the very next season, the socks made a comeback and have consistently been used since 1950. The Red Sox are amongst the most known franchises with one of the most identifiable logos in sports.
1. New York Yankees
The Yankees are perhaps equally known for two logos, which they have used for a century. One of the most recognizable logos in all of sports, the logo with an overlapping “N” and “Y” has been synonymous with the organization since 1909’s Highlanders logo, and even back 8 more years when the team had the N and Y separated but in a similar font. The overlapping version was used by the club from 1913 – 1946, and even though a new one was adopted after WWII, the logo is still used by the club and its fans today. It remains one of the most recognizable symbols in all of sports.
The logo that replaced the “NY” in 1946 featured a red outlined baseball with “Yankees” in red script across the face and a bat with top hat on the butt end featuring the colors and pattern of the flag of the United States. Still used today, this logo is also highly recognizable around the globe, and together with the “NY” logo, make the New York Yankees easily the most historical logo on our list.
If you have a different order or a logo that should be in the list, please add your own comments below.
